BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – There is a fine line in establishing roles for Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell.
Her system embraces freedom on the court, but with a goal to use 10-11 players in each game, roles have to be part of that. A key piece for the first-year Tennessee coach is sitting down before the season to talk about roles publicly.
“We don’t ever put players in a box,” Caldwell said Wednesday at SEC Basketball Tipoff ’25 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. “We let players play every type of way, because I want to get the most out of them. So we do talk about roles … We talk about it in a room and everyone goes around and says their roles.”
Senior guard Jewel Spear has already seen the benefit in practices after having the discussion. There’s no confusion about responsibilities on the court because of it.
“It’s helping our offense look a little bit smoother, because everybody knows their roles and what they need to perfect,” Spear said.
Why Jewel Spear is ready to be key returner for Tennessee
A key piece to Spear’s growth this offseason has been all the individual skill work with assistant coaches. Caldwell emphasizes individual development, and players can get in the gym whenever they want with whichever assistant they request. Spear honed in on being more aggressive going downhill and getting to her midrange. Her release on her 3-point shot has gotten even quicker.
Improving her on-ball defense was a focus for Spear along with honing in on her full-court defense with Caldwell’s style of pressing.
“She’s taking charges, she’s diving on the floor,” Caldwell said. “She’s a leader. She’s outspoken. I could not ask for a better leader on this team.”
Spear’s other focus was her conditioning, which she knew had to improve in order to thrive in Caldwell’s fast-paced system. She improved her nutrition, she got in better shape and has already seen the results.
“I’m more confident going to the rim now. I feel like I’m under control, I know my body,” Spear said. “I feel much stronger. … I’m able to go in longer spurts, which is really nice to see, and recover really quickly. So I think it’s just a testament to the system, honestly, but it is also something I’ve been focusing on.”
What Kim Caldwell said about transfer guards
Tennessee has a lot of depth at guard, and two are transfers are expected to have big roles.
Ruby Whitehorn, who transferred from Clemson, came in as a great scorer.
“She’s a good leader for us. She’s a great person to be around, she works hard all the time,” Caldwell said. “And so when you have players like that on your team, it makes everyone around them better.”
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Arkansas transfer Samara Spencer is another guard who will play a key role. Caldwell praised her ability to play at the pace she wants, and it was easy to tell that Spencer came from a program that pushes the ball up the floor.
“From the very beginning, she has been able to play at a pace that other people can’t,” Caldwell said. “She’s been huge for us, and we make people keep up with her, which is big, because she’s going to have the ball in her hands a lot.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How things are coming together for Kim Caldwell, Lady Vols basketball
