2018 Recruiting Class

[Besti]

Google works well...but something tells me you know how to use it when you want to.

Yes. I did Google it before posting, and could only find that the case went to trial and the school was deemed not guilty. Nothing was online that I could find that did anything past what was contained in the article I posted.

Usually, these cases are settled out of court, but that didn't happen here. There is enough drama within the program and I wondered if this could be a hint of a problem to come. PRG was nice enough to respond civilly with further clarification.

 

[PRG]

Rhyne Howard to Kentucky

Rhonda McKinney
Dorie Harrison

Now Rhyne Howard

All from Tennessee!!!! What an embarrassment if they come to our house and kick our bu__s!!!!

 

[Amb3096]

Rhonda McKinney
Dorie Harrison

Now Rhyne Howard

All from Tennessee!!!! What an embarrassment if they come to our house and kick our bu__s!!!!

Were KeKe, Dorie and Rhyne even targets to begin with? I thought KeKe and Dorie at least were secondary targets to begin with.

 

[ATLVolFan06]

Lol We don't have to sign every girl from Tennessee

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Lol We don't have to sign every girl from Tennessee

I think well HOPE this stems from 2016 although the 2017 class was really good ... I know we missed out on a few TN girls but we are on the list for some more highly rated TN girls along with national recruits. But I agree just because a TN girl signs somewhere else isn't the end of the world. So if we miss out Rhyne Howard but get one or more of : Liz Balogun, izebella Nicolleti , Christyn Williams, Amaya brown is that really the end of the world? Also Decosta can play a wing position... just like Liz Dixon who went to GTech what if you get a Olivia Nelson-Odada or another highly rated player ? Does that mean Holly isn't protecting her borders. She missed on Crystal Dangerfield but got Annie Hayes (and her sisters essentially). One who has been doing really well on the AAU circuit! Then you have Jazmine Massengill who moved up in the rankings and plays with Balogun both high school and AAU and has a good relationship with Decosta . Then you have treasure hunt who plays with Massengill both places as well. As far as recruits go the sky is not falling now coaching those recruits up is a different story once they get here !

 

[PRG]

Lol We don't have to sign every girl from Tennessee

There are seven ranked players from Tennessee for 2018 ! So no you cannot get them all.... That would not leave room for anyone else!

Dixon --- Ga. Tec.
Levy ----- Western Ky
Howard--- UK
Jasmine-- UT
Cambridge _____
Alexander _____
Balogun ____

Harrison 2017 (sister was good UT player)
McKinney could almost walk to Knoxville?

Both went to Kentucky and they have offered Cambridge and Alexander..... Just saying.... it sure would be embarrassing if Kentucky beats us with our own local players!!! 😰

 

[ladyvosl23]

Listen guys Howard was never really looking here and Harrison and Keke both wanted to come but when those players committed holly and staff chose to shut down 2017.

 

[Chitownvol1129]

Other than possibly state pride, why is everybody so upset about us not going after every TN native?
There are drawbacks to local talent.
- to much local advice in there ears
- traditionally students who go away to school do better acedemically
- the best players are not always from TN...i would rather have a 5 star top player than a mid 20s to 50s project anyday.
- you can have too much of the same position and for team chemistry do you really want an in state Click?
- needing to lean on teammates and coaches for friendship, support, and advice is extremely valuable to team building...having that system already close by might not be what players really need.
- students who are independent, adult enough to spread their wings and experience new things are ideal in my opinion. Keep your high school friends but branch out and discover how you are in the adult world without mommy and daddy a few hours away to wipe your tears.
- just because they grew up here doesn't mean they love UT anymore than a recruit from Georgia
- As Tall Man told Pat " you don't take a mule to the Kentucky derby" recruit the best talent and players

 

[PRG]

