2018-19 SEC preview: Will Mississippi State or South Carolina prevail?

Tennessee Lady Vols
Last season: 25-8 (11-5, T-4th)
Predicted finish this season: 4th

Key returners (last season’s stats)
G/F- Rennia Davis, 6’1, SO- 12 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 48.3% FG, 32.9% 3pt, 29.4 MPG, SEC All-Freshman selection
PG- Evina Westbrook, 6’0, SO- 9.3 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.7 TPG, 39% FG, 31.8% 3pt, 28.1 MPG, SEC All-Freshman selection
G/F- Meme Jackson, 5’11, SR- 8.2 PPG, 4 RPG, 38.1% FG, 35.7% 3pt, 27.5 MPG

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
F- Jaime Nared, 6’2- 16.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 39.1% FG, 24.1% 3pt,  33.4 MGP, First Team All-SEC selection (graduated)
C- Mercedes Russell, 6’6- 15.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 58.3% FG, 32.7 MPG, First Team All-SEC selection (graduated)
G- Anastasia Hayes, 5’7- 9.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 42% FG, 21.3% 3pt, 24.3 MPG, SEC Sixth Woman of the Year (dismissed from team)

Newcomers
G- Zaay Green, 6’0, (Duncanville, TX), FR- Ranked #10 in 2018 class, #2 shooting guard
PG- Jazmine Massengill, 6’0, (Chatanooga, TN), FR- Ranked #25 in 2018 class, #5 point guard
G/F- Rae Burrell, 6’1, (Henderson, NV), FR- Ranked #43 in 2018 class, #8 small forward
F- Mimi Collins, 6’3, (Waldorf, MD), FR- Ranked #49 in 2018 class, #9 power forward
F- Lou Brown, 6’3, (Washington State/ Melbourne, Australia), SR- Averaged 5.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG at Washington State. Graduate transfer.

Head Coach- Holly Warlick, 7th season
Want to start an argument? Get 10 Lady Vols fans together and ask, “So what do you think of Holly Warlick?” Regardless of how you feel about Holly, here are some facts:

-Only three schools (UConn, Notre Dame and Baylor) have been to more Elite Eights than Tennesee has (3) since Holly took over
-Warlick and Leon Barmore (formerly of Louisiana Tech) are the only skippers to direct their programs to three NCAA Elite Eight appearances in their first four seasons as head coaches
-Warlick’s career SEC (.740, 71-25) winning percentage ranks her first among all SEC women’s head coaches.
-The team has yet to make a Final Four in Warlick’s six seasons. The longest Tennessee had gone between Final Fours before that was four years, the last four years of Pat Summit’s career
-The team has finished outside the Top 3 in the SEC for three straight seasons, the longest streak in program history

All that is a long way to say that while no, Tennessee isn’t the overwhelming force it once was, the sky isn’t exactly falling as fast as some might say. Warlick and her staff continue to bring in talent; the current freshman class was ranked #4 in the country. There is no doubt that she could do herself some real favors by winning the conference, and Warlick has a good enough team to do it.

Key non-conference games
Dec. 2- at Oklahoma State
Dec. 9- at Texas
Dec. 18- v. Stanford
Jan. 24- v. Notre Dame

Outlook
542. That is the number of turnovers Tennessee committed last season, averaging 16.4 a game. As painful as it was at times to see the ball being flung around the court, the good news is that those guards who were throwing them are back and, presumably, better for it. Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis will look to build upon their All-Freshman campaigns and reducing those turnovers would be a great start. The unexpected departure of Anastasia Hayes leaves a void but the hope for Lady Vols fans is that one of the newcomers can step into it. The team is smaller than it has been in a while with Kasiyahna Kushkituah at 6’4 serving as the team’s tallest player, but freshmen Zaay Green, Jazmine Massengill, Mimi Collins and Rae Burrell provide a chance for Tennesee to put together some really fun, athletic lineups.

The turnovers have to be reduced, the lack of size has to be compensated for elsewhere and the team has to show more fight. If these things, all achievable, are done, then Tennesee can absolutely win this conference.

Best Case Scenario-  Finally it clicks. The team plays Lady Vols basketball like we all grew to know, Meme Jackson provides great leadership for this young team, Davis and Westbrook impress and one of the talented freshmen win FOY. Tennesee hoists the SEC trophy and Warlick silences her critics.

Worst Case Scenario- 16 turnovers a game becomes a running theme for this talented but undisciplined team. The inconsistent play continues, not much changes from seasons past. The Lady Vols finish in 7th place, sputtering out early in both tournaments again and the calls for Holly’s job grow louder still.