# 2017–18 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team

The 2017–18 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2017–18 college basketball season. The Lady Vols, led by sixth-year head coach Holly Warlick, played their games at Thompson–Boling Arena and are members of the Southeastern Conference.
In the November 24 Cancún Challenge game against Oklahoma State, Jaime Nared scored her 1,000th point. She is the 45th Lady Vol to do so in her career.
The Lady Vols finished the season 25–8, 11–5 for a third-place tie in SEC play. They lost in the second round of the SEC tournament to South Carolina. Nationally ranked twelfth at the end of the season, they received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Liberty in the first round before losing to Oregon State in the second round.

## Previous season

The 2016–17 team finished the season 20–12, 10–6 for fifth place in SEC play. They lost in the second round of the 2017 SEC tournament to Alabama. They received an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Dayton in the first round before losing to Louisville in the second round.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 12 | Not released |
| Coaches | 18 | 14^ | 13 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 17 |
^Coaches' Poll did not release a second poll at the same time as the AP.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 7, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 14 | Carson–Newman | W 121–76 | | 27 – Davis | 13 – Davis | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (7,612) Knoxville, TN |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 12, 2017* 2:00 pm | No. 14 | ETSU | W 87–49 | 1–0 | 20 – Russell | 13 – Nared | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (8,869) Knoxville, TN |
| November 15, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 13 | James Madison | W 89–60 | 2–0 | 25 – Nared | 9 – Nared | 8 – Hayes | Thompson–Boling Arena (7,553) Knoxville, TN |
| November 20, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 12 | Wichita State | W 68–56 | 3–0 | 17 – Russell | 10 – Davis | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (7,818) Knoxville, TN |
| November 23, 2017* 6:30 pm | No. 12 | vs. No. 20 Marquette Cancún Challenge Riviera Division | W 101–99 $^{OT}$ | 4–0 | 26 – Nared | 15 – Nared | 6 – Nared | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center (982) Puerto Aventuras, Mexico |
| November 24, 2017* 4:00 pm | No. 12 | vs. Oklahoma State Cancún Challenge Riviera Division | W 79–69 | 5–0 | 25 – Russell | 10 – Davis | 6 – Westbrook | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center Puerto Aventuras, Mexico |
| November 25, 2017* 4:00 pm | No. 12 | vs. South Dakota Cancún Challenge Riviera Division | W 69–49 | 6–0 | 12 – Hayes | 9 – Nared | 3 – Hayes | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Puerto Aventuras (982) Puerto Aventuras, Mexico |
| November 30, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 12 | Central Arkansas | W 77–34 | 7–0 | 19 – Russell | 10 – Russell | 4 – Hayes | Thompson–Boling Arena (7,311) Knoxville, TN |
| December 3, 2017* 2:00 pm | No. 12 | Alabama State | W 104–51 | 8–0 | 22 – Russell | 10 – Green | 5 – Davis | Thompson–Boling Arena (8,004) Knoxville, TN |
| December 6, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 11 | Troy | W 131–69 | 9–0 | 27 – Nared | 13 – Green | 12 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (7,187) Knoxville, TN |
| December 10, 2017* 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | No. 2 Texas | W 82–75 | 10–0 | 23 – Nared | 13 – Nared | 4 – Hayes | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,651) Knoxville, TN |
| December 17, 2017* 5:00 pm | No. 7 | at Long Beach State | W 90–61 | 11–0 | 15 – Jackson | 11 – Nared | 7 – Westbrook | Walter Pyramid (1,532) Long Beach, CA |
| December 21, 2017* 9:00 pm, P12N | No. 7 | at No. 18 Stanford Rivalry | W 83–71 | 12–0 | 28 – Nared | 10 – Russell | 5 – Nared | Maples Pavilion (3,084) Stanford, CA |
| December 31, 2017 Noon, SECN | No. 7 | at Kentucky Rivalry | W 63–49 | 13–0 (1–0) | 17 – Westbrook | 11 – Davis | 7 – Jackson | Rupp Arena (8,921) Lexington, KY |
