Two years ago, today, Kim Caldwell was named the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball program.
Now, Caldwell has a massive uphill battle ahead of her, larger even than when she initially took over as head coach, after her entire roster fled Knoxville through the transfer portal and her top-rated commits have asked for release from their paperwork.
However, she has the opportunity to save her program, and very likely her job, with the transfer portal now open and players up for grabs. So, here are two of the top prospects Caldwell should target for every position she has to fill (which is all of them).
Top 2 transfer PGs Kim Caldwell should target
Reese Beaty just spent her true-freshman season with the Iowa State Cyclones, who are experiencing a blood-letting of players of their own. A Tennessee native, Beaty stands at 5-foot-8 and could be the young point guard Caldwell needs to start rebuilding her program.
Just like Beaty, Wilson is leaving the Cyclones for greener pastures. While Beaty is a freshman, Wilson just wrapped up her sophomore season and has a little more experience running the backcourt, which could greatly benefit the Volunteers.
Top 2 transfer SGs Tennessee should target
While the point guard pool is relatively young, there are a handful of talented and experienced combo and point guards in the portal. Tayuel Welch, who shoots extremely well but isn't a true shooting guard, could bring the offensive firepower and the veteran leadership that the Vols need.
Just a year ago, Divine Bourrage was a five-star prospect who committed to the LSU Tigers. Now, she's in the transfer portal, and her dynamic abilities on the offensive end of the court could be a massive leg up in building hype around the Tennessee team again.
Top 2 transfer SFs the Lady Vols should target
At 5-foot-11, Ramiyah Byrd is slightly undersized, but has a physical style of play that could bring some much-needed energy to Tennessee's roster. She averaged 4.7 rebounds last season, minimizing opponents' second-chance opportunities.
Ma'Riya Vincent would be a good option for Caldwell's rotation, coming in off the bench for the Vols if she decided to transfer to Tennessee from the Missouri Tigers, with whom she spent her first season of college basketball.
Top 2 transfer PFs Kim Caldwell and UT should target
Another experienced player in the portal, who is reasonable for Caldwell to target, is redshirt junior power forward Antonia Bates, who just wrapped up her fourth season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. She isn't a big-time scorer, but her presence in the paint would be massive for UT's defense.
Power forward Faith Wiseman barely saw playing time for the Indiana Hoosiers last season, averaging just 6.1 minutes per game in only 15 appearances. However, as a former four-star prospect, she has an extremely promising future that Caldwell and the Vols could capitalize on.
Top 2 transfer centers the Volunteers should target
While Iowa State's former center Audi Crooks may be the main attraction in the transfer portal, fellow former Cyclone Lilly Taulelei is a much more reasonable target for Caldwell, who is having to save face while simultaneously rebuilding her program.
Currently, Crooks is the only other true center in the portal. With the problems that Caldwell faced this season and early in the postseason, it is highly unlikely Crooks will look in Knoxville's direction unless the Lady Vols are ready to spend a lot of money on bringing her to Tennessee.
No matter what, Caldwell has an entire roster to rebuild after every single one of her players cleared house following their disappointing season. Whether Tennessee's head coach does that through recruiting previously overlooked high schoolers or plucking who she can come from the portal, she has to rewrite the script to save her job.