After a trip to the SEC Tournament championship game and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Tennessee prepares to take the court for Kellie Harper's fifth season.
With expectations high, the Lady Vols have been ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll with the hopes of making a tournament run.
Here are four reasons Harper could make her first Elite Eight as a coach this season.
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1) Rickea Jackson
Is there a need to say much more?
Rickea Jackson enters the 2023-24 season as one of the best players in the country. A year ago, Jackson averaged 19.2 points on 54.8% shooting. She also contributed 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per match.
Now, she is projected to be one of the first players taken off the board in the upcoming WNBA draft. She is on the shortlist for SEC Player of the Year and could very well be in the conversation for National Player of the Year, as well.
With consistency at head coach for the first time in her career, Jackson could take a crucial next step.
2) Shooters everywhere
With Jackson's ability to score at all three levels, she has a gravity that sucks defenses in. This makes the presence of shooters on the floor around her critical.
This year, Tennessee has the perimeter threat it needs to give Jackson one-on-one battles. Returning to the team as 3-point threats are Tess Darby and Sara Puckett on the wing. Bigs Jillian Hollingshead and Karoline Striplin can also stretch the floor. At point guard, Jasmine Powell has shown the ability to hit on deep balls, as well.
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Out of the transfer portal, Harper added a trio of sharp shooters. Guards Jewel Spear, Destinee Wells and Avery Strickland all have the ability to knock down 3-pointers at a high rate.
If the Lady Vols can keep defenses honest and hit on long balls at opportune times, they'll prove to be a really tough team to guard.
3) Elite transfers
Along with the returners who made a big impact a year ago, the Lady Vols welcome in four highly-touted transfers.
This includes two players who may very well make up the team's starting back court. Wells out of Belmont and Spear from Wake Forest both come in after great starts to their career. Last season, Wells averaged 19.5 points per game while Spear finished with an average of 16.5.
Alongside this duo, Strickland returns to Knoxville after playing her freshman season at Pitt. The guard may not see a ton of time this season but could play an impact as a sharpshooter with a high motor.
Finally, Talaysia Cooper joins the squad out of South Carolina. Although she won't be able to play this season, she will be a valuable asset going forward and can push players during practice.
4) Continuity and chemistry
Under Harper, it has been tough for teams to start seasons due to a lack of chemistry. With large roster turnover, there has been time to get used to each other on and off the court. A year ago, the Lady Vols began the year 8-6 heading into SEC play.
However, this season, the returning faces should lead to a much easier transition. This on top of multiple team trips has led to players and coaches claiming the chemistry is ahead of where it was a year ago.
With a much lighter schedule to begin the season, the transition should be much smoother and lead to a better seed in the postseason.
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