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BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 3, 2021
3 breakout candidates for the Lady Vols BRANDON SHOWN Contributor
It’s almost time for Lady Vols’ basketball to tip off again on Rocky Top. Over the offseason, Tennessee lost star player Rennia Davis to the WNBA draft, when she was selected ninth overall by the Minnesota Lynx. Former Lady Vols Destiny Salary, Kasiyahna Kushkituah and Jaiden McCoy also moved on from Tennessee for various reasons. With nine players returning, there are not too many gaps on the roster to fill. The addition of four new freshmen as well as a graduate transfer can only help this Lady Vols team as they progress throughout their season. Each year there is always a player that breaks out and makes a name for themselves. Whether it’s someone finally tapping into their potential or stepping up and succeeding in a new role, the players that make the jump to the next level are critical for long postseason runs. Rae Burrell Rae Burrell figures to be one of the biggest leaders for the Lady Vols this season. She formed a potent duo with Davis last season, but on her own, Burrell looks to have a role just as prominent. “There’s a little bit of pressure, but I feel like I just need to play my game,” Burrell said. “I’m not looking to force anything, just letting it come to me. I feel like I need to really focus on being a good leader for this team, too, whether that’s scoring or just vocally showing how to be a good leader. There is pressure, but I trust in myself and my teammates to keep me level-headed to be a good leader.” Burrell has been named to numerous preseason award watchlists including the Preseason All-SEC Team, the Cheryl Miller Award and the USA Today Preseason All-American. Burrell is coming off a 2020-21 season in which she started every game for a team high 804 minutes. She averaged 16.8 points per game. She made 45% of field goal attempts and was an astounding 40.2% from three-point range. The one weakness in her game was a tendency to turn over the ball, as she committed 69 turnovers on the season. For someone as talented as Burrell, she is looking to improve with her voice. “For me personally, I think just being a vocal leader,” Burrell said. “Before, I think it was just more by showing. I think I really want to talk to the younger ones and show them that I can lead the team.” Jordan Horston Jordan Horston is looking to fill a leadership role this season alongside Burrell, as she enters her third year within the program. “Having great leaders is always a piece that’s necessary for winning teams,” Horston said. “Having vocal leaders on and off the court
UT Guard Jordan Horston during media day on Oct. 28, 2021 at Pratt Pavilion, Knoxville, TN. Jamar Coach / The Daily Beacon helping these young people come in and guide them and show them the ropes is always something a great team needs, and I feel like we have that so I’m very excited about what we can do this year and how everybody has been working hard and continuing to push each other.” “Honestly, even though we have vocal leaders, the freshmen are leaders as well. Freshman, sophomore, everybody’s a leader, everybody’s feeling comfortable here, and that’s what I love about this team.” Last season, Horston averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, starting 13 games as a sophomore in the 2020-21 season. She scored double figures 14 times a year ago, after only doing so five times as a freshman, and totaled 10 or more points in four of her last five games. Horston’s 4.2 assists per game mark was tied for third in the SEC, and she was the only nonupperclassman player within the top-13. Horston was named to the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Preseason Award List. Tamari Key Junior center Tamari Key is expected to have a big season for the Lady Volunteers picking up where she left off. Key was named to the Lisa Leslie Preseason Award watchlist, alongside Burrell, in the Preseason All-SEC Team. “I was honored to be on one of the lists,” Key said. “I think I just want to be able to just keep working hard this season. I just want to keep getting better every day.” Last season, Key put up 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, while shooting 62.8% from the field. She ranked 11th in the NCAA and second in the SEC with 72 blocks and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Key’s 72 blocked shots were the eighth best single season total, and her 158 career blocks through just two seasons are also eighth in program history. Key had Tennessee’s fourth ever triple-double on Jan. 31, 2021, with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks against Florida. Key serves as a member of the SEC StudentAthlete Leadership Council & SAAC Representative, as well as the women’s basketball representative for UT’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
