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SEC Preview: South Carolina, Mississippi State, Tennessee and much more

By Blake DuDonis

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 16: Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Holly Warlick is interviewed by former Lady Vol, now ESPN commentator, Kara Lawson after a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Tennessee Lady Volunteers on January 16, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Tennessee upset the Irish 71-69. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 16: Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Holly Warlick is interviewed by former Lady Vol, now ESPN commentator, Kara Lawson after a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Tennessee Lady Volunteers on January 16, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Tennessee upset the Irish 71-69. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Image result for stephanie white vanderbilt /

Vanderbilt Commodores
Predicted finish: 11th  

Key returners (last season’s stats)
G- Rachel Bell- 5’10, SR- 11.3 PPG, 40%FG, 39% 3pt, 22 MPG
F- Kayla Overbeck- 6’1, SO- 9.4 PPG, 52%FG, 7.2 RPG, 4 fouls per game, 25 MPG, All Freshman
G/F- Erin Whalen- 6’1, SO- 9.1 PPG 42%FG, 39% 3pt, 2.8 RPG, 18 MPG, All Freshman

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
F- Marqu’es Webb, 6’1- 7 PPG, 50%FG, 9.1 RPG, 26 MPG

Newcomers
F- Autumn Newby, 6’2, (Lawrenceville, GA), FR- Ranked #30 in 2017 class, #10 power forward
G- Chelsie Hall, 5’6, (Seffner, FL), FR- Ranked #121 in 2017 class, #30 point guard
C- Blessing Ejiofor, 6’5, (Ebonyi, Nigeria), FR- Ranked #245 in 2016 class, #20 post, did not enroll last year
C- Paige Warren, 6’2, (Dublin, OH), FR

Head Coach- Stephanie White, 2nd season
Vanderbilt made quite the splash last spring when they parted ways with Melanie Balcomb, who had been the head coach for 13 years, and poached Stephanie White from the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. White was the head coach of the Fever for two seasons, leading them to the playoffs both years, including an appearance in the WNBA Finals in 2015. White served as an assistant coach in college for three different institutions before heading to the WNBA and won a national championship as a player at Purdue in 1999. Very much a family oriented person, White hired Carolyn Peck, her head coach at Purdue, as well as former teammate Kelly Komara. She also hired former Duke great Joy Cheek, a highly regarded recruiter among college coaches. White runs a pro style system that is unique to the college ranks and even though year 1 for her was rough, as she continues to bring in recruits that fit their style, Vanderbilt should continue to improve.

Key non-conference games
Nov. 10- Middle Tennessee State
Nov. 23- George Washington (neutral site)
Nov. 24- Syracuse (neutral site)
Nov. 29- @ St. Louis
Dec. 7- @ Louisville
Dec. 19- NC State

Outlook
Last season was one to forget for Vanderbilt. The Commodores limped to a 4-12 record in the SEC, a brutal conference for young teams. The good news is that the young players on the roster got a ton of experience that will certainly pay dividends in the long run. One of the biggest issues for Vandy last season was their lack of height (they had no player over 6’1) and that was clearly addressed in their recruiting. If one or two of the newcomers can step in and make an impact, I could see this team surprising some of the programs in the upper half of the conference. From a recruiting standpoint, Vandy is in on several players that would make a difference for them, showing that the coaching staff of the only private institution in the SEC is embracing the challenge. They need to establish a post presence, as well as having a few players consistently get to the paint from the perimeter. Once they do that, their outside shots will open up more than they did last season and they will score the ball at a much higher rate. Reminder: though last year was a struggle, they did beat Duke by four on the road and beat a solid LSU team as well. This team still is rebuilding, but the future looks very bright for Vanderbilt.

Best Case Scenario- All the experience from last season pays off, they steal a few wins from the top teams, come in 8th place (a spot they only finished three games out of last year)

Worst Case Scenario- Youth is youth and the growing pains continue, young post players struggle to adapt to the college game, fight to stay out of the cellar

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