Vanderbilt Blair Children’s Cello Choir plays national anthem before Texas A&M-Vandy game on Feb. 24, 2018. Adam Sparks
No. 12 seed Vanderbilt women’s basketball will play No. 13 seed Arkansas in the opening game of the SEC tournament at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Commodores (7-23, 3-13 SEC), so their next loss will be their last. Here are five storylines for Vanderbilt heading into the SEC tournament:
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These teams just played
Vanderbilt beat Arkansas 78-73 at Memorial Gym on Sunday in the regular-season finale. Kayla Overbeck scored a career-high 24 points, and Autumn Newby pulled down 13 rebounds.
Stephanie White needs an SEC tourney win
Coach Stephanie White lost her first SEC tournament game last season. Before that, former coaches Melanie Balcomb and Jim Foster had won at least one game in 16 of the previous 17 SEC tournaments. Winning Wednesday’s game would not fix the program, but it would be one positive step heading into the offseason.
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Path gets difficult after opener
If Vanderbilt beats Arkansas, it would face No. 5 seed Texas A&M Thursday. The Aggies thumped Vanderbilt 91-67 on Jan. 28, as the Commodores were dominated on the boards and committed 20 turnovers.
Young team must seize big stage
Vanderbilt will sink or swim in the future based on the progress of its young players. As many as three freshmen and five sophomores will be in the rotation against Arkansas. A strong performance could build optimism for a team that must turn the corner next season. Freshman Chelsie Hall leads Vanderbilt in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (3.0), and she needs a big game in her tournament debut.
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Questions lie ahead in offseason
What’s done is done. With only seven wins, this is Vanderbilt’s worst season in program history. It falls below the previous worst record of 11-16 in the 1978-79 season. So whatever happens in the SEC tournament won’t answer all the questions facing the Commodores.
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Once Vanderbilt is eliminated, a long offseason of re-evaluation awaits White and her staff. Two lauded signees arrive next season in Ensworth point guard Jordyn Cambridge and Riverdale guard Brinae Alexander, but will they be enough to turn things around? White faces some big fixes once this tournament ends.
Reach Adam Sparks at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamSparks.
SEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
VANDERBILT (7-23, 3-13 SEC) VS. ARKANSAS (12-17, 3-13 SEC)
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday
Where: Bridgestone Arena
TV/Radio: SEC Network/560 AM, 95.9 FM
Vanderbilt coach Stephanie White called the lack of invitation for national champions South Carolina to the White House "a slap in the face." Autumn Allison\USA Today Network-Tennessean
A collection of SEC coaches shared their thoughts on South Carolina not receiving an invitation to the White House following the team's national championship win. Autumn Allison/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee
Dawn Staley, the coach of the women's national basketball champions South Carolina, was glad for the support of her fellow conference coaches. South Carolina is still yet to receive an invite to the White House. Autumn Allison/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee
Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick is excited to see how well her young team is able to work on chemistry. Autumn Allison/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee
