Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the media and coaches logged their votes for who would be represented on the preseason All-SEC teams. However, with as many as 21 players earning an honor from the coaches, there were no Lady Vols basketball players named.

Tennessee still has its eyes on some hardware, though. Point guard Kennedy Fauntleroy has high expectations for herself this year, but it was her head coach, Kim Caldwell, who brought them up first. Caldwell wants the transfer guard to win SEC Defensive Player of the Year. On top of that, Fauntleroy said she would also like to make an All-SEC team and be toward the top of the conference in assists. It was Caldwell that first put the lofty goal of Defensive Player of the Year on her radar, though.

Fauntleroy’s teammates see why Caldwell has those high expectations, as well. Forward Aaliyah Moore has noticed the standard she sets on both ends of the floor.

“The reason why Coach Kim is so hard on Kennedy is because Kennedy doesn’t understand that she can really be an elite defender,” Moore said. “Kennedy has all of it. She’s quick, she has good hands. She’s also aggressive. I think when Coach Kim sees that, she’s going to want it out of her every single day and every single game. But when Kennedy is up pressing, all of us are like oh shoot, we got to get up and press.”

Fauntleroy is coming off her first and only season at East Carolina. After an impressive year, she was named the American Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year for her efforts. As a First Team All-Conference member, the 5-foot-7 guard appeared in 32 games and started in 31. On the year, Fauntleroy averaged 13.7 points per game on 39.3% shooting from the field and 30.8% on threes. She also posted 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.

Fauntleroy will now be in her final year of eligibility. She began her career at Georgetown, where she was unanimously named the 2023 Big East Freshman of the Year. She then transferred to Oklahoma State, where she played in just five games and earned a redshirt. That led her to Arizona State the following year, where she played in 22 games with 12 starts.

This means this upcoming season will be her fifth at five different schools in her college career. She is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where she attended New Hope Academy.