GAME THREAD: Miss St @ #15 Tennessee, Knoxville, Thursday, 1/29, 6:30 pm EST, SECN+

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RetroVol

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#1
If anyone's interested in the travails of working with AI's on these, ask. Otherwise, from Gemini (with some editing);

SCOUTING REPORT: No. 15 Lady Vols (6-0) vs. Mississippi State (2-4)
Matchup: Thursday, Jan 29, 2026 | Food City Center, Knoxville | 6:30 PM ET​



Listen up, Lady Vol faithful! If you’ve got a strut in your step this week, you’ve earned it. After grinding out that 60-58 win over #11 Kentucky, Kim Caldwell has this team standing alone as the only undefeated team in SEC play.

But don't sleep on the Bulldogs. They might be 2-4 in the conference, but they are fresh off a "giant-killer" upset of #7 Kentucky and they'd love nothing more than to ruin our perfect streak in our own house.

The Bulldogs' "Big Three"
  • Favour Nwaedozi (JR, Forward): The double-double machine. She leads State with 13.0 PPG and 10.6 RPG. In their upset over Kentucky, she snagged 21 rebounds. We have to box her out or she will live on the offensive glass.
  • Madison Francis (FR, Forward): The reigning National Freshman of the Week. She’s averaging 12.9 PPG and leads the SEC in blocks (3.3 BPG). She’s a 6'2" defensive nightmare.
  • Destiney McPhaul (SR, Guard): The veteran floor general. She averages 11.3 PPG and is the steady hand that keeps their offense from spiraling when the press gets hot.

The X-Factor: Kharyssa Richardson (SR, Forward)
Season Average: 8.7 PPG | Recent Peak: 23 Points vs. Kentucky
Richardson is a "streak" player with a history of hauntings in Knoxville. In the upset over UK, she went a perfect 6-for-6 in the second half. As a former Rebel, she once dropped 21 on the Lady Vols on 90% shooting. If she gets comfortable early, this game gets dangerous.
Click to expand...

The Veteran Impact
Talaysia Cooper Coop's gotta Coop, be it scoring, rebounding, or the magic hands that sizzled the Cats. Zee Spearman (SR, Forward): Our defensive "eraser." She leads the team in rebounds (6.9 RPG) and blocks, recently earning a spot on the Wooden Award Watch List. Her double-double against Louisville (18 pts, 12 rebs) showed she can carry the load when the freshmen are finding their footing. Janiah Barker (SR, Forward): Though she missed the Kentucky game, her veteran leadership is the heartbeat of the frontcourt. She’s the team’s most versatile scorer, and her return for the Mississippi State game is the biggest question mark on the board. Nya Robertson (SR, Guard): The "X-factor" -- when she goes off, it's something.

The Kids Have the Keys: Freshman Takeover
The freshmen aren't just "contributing"—they’re hijacking the bus. While Janiah Barker was sidelined, the trio of Mia Pauldo, Deniya Prawl, and Jaida Civil accounted for 38 of the team's 60 points to bury #11 Kentucky. Pauldo has officially earned "Closer" status, hunting down 19 fourth-quarter points over her last two games. While Mia gets more buckets and sticks the defense, Civil (9 boards) and Prawl (4 steals) are both ramping up. "Freshman wall"? —they’re currently running right through it.

Keys to the Game
  1. Defend The Paint: Spearman, Barker (hopefully), and Latham have to stay out of foul trouble and keep Nwaedozi and Richardson in check inside.
    [*]The "Splash Sisters" (Freshman Edition): Mia Pauldo is playing like the best freshman in the country right now. If she and Talaysia Cooper can push the tempo and find their rhythm from deep (where we average 9.7 makes per game), State won't be able to keep up.
    [*]Force the Turnover: Caldwell’s system thrives on chaos. State has struggled with ball security against elite pressure. If we force 20+ turnovers, we move to 7-0 comfortably.


The Verdict: Tennessee is faster and deeper. As long as we don't let Richardson or Nwaedozi turn this into a slow-paced half-court grind, the Lady Vols should protect the home court.

GO LADY VOLS! 🍊​

 
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#2
#2
RetroVol said:
If anyone's interested in the travails of working with AI's on these, ask. Otherwise, from Gemini (with some editing);

SCOUTING REPORT: No. 15 Lady Vols (6-0) vs. Mississippi State (2-4)
Matchup: Thursday, Jan 29, 2026 | Food City Center, Knoxville | 6:30 PM ET​



Listen up, Lady Vol faithful! If you’ve got a strut in your step this week, you’ve earned it. After grinding out that 60-58 win over #11 Kentucky, Kim Caldwell has this team standing alone as the only undefeated team in SEC play.

