2025 Recruiting



Same approach they wanted to take with Ruby Whitehorn but she had other plans. It turned out in getting one of “these” for Coach Caldwell. Since April, Coach Caldwell has signed and gotten verbal commitments from a handful of “these”. CKC, Coach Lazo, and Coach Tubner are playing chess not checkers.



 
Tell me more about their father…🧐
First off, he's a great father! He's not like Nyla's Uncle. These two are very different. One has an approach of what have you done for me lately and the other one is more like...let's go take what's ours.

DJ Pauldo...coaches and trains his girls to go take what's theirs despite their shortcomings in everything they do. He's hard on them because he knows what they are capable of and by the way he's a darn good AAU coach.

He lets coaches do their thing but he will get on his girls or other players if they aren't being DAWGS on both ends of the floor.

His interactions with his girls are incredible especially when they are playing in a game.

He'll tell Mia to take over the game or tell Mya to go guard the best player on the opposing team.

Like he knows what they are capable of!

As far as NIL goes..He created their brand and it's only going to take off here at Tennessee. Everybody who comes in contact with them..they love them.

He's done a great job with them.
 
First off, he's a great father! He's not like Nyla's Uncle. These two are very different. One has an approach of what have you done for me lately and the other one is more like...let's go take what's ours.

DJ Pauldo...coaches and trains his girls to go take what's theirs despite their shortcomings in everything they do. He's hard on them because he knows what they are capable of and by the way he's a darn good AAU coach.

He lets coaches do their thing but he will get on his girls or other players if they aren't being DAWGS on both ends of the floor.

His interactions with his girls are incredible especially when they are playing in a game.

He'll tell Mia to take over the game or tell Mya to go guard the best player on the opposing team.

Like he knows what they are capable of!

As far as NIL goes..He created their brand and it's only going to take off here at Tennessee. Everybody who comes in contact with them..they love them.

He's done a great job with them.

I wonder if their mother has anything to do with how well they've been raised?
 
Same approach they wanted to take with Ruby Whitehorn but she had other plans. It turned out in getting one of “these” for Coach Caldwell. Since April, Coach Caldwell has signed and gotten verbal commitments from a handful of “these”. CKC, Coach Lazo, and Coach Tubner are playing chess not checkers.
We're talking about hs recruiting. This staff, like the last one, has had success in portal recruiting. Now we need to break the ice in hs recruiting. Maybe the twins are it, I sure hope so. Just not 100% convinced.

He lets coaches do their thing but he will get on his girls or other players if they aren't being DAWGS on both ends of the floor.

His interactions with his girls are incredible especially when they are playing in a game.

He'll tell Mia to take over the game or tell Mya to go guard the best player on the opposing team.
This doesn't sound like "letting" the coach do their thing. ESPECIALLY getting on other players. We've been down that horrible road here before, absolutely poisoned the culture.

But I also expect the Dad has been around enough to know at the elite college level, he has to completely turn the reigns over. Most especially in public. I'm sure expectations were made clear to him before the twins were signed.
 
I wonder if their mother has anything to do with how well they've been raised?
For sure. I didn't mean to leave her out because I think she's their backbone.

They have a phenomenal family. They have their on litte show on YouTube. Almost like a day in the life type deal. Their grandma is TOUGH to!

I was just responding to the question asked. Didn't mean any disrespect to her at all.
 
First off, he's a great father! He's not like Nyla's Uncle. These two are very different. One has an approach of what have you done for me lately and the other one is more like...let's go take what's ours.

DJ Pauldo...coaches and trains his girls to go take what's theirs despite their shortcomings in everything they do. He's hard on them because he knows what they are capable of and by the way he's a darn good AAU coach.

He lets coaches do their thing but he will get on his girls or other players if they aren't being DAWGS on both ends of the floor.

His interactions with his girls are incredible especially when they are playing in a game.

He'll tell Mia to take over the game or tell Mya to go guard the best player on the opposing team.

Like he knows what they are capable of!

As far as NIL goes..He created their brand and it's only going to take off here at Tennessee. Everybody who comes in contact with them..they love them.

He's done a great job with them.

Outstanding post. There’s nothing that can be taken out of context in this post. Very well said. The Pauldo twins Overtime Series with over 1,000,000 total views on YouTube showcases their daily lives and family. It highlights exactly how important family and basketball is to them in a positive way. These student athletes are not only trailblazing for the current and future stars of girls HS basketball but are building a brand that is the first of its kind. All you have to do is watch the OT Select League and see all the young kids representing TBC, their huge social media platform, and the 100,000+ reactions to their commitment to Tennessee. No other HS girl athlete(s) have built the type of nationwide fanbase as the Pauldo twins. That can’t be disputed. They deserve credit for having a major plan for success and showing the purpose to fulfill their dreams. I’m 1000% convince they are elite. It’s not who they can beat versus the Top 20 prospects, right now it is who they haven’t beaten!
 
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We're talking about hs recruiting. This staff, like the last one, has had success in portal recruiting. Now we need to break the ice in hs recruiting. Maybe the twins are it, I sure hope so. Just not 100% convinced.