Other than possibly state pride, why is everybody so upset about us not going after every TN native?
There are drawbacks to local talent.
- to much local advice in there ears
- traditionally students who go away to school do better acedemically
- the best players are not always from TN...i would rather have a 5 star top player than a mid 20s to 50s project anyday.
- you can have too much of the same position and for team chemistry do you really want an in state Click?
- needing to lean on teammates and coaches for friendship, support, and advice is extremely valuable to team building...having that system already close by might not be what players really need.
- students who are independent, adult enough to spread their wings and experience new things are ideal in my opinion. Keep your high school friends but branch out and discover how you are in the adult world without mommy and daddy a few hours away to wipe your tears.
- just because they grew up here doesn't mean they love UT anymore than a recruit from Georgia
- As Tall Man told Pat " you don't take a mule to the Kentucky derby" recruit the best talent and players

We lost Dangerfield in a year that we got very little! So when you have a Tennessee recruit that's ranked.... you would think the loyalty would be worth something? And the stigma of not being able to hold onto the recruits within the state!!

The Harrison kid had her sister graduate fro UT and got drafted.... she was not rated highly and we just signed the number one class! KeKe rated low but in our back yard? It is not like we were going to run out of scholarships.

Now 2018........ There are seven girls in state ranked in top 60. (SEVEN) Usually Tennessee has one or maybe two ranked in the top 100. But SEVEN... And right now we have one verbal ! And how many scholarships available (especially since the two transfers). I know we are in on some really good players. But if they don't come and we let six ranked local kids go elsewhere? And some will sign with SEC schools!!!! Just saying....🤔

 

[Besti]

Other than possibly state pride, why is everybody so upset about us not going after every TN native?
There are drawbacks to local talent.
- to much local advice in there ears
- traditionally students who go away to school do better acedemically
- the best players are not always from TN...i would rather have a 5 star top player than a mid 20s to 50s project anyday.
- you can have too much of the same position and for team chemistry do you really want an in state Click?
- needing to lean on teammates and coaches for friendship, support, and advice is extremely valuable to team building...having that system already close by might not be what players really need.
- students who are independent, adult enough to spread their wings and experience new things are ideal in my opinion. Keep your high school friends but branch out and discover how you are in the adult world without mommy and daddy a few hours away to wipe your tears.
- just because they grew up here doesn't mean they love UT anymore than a recruit from Georgia
- As Tall Man told Pat " you don't take a mule to the Kentucky derby" recruit the best talent and players

You don't understand. Any player from Tennessee, who does not choose UT, or UT doesn't want, should quit basketball and just go to a school as a normal student. A law should be passed to this effect. :wink:

 

[tennparker3]

We lost Dangerfield in a year that we got very little! So when you have a Tennessee recruit that's ranked.... you would think the loyalty would be worth something? And the stigma of not being able to hold onto the recruits within the state!!

The Harrison kid had her sister graduate fro UT and got drafted.... she was not rated highly and we just signed the number one class! KeKe rated low but in our back yard? It is not like we were going to run out of scholarships.

Now 2018........ There are seven girls in state ranked in top 60. (SEVEN) Usually Tennessee has one or maybe two ranked in the top 100. But SEVEN... And right now we have one verbal ! And how many scholarships available (especially since the two transfers). I know we are in on some really good players. But if they don't come and we let six ranked local kids go elsewhere? And some will sign with SEC schools!!!! Just saying....🤔

We didn't lose Crystal. She was never going anywhere but UConn.

Balogun is the only other state of Tennessee recruit I see us going after because of the other recruits being targeted... most notably Decosta, Nicolletti (both are at a level higher than any of the 7 top 100 Tennessee recruits) and Morgan Jones out of Georgia along with Amaya Brown out of New Mexico. Christyn Williams remains a primary target as well but it has long been believed she is a solid lean to UConn.

Tennessee is full of talented players, but the Lady Vols have long recruited at a national level and that's going to negate the amount of homegrown talent we go after... often because the staff can identify a player from Georgia or California or Oregon that is a better fit than whatever player it is from Tennessee.

