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Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook commits to UConn

By Russell Steinberg

KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 24: Tennessee Lady Vols guard Evina Westbrook (2) drives around South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bianca Jackson (10) during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and the South Carolina Gamecocks on February 24, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 24: Tennessee Lady Vols guard Evina Westbrook (2) drives around South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bianca Jackson (10) during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and the South Carolina Gamecocks on February 24, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Huskies and Lady Vols will renew their rivalry in 2019-20

It appears that Geno Auriemma had a plan after all.

UConn has added Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook to its roster, though it is still unclear whether she will be able to play in 2019-20.

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Under NCAA transfer rules, Westbrook would have to sit a year before completing her two seasons of eligibility, but exceptions can be made for circumstances such as coaching changes. Tennessee fired Holly Warlick after this season.

Westbrook is now the third player to commit to UConn in the last few weeks, helping to replenish a roster left depleted by graduation, unexpected departures, and recruiting misses over the past couple seasons.

The bad news for opponents: UConn still reached the Final Four in 2018 and 2019 and is now fully re-loaded.

Westbrook, the former No. 2 recruit in the country, was named to the SEC all-freshman team in 2018. She followed that up with a sophomore season where she averaged 14.9 points per game and 5.3 assists — the third-best single-season assist average in school history. She also shot 38 percent from three.

The 6-foot guard will join an already loaded UConn backcourt that includes returners Crystal Dangerfield and Christyn Williams, and incoming freshmen Aubrey Griffin and Anna Makurat. If Westbrook is granted a waiver, all five players will see meaningful minutes. UConn also bolstered its front court by adding Murray State grad transfer Evelyn Adebayo earlier this month.

Westbrook’s addition comes with a little extra excitement, too. UConn and Tennessee are poised to re-ignite one of the most storied rivalries in all of college sports this season. The Huskies taking the court with Tennessee’s former best player would add about a dozen extra layers of intrigue.

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