Lady Vols basketball has its NCAA Tournament draw. 10-seed Tennessee has pulled 7-seed NC State in the opening round, with the game scheduled for Friday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ahead of the game, Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell fielded questions from the media. When asked about the status of Deniya Prawl, who missed the SEC Tournament with a concussion, she gave a positive update that she’s returning to practice on Monday.
Caldwell also offered that Janiah Barker is dealing with an injury and will be limited at practice.
“She should be back today in practice,” Caldwell said. “And then, Janiah’s a little banged up. She’ll be limited today. Other than that, everyone’s full go.”
Lady Vols preparing for the NCAA Tournament ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/JQ9SH8E6Qz
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More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols Basketball HC Kim Caldwell Said About NCAA Tournament Draw
The opening game for Tennessee will be a rematch of the season opener. The Lady Vols lost to NC State in Greensboro, 80-77, despite a strong showing from Talaysia Cooper.
Caldwell doesn’t necessarily see it as a rematch, though. With how much both teams have changed since that game, it almost feels like a fresh slate.
“I don’t love having to play a team that we’ve already played, but it’s not a game where it was — I think we’re both very different teams,” Caldwell said. “We’ve both been through a lot since that game, so it’s gonna be kind of not a rematch, if that makes sense. We’re both different.”
Tip-off between Tennessee and NC State is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.
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