Kim Caldwell is about to give Tennessee fans their first real look at a completely rebuilt Lady Vols team.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, Caldwell will be joined by fifth-year guard Kaylene Smikle and senior guard Rylie Theuerkauf at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama, near Birmingham, for SEC Tip-Off.
The trio is scheduled for interviews, a news conference, and other preseason events, with the appearance set to air on SEC Network from 6:05-6:20 p.m. ET.
It’s a useful early window into a Tennessee roster that looks nothing like last season’s group. The Lady Vols bring back no starters and no players from a year ago, leaving Caldwell to piece together an entirely new team built around a 13-player transfer class that USA TODAY ranked ninth nationally.
That reset comes after a 16-14 season and an 8-8 mark in SEC play, which left Tennessee tied for sixth in the conference. The Lady Vols kept their streak alive with a 44th straight NCAA Tournament berth, but the run ended quickly with a first-round loss to NC State.
Even so, there were bright spots along the way, including wins over ranked Kentucky and Alabama teams. Talaysia Cooper was named to the All-SEC Second Team, and Mia Pauldo earned SEC All-Freshman recognition.
Caldwell’s first two seasons in Knoxville have already included a deep run and a winning record. Tennessee went 24-10 in her debut season and reached the Sweet 16, and she has compiled a 40-24 record with two NCAA Tournament appearances overall.
Now comes the tougher part: getting a brand-new roster to click fast.
Smikle gives Tennessee a proven scorer with major-conference experience. She played at Rutgers and Maryland, averaged 17.2 points over her college career, and was honored on the All-Big Ten team at both stops. Last season, she posted 13.1 points in seven games at Maryland before having surgery for a lingering knee injury.
Theuerkauf adds another veteran piece to the backcourt. She started 31 of 32 games for Georgia last season, averaged 11.9 points, and knocked down 40.6% of her three-point tries, which ranked third in the SEC. Her experience against conference opponents and her shooting give Tennessee another established option as the Lady Vols rebuild.
Tennessee’s next public steps come quickly. The Lady Vols host Florida A&M in an exhibition on Oct. 27, then open the regular season against Duquesne on Nov. 2 at Food City Center.
Both games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Quarterback Situation Just Got More Uncertain Before Arkansas
Tennessees quarterback picture has become even murkier heading into the trip to Arkansas, with Faizon Brandon now dealing with an injury and listed as questionable for the game. The uncertainty adds another layer to a position that was already under a spotlight after Brandon was benched in the previous game against Auburn, when George MacIntyre stepped in and gave the Volunteers a steadier look through the air.
Josh Heupel acknowledged Brandons injury status but stopped short of mapping out how Tennessee will handle the position this week. That leaves the Volunteers waiting on two fronts: whether Brandon can get healthy in time, and whether the staff chooses to lean back toward MacIntyre after his efficient relief work against Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Playoff Margin Could Shift Before The Alabama Game
Tennessees early surge has the Volunteers sitting at 4-1 and hovering near the College Football Playoff bubble, which means the margins around them matter almost as much as what happens in Knoxville. Before Tennessee even gets to its Week 7 meeting with Alabama, a handful of high-profile games elsewhere could reshape the picture around the Vols and the teams theyre being compared against.
UCLAs trip to Oregon, Houstons matchup with Kansas State and, most notably, Alabama against Georgia all carry ripple effects for Tennessees playoff standing. The Vols do not play Georgia this season, so the Bulldogs remain part of the broader conversation only from a distance, but Alabama is still very much in front of them on the schedule and in the committee conversation. By the time Tennessee gets its shot at the Crimson Tide, the playoff margin could already look different. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has A Clear Arkansas Opportunity If The Vols Can Deliver
Tennessee heads into its SEC matchup with Arkansas with a blueprint in hand, and the film from the Razorbacks loss to Texas A&M points to an opening the Vols will want to press. Tennessees spread offense and run game have been the focus of the prep work, with DeSean Bishop set to be a central figure as the Vols try to stress a defense that showed vulnerabilities in its most recent outing. It is the kind of game plan that can travel well if Tennessee can stay on schedule and force Arkansas to defend the full width of the field.
George MacIntyre is expected to make his first career start, which adds another layer to a game Tennessee already views as an opportunity. Arkansas still brings a defense coordinated by Jim Knowles, so the challenge is not hard to identify, even if the tape suggests some cracks to attack. For the Vols, the question is whether they can turn those areas into a real advantage on the road, and whether MacIntyres debut can stay steady enough to let the rest of the offense do its work. [Read more 🡒]