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Tennessee Lady Vols: Five key storylines ahead of 2019-2020 season

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans hold up a cardboard photo of women's basketball coach Pat Summitt during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans hold up a cardboard photo of women's basketball coach Pat Summitt during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

3. Four major contributors are gone.

Whenever you lose three of your five starters, it’s hard to replicate any form of success. That’s why it makes no sense for the Tennessee Lady Vols to be picked to finish sixth in the SEC when they finished tied for eighth last year, and they lose their leading scorer, assists person and rebounder from last year.

That’s a lot of production to replace. Everybody is concerned about the men’s basketball program for the same reason, so there’s no reason not to worry about Rocky Top. Cheridene Green leaves a lot to be replaced in the post, as she averaged over seven and a half rebounds a game while also scoring nine points a game.

Meanwhile, Meme Jackson was the three-point specialist for UT, shooting 36.7 percent from the field and hitting 54 last season. She also is more scoring that’s lost, as she averaged nearly 11 points a game.

But the big blow is Evina Westbrook. The Vols’ best player transferred to the UCONN Huskies. She led UT in scoring with nearly 15 points a game, was efficient from the three-point line at 38 percent and led the team in assists with over five a game. After her final game, she subtly trashed Holly Warlick, contributing to her firing before she herself transferred. It looked like a snake move.

Finally, we mentioned that four contributors are gone. Well, while Westbrook, Jackson and Green were starters, Mimi Collins was a valuable player off the bench as a freshman last year. She averaged five and a half points and three and a half rebounds, and this was her year to rise up and take over as a star post player at 6’3″. But she transferred to the Maryland Terrapins.