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Tennessee Lady Vols’ 2022-23 preview: Backcourt

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee guard/forward Tess Darby (21) with the 3-point shot in the NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and Kentucky Wildcats in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, January 16, 2022.Kns Lady Hoops Kentucky
Tennessee guard/forward Tess Darby (21) with the 3-point shot in the NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and Kentucky Wildcats in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, January 16, 2022.Kns Lady Hoops Kentucky /
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Jasmine Powell plays a game with kids at a Tennessee Lady Vols basketball summer camp held at Webb School in West Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, July 16, 2022.Kns Lv Camp
Jasmine Powell plays a game with kids at a Tennessee Lady Vols basketball summer camp held at Webb School in West Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, July 16, 2022.Kns Lv Camp /

Biggest questions

1. How will Jasmine Powell fit into the rotation?

Jordan Walker and Brooklynn Miles appeared to have the point guard spot locked up. However, Jasmine Powell is the most accomplished of all three of them, and coming to the Tennessee Lady Vols from Minnesota, you have to assume she’s going to be part of the rotation.

Does this mean Miles takes a back seat? Could Powell move over to the two and back up Horston for more of a scoring punch? Kellie Harper is so loaded in the backcourt that it’s hard to know what she’s going to do here, but it’s a safe bet she ends up somewhere in the rotation.

2. Who else emerges as a three-point shooter alongside Tess Darby?

As we mentioned, Sara Puckett would be the favorite to do this. She came on late last year, and they both play the same role. However, with Rae Burrell gone, it’s even more crucial that more players step up from three, so there is actually pressure on Puckett.

Could Jessie Rennie emerge in a big way? What about Kaiya Wynn? Maybe Jasmine Powell will be that extra specialist. She’s never shot below 30 percent from three. What’s clear is that UT needs at least two elite three-point options to make sure this offense runs correctly.

3. Will the turnover issues improve?

Despite being solid in assists, averaging over 14 a game, UT offset it with turnovers. The Tennessee Lady Vols averaged 17 turnovers a game, down at No. 259 in the nation in terms of fewest turnovers per game. This could be a huge reason Harper brought in Powell to begin with.

However, Jordan Horston is the one who really needs to clean this up. She missed 10 games and still had 20 more turnovers than anybody else on the team, averaging four and a half a game. If Horston can cut this down, the Lady Vols could be unstoppable.