Sunday's game against Georgia at Thompson-Boling Arena is part of an annual event to promote breast cancer research Dan Fleser
Three freshmen will report for the opening tip when Tennessee and Georgia square off on Sunday. At least three more will see significant action.
None of them were born when these two storied women's basketball teams played for the national championship in 1996. Yet they're already doing some of the heavy lifting necessary to elevate their programs.
No. 18 Georgia (21-3, 9-2 SEC) already has surpassed last season's 16 victories and is off to its best start since the 1999-2000 season. Freshman Que Morrison has started all 24 games at guard while classmates Gabby Connally and Maya Caldwell have played significant roles.
Guard Connally set a school freshman record by scoring 37 points in an overtime win at Texas A&M last month.
"We felt like they were special," Georgia coach Joni Taylor said. "They wanted to be able to come in and have an immediate impact."
Meanwhile, freshmen Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis have started all season for No. 11 Tennessee (20-4, 8-3), which was unranked at this point last season. Fellow freshman Anastasia Hayes plays a starter-like role off the bench, averaging 24.5 minutes per game.
Davis scored 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help usher the Lady Vols to a 90-85 victory at Arkansas on Thursday.
More: Tennessee Lady Vols survive Arkansas thanks to Rennia Davis' career day
UT coach Holly Warlick said Saturday that UT's rookies have "probably exceeded" her expectations.
"Knew they were talented," Warlick said. "But what do you do when you're playing in a hostile environment? What do you do when the game's on the line? How do they produce? I think overall, they've just done an outstanding job."
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The impact of both groups is reflected by Sunday's game. The meeting at Thompson-Boling Arena (TV: SEC Network, 3 p.m.) marks the first time both teams have been ranked since 2015. It's their highest combined rankings in five years.
"Huge game and these ladies know it's a huge game for us," Warlick said before UT's practice. "We've talked about it. We've put it out there. Big game for us."
Teams targeted recruiting class
Tennessee and Georgia both fixed their recruiting aim on the 2017 signing class. Taylor said it became a priority for the Lady Bulldogs when she became head coach in April of 2015. The Lady Vols' urgency grew after they missed on all of their top targets the previous year.
Tennessee's group, which includes center Kasi Kushkituah, was ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz. Georgia's foursome, which also has forward Malury Bates, was ranked ninth.
With a deeper roster, the Lady Bulldogs have surrounded their first-year players with more experience. They've incorporated them into an aggressive defense that leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in holding opponents to 34.9 percent field goal shooting.
"They've done exactly what we thought they were capable of," Taylor said of her freshmen. "They want to do whatever it takes. No job is too big or too small for them."
Warlick, on the other hand, might still be learning about her freshmen's capabilities. After urging Davis to be more assertive and running more plays on offense for her, the 6-foot-2 forward surpassed her previous scoring high by 15 points, shooting 13-for-18 from the field against Arkansas.
"I don't want her to hold back," said Warlick, who then referenced Tennessee seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell in saying: "I don't want her to just watch Jaime and Mercedes perform. I want her to be at that level as well."
While she exhorts Davis, Warlick also reins in the practice time, mindful of the minutes Tennessee's freshmen are logging. Westbrook now is wearing a compression sleeve on her left knee.
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"It is a long season for them," Warlick said. "We've cut down on practice and really zeroed in on what we need to do."