The Lady Vols basketball team is navigating a challenging stretch, having lost four consecutive games. The road ahead doesn't get any easier as they face No.
6 LSU on Thursday and then No. 5 Vanderbilt at home to conclude the regular season on Sunday.
With limited opportunities to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume, the Lady Vols have seen their standing slip in ESPN's latest bracketology, now projected as a 7-seed. This marks their lowest position this year, having been as high as a 3-seed earlier in the season.
According to the projections, Tennessee would kick off the tournament against 10-seed Virginia. The victor of that matchup would face the winner between 2-seed Michigan and 15-seed Western Illinois, with both initial rounds taking place in Ann Arbor on Michigan's home court.
Should the Lady Vols advance to a second consecutive Sweet 16, they might encounter either 3-seed TCU or 6-seed Alabama. The path to a potential Final Four also includes formidable opponents like 1-seed Texas, 4-seed Ohio State, and 5-seed Ole Miss.
In their latest outing, the Lady Vols fell 100-93 to No. 11 Oklahoma on the road. Despite the loss, there were bright spots in their performance.
"That's the SEC for you," Coach Caldwell remarked post-game. "You'll have moments where you shine and others where the going gets tough.
We've been through a particularly rough patch. Being honest with the team is key-they can take it or leave it.
Tonight, coaching them was genuinely enjoyable. We made some basketball errors, but those on the court played with heart and unity.
The third quarter wasn't our best, but we can make adjustments moving forward."
The game against LSU is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.