But don't sleep on the Bulldogs. They might be 2-4 in the conference, but they are fresh off a "giant-killer" upset of #7 Kentucky and they'd love nothing more than to ruin our perfect streak in our own house.

The Bulldogs' "Big Three"
  • Favour Nwaedozi (JR, Forward): The double-double machine. She leads State with 13.0 PPG and 10.6 RPG. In their upset over Kentucky, she snagged 21 rebounds. We have to box her out or she will live on the offensive glass.
  • Madison Francis (FR, Forward): The reigning National Freshman of the Week. She’s averaging 12.9 PPG and leads the SEC in blocks (3.3 BPG). She’s a 6'2" defensive nightmare.
  • Destiney McPhaul (SR, Guard): The veteran floor general. She averages 11.3 PPG and is the steady hand that keeps their offense from spiraling when the press gets hot.



The Veteran Impact
Talaysia Cooper Coop's gotta Coop, be it scoring, rebounding, or the magic hands that sizzled the Cats. Zee Spearman (SR, Forward): Our defensive "eraser." She leads the team in rebounds (6.9 RPG) and blocks, recently earning a spot on the Wooden Award Watch List. Her double-double against Louisville (18 pts, 12 rebs) showed she can carry the load when the freshmen are finding their footing. Janiah Barker (SR, Forward): Though she missed the Kentucky game, her veteran leadership is the heartbeat of the frontcourt. She’s the team’s most versatile scorer, and her return for the Mississippi State game is the biggest question mark on the board. Nya Robertson (SR, Guard): The "X-factor" -- when she goes off, it's something.

The Kids Have the Keys: Freshman Takeover
The freshmen aren't just "contributing"—they’re hijacking the bus. While Janiah Barker was sidelined, the trio of Mia Pauldo, Deniya Prawl, and Jaida Civil accounted for 38 of the team's 60 points to bury #11 Kentucky. Pauldo has officially earned "Closer" status, hunting down 19 fourth-quarter points over her last two games. While Mia gets more buckets and sticks the defense, Civil (9 boards) and Prawl (4 steals) are both ramping up. "Freshman wall"? —they’re currently running right through it.

Keys to the Game
  1. Defend The Paint: Spearman, Barker (hopefully), and Latham have to stay out of foul trouble and keep Nwaedozi and Richardson in check inside.
    [*]The "Splash Sisters" (Freshman Edition): Mia Pauldo is playing like the best freshman in the country right now. If she and Talaysia Cooper can push the tempo and find their rhythm from deep (where we average 9.7 makes per game), State won't be able to keep up.
    [*]Force the Turnover: Caldwell’s system thrives on chaos. State has struggled with ball security against elite pressure. If we force 20+ turnovers, we move to 7-0 comfortably.


The Verdict: Tennessee is faster and deeper. As long as we don't let Richardson or Nwaedozi turn this into a slow-paced half-court grind, the Lady Vols should protect the home court.



GO LADY VOLS! 🍊​


Click to expand...
LVs 90--MSU 63. GBO.
 
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#8
#8
I would have been more worried about this game if we had played and won the Ole Miss game. Emotionally, we would have just won 3 big games against rated teams and possibly due for an emotional letdown. To the contrary, Mississippi State is coming in with revenge in their heart and the confidence that it is possible. They kept it close in Starkville and have had a couple of games since that they played well against ranked teams. Now that we have had a week layoff instead, I think the LVs will be chomping on the bit to play and hopefully will have Janiah back. If so, I think it is most likely to be about a 10-point LV victory, but the 2nd most likely option is about a 20-point win. For superstition's sake, I haven't predicted actual score of any game yet and this will remain the same.
 
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#9
#9
LV renaissance said:
I would have been more worried about this game if we had played and won the Ole Miss game. Emotionally, we would have just won 3 big games against rated teams and possibly due for an emotional letdown. To the contrary, Mississippi State is coming in with revenge in their heart and the confidence that it is possible. They kept it close in Starkville and have had a couple of games since that they played well against ranked teams. Now that we have had a week layoff instead, I think the LVs will be chomping on the bit to play and hopefully will have Janiah back. If so, I think it is most likely to be about a 10-point LV victory, but the 2nd most likely option is about a 20-point win. For superstition's sake, I haven't predicted actual score of any game yet and this will remain the same.
Click to expand...
Agree. Thanks to another unbelievable fortune of scheduling, (certainly not fortunate for the state of Miss) I think its a 20 pt win.