 

[lvfan35yr]

just saw westbrook did not make usa team.it is being coached by rizzotti n 2conn. players made team.i'm just saying parker maybe 1 or the best player in the world left off 2016 olympic team.

 

[LadyVol1908]

just saw westbrook did not make usa team.it is being coached by rizzotti n 2conn. players made team.i'm just saying parker maybe 1 or the best player in the world left off 2016 olympic team.

I'm sad she didn't make that team, but on the other hand, I'm pretty happy she didn't make the team lol.

Given our history of injuries, I don't want any of our girls doing anything extra this summer. (I know I'm being selfish here)

 

[PRG]

We didn't lose Crystal. She was never going anywhere but UConn.

Balogun is the only other state of Tennessee recruit I see us going after because of the other recruits being targeted... most notably Decosta, Nicolletti (both are at a level higher than any of the 7 top 100 Tennessee recruits) and Morgan Jones out of Georgia along with Amaya Brown out of New Mexico. Christyn Williams remains a primary target as well but it has long been believed she is a solid lean to UConn.

Tennessee is full of talented players, but the Lady Vols have long recruited at a national level and that's going to negate the amount of homegrown talent we go after... often because the staff can identify a player from Georgia or California or Oregon that is a better fit than whatever player it is from Tennessee.

I know Crystal was not coming to UT. "Lady vols have long recruited at a national level "
Do you remember ( Cox, Holmes, Boley, McCoy,) all listed UT as interest and some visited! BUT none of these nationally ranked in top ten came to UT!!! And look what we got????
2018
#1. Williams
#3. Ododa
#4. Nicolletti
#5. Decosta
What if we get the same as we got in 2016??? Zero from top ten in 2016...
#22 Cambridge (Nashville)
#26 Balogun. (Chattanooga)
#27 Jones. (Georgia)
#57 Alexander. (Murfreesboro)
3*** Brown. (New Mexico)

#19 Jasmine
#56 Collins
Not much difference in what we have verbals for and others in Tennessee? I don't see your logic other than the ones we are praying over!🙏

If we don't succeed with your Nation Recruiting Level!!! You have TWO verbals thus far .... And we got two in 2015 & 16 . If we get two in 2018 with SEVEN players from Tennessee ranked in the top 60!!!!!!!!! Just saying??? 😈

 

[Chitownvol1129]

I know Crystal was not coming to UT. "Lady vols have long recruited at a national level "
Do you remember ( Cox, Holmes, Boley, McCoy,) all listed UT as interest and some visited! BUT none of these nationally ranked in top ten came to UT!!! And look what we got????
2018
#1. Williams
#3. Ododa
#4. Nicolletti
#5. Decosta
What if we get the same as we got in 2016??? Zero from top ten in 2016...
#22 Cambridge (Nashville)
#26 Balogun. (Chattanooga)
#27 Jones. (Georgia)
#57 Alexander. (Murfreesboro)
3*** Brown. (New Mexico)

#19 Jasmine
#56 Collins
Not much difference in what we have verbals for and others in Tennessee? I don't see your logic other than the ones we are praying over!🙏

If we don't succeed with your Nation Recruiting Level!!! You have TWO verbals thus far .... And we got two in 2015 & 16 . If we get two in 2018 with SEVEN players from Tennessee ranked in the top 60!!!!!!!!! Just saying??? 😈

There is nothing magical in Tennessee water that makes a player better than ones from out of state...you worry to much about appearances. We are doing better than anyone so far in 2018 recruiting in many experts opinions.I am sure all the TN ladies have been examined scouted and contacted by UT fully. We will sign at least one more from TN but beyond that we would simply be using a scholarship on state pride..."pride goith before the fall"

 

[PRG]

