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Volume 136 Issue 26

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

Thursday, November 15, 2018

2

BASKETBALL

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 15, 2018

Letter from the Editor: It’s basketball time in Tennessee

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND Tyler Wombles Managing Editor POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL

Austin Pope touchback fumble against Florida, but that’s a perfect example).

But despite the Vols’ loss to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament last season, Rick Barnes hasn’t disappointed the fanbase much, and any disappointments to be had seem to be decreasing in number as each season passes. He has taught his Vols to play as a team and crafted a chemistry among his players that hasn’t been seen in the program in years.

Plus, his grandfatherly demeanor and goodguy vibes make it that much easier to like him.

And it’s not just the Vols that are on a good track; Holly Warlick’s Lady Vols won five more games last season than the one before, including wins in their first 15 contests, and finished with a 25-8 record. Many Tennessee fans have criticized Warlick in the past few years, but her 154-54 career record and the staunch recruiting

classes she consistently brings in should speak for themselves.

My message to you, Tennessee fans, is to enjoy this basketball season as much as possible. Soak up the positive moments and enjoy listening to analysts praise Tennessee, instead of talking about its shortcomings. Take solace in the fact that both squads will be going into most games as the alpha team, not the underdog.

The Daily Beacon will be there every moment, covering the games, coaches and players you care about.

For the Tennessee fanbase, this type of excitement has been a long time coming.

Editor-in-Chief: Kylie Hubbard Managing Editor: Tyler Wombles Copy Chief: Paige Greene Campus News Editor: Cat Trieu City News Editor: Allie Clouse Asst. News Editor: Neeley Moore Sports Editor: Blake Von Hagen Asst. Sports Editor: Will Backus Engagement Editor: Alec Apostoeai Digital Producer: Tara Halley Asst. Digital Producer: Kelsey French Opinons Editor: Margot McClellan Photo Editors: Emily Gowder, Megan Albers Design Editor: Elisa Razak Production Artists: Grace Atter, Lauren Mayo, Emily Gowder, Meliya Evans, Catherine Fei, McLane Zaitz, Jeremiah Pham, Emory Hockett, Meg Kiestler

This is a rare time on campus.

Excitement for this basketball season is high, as the men’s team is ranked No. 5 in the nation and the women’s team welcomed a strong group of freshmen to the roster this offseason.

Thompson-Boling Arena was almost packed during the Vols’ win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday, not a common sight for a non-conference game with a 9 p.m. tip off.

It’s not often that Tennessee fans are able to have faith in school teams without dealing with an equal moment of hesitation and fear, as it’s a known fact that things don’t always go the way Vol fans want (didn’t want to bring up the

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No. 5 Vols fueled by NCAA Tournament loss to Loyola-Chicago

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Jordan Bone couldn’t believe it. Neither could anyone else outside of the Chicago-metropolitan area.

As the Tennessee point guard sat at his locker in the depths of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, a river of tears streamed down his face as he attempted to gain his composure.

“I’ve never felt like this before in my life,” Bone said following Tennessee’s 63-62 loss to the Ramblers. “We worked so hard to get to this point. We weren’t supposed to finish here.”

While Sister Jean and the Cinderella story known as Loyola-Chicago celebrated, the Vols simmered. A No. 3 seed entering the big dance with lofty expectations, their long journey was now abruptly over.

Seven months later, Bone sat at a table nestled in the corner of Tennessee’s practice gym in Pratt Pavilion with a grin on his face.

Despite the constant smiles that surrounded media day, Bone hadn’t forgotten the simmering feeling that sulked in his stomach on the flight back from Texas.

“Personally, that game was devastating. That’s a feeling you never want to experience again,” Bone said. “There’s definitely a chip on my shoulder and it’s going to stay there. I felt we could’ve done a lot more.”

Another storyline that continues to produce speculation was the absence of Kyle Alexander, Tennessee’s most effective rim-protector. The senior forward was unable to go for the Vols’ matchup with Loyola, as he dealt with a hip issue.

Sharing in his teammate’s pain, Alexander played the “what-if” game multiple times over the summer after watching the Ramblers advance to the Final Four.

“That’s always been a big one for me,”

The Loyola Ramblers celebrate after beating Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17, 2018, at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Ashley Landis/Dallas Morning News/TNS

Alexander said. “It obviously wasn’t in God’s plan for me or our team. It took us awhile to move past it, but we did.”

