2023 Recruiting
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AntiochVol81
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LadyOrange
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There is not one reason our 2023 class didn’t materialize. Kellie actually rejected a few who wanted to come here because they were not the right fit. I think it’s interesting that so-called fans get their egos bruised over recruiting. You need to see the complexities of recruiting in the current context. Enjoy our team.
Agreed. If Kelly or the staff felt desperate for signing people (and they know their situation- not people on this board), then they could signed several players in this class just for the bodies. Yes, we wanted some of the players discussed frequently on the board, but I am not losing any sleep with a preseason ranked top 5 team who is about to take the floor. There is more excitement for the program than we have seen in years. Winning big will bring them here in bunches. GO LADY VOLS!
Again, at what point do people not see that the great schools are not depending solely on the portal to replenish their teams? Yes, you can supplement good to great players with experience, but you need a foundation and getting one high school recruit in two recruiting cycles is bad. There is no way around it. If Kellie “turned down” two recruits that “didn’t fit the mold” then why were those kids even being recruited? That just makes me question if what the assistants are wanting for the team differs from what Kellie wants, which will not work out. You have to trust the people who recruit for you to do their job or find someone who you do trust. There are no acceptable excuses for completely striking out. None! Say what you want, but that is unacceptable!
It starts and ends with the head coach. At the end of the day, the head coach is who the players are coming here to play for. I think on the court she is one of the top coaches, but coaching is not all about that. We have to be able to recruit better. The fact that she has never been known as a good recruiter is showing even more now. There should be a strategy. Figure out what players you have the best chance at and sell out on those players! Something is very wrong and it’s just too bad that no one in the media covering the team will be bold enough to ask Kellie what she thinks the problem is.
creekdipper
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That's a good point. You can get yourself into a situation where the kids will feel like they have been jerked around depending on how you handle it. If you tell them their offers are contingent, or that they may get an offer, then that is one thing. If you offer them and then don't accept their commitment that is another. I could easily see that getting you a goose egg on the recruiting trail once word got around.
In either case, fans sitting on a message board making excuses for their team's failure by blaming recruits for being defective in some manner and not up to the team's standards will not play well at all. It will be seen for what it is, sour grapes and arrogance.
I could say that too many of you all are just not allowing yourselves to question what is wrong or even acknowledge that no great teams are going two recruiting cycles and only getting one player. You know why? Because great schools don’t have to and would never want to.
This upcoming season should not need to be a final four or bust to be able to get good players. At this point, I’m not even saying great players because that’s obvious that’s not happening. I’m sorry if that offends you or if you think that putting this out there “hurts” the team.
What hurts the team is not getting players to replace the players you have. Most players who hit the portal either didn’t get playing time or were a problem. There are not just a bunch of Rickea Jackson’s out there. At least when you recruit a high-school player you get a chance to get to know the player and they want to be here because of what you represent. When it’s a portal player they are looking for a better opportunity for whatever reason and that seems very hard to know what you’re getting.
I think, personally, that Kellie is too old school. Let a player put on the uniform on the visit. The whole idea that you cant put on he uniform until you commit almost creates animosity. If you want that player to play at your school bad enough, why would you not want them to put on your uniform? If I were a recruit it would come across as being high and mighty and last I checked we haven’t won a Natty in over a decade. Dying on that hill of exclusivity could possibly backfire. This is just one example of how it seems that she is too old school for this generation. Sure, Pat could just about do whatever she wanted and get recruits. Kellie is not Pat and needs to run the program in a way that will set it up for success. I just want to know what these players are finding out that is pushing them away.
This upcoming season should not need to be a final four or bust to be able to get good players. At this point, I’m not even saying great players because that’s obvious that’s not happening. I’m sorry if that offends you or if you think that putting this out there “hurts” the team.
What hurts the team is not getting players to replace the players you have. Most players who hit the portal either didn’t get playing time or were a problem. There are not just a bunch of Rickea Jackson’s out there. At least when you recruit a high-school player you get a chance to get to know the player and they want to be here because of what you represent. When it’s a portal player they are looking for a better opportunity for whatever reason and that seems very hard to know what you’re getting.
I think, personally, that Kellie is too old school. Let a player put on the uniform on the visit. The whole idea that you cant put on he uniform until you commit almost creates animosity. If you want that player to play at your school bad enough, why would you not want them to put on your uniform? If I were a recruit it would come across as being high and mighty and last I checked we haven’t won a Natty in over a decade. Dying on that hill of exclusivity could possibly backfire. This is just one example of how it seems that she is too old school for this generation. Sure, Pat could just about do whatever she wanted and get recruits. Kellie is not Pat and needs to run the program in a way that will set it up for success. I just want to know what these players are finding out that is pushing them away.
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Whether they win a championship this year or not, their recruiting of high school kids has been a failure for two years and counting now. It is an insult for you to pretend they don't know that they failed in that aspect of their jobs, or that it doesn't matter to them, to the fans, or to the program. Anyone worth their salt would be more angry at you for glossing it over than at the people who point out the obvious --- which requires only the bare minimum of enlightenment --- not the super variety.
So if we don’t get to the final four this year, which would be a travesty with this team, what happens with recruiting then? Would that not make things even harder? There are numerous and I mean numerous teams out there who are not making it to the final four and still getting great players. There are teams that aren’t getting anywhere near a final four and are able to sell their program. What is the reason that makes Tennessee have to reach a final four to be able to get players and other schools don’t have to do that to still get commitments? Ask yourselves why Kara Lawson is able to get recruits at Duke and not need to get to a final four to prove that her program is for real and safe to commit to? Why does Banghart at UNC not need to prove something? There is something wrong y’all. Sorry. I would love to feel differently but the writing is on the wall.
Volfan2012
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Certainly no way to do anything but agree that we've had a problem recruiting high school players it is a fact. To this point it hasn't created a roster problem as this years team is certainly at least the third or fourth best roster in all women's college basketball. Just like this season and any going forward I will determine the final roster and not any recruiting class. They failed at high school last year, but brought in the number one portal class and two of them are back another year or more after this season. So now with another failure in high school need another huge portal class so we'll see what happens there. I know we need to sign two or three quality high schoolers every season, but I can live with final rosters as good as this one no matter where they come from.
1reVOLver
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If you or I were coaches of teams that compete with UT for high school recruits, we would probabably ask those recruits a question.
“Why has Tennessee done so very poorly trying to recruit people like you?”
Now some of us will immediately react by calling that kind of question dirty recruiting, not taking the high road, etc. Others will, after a moment's reflection, see it as an objective statement of reality, posed as a question. The problem is that our very lack of success with the high school recruiting pool becomes a strike against us.
“Why has Tennessee done so very poorly trying to recruit people like you?”
Now some of us will immediately react by calling that kind of question dirty recruiting, not taking the high road, etc. Others will, after a moment's reflection, see it as an objective statement of reality, posed as a question. The problem is that our very lack of success with the high school recruiting pool becomes a strike against us.
Memvol44
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Memvol44
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Good grief: Recruiting has nothing to do with this year's team. It's about having good players for your team in the next 1-4 years---duh. The program's apologiists can pretend otherwise, but the fact is we've gotten our butts kicked the last two years--one commitment. Yes, we will look to the portal to fill our needs going forward--partly because it's smart to do so and mainly because we have to. Let's hope it works out. My ego isn't bruised by the fact that we got a big fat 0 commitments; it's just a fact that our recruiting is not good.
Memvol44
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Memvol44
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And1
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And1
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