NC State's scouting report on Tennessee, as told by the Pack

NC State women’s basketball faces off against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 Monday afternoon. The No. 3 seed Wolfpack will host the No. 6 seed Volunteers after both programs won their first round matchups Saturday.

Tennessee finished the 2023-2024 season as the No. 5 team in the SEC. The Volunteers are 20-12 on the season and were one buzzer-beating three away from defeating unbeaten South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.

Both teams are already familiar with each other. They scrimmaged during the preseason, and they know this will be a formidable matchup between two of women’s college basketball’s historic programs.

TheWolfpacker.com asked seven members of NC State’s rotation what stands out about Tennessee, and they outlined what jumps off of the scouting report.

NC State is a tall team, but Tennessee might be taller

Graduate forward Mimi Collins: “I would think size is the biggest thing, but I think we match up perfectly because we have great size as well.”

Freshman forward Maddie Cox: “They’re all close to 6-0 and above, so I think it’ll match up really well with our players. They have a big five, we have a big four, so I think the size really stands out to me the most.”

Senior guard Madison Hayes: “They’re big. They match in size with us, so we’ve just got to make sure we rebound and we are really physical with them. That’s just the main thing that we’ve really been focused on, and making sure we push tempo in transition because that’s where we get most of our points.”

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NC State starts four players standing 6-0 and above. Graduate center River Baldwin and Collins check in at 6-5 and 6-3, respectively, while junior Saniya Rivers might be one of the tallest point guards in the country at 6-1.

Tennessee has the size to match up with the Wolfpack. The Volunteers start 6-6 center Tamari Key, and five other members of rotation, including 2 other starters, check in at 6-1 or taller. Hayes and Collins will likely spilt time guarding superstar forward Rickea Jackson, who is a projected top-five pick in the WNBA draft after averaging 19.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this year.

Collins told reporters Sunday that Miami is the closest matchup to Tennessee in terms of the Vol’s size. NC State lost its lone matchup against the Hurricanes 73-59 on the road.

The rebounding battle is a priority

Junior guard Saniya Rivers: “I just feel like we can’t give them any second chance opportunities. They’re big. Tamari Key, Rickea Jackson, they’re all looking to crash the boards. I feel like, if we limit them to one shot or no shot all, we will be fine.”

Graduate center River Baldwin: “I think one thing that stands out is their size and physicality. It’ll be really important to match that physicality on the defensive end as well as on the boards.”

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Thanks to the Volunteers size and physical presence in the paint, NC State knows it will have to crash the boards. That’s nothing new for this squad. The Pack ranks first in the ACC in total rebounds per game, winning the battle on the glass by an average of 7.0 per game. Tennessee grabs almost the exact same rebounds per game as NC State, 43.4, which ranks third in the SEC.

The Volunteers won the rebounding battle of its round of 64 contest with Green Bay by 17. NC State starts four players who average 6.3 rebounds per game or more. Jackson is the only Volunteer to grab more than 5 boards per game.

Guarding a dynamic backcourt

Junior guard Aziaha James: “I’d say the guards, definitely… They’re versatile, can get downhill and can shoot the three.”

Freshman guard Zoe Brooks: “They can do everything. They can shoot, they have guards that can get to the basket and break you down and they have bigs, obviously, that we have to stop. So I think, all around, they can do everything, and getting after their shooters is the most important part.”

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With all of the focus around Tennessee’s tall, dynamic front court, do not forget about the guards. Former Wake Forest star Jewel Spear leads a talented backcourt, putting up 13.3 points per game. She is the team’s best three-point shooter at 37.8 percent and knocks down 43 percent of her field goal attempts.

Point guard Jasmine Powell leads the team in assists by a large margin, dishing out 4.2 assists per game. She has also recorded a team-leading 28 steals this season. Tennessee is the No. 7 three-point shooting team in its conference at 32.1 percent. NC State knocks down the exact same percentage of its attempts from deep.