There is nothing magical in Tennessee water that makes a player better than ones from out of state...you worry to much about appearances. We are doing better than anyone so far in 2018 recruiting in many experts opinions.I am sure all the TN ladies have been examined scouted and contacted by UT fully. We will sign at least one more from TN but beyond that we would simply be using a scholarship on state pride..."pride goith before the fall"

I am glad you and Holly have this recruiting thing under control. Perception is a word that I would worry about. Very rare to have multiple players from Tennessee... Like I said: usually one or two. JMO. I remember a kid named Davis from Memphis that made Baylor a pretty good player and we never recruited her either! Just saying!😜

We get players usually from Georgia and/or from the southern states and don't forget Oregon. But lately a lot of top talent from Texas and how long since we got someone from there? As other teams around us improve. South Carolina, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio, etc. We have lost that mystical ability to get who we want! I just don't want us to lose players from Tennessee when we finally have some ranked. And have them go to other schools and then they might come back to haunt us????
That being said.... I like Jasmine and hope we get her teammates Balogun. I would take them two in a heartbeat. We need to keep that Hamilton Heights pipeline coming... special things going on in Chattanooga! One or two of those top five recruits would give us back to back top recruiting classes.
Hoping our coaches can do it again???

 

[PRG]

There is nothing magical in Tennessee water that makes a player better than ones from out of state...you worry to much about appearances. We are doing better than anyone so far in 2018 recruiting in many experts opinions.I am sure all the TN ladies have been examined scouted and contacted by UT fully. We will sign at least one more from TN but beyond that we would simply be using a scholarship on state pride..."pride goith before the fall"

2013 #42 Jordan Reynolds
2014 #28 Alexa
2014 #78 Kortney Dunbar
2015 #49 MeMe

Nothing magical about these recruits either but we gave them scholarships! Just saying????

 

[gule]

Meighan Simmons was from Texas.

 

[OrangenSC]

We lost Dangerfield in a year that we got very little! So when you have a Tennessee recruit that's ranked.... you would think the loyalty would be worth something? And the stigma of not being able to hold onto the recruits within the state!!

The Harrison kid had her sister graduate fro UT and got drafted.... she was not rated highly and we just signed the number one class! KeKe rated low but in our back yard? It is not like we were going to run out of scholarships.

Now 2018........ There are seven girls in state ranked in top 60. (SEVEN) Usually Tennessee has one or maybe two ranked in the top 100. But SEVEN... And right now we have one verbal ! And how many scholarships available (especially since the two transfers). I know we are in on some really good players. But if they don't come and we let six ranked local kids go elsewhere? And some will sign with SEC schools!!!! Just saying....🤔

Me thinks you're seriously obsessing over this state of Tennessee players thing. "Just saying".

 

[volnationnj]

just saw westbrook did not make usa team.it is being coached by rizzotti n 2conn. players made team.i'm just saying parker maybe 1 or the best player in the world left off 2016 olympic team.

McConnell-Serio, the head coach of Pittsburgh, is coaching the u19 team. Rizzotti is the chair of the selection committee.
If you want to advance conspiracy theories, at least get the facts right.

 

[tennparker3]

I know Crystal was not coming to UT. "Lady vols have long recruited at a national level "
Do you remember ( Cox, Holmes, Boley, McCoy,) all listed UT as interest and some visited! BUT none of these nationally ranked in top ten came to UT!!! And look what we got????
2018
#1. Williams
#3. Ododa
#4. Nicolletti
#5. Decosta
What if we get the same as we got in 2016??? Zero from top ten in 2016...
#22 Cambridge (Nashville)
#26 Balogun. (Chattanooga)
#27 Jones. (Georgia)
#57 Alexander. (Murfreesboro)
3*** Brown. (New Mexico)

#19 Jasmine
#56 Collins
Not much difference in what we have verbals for and others in Tennessee? I don't see your logic other than the ones we are praying over!🙏

If we don't succeed with your Nation Recruiting Level!!! You have TWO verbals thus far .... And we got two in 2015 & 16 . If we get two in 2018 with SEVEN players from Tennessee ranked in the top 60!!!!!!!!! Just saying??? 😈

I have perfectly sound logic.