As time slowly began to heal the wounds, Alexander now has a newfound appreciation for the intangibles he brings to the basketball court.

That all began with what some call one of the most excruciating losses in Tennessee athletics history.

“We use things like that to drive us towards this year,” Bone said. “We’ve learned from it and we don’t want to allow that to happen again.”

In several instances, many teams have used this type of defeat as a motivation factor moving forward.

After being downed by Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the 2016 National Championship Game, the North Carolina Tar Heels marched back the very next year and claimed the crown. Following an embarrassing performance against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, LeBron James led the Miami Heat to back-to-back titles.

With dreams of bringing home a national championship fresh on their minds, the Vols will be looking to accomplish a feat that has yet to be done within the men’s program.

“We have that we have been through it,” Bone said. “The ups and downs that brings a team closer.”

Having earned a share of last year’s SEC Regular Season Championship, Tennessee already knows what it feels like to claim conference titles. What the Vols don’t know is the feeling of exhilaration that comes with winning it all.

From the confetti raining down from above, to the everlasting glory that comes with bringing home the coveted Wooden NCAA Championship Trophy — the Vols still have much to experience.

For Bone and the rest of the team, the journey began immediately upon landing in Knoxville on March 17. With the season now in full swing, the rest will simply come with time.

“We’re ready,” Bone said. “I can’t wait.”

BASKETBALL

Thursday, November 15, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

3

Lady Vols playing as ‘one big happy family’ Will Backus

Asst. Sports Editor

One of the most vital parts of the equation for success in almost any sport is team chemistry.

It’s hard to beat a team that’s close, and for the Tennessee women’s basketball team, this might be the biggest advantage in this season.

“They are really a tight-knit group,” head coach Holly Warlick said. “I mean, they are tight.

We haven’t had that in a long time. I really love this basketball team.”

Warlick has been the head coach of the Lady Vols for seven seasons now, so this is high praise.

She has coached her teams to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two regular season SEC titles and one SEC Tournament championship.

Her record as a head coach sits at 154-54, including a 13-6 mark in the NCAA Tournament.

And in her entire tenure with the Lady Vols, the current Tennessee squad may be the closest she has ever coached.

“It’s a feel,” Warlick said. “You watch them interact with each other, they help each other, they stay and work on their game together. It’s just a comradery that I have felt that we haven’t

had in a while.”

This closeness shows on the court, even in the box score. In their season opening win versus Presbyterian, the Lady Vols tallied 15 assists, accounting for almost half of their 97 total points. Sophomore Evina Westbrook led the way with five of her own.

In their actions, as well, the bond they’ve formed shows. When freshman Zaay Green blocked a shot into the crowd, she was swarmed by her teammates in celebration. When Kasiyahna Kushkituah pulled down a few offensive boards in a row, eventually drawing an and-one opportunity, the bench was quick to congratulate her for her efforts.

The newcomers that haven’t been with Tennessee for long still get a sense of the tightknit nature of this team.

“We’re like sisters,” freshman Mimi Collins said. “If you watched our practice, we’re so close it’s ridiculous. The way we talk, the way we hang-out with each other, we’re just one big happy family.”

While playing in games helps teams build chemistry, it starts in the offseason. Practice is good for this, but some of the most important moments happen off of the court.

“We go to the mall a lot as a team,” Collins said. “We go to the movies. We’re with each

other 24/7 ... We’ll play cards, we’ll watch movies, we’ll just do everything and anything together.”

They even have a favorite card game.

“UNO,” junior Kamera Harris said. “We’re all so competitive too, so it makes it even more fun.

We all just want to win. We cheat a little bit here and there when we play. UNO is one of those games we really go hard in.

“It’s very intense.”

One of the biggest problems with youth, which the Lady Vols have a lot of, is that the younger players may take a while to get in rhythm with the rest of the team, especially with other newcomers.

This also isn’t the case. All four of Tennessee’s freshmen knew each other well before officially joining the Lady Vols. Three of them, Collins, Zaay Green and Jazmine Massengill, played together in two All-American games in high school.

This familiarity, Collins says, has been a huge help for her transition from high school to college.

“Me and Jazmine have been friends ever since we came on our Tennessee visit,” Collins said. “So we have been friends for years ... but coming to the McDonald’s All-American game and meeting Zaay was an extra boost.”

