Tennessee Volunteers
Overall Rank: #40
Conference Rank: #8 SEC
Coach Kellie Harper’s first season leading Tennessee went relatively well. The Volunteers finished a respectable 10-6 in SEC play, which was good enough to tie for third. There were really not any bad losses for Tennessee and they were able to consistently beat the teams they should beat. With their top four scorers returning, the Vols should remain consistent, but this time they may be able to consistently beat some of the better teams in the SEC.
2019-20 Record: 21-10, 10-6
Coach: Kellie Harper
Coach Record: 21-10 at Tennessee, 306-217 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Jazmine Massengill, Guard, 6.5 ppg
Lou Brown, Forward, 4.6 ppg
Kamera Harris, Forward, 1.6 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Rennia Davis, Senior, Guard/Forward, 18.0 ppg
Rae Burrell, Junior, Guard/Forward, 10.5 ppg
Jordan Horston, Sophomore, Guard, 10.1 ppg
Tamari Key, Sophomore, Center, 7.3 ppg
Kasiyahna Kushkituah, Senior, Center, 5.4 ppg
Emily Saunders, Sophomore, Center, 3.7 ppg
Jaiden McCoy, Senior, Forward, 2.7 ppg
Jessie Rennie, Sophomore, Guard, 2.7 ppg
Key New Players
Tess Darby, Freshman, Guard/Forward
Keyen Green, Senior, Forward/Center, Grad Transfer from Liberty
Destiny Salary, Freshman, Guard
Marta Suarez, Freshman, Guard/Forward
Jordan Walker, Junior, Guard, Grad Transfer from Western Michigan
Projection:
Coach Harper immediately improved the defense. The team allowed just 60.3 points per game compared to 69.1 the season prior. If the Volunteers can continue to improve in that department, this team could be in very a surprising good year. Of course, they will have to do some scoring too and that is where Rennia Davis shines. The 6-2 senior wing averaged 18.0 points per game and added 8.2 rebounds. Like the rest of the team, Davis is not a great shooter, but she obviously is very productive inside the arc. If she keeps improving as she has throughout her collegiate career, Davis will be right in the mix for SEC Player of the Year accolades. Rae Burrell and Jordan Horston are also big guards who averaged double digits in the scoring column and will do plenty of work on the glass as well. Those three are capable shooters who are at least a threat to hit some three-pointers, but Tennessee needs a consistent outside shooting threat. In an effort to fill that role, Coach Harper picked up Jordan Walker, a transfer from Western Michigan. Tamari Key stepped into a starting role in the frontcourt as a freshman and averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. The Volunteers have depth in the frontcourt with Kasiyahna Kushkituah, Emily Saunders and Jaiden McCoy, but they are also bringing in Keyen Green from Liberty. Green has had a stellar career with the Flames and last season averaged 13.9 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.2 (70th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 60.3 (80, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.0 (37, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 33.8 (6, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.7 (275, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.7 (135, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.4 (277, 11)
Rebound Margin: 10.7 (5, 2)
Assists Per Game: 16.3 (23, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 17.2 (155, 12)
Madness 2020 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#64 Destiny Salary
