The Tennessee Volunteers’ historic record of appearing in every NCAA Tournament was on the line. With a 16-13 record, their worst win total in program history, some doubted whether Kim Caldwell’s side would be able to make it in. Fortunately, their name was called as the 10th seed with their first-round matchup against No. 7 seed NC State and the Tennessee squad went up in a big cheer on the ESPN livestream. Claps started going around as coach Caldwell smiled, seeing her team’s reaction. While she was happy about their NCAA tournament call-up, Caldwell was surprised that they got NC State. 

“I was surprised with that,” She told the media. “You know, you see the boards, you see different scenarios, you look at it. I was surprised with our matchup. We didn’t have that one picked.”

Tennessee was widely projected as a No. 8 seed and to open tournament play in Storrs, Connecticut against  No. 9 seed Virginia Tech in the first round, including by ESPN’s Charlie Creme. Their NET stood at No. 23 with 5 Quadrant 1 wins and No. 33 in Wins Above The Bubble. Those two metrics scream a No. 8 seed. For comparison, their opponents, No. 7  NC State, finished 28th in WAB and 26th in NET. But their 20-10 record is far superior, giving them the higher seed.

The two sides already played in the opening game of the season, with NC State edging the Volunteers 80-77. NC State sprinted ahead with an early lead in that game. But the Lady Vols fought back from the eight-point deficit and grabbed a one-point advantage with 54 seconds left to play. Nevertheless, the Lady Vols handed the game over by conceding the next four points. Tennessee fell after it couldn’t get the final shot off. However, Caldwell maintained that both teams aren’t the same as they were in that game. 

“I don’t love having to play a team that we’ve already played, but it’s not a game where it was. I think we’re both very different teams. We’ve both been through a lot since that game, so it’s going to be kind of not a rematch, if that makes sense. We’re both different.”

We already know Kim Caldwell’s unique full-court pressing and turnover-inducing style. NC State is more of a half-court team. There is another major point of separation. Caldwell focuses a lot on their three-pointers, as 41% of their attempts come from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Wes Moore’s side shoots only 28.9% of their shots from the three-point line. The Volunteers will need to guard the paint against a side like this. But while the NC State clash poses a tactical test, the bigger battle for Kim Caldwell might be unfolding off the court.

Kim Caldwell Reveals Change In Practice Regimen During Break

There have been murmurs that Kim Caldwell has already lost the locker room. Kaiya Wynn’s abrupt departure, Caldwell throwing her players under the bus, and the continuous losses meant the coach was in the hotseat. While Athletic Director Danny White backed her publicly, he is reportedly being told to fire Caldwell. As this firestorm was going on in the background, Caldwell decided to change their regular practices. 

“We took a couple days off and then when we got back, we got back to work.” Caldwell said. “We had a couple days that were purely individual skill, and I think that’s a nice break from the traditional practices that you have for four straight months, where we can work on you, we can do some ball handling, we can do some finishing, we can do some one-on-one, and we can play some three-on-three. Really just getting some conditioning in, but working on individual skill and then getting back to it.”

It would have helped get the team into a better mental state, especially without any games to play. They did not even know the opponent, so there was little to think about. The team received some time to breathe. Now, they can brush aside the past for now and focus on their goals at the NCAA tournament.

It’s March, the regular season record does not matter. The team that shows up on the day progresses. Make no mistake, Caldwell is still in the hotseat. This NCAA tournament run might decide her future. But having a clear mind before the pressure rises will help this side get back to their best.