Mimi Collins, #4, dribbles during game against Carson-Newman on Nov. 5, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon

As the season unfolds, the chemistry should build even further, making the Lady Vols a potentially dangerous team down the stretch.

4

BASKETBALL

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 15, 2018

Early-season notebook: Assessing the No. 5 Vols through 3 games Blake Von Hagen Sports Editor

Tennessee has jumped out to a quick 3-0 start on the season, compiling wins against LenoirRhyne, Louisiana-Lafayette and Georgia Tech.

“We are where we are because of what we did last year,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “It’s still a matter of what is this team going to prove that they can do, because we still haven’t totally defined ourselves.”

Here are some takeaways from those three double-digit wins for the No. 5 Vols: Defense still backbone for Tennessee Over the last few seasons, Barnes has emphasized the defensive end of the floor.

Through the first three games this year, things have been no different — the Vols are holding opponents to just 53.0 points-per-game.

While Tennessee is putting up 79.7 pointsper-game on the offensive end, defense is still the priority for Barnes.

“You gotta hang your hat on something,” Barnes said. “For the last two years, we have tried to hang our hat on our defense.”

Barnes is also experimenting with full court pressure, a look that could help wear opponents down throughout a game.

“It would help us get better if we could do a little more with the full court pressure,” Barnes said. “Just pressure the ball…take time off the clock and be crisp.”

Turner expected back by Thanksgiving Reigning Co-SEC Sixth Man of the Year Lamonte Turner has been sidelined for the first three games of the season due to offseason shoulder surgery. In his place, junior guard Jordan Bowden has been seeing some playing time at point guard.

“It’s something that we worked on in the preseason, just for this situation,” Barnes said. “If someone should get hurt and not be there…the fact that he (Bowden) spent a lot of time in the offseason playing that position.”

Turner’s goal is to get back to full health.

“The biggest thing is he wants to get healthy,” Barnes said. “We want him to be healthy. He certainly has in the last couple weeks done all that he can do to rehab it and get it back. We need him.

There’s no doubt.”

After Tennessee’s win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday, Barnes said that Turner is expected to be back in time for the team’s Thanksgiving games in New York.

“I’m happy with our guys that we’ve been able to get through three games without him...”

Barnes said. “I do think that he will be ready for New York. These next couple of days will be important for him to get his wind back and in playing shape. We are going to need him to do that.”

Admiral Schofield, #5, holds the ball during game against Georgia Tech on Nov. 13, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

James Klein / The Daily Beacon

Williams is who we thought he was Tennessee junior forward Grant Williams is coming off a sophomore season in which he won SEC Player of the Year. This season, he was tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year.

Through three games, Williams is living up to the hype. He is averaging 22.0 points-per-game and 8.3 rebounds-per-game.

“We all know what Grant can do,” redshirtsophomore John Fulkerson said. “When Grant’s going, he’s going.”

Prior to the Vols’ second game of the season, Barnes pulled Williams aside after practice to voice a few displeasures. Williams responded with 31 points and 10 rebounds against Louisiana.

“One thing about Grant is that we can have some pretty serious and intense talks,” Barnes said. “He’ll listen ... he’s a better player when he’s rebounding the basketball.”

Next up Tennessee travels to Brooklyn, New York for the NIT Season Tip-Off next week. The No. 5 Vols are slated to play Louisville in their first matchup.

The Cardinals are 2-0 to start the season, with wins over Nicholls State and Southern University.

Tennessee and Louisville are set to tip off at 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

“Definitely some big games up there in New York,” Fulkerson said. “We need to get our bodies right and get our minds right.”

The winner of that game will go on to face to the winner of No. 24 Marquette and No. 2 Kansas on Friday night, and the loser will play the loser of the game between the Golden Eagles and Jayhawks.

“I think the key for any team in sports is to get better throughout the year,” Barnes said.

BASKETBALL

Thursday, November 15, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

5

Barnes parallels Pearl’s success ten years later Blake Von Hagen Sports Editor

High school graduates often give bold predictions about where they will be in ten years.

In 2008, had someone asked the Tennessee basketball program where it sees itself in ten years, the answer would likely have been overwhelmingly positive. The response probably would have revolved around thenhead coach Bruce Pearl and his intellectual basketball mind or his golden touch on the recruiting trail.

Pearl had Tennessee, a known entity in football and women’s basketball, excelling on the hardwood. The Vols, who had just won the SEC regular season championship and set a school record for wins with 31, prepared to repeat that feat in Pearl’s fourth season as the head man at Tennessee.

