Kim Caldwell explains Lady Vols’ collapse before March Madness, what change she should have made

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Lady Vols’ inconsistency continues to cost them games, and it’s starting to feel like it’s the only consistent thing about them.

Tennessee looked like itself again when it beat Texas A&M by 40 points to open the SEC Tournament. And then it was right back to the same old story the next day, and the No. 9 seed Lady Vols lost 84-76 to No. 8 seed Vanderbilt.

Tennessee showed its best and its worst during its two games in Greenville at the worst time of the year for such inconsistency.

“It’s been a really disappointing last week, week-and-a-half,” Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell said. “I don’t think we played well. Even some of the games we won, we didn’t play well. We need to rest, get healthy and get back to it.”

The Lady Vols trailed by 21 points with eight minutes left in the game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday. They launched a furious comeback in their typical fashion, forcing turnovers and going on runs to cut the lead. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a third quarter that lacked the effort necessary to make Caldwell’s system successful.

Tennessee’s offensive inconsistency is at the center of its collapse. When the Lady Vols aren’t hitting shots, when they aren’t sharing the ball and getting movement on and off the ball, everything else breaks down.

It’s harder to get into the full-court press when shots aren’t falling, but Tennessee also doesn’t play hard enough when it’s not scoring. Caldwell said it’s human nature with young people, and it’s hard to get over that mental hurdle. It takes leadership and growth, which Tennessee hasn’t shown enough of.

It’s also part of establishing a completely new system in Caldwell’s first year at Tennessee.

“That’s just continuing to show them on film, you can put 15 points together in three minutes,” Caldwell said. “Don’t look at the scoreboard, get down on yourself. I think that comes with kind of experience. You have a lot of new players. You have to step up and lead. You (need) people that will command a huddle whether their shot is going in on not.”

In hindsight, Caldwell would do some things differently in her first season coaching in the SEC. It’s only a 16-game conference schedule, but it felt even longer to Caldwell, who said she was “a little taken aback” by the physical toll the league took on her players.

“We could have managed our load a little bit better,” Caldwell said. “I think our last two weeks have shown we’re a little fatigued, we’re a little banged up and we need some rest.”

The Lady Vols will have a few extra days of rest after bowing out of the SEC Tournament in the second round. And they need it with the progress they need to make in the next two weeks if they want to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

Whether Tennessee can find more consistency with its offense or find a way to learn how to play harder when it’s not scoring, something has to give. If they don’t, the Lady Vols will have another early tournament exit heading their way, and it’s on them to change their trajectory.

“I think absolutely the ball’s in their court,” Caldwell said.