6. Tennessee
How do the returning stars and new players blend on this team?Kellie Harper has accumulated quite the talent hoard in Knoxville. Led by a healthy Jordan Horston (16.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg) at the wing and 6-6 center Tamari Key (10.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg), this team already returned a pretty strong core. But then Harper added Mississippi State transfer Rickea Jackson, who averaged 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds through 15 games last season before entering the portal as well as Missouri State’s Jasmine Franklin, who was leading the country with 12.1 boards a game last season before she suffered a season-ending knee injury after 11 games. Round all of that out with Brooklyn Miles and Sara Puckett (who both now have a year under their belts), a healthy Marta Suárez and wing Justine Pissott, who was ranked as the No. 11 player in the 2022 class, and this looks a whole lot like a team that could challenge for a Final Four spot.