Pearl entered the season as the reigning SEC Coach of the Year, and Chris Lofton joined Tyler Smith on the 2007-08 first-team All-SEC squad.

“We’re going to compete for the SEC Championship,” Pearl said at the 2008 Tennessee basketball media day. “I’m confident this is a basketball team that will have what it takes to defend our championship.”

The 2008-09 season came and went.

Tennessee finished 21-13 in the regular season, but fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ten years have come and gone since that season.

Time has brought good and bad for the Tennessee basketball program. During that decade, Pearl lost his job as the Vols’ head coach after an NCAA investigation into unethical conduct and violations in 2010 and 2011.

“The cumulative effect of the evolution of the investigation combined with a number of more recent non-NCAA-related incidents have led to a belief that this staff cannot be viable at Tennessee in the future,” then-Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said.

Pearl’s departure brought Cuonzo Martin, who coached at Tennessee from 201114 before declining a contract extension and accepting a job at the University of California.

Martin’s void was filled by Donnie Tyndall, whose tenure as the Vols’ head coach lasted just one season. His fate? The same as Pearl’s, a firing because of NCAA violations.

Ten years after Pearl had been hired, the

Vols were looking for their fourth head coach in six years.

Insert Rick Barnes, who had just been fired by the University of Texas despite holding the school record with 402 wins.

Barnes had recently turned 60 but was not ready to retire.

And on March 31, 2015, Tennessee gave Barnes another chance to coach.

“Rick (Barnes) brings an extremely impressive track record of excellence, as well as much-needed stability, to our men’s basketball program,” then Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said. “This is an exciting day for our Tennessee family.”

Now, Barnes has begun his fourth season as the head coach at Tennessee. Like Pearl, he enters his fourth year coming off a regular season SEC Championship.

The similarities do not stop there.

Both coaches saw their win total increase each of their first three seasons. Both coaches were named the SEC Coach of the Year in Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Barnes during game against Georgia Tech their third season. Both coaches had players on Nov. 13, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena. James Klein / The Daily Beacon named to All-SEC honors during their third year as head coach. And both coaches had their team in the preseason top 25 heading into year four.

However, there is one striking difference amongst the myriad of parallels. Barnes returns his top six scorers from his third season, whereas Pearl lost five of his top nine players going into his fourth season.

“I have no doubt in my mind that this year we will be way more consistent,” senior Admiral Schofield said. “I think everyone’s urgency and everyone’s focus is being better than we were last year.”

The parallels with Pearl, heading into Barnes’ fourth season, certainly exist. But the Vols are looking to achieve more than the 2008-09 team, which was knocked out in the first round of the tournament.

For Barnes, it starts with a mentality.

“Once we got through with the season ... we went in a room and talked about where we were and what we had done last year,” Barnes said. “We simply said, ‘Now that’s over with; that’s done with. We’ve got to start over like every team in the country. We don’t get to start back where we finished.’”

So, ten years later, the story is not complete. Barnes has fans clambering for men’s basketball tickets once again.

He simply wants to see his players, and the program, continue to improve.

“You are going to have to continue to get better for the next 10 years if you want basketball to be a part of your future,” Barnes said.

6

BASKETBALL

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 15, 2018

Lockwood ‘blessed’ as he enters 15th-straight season with Lady Vols Noah Taylor

Contributor National championships, Final Fours, SEC titles, the sweetest of finishes and the bitterest of losses: Tennessee Lady Vols assistant coach Dean Lockwood has seen a lot in his 20 seasons in Knoxville.

The Michigan native is entering his 20th season with Tennessee basketball, first serving with the men’s team under then-head coach Don Devoe from 1986-1991 before coming back as an assistant coach for the Lady Vols under head coach Pat Summitt in 2004.

For Lockwood, he would best sum up his time with the Lady Vols as a blessing.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Lockwood said.

“When you first get into coaching, there’s no guarantee of anything. You know you’re going to move around a lot, you know you’ll be working at different places. But to be in this environment as long as I have, it’s been a blessing.”

During his five-year stint as an assistant for Devoe’s team, Lockwood was part of three straight winning seasons, two National Invitational Tournaments and one NCAA

Tournament team, coaching a total of seven NBA draft picks in that span.

Lockwood went on to take the head coaching job at Northwood University in 1991 before moving on to the same role for the Saginaw Valley State University men’s basketball team from 1998 to 2004.

