Lady Vols basketball opens up Kim Caldwell’s second season as head coach on Tuesday afternoon when they meet NC State in Greensboro. Tennessee won its open exhibition against Columbus State by 100 points, along with a closed exhibition with North Carolina, to get ready for the season.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to betting odds, to a look at NC State.
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How to Watch — No. 8 Lady Vols (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. NC State (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
- Start Time: 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
- Location: First Horizon Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)
- Watch: ESPN2 | PxP: Pam Ward, Analyst: Debbie Antonelli
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
- Tennessee -1.5
- Over/under 149.5
How They Fared Last Season
Lady Vols:
- 24-10 (8-8 SEC)
- Sweet 16 appearance
- Season ended with loss to 1-seed Texas
NC State:
- 28-7 (16-2 ACC)
- Sweet 16 appearance
- Season ended with loss to 3-seed LSU
Where They Land In Preseason Rankings
Lady Vols:
- AP Poll: No. 8
- Coaches Poll: No. 9
- Bart Torvik: No. 9
NC State:
- AP Poll: No. 9
- Coaches Poll: No. 8
- Bart Torvik: No. 15
Stat Leaders (Last Season)
Lady Vols:
- Points: Nya Robertson (SMU) – 18.5
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman / Janiah Barker (UCLA) – 6.0
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 3.2
NC State:
- Points: Khamil Pierre (Vanderbilt) – 20.4
- Rebounds: Khamil Pierre (Vanderbilt) – 9.6
- Assists: Zoe Brooks – 3.7
Prediction
This will be quite the test for the Lady Vols to open year two under Kim Caldwell. The key to winning will be limiting Khamil Pierre, who gave Tennessee plenty of trouble at Vanderbilt a year ago. During the loss in Nashville, Pierre dropped 21 points with eight rebounds. In the SEC Tournament, she produced 16 points and 15 rebounds.
The Lady Vols have added pieces that could go a long way in helping limit her, though. Janiah Barker will need to step up and rebound well to limit second-chance opportunities and keep Pierre from dominating in this aspect.
I think it’ll also come down to Tennessee having more talent this year. The Lady Vols stacked the roster and have plenty of options to score and great athletes to use in the press to create turnovers. There will be some growing pains as the team gets used to each other, but I think UT will still play clean enough to sneak out a win to get the year started.
Tennessee 78, NC State 74
