Remember when Kim Caldwell said she wanted a tougher non-conference schedule to get the Lady Vols ready for the SEC? So far, it looks like that plan is working. Tennessee went 8–8 in the SEC last season, and now they’ve started this season 5–0. But the road ahead remains steep.

The Lady Vols are now preparing to face Kentucky, and Kim Caldwell has already pointed out a concerning trend she wants to address. “I don’t like where our press is at all. I think that we’ve really been offensively focused for a long time. So, we have to fix our press,” Caldwell said in the press conference. “We have to get more out of it. It’s going to be tough to do it against Kentucky, but there will be some games in our schedule where we have time and space to fix it.”

This makes sense when you look at the matchup, because Tennessee is about to face a Kentucky team that loves to shoot the three. The Wildcats have already taken 178 threes this season and rank 10th nationally in makes and 4th in attempts. If the Lady Vols don’t press and close those gaps, it could be a long night for Kim Caldwell’s side.

And let’s not forget what happened the last time these two teams met. Kentucky dominated from the opening minute, shot 52 percent from the field, and rolled to an 82–58 win over Kim Caldwell’s side, the largest margin of victory the Wildcats have ever had over the Lady Vols.

But one thing that could potentially help Tennessee in this matchup is their ability to force turnovers. The Lady Vols rank 24th nationally, forcing 21.62 turnovers per game this season. The challenge is that Kentucky rarely gives the ball away, averaging just 11 turnovers per game. So, as Coach Caldwell mentioned, a stronger press may be the key to pushing Kentucky into mistakes, which could swing the game in Tennessee’s favor.

Another thing we know for sure is that Tennessee won’t be lacking motivation. They’ll want payback for last year’s blowout, and the confidence they built after beating a ranked Alabama squad will be sky-high. And all of it was sparked by a standout freshman.

Kim Caldwell praises Mia Pauldo

One player who has really impressed Coach Caldwell during SEC play is Mia Pauldo, and she was impactful once again against Alabama. With 8:23 left in the fourth quarter and Tennessee clinging to a two-point lead, Caldwell put Pauldo back in after she had played only five minutes in the second and third quarters because of foul trouble.

Pauldo did not come off the floor again. She poured in 10 of her 13 points down the stretch, guiding Tennessee to a 70–59 victory. She drilled two momentum-changing threes, knocked down all four of her free throws, and drew glowing praise from her head coach.

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“She went in there and she made us a little bit nervous, ’cause she baited into an offensive foul. And we’re like, ‘What are you doing?’ And so, you’ll still have some freshman moments, but as a coach, I’ll take that,” Caldwell said in the post-game press conference.

She continued, “I’ll take somebody who’s willing to make big plays. I’ll trust somebody who has that fire in them, as opposed to trying to pull it out and pull it out. We don’t ever have to pull it out to get it with her. She’s never scared of a moment. She’s going to make the right play.”

Caldwell will look to her freshman once more when Tennessee faces Kentucky, a matchup that carries plenty of meaning for this group. Tennessee is still one of the biggest brands in women’s hoops, even if they haven’t looked like the Pat Summitt-era Lady Vols in a while. Beating Kentucky would be another sign that Caldwell might be the right coach to lead them forward.

But do you see that happening? Let us know in the comments below!