Why Kaylene Smikle's efficiency for Lady Vols is even more impressive than it looks

A bounce pass wasn't going to save MTSU from Kaylene Smikle, who was on the hunt in Lady Vols basketball's full-court press.Smikle turned at half court to provide help for Naomi White and Harissoum Coulibaly pressuring the ball handler, and she saw the pass coming her way immediately. The 6-foot guard pounced, intercepting the pass easily and sprinted down the court with three seconds before halftime.Smikle hit the layup with ease, to give Tennessee a 10-point lead after MTSU came within two points in the second quarter. She scored 30 points for the second time this season, leading the Lady Vols to a 110-64 win at Food City Center on Nov. 12. Before this season, Smikle had two 30-point games in her entire career.Smikle led Tennessee (4-0) with five steals, and all but one of them led directly to points. Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell has been most impressed by Smikle's defense, despite the scoring."She pressures the ball, she’s active, she flies around," Caldwell said. "She wants to go get steals, but when she could kind of go on a hot streak offensively, she continues to find her teammates. She makes the right plays."But it's Smikle's offensive production, and her incredible efficiency, that stands out. She's averaging 22.3 points while shooting 58.8% from the field and 50% on six attempts from 3-point range per game.There are only seven power conference guards shooting at least 55% from the field and 50% on 3-pointers (with at least 10 field goal attempts per game), according to Her Hoop Stats. Smikle ranks fourth on that list, and she's got the highest usage rate of all seven players at 30.9%.Of that list, only four players taking at least six 3-point attempts per game − Smikle, Maryland's Addi Mack, LSU's Mikaylah Williams and Nebraska's Brit Prince. Smikle's efficiency is on another level this season, with her previous career highs at 44.8% from the field and 36.1% from behind the arc.To add another layer to her efficiency, Smikle also averages the fewest minutes among those four players, only playing 20.4 minutes per game while all the rest play at least 26 per game. She blows the rest of the players out of the water with 43.6 points per 40 minutes – the next highest is Prince at 32.9, according to Her Hoop Stats.Caldwell attributes Smikle's efficiency to her commitment to making the right play."She shares the ball," Caldwell said. "She has good teammates around her. She doesn’t just try to force it."Smikle believes she has always been efficient, and her ability to thrive in transition in Caldwell's system has led to an even higher shooting percentage."We knew who we were getting in a player, and she still, too, I think has a really high ceiling," Caldwell said. "She’s not going to be perfect every single night, but this is consistently who she is. She shoots the ball very well, and I think she was underrated a little bit in her shooting ability. She has a great shot."Senior forward Fatmata Janneh made a bold prediction this summer that Smikle would win SEC Player of the Year. After the start she has had, Janneh is feeling pretty good about that prediction."I mean, you know who that is? That's Kaylene Smikle," Janneh said, drawing laughter from Caldwell and Smikle beside her. "I still stand by it, I still think she's going to be SEC Player of the Year like, numbers don't lie. She be in the gym working, and she plays so hard, she makes a big impact on this team."Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social‬. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribeThis article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Kaylene Smikle's efficiency for Lady Vols is even more impressive than it looks