That 2004 season is when Lockwood was brought on to Pat Summitt’s staff, where he worked alongside then-assistant coach, former Lady Vol and current head coach Holly Warlick.

According to Lockwood, working for Summitt, who, with 1,098 wins, places her first in all-time wins among women’s college basketball coaches, was a great experience.

“Coming back and coaching eight years with her was nothing short of phenomenal,” Lockwood said. “It was just a great experience having her and just jumping on board with that staff was terrific.”

In the 15 seasons Lockwood has been with the Lady Vols, he’s been a part of three Final Four teams, seven SEC championship teams and, in 2006 and 2007, back-to-back national title teams. With that comes a plethora of memories that many players and coaches could only dream of in their careers.

“There has been so many (memories),” Lockwood said. “I consider myself a lifelong learner. They’ve all been full of growth and learning. The two seasons we won national championships were unlike any other.

“To be a part of that, to experience that, it was a ride like none other.”

While Lockwood has had the opportunity to coach the likes of Candace Parker and Isabelle Harrison, among many other players who would go on to have successful careers in the WNBA, the 2018-19 team has been one of his favorites yet.

“It’s a new time of leadership,” Lockwood said. “We’re still upholding the standards and core values that have been established here.

They bring good energy everyday, they’re receptive, they’re coachable. They want to learn.”

Although the coaches have harped on the Lady Vols’ energy all offseason, particularly that brought on by freshmen, Lockwood has returned the favor with a lot of energy of his own, according to the players who feed off of it everyday in practice.

“I’ve never seen him have a bad day,” sophomore guard Evina Westbrook said. “If he was, you’d never be able to tell. He has the most

energy, all of the time. For this team, to have that one person that says ‘come on, let’s go,’ that’s exactly what we need.”

For players like senior forward Cheridene Green, Lockwood has not only helped develop her into a better player, but has been a mentor and someone she can trust beyond the court.

“Not even just as a coach, but as a person, he’s a great guy,” Green said. “He’s been very helpful to me. He really understands that process of how I can get better. I think in general he’s been a really good teacher for me and he’s someone who is trustworthy, too.”

As Lockwood embarks on his 15th season and seventh under Warlick, what he has enjoyed the most about coaching is the players and his colleagues. For him, they’ve given him the most out of his experience.

“Coach (John) Wooden once said, ‘They ask me why I teach. Where else can I find such splendid company?,’” Lockwood said. “That’s what I look at. That’s what I look at in my 15 years here. If someone asked me, ‘Why do you do this?’ (I say) Where else can I find such splendid company?

“That’s how I feel. I just feel incredibly blessed.”

Lady Vols working well with youth, inexperience Will Backus

Asst. Sports Editor

Once more, the Tennessee women’s basketball team will be leaning on youth and inexperience.

Last year, two freshmen started in almost every single game for the Lady Vols, and others saw valuable minutes off the bench.

This season, eight of the 11 total players that comprise the roster have two or fewer years of experience.

“We played a lot of our freshmen last year,” head coach Holly Warlick said. “Same thing this year. Our freshmen are talented, and our freshmen right now are buying into the system ... I will say this, they’re fearless.”

The lack of experience isn’t necessarily a problem, however. The two freshmen that started almost every game last season, Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis, were both named to the Coaches Preseason All-SEC team for this year. Now sophomores, they’re expected to lead the younger members of the Lady Vols.

Davis, who made first-team All-SEC, averaged 12 points-per-game last season and finished 11th in the conference in rebounding, averaging 7.6 rebounds-per-game. That mark also ranks sixth best among Lady Vols freshmen in the team’s history. She missed the first game against Presbyterian due to

an injury to her left foot, but the malady isn’t expected to bench her for too long.

Westbrook, a member of the second-team All-SEC squad, did play in the Lady Vols’ season opener and recorded career highs in points and steals, with 20 and seven, respectively. She also started all 33 games for Tennessee last season.

“I just had to do what my team needed me to do,” Westbrook said. “I don’t come out every game thinking I need to score this many points, just whatever my team needs me to do for that specific game.”

Kasiyahna Kushkituah did not play a lot last season as a freshman due to senior Mercedes Russell eating up most of the minutes at center. Now, she’s been thrust into a starting role as a sophomore.

In the season opener, Kushkituah scored in double figures for just the second time in her career, matching her previous best of 10 points. Of the seven rebounds she was able to nab, six were on the offensive boards.

