2025/2026 Record Prediction

What is the 2025/2026 regular season record for our Lady Vols

  • 19-9

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • 20-8

    Votes: 3 3.5%

  • 21-7

    Votes: 13 15.3%

  • 22-6

    Votes: 20 23.5%

  • 23-5

    Votes: 25 29.4%

  • 24-4

    Votes: 12 14.1%

  • 25-3

    Votes: 6 7.1%

  • 26-2

    Votes: 4 4.7%

  • 27-1

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 28-0

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    85
#27
#27
MicCheck12 said:
I don't understand why everyone is predicting a loss to UConn. They had more firepower than we did last year and still couldn't win. We have the team to contend with anyone and they are no exception. I'm going out saying it first, we beat UConn in Connecticut!!
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Covering their BVS prevention bases. There’s an approved checklist now… 🙄🤙🏼🧡
 
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#28
#28
BruisedOrange said:
Let's do remember the lessons we fans learned from Year One to Year Two of Josh Heupel's offense:
Every opponent on our schedule has spent the entire off-season crafting and implementing a response to the new system.

Yes, we have more athletic players from top-to-bottom on our roster than we did last season.
But the gameplans we'll be facing are not from last season.
Click to expand...

We also lost our top 3 3pt shooters from last year Jewell, Tess, and Samara … this system is quick so we def have to hit shots or be better at grabbing O boards both would be wonderful. Hopefully we have people that can hit the 3pt shot this year if we have 3-4 like last year we can do more damage!
 
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#29
#29
BruisedOrange said:
Let's do remember the lessons we fans learned from Year One to Year Two of Josh Heupel's offense:
Every opponent on our schedule has spent the entire off-season crafting and implementing a response to the new system.

Yes, we have more athletic players from top-to-bottom on our roster than we did last season.
But the gameplans we'll be facing are not from last season.
Click to expand...
I'll second this.

Before and then early on last season we heard and read quite a bit of skepticism about Kim's system from opposing coaches -- mostly polite. But then, I think it may have been Rick Insell who fairly directly said it won't work.

But even though flaws were exposed, we all know the system, even WITH its imperfections, worked well enough to knock off the eventual national champion. (Wonder if Insell caught that game on TV? 😁)

Anyway, despite knowing exactly what Tennessee was going to do, and despite not having quite enough quickness to to bottom to win any championships, it was still a successful season, and even some really good teams were either challenged or beaten.

Nobody is secretly laughing at Kim's audacity anymore. They'll be preparing differently for Tennessee this season, and now they know Kim and her staff learned some valuable lessons last season are are, themselves, preparing differently.

Ain't NOOOObody gonna be underestimating Tennessee this season. Everybody on both sides will be better prepared for games against the Lady Vols.
 
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#31
#31
My opinion 22-6
Season Outlook:
The non-conference slate presents a significant challenge, featuring several high-level opponents that will test the team. While this year’s roster is noticeably more athletic, outside shooting—particularly from three-point range—remains an area of concern. The schedule doesn’t offer much relief either, with a number of tough matchups coming on the road.

It may also be unrealistic to expect major contributions from the freshmen right away; at least two of them are likely to have minimal impact once conference play begins. Additionally, Coach Kim is expected to stay committed to her established system, which tends to de-emphasize post play—a lingering weakness from last season that could once again limit the team’s offensive balance.
 
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#34
#34
lvocd said:
I'll second this.

Before and then early on last season we heard and read quite a bit of skepticism about Kim's system from opposing coaches -- mostly polite. But then, I think it may have been Rick Insell who fairly directly said it won't work.

But even though flaws were exposed, we all know the system, even WITH its imperfections, worked well enough to knock off the eventual national champion. (Wonder if Insell caught that game on TV? 😁)

Anyway, despite knowing exactly what Tennessee was going to do, and despite not having quite enough quickness to to bottom to win any championships, it was still a successful season, and even some really good teams were either challenged or beaten.

Nobody is secretly laughing at Kim's audacity anymore. They'll be preparing differently for Tennessee this season, and now they know Kim and her staff learned some valuable lessons last season are are, themselves, preparing differently.

