Lady Vols basketball has seemingly regressed in every game so far. They looked solid despite early-season slop in a three-point loss to NC State to open the year. The next game, they beat ETSU by 50, but there were glaring concerns.
On Sunday, they had to win a war of attrition with UT Martin on the road to avoid an upset, claiming victory by a score of just 72-61.
Here are three quick takeaways on the uninspiring victory.
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This Tape Won’t Be Burned
You hear all the time after ugly games: “Just take the tape and burn it.” I really can’t imagine that’ll be the approach after this one. It’s probably more likely that Kim Caldwell has a 24-hour film marathon beginning the second the team arrives in Knoxville.
Caldwell can only tell them what they’re doing wrong so many times, though. She said she got great film after the three-point loss to NC State, and the team came out and played much worse in a 50-point win over ETSU. After that win, she used the press conference to verbalize her displeasure with the game, and the team took another step back.
It’s been the same story for the most part, too. The most frustrating part is that so much of it seemingly comes down to effort. It’s not like UT Martin rolled out an elite defense that Tennessee had no answer for. Still, the Lady Vols settled for threes that they weren’t knocking down (9-of-29) and coughed it up for 22 turnovers.
Defensively, the press didn’t seem to bother UT Martin much, and far too often it resulted in wide-open looks on the other end. When the team is in the right spots, the press is deadly. When they’re out of position, it’s getting them killed.
This team is uber-talented and has the chance to be as good as anyone in the country. Because of that, good luck at practice this week with Caldwell.
Jaida Civil is Consistently Great in Her Role
You know what you’re going to get from Jaida Civil every time she steps on the court. She may not lead the team in scoring ever as a freshman, but she’ll be one of the most impactful players on the floor.
It all starts on defense. Once again, Civil was a ball of energy and everywhere on the court. She’s a threat in the press and possibly the best defender on the team when she has to sit down in the half-court and help get a stop. The counting stats don’t do it justice, but she did end up with a block and a steal.
Offensively, she can still contribute at a high level. The most important attribute has been the shooting from range, as well. She connected on 1-of-2 shots from behind the arc en route to a 13-point outing. She also moved the ball well, accounting for five assists. The result was a plus/minus of +24.
Civil is just three games into her college career, as well. It’s scary to think about how good she could be by the end of her career, but just think about the improvement she could have by the time this season is over.
More From RTI: Everything Kim Caldwell Said About Lady Vols’ “Frustrating” 50-Point Win Over ETSU
One Transfer Answered the Call, One is Still Struggling
In my quick takeaways after the win over ETSU, I noted two transfers with high expectations that hadn’t lived up to the hype just yet. In the win over UT Martin, one looked the part, but the other continued to struggle.
Nya Robertson, a guard out of SMU, had easily her best game yet with Tennessee. After not playing much of a factor and struggling to get her shot to fall in the first two games, she led the team in scoring with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from range. She also produced a pair of assists and rebounds.
However, LSU transfer forward Jersey Wolfenbarger still couldn’t get into a rhythm. She finished with only one point, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal and played just 11 minutes in the game. The frustrating part with Wolfenbarger is the flashes she shows. You can tell she has the talent to play a huge role, but she just hasn’t been able to put it together yet.
There’s still plenty of season left, though. Robertson is now going to have to prove she can do it consistently and stay efficient. On the other hand, Wolfenbarger has plenty of time to get comfortable and live up to the expectations.
Final Stats
Up Next
The Lady Vols return to Knoxville for their next game, against a third-straight in-state opponent. This time, it’ll be Belmont coming to town on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air on SEC Network.
This also marks the return of Knoxville native and former Tennessee bench piece Avery Strickland. She has started in both of Belmont’s games this year and averages nine points, two rebounds and two assists per game.
Then, it’s a week off before another in-state road trip to MTSU the following Thursday.
