Kellie Harper, Lady Vols eyeing successful run in SEC Tournament
Throughout Kellie Harper's tenure as Tennessee's head coach, she has seen consistent success in SEC play.
In all four of her years leading the program, she has earned at least a share of third place in the conference. In the past three seasons, she's even earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament — leading to a double-bye in the postseason event.
This year, the Lady Vols started out slow but turned it around in the conference slate resulting in a 13-3 SEC record. This is the highest mark for the team since the 2014-15 season.
With the regular season in the books, Tennessee will now turn its attention to the SEC Tournament. The team has arrived in Greenville, South Carolina and will play its first game on Friday.
Although Harper has consistently performed well in the SEC, she is yet to take home the tournament crown. Her consistent capturing of the double-bye is a great first step, though.
"Obviously, the double-bye is a big deal," said Harper. "If your goal is to go over and win on Sunday, then not having to play earlier in the week matters. It's a big deal. Proud of that. We get to spend a little bit more time on us this week. Get a little bit more rest time heading into the tournament, as well. I think both are good for us, right now."
While receiving the double-bye, the Lady Vols do not yet know their opening opponent. However, with 14-seeded Kentucky's win over 11-seeded Florida, it has been narrowed down to the winner of the Wildcats' match with sixth-seeded Alabama on Thursday night.
Previously in the season, Tennessee handled the pair of teams with little restraint. The Lady Vols beat Kentucky in Lexington 83-63 in the final game of the regular season. They took down the Tide 89-76 on New Year's Day in Knoxville, as well.
Despite the previous success, Harper isn't letting her team overlook their possible opponents. She knows how important it is for the team to stay focused.
"It's human nature," said Harper on overlooking opponents. "You want to make sure that you're combatting that. You want to make sure that your team is focused. One thing that we've done all year is we've kept things very consistent with our preparation. Regardless of the team, it does not matter. I think that helps. The consistency helps. But also, they just have to be a mature team and understand you do not advance, you do not get that opportunity if you don't take care of business on Friday."
Although neither squad finished the year with remarkable success, both teams are capable of giving Tennessee trouble.
Kentucky comes into the tournament as the lowest seed. However, it proved to not be an easy out in its 72-57 destruction of the Gators. The Wildcats also took down the Lady Vols in last year's tournament en route to the SEC Championship. The roster is much different this season, but they are still coached by former Lady Vol Kyra Elzy.
On the other hand, Tennessee defeated Alabama in the tournament in 2022. This year, the Tide finished 9-7 during the SEC slate. They finished on a three-game losing streak but earned impressive wins prior to this misstep.
The Lady Vols will face the winner on Friday at about 8 p.m. ET. If they are able to survive an upset, they'll likely square off with second-seeded LSU in the semifinals.
The Tigers finished the year with just one loss in Kim Mulkey's second season as coach. Tennessee traveled to Baton Rouge where they couldn't pull out a win despite pulling within one point in the fourth quarter.
Outside of a trip to the championship game, this match could have huge implications for the Lady Vols. ESPN's Charlie Creme says that a win over LSU could push Tennessee into a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament — meaning that it would host the opening two rounds in Knoxville.
Last year, the Lady Vols used this homecourt advantage to advance to the Sweet 16. The possibility of performing well and gaining a higher seed isn't lost on the team as it prepares to play.
"A good showing will be important for us," said Harper. "Playing well. Obviously, winning matters. I think we put together a pretty good resume. We finished strong and we want to continue to do that in the SEC Tournament for seeding purposes."
If Tennessee is able to pull off the upset over LSU or down an alternate team that managed to previously fend off the Tigers, it would find itself in the SEC Championship game for the first time since 2015.
In that season, the Lady Vols fell to South Carolina 62-46. If Tennessee manages to make a championship push again, it will likely find itself with a rematch vs. the top-seeded Gamecocks.
So far this season, South Carolina is yet to lose a game. It has seen the occasional scare but never enough to slip up and drop a match. The reigning national champions traveled to Knoxville earlier in the year where they fell into an early hole. However, they still pulled out a 13-point win.
A win for Tennessee in the SEC Championship game would give the program its first title since 2014. It would also all but ensure the Lady Vols would claim home-court advantage in the NCAA Tournament.
There is a lot on the table for Tennessee to gain with a deep run. However, on the flip side, a quick exit could lead to a tough matchup in March Madness with everything on the line.
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