Next week, men’s and women’s basketball teams across the conference will meet in Birmingham, Alabama for SEC Media Days. The Lady Vols, entering year two under Kim Caldwell, will bring the head coach and three player representatives to the event.
Speaking from Tennessee will be returners Zee Spearman and Talaysia Cooper and UCLA transfer Janiah Barker. On Wednesday, Oct. 15, Caldwell will meet with the media at 12:50 p.m. ET before the players talk at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Tennessee’s men’s program will also meet with the media on Wednesday, featuring head coach Rick Barnes and players Felix Okpara, Cade Phillips and Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
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Spearman is coming off her first year at Tennessee after transferring in from Miami. As the year went on, she became more comfortable, finishing with an average of 11.7 points per game on 51.5% shooting from the field. She also produced six rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
“Mentally for sure,” Spearman said about where she grew this offseason. “I had a really rough mental path last year. So I think me just like changing my mental and overcoming it and realizing who I am as a player and just continuing to stay in the gym and showcase that, it really helped me a lot in my confidence.”
Cooper returns for her third year with the Lady Vols, but her second on the court. After transferring into Kellie Harper’s program, she was forced to sit out her first season due to the timing. Under Caldwell, she proved to be one of the best players in the SEC on both sides of the ball. She averaged 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game.
Barker started her career at Texas A&M before transferring to UCLA. She was the sixth-woman for the Bruins, averaging 7.4 points, six rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Her length and athleticism should be a natural fit at forward under Caldwell.
