It's time Lady Vols basketball gets the respect it deserves

Tennessee has opened the season 7-0 and looks to enter the AP Poll for the first time this season after capping off its hot start to the year with a 10-point win over Iowa in the inaugural Women's Champions Classic in New York. 

Despite the Lady Vols' hot start, they haven't received the respect they have earned to this point in the year. It's still very early in the basketball season, but that should change this week. 

The Lady Vols have the second-best record in the SEC but are ranked behind seven other SEC programs. Tennessee has remained unranked after starting the season 5-0. 

Tennessee has put a stamp on its dominant start to the year with impressive wins over Florida State and No. 17 Iowa, giving the Seminoles its second loss of the season and the Hawkeyes its first loss. 

Kim Caldwell has made an immediate impact in her first season as the Lady Vols head basketball coach. She brought a high-powered, up-tempo offense paired with a restrictive and intense defense that forces opponents into uncomfortable situations, and it worked out near-flawlessly at the start of the season. 

Opponents have committed dozens of turnovers while emphasizing protecting the ball and shooting efficiently on the offensive end of the court. A well-coached Iowa team turned the ball over 30 times, compared to Tennessee's nine turnovers on Saturday. 

That hasn't been abnormal this season, as the Lady Vols average 28 forced turnovers per game. If they can continue the pressure on opposing offenses and score at impressive rates, the Lady Vols could be in for a fun season in year one of the Caldwell era. 

Not to mention the Lady Vols have the third-highest rated offense in the country, averaging 92.6 points per game. They sit just behind LSU and Florida State on the offensive leaderboard. 

Tennessee is also 25th in the country in point differential. The Lady Vols are +26.0 in point differential and hold an impressive +10.4 in steals differential and +8.5 in rebound differential.

The first step in that process is entering the top 25, which the Lady Vols should do this week. Several teams in the top 25 take a loss this past week, opening the door to the Lady Vols making their first appearance in the AP Poll. 

Will they jump up through the rankings and enter the picture for a spot in the top ten? It's unlikely, but they will at least be entering their name into the conversation, as only five games are remaining before the start of SEC play.