The public is getting its first look at Kim Caldwell’s second Lady Vols basketball team since she took over a year ago. On Wednesday night, Tennessee will host Columbus State (Division II) for an exhibition that will not count toward either team’s regular-season record.
Here’s how to watch and more details to know about the preseason tune-up.
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How to Watch — No. 8 Lady Vols (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Columbus State (0-0)
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
- Watch: SECN+. PxP: Roger Hoover, CC: Niya Butts
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: Brian Rice
How They Fared Last Season
Lady Vols:
- 24-10 (8-8 SEC)
- Sweet 16 appearance
- Season ended with loss to 1-seed Texas
Columbus State:
- 21-9 (14-4 conference)
- Round of 32 (Division II) appearance
- Season ended with loss to 1-seed North Georgia
Where They Land In Preseason Rankings
Lady Vols:
- AP Poll: No. 8
- Coaches Poll: No. 9
- Bart Torvik: No. 9
Columbus State:
- WBCA NCAA Division II: No. 24
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
Columbus State:
- Points: Letiya Reeves – 15.2
- Rebounds: Letiya Reeves – 3.9
- Assists: Sophia Williams – 2.3
Prediction
Columbus State is projected to be a pretty good team at the Division II level this year. The gap between the Lady Vols and Cougars is massive, though. For instance, just look at the physical difference. Columbus State has one player listed at 6-foot or taller on the roster. Tennessee has 10.
It shouldn’t take long for that disparity to show up. The Lady Vols have one of the better rosters in all of college basketball, and Kim Caldwell isn’t going to shy away from running her system, which could make things ugly in a hurry. That’s the point of these preseason games, though. You want game action within your system for your team to get comfortable with a game-day experience at your school.
It’s not even like Caldwell can call off the dogs and empty a bench that will be more of a fair fight, either. If you go to the bottom of the projected depth chart, it’s extremely highly recruited freshmen who are going to be giving their best shot at cracking Tennessee’s rotation this year.
Tennessee 132, Columbus State 48