Behind the trio of sophomores is a quartet of talented freshmen that comprised the No. 4 recruiting class for the 2018 cycle.

Perhaps the most impressive thus far has been Zaay Green, the former No. 10 overall player in the nation. She got the start on Sunday against Presbyterian in light of Davis’ injury, earning the spot after a 28-point, 10-rebound performance in Tennessee’s exhibition win over Carson-Newman.

In 22 minutes of play, Green recorded 13

points and five steals. She was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, leading the team in 3-pointers made.

The second highest scorer for the Lady Vols on Sunday was another freshman, Rae Burrell. She scored 14 points, drawing three fouls with her play inside the paint. Burrell was ranked the 43rd overall prospect out of high school, lettering in both track and basketball.

Freshman Mimi Collins may be the most versatile player on Tennessee’s roster, practicing multiple positions in the offseason, but finding her home at the four spot. The former McDonald’s and Jordan Brand AllAmerican played 19 minutes in the season opener, falling just short of a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds.

The freshman Warlick seems most excited about, though, is guard Jazmine Massengill.

Though she didn’t have a huge impact in her debut, Warlick believes she has a world of potential.

“Very confident that she can come in, and she and Evina (Westbrook) can split time,” Warlick said. “She’s got a calming effect to her, which we need. I knew what I was getting when I sat down and talked with her and watched film.

“She’s a special kid.”

While youth is often seen as a negative by most teams, Tennessee is taking advantage of the young talent it has, and it appears to be paying off for the Lady Vols thus far.

Rennia Davis, #0, goes up for a layup during game against Carson-Newman on Nov. 5, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon

PUZZLES&GAMES

Thursday, November 15, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

STR8TS No. 413

7

LOS ANGELES TIMES CROSSWORD • Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

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SUDOKU No. 413

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ACROSS 1 The one here 5 Group of cronies 9 Natural wound protection 13 Discard 14 Prohibited activity 15 â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a shame!â&#x20AC;?

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9/25/18

By C.C. Burnikel

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Š2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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9/25/18

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7

8

BASKETBALL

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 15, 2018

Season Predictions VOLS

Blake Von Hagen, Sports Editor

Cory Sanning, Staff Writer

Every year, I look forward to filling out my March Madness bracket.

While individual matchups often determine my selections, Tennessee’s veteran lineup and reliable bench have the No. 5 Vols penciled into my Final Four. The expectations, both inside and outside the program, are tremendously high.

Tennessee returns the SEC Player of the Year in Grant Williams, along with seniors Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander. SEC Co-Sixth Man of the Year Lamonte Turner is also an option off the bench.

The Vols’ road will not be smooth throughout the entire season, though. A slow start in non-conference play, with losses to Kansas and Gonzaga, will have fans worried about a letdown year.

SEC play will bring five losses for Tennessee, including getting swept by Kentucky and losing to Vanderbilt, Florida and LSU on the road to finish the regular season 24-7. The Vols will close the season by winning the SEC Tournament and making the program’s first Final Four run.

A year ago, Tennessee entered the season with lowly outside expectations.

Whether or not that played a role in their success is unknown, but they won’t have the luxury of flying under the radar this year.

Returning 90 percent of their total scoring output from last season, the Vols boast their first top-5 ranking in over a decade.

Lofty expectations are typically followed by lofty results, and Tennessee will be no different.

The Vols will glide through non-conference play with a single loss at the hands of the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

Looking to repeat as SEC Regular Season Champions for the first time in program history, Tennessee will do just that, with their only losses coming in Baton Rouge, Lexington and Auburn.

The Vols will finish the regular season with a record of 27-4 and will silence the critics by making their first Final Four appearance in program history.

Motivation can be a dangerous weapon, and Tennessee has just that.

LADY VOLS Will Backus, Asst. Sports Editor

Noah Taylor, Contributor

It is very hard to predict how the season will unfold for this Tennessee women’s basketball team. They lost two pivotal pieces in the offseason in Jaime Nared, their leading scorer, and Mercedes Russell, a doubledouble machine.

The hot-word for this year’s team is youth- seven of the 11 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. Typically a young team is seen as a negative, but Tennessee faced the same song and dance last year and made it to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Plus the four freshmen they have are talented, scoring 41 of the Lady Vols’ 97 points in the season opening win over Presbyterian. Though a lot was lost in the offseason, head coach Holly Warlick has done a good job replacing it with a crop of young and talented athletes.

