KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Coming into the season with a brand-new team, Lady Vols basketball head coach Kim Caldwell and select players took the time to speak with the media on Friday, ahead of their preseason practice. The vibe around the team is what you’d like to feel, especially with a brand new roster. However, Caldwell knows that hard times and adversity will come.
That is something she is accustomed to, and she wants to make sure her team is ready for those times through a tough Southeastern Conference season.
“We had a meeting yesterday, talking about, hey, hard days are coming,” Caldwell said. “We’ve loved life. I’ve loved being around them. We laugh every single day. We see each other. It’s been a very positive environment, but it’s going to get harder as we start playing games.”
They are doing what it takes behind the scenes to prepare for those moments, and when you as fans see this team for the first time, Caldwell wants you to take away how hard they play and how they do it together. This is a roster that she had to hand-pick in an unusual way, and one thing that stood out on Friday was the chemistry, hustle, and intent.
“I think our fanbase would love how hard we play and how well we play together,” Caldwell said.
Last season was not ideal for anyone involved. The narratives and rumors that came out after a 16-14 season that finished in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament, made the program look like it had fallen off a cliff. The Lady Vols needed a major makeover to right the ship. With a mass exodus and a whole new roster, the players coming in had to buy in without much to go on beyond what they had heard.
That could not have been easy. But from what each player shared, speaking with Caldwell and getting to know her painted a different picture than the one from the outside. They say they trust her, and the words that kept coming up was honesty and encouraging. Of course, it’s September, and every team feels good in September. Caldwell said it herself. The real test comes when the games start.
A new roster also means figuring out who the leaders are, and Caldwell said a few players have already stepped into that role.
“Rylie T [Theuerkauf] has been a really good leader,” Caldwell said. “Kennedy [Flauntleroy], Aaliyah [Moore]. Zhen [Craft] is developing as a leader. Jada [Eads] is a good leader, and K.K. [Kaylene Smikle]. I think they have really separated themselves to make sure that they’re doing things on and off the floor to help our team.”
Moore came to Tennessee coming off a knee injury and said a year ago she didn’t know if she would still be playing basketball. She’s now cleared and pain-free. Before she ever visited, her mother, a former player, got on the phone with Caldwell and had a conversation.
“My mom said that Coach Kim was very honest, very transparent,” Moore said. “She hid nothing.”
That led to Moore’s decision to join Caldwell and the Lady Vols. Then came the summer that was not easy for anyone.
“It’s been a grind, don’t get me wrong,” Moore said. “This was the hardest summer of my life, but it was worth it.”
The Georgia transfer was open about the outside noise making her cautious at first.
“I was a little nervous from the news and everything you hear in the media,” Theuerkauf said. “But once I got here and really heard what the coaches, what Coach Kim had to say about last year, it was just really different than what people see in the media.”
She also said the conditioning was a wake-up call early. That was a major point to everyone that spoke on Friday.
“The first time we ran here, we couldn’t even make one of the ladders we ran,” Theuerkauf said. “And now we can do it, and Kim has to cut down the times because we’re all making it too much.”
I asked Theuerkauf what will surprise fans the most about the team this season, and her response signals a close-knit group.
“I would say our energy,” she said. “I think we’re a lot of fun to watch. Everybody wants to play with us. You don’t want to play against us, and I think the fans are going to notice that. And also just our family. Everybody’s cheering for one another. Everyone’s together at all times. You’ll just see a really close team, and I think that will be different from last year.”
White was one of the first commitments of the offseason and is making the jump to the SEC from the Big Sky Conference. She didn’t pretend the adjustment has been smooth, and admits that she’s still coming along in the scheme.
“Learning the defense has been one of my struggles, I guess you could say,” White said. “But they’ve taught it to me very well. I’m starting to understand it.”
When asked what gives her confidence that she can make the jump from the Big Sky to the SEC, she credited the coaching staff for the confidence and belief.
“The coaches here have given me a bunch of confidence and instill life into me every day,” she said.
After watching practice, the work matched what the players described. It was high energy, the players were totally into it and they looked happy to be there. That’s what you want to see from a new group in the preseason. Whether it holds up when those hard days Caldwell talked about show up is what will define this season.
Also, a great lesson that was gathered from Friday is things aren’t always what they seem from the outside. Stay tuned as we witness this Lady Vols basketball team continue their growth.
