After a well-earned break, the Lady Vols returned to the hardwood on Sunday night - and they didn’t waste any time reminding folks just how dangerous they can be. Tennessee rolled past Winthrop in dominant fashion, posting a 112-40 win that not only padded the win column, but also sent a message: this team is heating up just in time for SEC play.
And the timing couldn’t be better. On Tuesday, ESPN released its latest NCAA Tournament bracket projection, and Tennessee holds steady as a 4-seed. That’s significant - it means the Lady Vols would host the first two rounds of the tournament, giving them a home-court edge when it matters most.
In the current projection, Tennessee opens against 13-seed Green Bay - a familiar opponent. The Lady Vols knocked off the Phoenix in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament under then-head coach Kellie Harper.
If history repeats itself and Tennessee advances, they’d face the winner of 5-seed Notre Dame vs. 12-seed Troy. That’s not a cakewalk by any means - Notre Dame brings postseason pedigree, and 12-seeds have a habit of pulling off upsets - but it’s a manageable path for a team with Tennessee’s depth and firepower.
Should the Lady Vols push through to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row under Kim Caldwell, the road gets tougher. The projection has them likely squaring off against top-seeded Texas or one of the 8-9 matchup winners: Texas Tech or Minnesota.
From there, the bracket doesn’t get any kinder. TCU, Maryland, and Princeton round out the other high seeds in Tennessee’s region, meaning the climb to the Final Four would require knocking off some serious competition.
But before they can look too far ahead, the Lady Vols have a big one coming up this weekend. They’re heading to Brooklyn for a showdown with Louisville in the Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic - a marquee non-conference matchup that could carry real weight come March.
Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. ET on FOX, and it’s the kind of game that can shift the narrative around a team’s season.
Tennessee won this event last year against Iowa, and they’ll look to make another statement this time around. After their game, Iowa and UConn will take the floor in what should be another high-level clash.
Following the trip to Brooklyn, Tennessee wraps up its pre-conference schedule at home against Southern Indiana on December 22. That one tips at 6:30 p.m. ET on SECN+, and it’s a chance to fine-tune things before SEC play begins.
In the latest AP Poll, Tennessee moved up to No. 17 in the country. It’s a small jump - they leapfrogged North Carolina and USC but were passed by Louisville, their next opponent. That sets the stage for a top-20 battle with plenty on the line, both in terms of resume and momentum heading into the heart of the season.
Bottom line: the Lady Vols are trending in the right direction. They’ve got the talent, they’ve got the coaching, and now they’ve got a chance to prove they belong in the national conversation. The next few games will go a long way in determining just how high this team can climb.