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Tennessee Lady Vols: Ranking five 2019-2020 newcomers by potential impact

By Caleb Calhoun

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: A general view of megaphones for the Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: A general view of megaphones for the Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

We’re back to the post-game, and here we get to the first player who truly has a chance to start. Again, the departure of Cheridene Green leaves the center position wide open, and with two 6’5″ players and one 6’4″ player on the team, any of them could get in there to start. With Emily Saunders likely needing to develop, the race will come down to hype vs. experience.

Junior Kasiyahna Kushkituah seems like she was the person in line to take control, as she played 14 minutes a game last year and average nearly five points and right at three and a half rebounds in those few minutes. However, Tamari Key is one of the highlights of the Tennessee Lady Vols’ recruiting class for the year.

A five-star recruit who is the No. 10 ranked post player nationally, Key is in competition to either start or be the No. 2 center off the bench. It will come down to her and Kushkituah, but she is almost guaranteed to see significant minutes, which is why we put her here on this list.

Key is certainly part of the future of the program under Harper, and the only question is whether or not she will elevate the arrival of that future. In addition to being a great low-post performer, she can play the fast-break, which may be a big deal in Harper’s system. But it adds versatility to her game, so she is expected to be an immediate contributor.