The bottom falls out of the rainbow Sunday if that game gets played, although it looks like more horrible weather on the east coast. I'm a little worried about our SOS taking a hit if we end up not playing Ole Miss and UConn. It helps us avoid a couple of possible losses, Including another national TV butt kicking , but it also costs us SOS and a chance of another really good ranked win against OM.
 
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#10
#10
LV renaissance said:
I would have been more worried about this game if we had played and won the Ole Miss game. Emotionally, we would have just won 3 big games against rated teams and possibly due for an emotional letdown. To the contrary, Mississippi State is coming in with revenge in their heart and the confidence that it is possible. They kept it close in Starkville and have had a couple of games since that they played well against ranked teams. Now that we have had a week layoff instead, I think the LVs will be chomping on the bit to play and hopefully will have Janiah back. If so, I think it is most likely to be about a 10-point LV victory, but the 2nd most likely option is about a 20-point win. For superstition's sake, I haven't predicted actual score of any game yet and this will remain the same.
Click to expand...
I also refuse to make a prediction because of superstition. I wouldn't put on my jacket in the last 30 seconds of the Kentucky game because I was afraid I would jinx it 🤣 I agree about the emotional letdown though. I think the combination of being casted physically and emotionally after the UConn game really sealed the deal last season. I wonder if Ole Miss Vandy will be postponed since their campus is closed until 02/01. I'd have to assume so.
 
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#12
#12
brittannica said:
I also refuse to make a prediction because of superstition. I wouldn't put on my jacket in the last 30 seconds of the Kentucky game because I was afraid I would jinx it 🤣 I agree about the emotional letdown though. I think the combination of being casted physically and emotionally after the UConn game really sealed the deal last season. I wonder if Ole Miss Vandy will be postponed since their campus is closed until 02/01. I'd have to assume so.
Click to expand...
I know it will be extra cold on Thursday but please keep that jacket off till the buzzer.
 
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#13
#13
brittannica said:
I also refuse to make a prediction because of superstition. I wouldn't put on my jacket in the last 30 seconds of the Kentucky game because I was afraid I would jinx it 🤣 I agree about the emotional letdown though. I think the combination of being casted physically and emotionally after the UConn game really sealed the deal last season. I wonder if Ole Miss Vandy will be postponed since their campus is closed until 02/01. I'd have to assume so.
Click to expand...
My beloved Nashville is a mess. None of my family have had power since Sunday, And it's about 5 degrees. Most have gathered at homes of family members with generators, except a few who can't get out of their neighborhoods due to downed trees and power lines. Yesterday they said you can hear the sound of trees snapping and falling every time you walk out your door. Pray for my hometown.

If OM misses two games, seeding for the tourney is never going to be considered legit. But there may be no choice.
 
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#14
#14
glv98 said:
My beloved Nashville is a mess. None of my family have had power since Sunday, And it's about 5 degrees. Most have gathered at homes of family members with generators, except a few who can't get out of their neighborhoods due to downed trees and power lines. Yesterday they said you can hear the sound of trees snapping and falling every time you walk out your door. Pray for my hometown.

If OM misses two games, seeding for the tourney is never going to be considered legit. But there may be no choice.
Click to expand...
same with my family in Nashville. My sister's poor in-laws said their house was about 46° when they woke up this morning. My parents and sister thankfully got power yesterday, but it is such a mess. We really got lucky here. very thankful that your family are OK.
 
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#16
#16
LV renaissance said:
I would have been more worried about this game if we had played and won the Ole Miss game. Emotionally, we would have just won 3 big games against rated teams and possibly due for an emotional letdown. To the contrary, Mississippi State is coming in with revenge in their heart and the confidence that it is possible. They kept it close in Starkville and have had a couple of games since that they played well against ranked teams. Now that we have had a week layoff instead, I think the LVs will be chomping on the bit to play and hopefully will have Janiah back. If so, I think it is most likely to be about a 10-point LV victory, but the 2nd most likely option is about a 20-point win. For superstition's sake, I haven't predicted actual score of any game yet and this will remain the same.
Click to expand...
Agree, the only slight concern I have is coming out flat in 1st Q due to the layoff and the surprising stat our home shooting% is lower than road. Other than that just play like we should and get the W, we have the better squad.
 
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#18
#18
This one concerns me to due to the amount of time we have off but last game against them we played tremendous defense and everything they threw up went in not expecting that this game I expect a comfortable win
 
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