Nicolletti down to Tennessee and Florida State. She visits FSU this month and will be on her official to Tennessee in June with her dad. She has made multiple trips to Knoxville.

Morgan Jones is supposedly making an official in the coming weeks as well.

Decosta leaders are presumed to be Tennessee and Louisville.

Massengill and Collins are considered top 15 players by everyone but Hoopgurlz, which is ran by one guy from out here on the West Coast.

The difference between 2018 and 2016 classes is we had an extremely narrow focus and Holly and staff acknowledged it and was one of the reasons a staff change was made as well as using Law as a lead recruiter.

It paid off for 2017 and will likely pay off for 2018.

 

[boxerpupsrcool]

It seems to be crucial that tennessee lands at least one of those top recruits. UConn once again loading up likely with a 1-2 recruit ranking punch.

 

[PRG]

Me thinks you're seriously obsessing over this state of Tennessee players thing. "Just saying".

I like studying recruiting. Does not matter if its The Titans, little league baseball, UT basketball etc. Just an odd past time for me personally.

Our recruiting over the last few years ..... or lack there of .... well we all have our thoughts.
Does anyone know how unusual 2018 is for the state of Tennessee! First of all there are only 60 recruits listed so far by Hoop girls. Eventually will be 100 but not yet.
2018 has six now in the top 60. Levy dropped out

2017 has one in top 60 (Hayes)
2016 has two ( Dangerfield & Carter)
2015 has one ( MeMe)
2014 has one (Alexa)
2013 has one (Davis)

That's six recruits in the top sixty in the last Six years!
We had three of them go to UT.
There were Seven in the top sixty in 2018. That's more in one year than in the last six years! Pretty special group of young ladies playing basketball in Tennessee. Obsession.... statistics.... logic.... call it what you want. But they are close to UT . Families can come see them play. And we got ONE ☝️ Just Saying

 

[PRG]

I have perfectly sound logic.

Nicolletti down to Tennessee and Florida State. She visits FSU this month and will be on her official to Tennessee in June with her dad. She has made multiple trips to Knoxville.

Morgan Jones is supposedly making an official in the coming weeks as well.

Decosta leaders are presumed to be Tennessee and Louisville.

Massengill and Collins are considered top 15 players by everyone but Hoopgurlz, which is ran by one guy from out here on the West Coast.

The difference between 2018 and 2016 classes is we had an extremely narrow focus and Holly and staff acknowledged it and was one of the reasons a staff change was made as well as using Law as a lead recruiter.

It paid off for 2017 and will likely pay off for 2018.

Sounds good. Praying for Ododa
Hoping for Decosta and Nicolletti
Like Balogun over Jones (Hamilton Heights connection could help in 2020)

 

[Ladyvolfan4ever]

i like studying recruiting. Does not matter if its the titans, little league baseball, ut basketball etc. Just an odd past time for me personally.

Our recruiting over the last few years ..... Or lack there of .... Well we all have our thoughts.
Does anyone know how unusual 2018 is for the state of tennessee! First of all there are only 60 recruits listed so far by hoop girls. Eventually will be 100 but not yet.
2018 has six now in the top 60. Levy dropped out

2017 has one in top 60 (hayes)
2016 has two ( dangerfield & carter)
2015 has one ( meme)
2014 has one (alexa)g
2013 has one (davis)

that's six recruits in the top sixty in the last six years!
We had three of them go to ut.
There were seven in the top sixty in 2018. That's more in one year than in the last six years! Pretty special group of young ladies playing basketball in tennessee. Obsession.... Statistics.... Logic.... Call it what you want. But they are close to ut . Families can come see them play. And we got one ☝️ just saying

let it gooooo