Ain't NOOOObody gonna be underestimating Tennessee this season. Everybody on both sides will be better prepared for games against the Lady Vols.
Click to expand...
Did you all see where Geno said he lost the Tennessee game on purpose just to hurt Paige? 🙄 what a loser man!
 
#35
#35
LadyVolFan1979 said:
My opinion 22-6
Season Outlook:
The non-conference slate presents a significant challenge, featuring several high-level opponents that will test the team. While this year’s roster is noticeably more athletic, outside shooting—particularly from three-point range—remains an area of concern. The schedule doesn’t offer much relief either, with a number of tough matchups coming on the road.

It may also be unrealistic to expect major contributions from the freshmen right away; at least two of them are likely to have minimal impact once conference play begins. Additionally, Coach Kim is expected to stay committed to her established system, which tends to de-emphasize post play—a lingering weakness from last season that could once again limit the team’s offensive balance.
Click to expand...
Fill disclosure: I thought about a post asking, gently, why suggest Kim go away from the system that she played under and has made her successful throughout her coaching career. At least, that's how the sentence, "Additionally, Coach Kim is expected to stay committed to her established system, which tends to de-emphasize post play—a lingering weakness from last season that could once again limit the team’s offensive balance" reads to me. But I'm also an explorer of what the large language models can do, so I gave this post to ChatGPT and got the following. Thought some folks might be interested. And, Ladyvolfan1979, my wife and I screamed at the TV when bigs were eating is up last year. Still, we almost won those games in Kim's first year without the quality bigs we'll have on the court this year. Anyway, just for whatever anyone may find interesting, after giving it Ladyvolfan1979's post and this prompt:

"This is a post on a Tennessee Lady Vols forum about next season for the Lady Vols basketball team. Craft a response that gently but specifically questions why coach Kim Caldwell with door away from the system that she played under and has coached throughout her career to great success."

And, yes, it seeme to have overcome my swyping error of "with door" instead of" move away,."

Anyway, here is what ChatGPT produced:

Honest question: why would Kim Caldwell move away from the very system that got her here and has worked everywhere she’s been?

Her identity is clear—pressure, pace, spacing, shot volume, and depth. That’s the edge. It’s also what our roster/portal targets were chosen for. If we dial it back now, what’s the upside that outweighs these costs?

Roster fit. We’ve recruited/transferred for length on the perimeter, multiple ball-handlers, shooters, and bigs who rim-run. If we slow to a half-court grind, aren’t we minimizing what these players do best?

Player buy-in & recruiting promise. A bunch of these kids picked Tennessee to play 94 feet, shoot a ton, and sub in waves. Changing course risks undercutting that sell—now and in future classes.

Practice economy. Full-court pressure and chaos principles only pay off if you rep them relentlessly. If we split practice time to be “a little of everything,” we end up elite at nothing.

Competitive advantage in the SEC. Most teams scout sets all year. Far fewer are comfortable living against 40 minutes of heat and pace. Why give away the one thing that makes opponents most uncomfortable?

Analytics reality. Caldwell teams win on possession margin (TOs forced + offensive boards) and three-point volume. Slowing down doesn’t guarantee fewer giveaways; it just reduces the number of shots our system is designed to generate.

Late-game/situational tweaks ≠ identity change. Sure—have some half-court packages, use selective press after makes, adjust coverage vs certain matchups. But that’s seasoning, not the meal.

Conditioning & depth. Our fourth-quarter legs should be a feature, not an afterthought. Shortening the rotation or tempo flattens that advantage.


Unless there’s a concrete constraint—injury stack, whistle patterns that make our press untenable, or proof this particular roster can’t sustain the pace—I don’t see the logic in moving off what Caldwell does best. Tweak it? Fine. Abandon it? That feels like voluntarily giving up our identity and our edge.

If someone has evidence that this group can’t thrive in Caldwell-ball, lay it out. Otherwise, let’s let Kim be Kim.
 
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#37
#37
VA_VOLFAN said:
We also lost our top 3 3pt shooters from last year Jewell, Tess, and Samara … this system is quick so we def have to hit shots or be better at grabbing O boards both would be wonderful. Hopefully we have people that can hit the 3pt shot this year if we have 3-4 like last year we can do more damage!
Click to expand...
It seems all 14 can shoot the 3. Maybe they all can make at least 1 or 2
 
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