This doesn't sound like "letting" the coach do their thing. ESPECIALLY getting on other players. We've been down that horrible road here before, absolutely poisoned the culture.

But I also expect the Dad has been around enough to know at the elite college level, he has to completely turn the reigns over. Most especially in public. I'm sure expectations were made clear to him before the twins were signed.
We all get on players so your reaching at air right now. He doesn't undermine coaches if that's what you are insinuating.

I wasn't convinced THE TWINS were it until I watched them play versus ELITE talent.
 
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. It’s not who they can beat versus the Top 20 prospects, right now it is who they haven’t beaten!
We'll have to once again agree to disagree. Great for them building a brand and getting likes. But in the end, it's only about who they can beat versus Top 20 prospects. Once the game starts, nothing else matters.
 
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We all get on players so your reaching at air right now
As I said, parents of players have to be very careful doing it in public, esp on social media. We had that blow up badly back in the Holly days. The Hayes and Westbrooks started a Twitter war before either player had ever stepped on the floor as an LV. Holly's program never recovered.

As I said though, I'm sure it's all been hashed out, both the staff and the parents have lots of experience in all this.
 
We'll have to once again agree to disagree. Great for them building a brand and getting likes. But in the end, it's only about who they can beat versus Top 20 prospects. Once the game starts, nothing else matters.

That doesn’t imply what you think it does. I’m saying they have already beaten atleast 10 Top 20 prospects between their Top 10 Nationally Ranked High School team that is going for a three peat and now the Overtime Select League. I’m not going to list the players name by name but clearly you certainly don’t have nearly as strong as a case to question the track record of the Pauldo twins that you seem to believe. Facts are facts.
 
2027 Kaleena Smith, ranked #1 in her class, is 5'5. The Twins team just handed Smith and her team a loss.

This whole prejudice toward the Twins for whatever f' up reason, be it height, final college choices, rankings, or their NIL brand is ridiculous.


I’m strongly convinced it is because they committed early to Tennessee and Coach Caldwell. Since the commitment they have represented Tennessee across the sports landscape and are changing the current narrative. Many posters on here pushed a narrative of vulnerability recruiting at the SEC level that CKC, Coach Lazo, and Coach Tubner along with the new staff dispelled fairly quickly.
I’m quite sure if the twins had verbally committed elsewhere they would’ve been elevated in recruiting conversations on this forum by the very posters questioning their ability for simply not picking Tennessee.
Can’t be rankings because several prospects in the past and present that are constantly praised for signing with SEC schools are ranked the same as the twins and other TN players. CKC recruited the portal class and returnees to stay in the Top 50 that have the same rankings as some of these other prospects that sign at other schools and are coveted on this forum. Go look at the rankings of Spearman, Cooper, Whitehorn, Hollingshead, Puckett, Boyd, Mia and Mya Pauldo. Around them you will see the name of several prospects that signed with SEC schools. This is not about basketball it’s about discrediting the talent wearing a Tennessee uniform.
 
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For sure. I didn't mean to leave her out because I think she's their backbone.

They have a phenomenal family. They have their on litte show on YouTube. Almost like a day in the life type deal. Their grandma is TOUGH to!

I was just responding to the question asked. Didn't mean any disrespect to her at all.

I figured that, but your post did present the perfect opportunity to speak up for the Moms of these prized players 'cause God knows the trains don't run on time, the people don't get fed, and the gazillion details of family life don't get taken care of without Moms taking care of business.

GO MOMS!
 
For sure. I didn't mean to leave her out because I think she's their backbone.

They have a phenomenal family. They have their on litte show on YouTube. Almost like a day in the life type deal. Their grandma is TOUGH to!

I was just responding to the question asked. Didn't mean any disrespect to her at all.

Another well stated post. Not that it needed to be explained you were responding to the question asked. The twins bond with their parents is very much on display in their Overtime series on YouTube. I’m happy for them and the strong family culture they have created using their platform.
 
This is what it sounds like when Doves cry..

Maybe their just like their mother because she's never satisfied. Some say their just like their father because he's so bold.
 
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A lot of you all I need to get off the message board for a day or so. Too invested. Too extreme in worrying about what other posters post. Too caught up in a false sense of personal relevance through the internet and severely emotionally tied to using a keyboard to try to desperately dictate opposing thoughts.
Your autobiographical musings are noted.
 
Not a lot of heavy hitters on her list so if CKC and her staff does their job Tennessee can make this happen. The previous regime I would not have faith that they could do the job. Good luck with her.

Trying to push the narrative of a recruits top schools list based on their choices is really senseless. These players have offers from schools that they don’t consider and it doesn’t have to be critiqued to downplay their decision or push an agenda about Tennessee. Can’t act as though it gives CKC an edge because certain schools did not make her list. You can look at her offers list and see it was extensive. Also, currently UCONN commits are ranked #28 and #82. She is four spots behind your highest ranked commit and likely going to move up again. Just saying.
 
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