Still, they face a tough schedule, with marquee matchups against defending National Champion Notre Dame at home, and a road match against perennial top-10 team Texas. Plus, the SEC is stacked this season, with six teams in the top 25.

I think the Lady Vols, facing a lot of questions and a tough schedule, will finished the regular season at 23-7, advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament once more.

Tennessee said goodbye to two important contributors from last season in center Mercedes Russell and guard Jaime Nared.

Still, the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class that Holly Warlick signed in 2017 has a season of experience under their belts, and four freshmen from another top 10 class are now on campus.

Those freshmen saw the court plenty in their season opener versus Presbyterian last week, with guard/forward Rae Burrell leading the group with 14 points while three others managed to score in the 97-49 win.

That young talent will have to be successful going forward for Tennessee to get back to the NCAA Tournament, but they will be tested early with contests versus Clemson and Oklahoma State before hosting No. 7 Stanford and traveling to Austin to take on No. 11 Texas in December before jumping into SEC play.

With the help of senior leadership from forward Cheridene Green and guard Meme Jackson, this young Tennessee team will grow throughout the season and earn some big conference wins along the way, finishing 27-8 overall with a loss in the Sweet Sixteen to cap off their season.

Cheridene Green, #15, defends during game against Carson-Newman on Nov. 5, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon

Defense a key for 2018-19 Lady Vols Noah Taylor

Contributor

Defense wins championships is a popular belief held among those in sports, and most of the time, it rings true.

For the 2018-19 Tennessee Lady Vols to return to women’s college basketball’s elite, it will have to ring true. That is why they have a renewed focus on defense ahead of the season.

Fortunately for head coach Holly Warlick, she sees a team that plays with a sense of urgency and intensity, attributes needed to be successful on the defensive end.

“They are very gritty,” Warlick said of her team. “They are very competitive. For the most part, they work hard in practice, they’re very coachable. I really love this basketball team and I enjoy coaching them.”

That defensive focus was displayed in Tennessee’s season opener versus Presbyterian last week, as it turned 39 opponent turnovers into 44 points on the other end.

As a team, the Lady Vols had 22 steals, with sophomore guard Evina Westbrook notching a career-high seven steals in the game.

“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on defense,” Warlick said. “We’ve pressed a lot more and we’re pressing all over the court. We want to turn you over. The best way to do that is pressing and pressuring the ball.”

Another area where Tennessee will need to improve on defense is in physicality. According to Warlick, sophomore Rennia Davis, who is coming off of a successful freshman campaign last season, is one of those players who appears to be playing more physically.

“Rennia (Davis) is one of those kids that’s gotten in the gym,” Warlick said. “She’s gotten stronger with our weight program. I think one area where she has separated herself is she is taking the physical part of the game. She’s becoming more physical.

“She’s becoming a complete player. We need

her to be. She’s got to be one of our go-to players.”

Davis isn’t the only player looking to improve where defense is concerned. Senior forward Cheridene Green has also been working on her defensive play down low, particularly in rebounding.

In the post, Tennessee is looking to replace center Mercedes Russell, who had 191 defensive rebounds in her senior season last year. The Lady Vols have managed to add a lot of size in the offseason to compensate.

“In the offseason, I really worked on my rebounding,” Green said. “I’m really focusing on my skill and what I can bring to the team.

I’m really focusing on being effective in that capacity.”

Sophomore center Kasiyahna Kushkituah has also been working on conditioning and physicality in practice to replace Russell’s production.

“I’ve been working everyday in the gym,” Kushkituah said. “Getting conditioning, that was just a big step for me. I’ve been working on my post game and my high post game. Overall, I’ve had improvement.”

During the offseason, Tennessee had to replace two seniors in addition to other players leaving the program. Warlick went out and signed the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation, and those four freshmen will also have to contribute to the team’s defensive focus.

“The freshmen have impressed me since they’ve been on campus,” Warlick said. “They play hard, they play without fear. They just play relentlessly. That’s what has separated them.

They’re very athletic.”

Versus Presbyterian, eight of Tennessee’s 22 steals came from the freshmen, with Zaay Green having five in just her first regular season game.

The Lady Vols will look to continue to maintain that style of play on defense throughout the season as they will face several top-25 teams, including the two teams that played in last year’s national championship game, No.1 Notre Dame and No.6 Mississippi State, among others.