| January 4, 2018 7:00 pm | No. 7 | Auburn | W 70–59 | 14–0 (2–0) | 19 – Nared | 11 – Nared | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (8,663) Knoxville, TN |
| January 7, 2018 Noon, SECN | No. 7 | Vanderbilt Rivalry | W 86–73 | 15–0 (3–0) | 33 – Russell | 8 – Jackson | 7 – Hayes | Thompson–Boling Arena (10,023) Knoxville, TN |
| January 11, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 6 | at No. 17 Texas A&M | L 76–79 $^{OT}$ | 15–1 (3–1) | 21 – Russell | 10 – Russell | 7 – Westbrook | Reed Arena (5,043) College Station, TX |
| January 14, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | at No. 9 South Carolina | W 86–70 | 16–1 (4–1) | 21 – Nared | 12 – Russell | 5 – Westbrook | Colonial Life Arena (14,763) Columbia, SC |
| January 18, 2018* 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at No. 5 Notre Dame | L 70–84 | 16–2 | 18 – Jackson | 7 – Russell | 4 – Westbrook | Edmund P. Joyce Center (8,733) Notre Dame, IN |
| January 21, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | No. 3 Mississippi State | L 52–71 | 16–3 (4–2) | 16 – Russell | 10 – Davis | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,436) Knoxville, TN |
| January 25, 2018 7:00 pm | No. 10 | Ole Miss | W 75–66 | 17–3 (5–2) | 18 – Davis | 10 – Nared | 5 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,016) Knoxville, TN |
| January 28, 2018 1:00 pm, SECN | No. 10 | at LSU | L 59–70 | 17–4 (5–3) | 14 – Russell | 10 – Russell | 7 – Westbrook | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (4,333) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 1, 2018 6:30 pm, SECN | No. 12 | No. 14 Texas A&M | W 82–67 | 18–4 (6–3) | 23 – Nared | 13 – Russell | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (8,841) Knoxville, TN |
| February 4, 2018 2:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 12 | at Vanderbilt Rivalry | W 74–64 | 19–4 (7–3) | 30 – Nared | 14 – Nared | 4 – Westbrook | Memorial Gymnasium (4,771) Nashville, TN |
| February 8, 2018 8:00 pm | No. 11 | at Arkansas | W 90–85 | 20–4 (8–3) | 33 – Davis | 14 – Davis | 9 – Hayes | Bud Walton Arena (1,446) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 11, 2018 3:00 pm, SECN | No. 11 | No. 18 Georgia | W 64–46 | 21–4 (9–3) | 15 – Nared | 15 – Russell | 3 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,523) Knoxville, TN |
| February 15, 2018 6:30 pm, SECN | No. 11 | Alabama | L 63–72 | 21–5 (9–4) | 22 – Nared | 11 – Russell | 4 – Jackson | Thompson–Boling Arena (8,432) Knoxville, TN |
| February 18, 2018 2:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 11 | at No. 13 Missouri | L 73–77 | 21–6 (9–5) | 25 – Nared | 9 – Russell | 2 – Tied | Mizzou Arena (11,092) Columbia, MO |
| February 22, 2018 7:00 pm | No. 15 | at Florida | W 70–42 | 22–6 (10–5) | 13 – Tied | 10 – Davis | 3 – Tied | O'Connell Center (1,669) Gainesville, FL |
| February 25, 2018 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 15 | No. 7 South Carolina | W 65–46 | 23–6 (11–5) | 18 – Davis | 12 – Russell | 4 – Davis | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,058) Knoxville, TN |
| SEC women's tournament |||||||||
| March 1, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN | (7) No. 12 | vs. (10) Auburn Second Round | W 64–61 | 24–6 | 17 – Nared | 15 – Russell | 4 – Nared | Bridgestone Arena (6,047) Nashville, TN |
| March 2, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN | (7) No. 12 | vs. (2) No. 8 South Carolina Quarterfinals | L 62–73 | 24–7 | 15 – Nared | 13 – Nared | 4 – Hayes | Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN |
| NCAA women's tournament |||||||||
| March 16, 2018* 2:30 pm, ESPN2 | (3 L) No. 12 | (14 L) Liberty First Round | W 100–60 | 25–7 | 18 – Davis | 12 – Green | 6 – Westbrook | Thompson–Boling Arena (4,509) Knoxville, TN |
| March 18, 2018* 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | (3 L) No. 12 | (6 L) No. 13 Oregon State Second Round | L 59–66 | 25–8 | 21 – Russell | 14 – Russell | 5 – Nared | Thompson–Boling Arena (4,338) Knoxville, TN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. L=Lexington Region. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
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