2025 Recruiting

[KnoxLikeUs]

No need to even try to be sarcastic. If kids are proving themselves time and time again, message board or not constantly downplaying their achievements is a character flaw in adults. If these young people were not verbally committed to Tennessee I would not for a second attempt to discredit these lofty accomplishments they have made and would wish them well. Facts are facts.

 

[Volfan2012]

So I see the portal as just another advantage to recruit a player you need. It can't be all your recruiting, but it is certainly another effective way to get certain players with skills and experience that you need.

 

[Volfan2012]

No need to even try to be sarcastic. If kids are proving themselves time and time again, message board or not constantly downplaying their achievements is a character flaw in adults. If these young people were not verbally committed to Tennessee I would not for a second attempt to discredit these lofty accomplishments they have made and would wish them well. Facts are facts.

Anybody thinking Mia and Mya are not going to be great college players just barking up the wrong tree. They are elite players for their position.

 

[Hexad Vol]

I say we should all pull hard for the team we love to follow and wait until after the season to critique their play and after the portal period to give out two cents on recruiting success levels. Both high school and transfer sources of recruits are important and it's the entire package that should be evaluated. At least wait until after the early signing period to start moaning and groaning please.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Does Anybody not think we need to be searching for post players?? I understand the way she wants her system to run, so then don’t we need bigs who can move??

You should tweet her and let the staff know

 

[chuckiepoo]

You should tweet her and let the staff know

Prolly oughtta tweet Lazo.

 

[glv98]

I say we should all pull hard for the team we love to follow and wait until after the season to critique their play and after the portal period to give out two cents on recruiting success levels. Both high school and transfer sources of recruits are important and it's the entire package that should be evaluated. At least wait until after the early signing period to start moaning and groaning please.

You should tweet her and let the staff know

Or ask the question and discuss it on a fan forum.

I'll never not be surprised at the number of people who log into a sports fan forum and suggest not discussing anything or everything. Waiting to see what happens is not what happens on such forums. They exist for exactly the opposite.

 

[glv98]

Anybody thinking Mia and Mya are not going to be great college players just barking up the wrong tree. They are elite players for their position.

Their progress up the ratings ladder is great news. I would love to be wrong about their potential and will gladly eat the crow. But I'll always wonder why they weren't more highly recruited. Maybe a size issue, maybe a package deal issue.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Their progress up the ratings ladder is great news. I would love to be wrong about their potential and will gladly eat the crow. But I'll always wonder why they weren't more highly recruited. Maybe a size issue, maybe a package deal issue.

That’s your opinion. Mia has always been in the Top 10-15 (highest ESPN rankings were #7 and #8 during evaluation periods). Mya has had some injuries that kept her out during AAU games and that impacted her ranking.
They have always been highly recruited.
It can’t be disputed. Easily accessible via social media and recruiting services.
They did not have to involve a certain list of schools to validate their recruitment.
Trying to push that narrative is flawed logic.

 

[glv98]

That’s your opinion. Mia has always been in the Top 10-15. Mya has had some injuries that kept her out during AAU games and that impacted her ranking.
They have always been highly recruited.
It can’t be disputed. Easily accessible via social media and recruiting services.
They did not have to involve a certain list of schools to validate their recruitment.
Trying to push that narrative is flawed logic.

Agree to disagree. Our definitions of highly recruited by elite programs differs and that's ok.. For me, the list of schools who pursues them pretty much does define their degree of recruitment.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Agree to disagree. Our definitions of highly recruited by elite programs differs and that's ok.. For me, the list of schools who pursues them pretty much does define their degree of recruitment.

You don’t know who pursued them that’s the reality. I’ve literally been involved in the recruitment of a 4-star and 3-star athlete in football. An all-state sprinter in track. They got letters from just about every single major college in the SEC. If you really believe these proclaimed elite programs(which is exactly what Tennessee is in WBB) among others did not heavily scout and pursue the twins you are caught up in a fantasy.
Again, they did not have to include certain schools to validate their recruitment. Saying their top schools list matters more or less according to that is fan talk.

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

Agree to disagree. Our definitions of highly recruited by elite programs differs and that's ok.. For me, the list of schools who pursues them pretty much does define their degree of recruitment.

I think yours is: if you haven't been recruited by Dawn, Geno, Mulkey, maybe Schaefer? Maybe Close or Gottlieb, now within the last year?

How exactly do you define it? Are they not elite BECAUSE TN wanted them? TN not relevant anymore?

 

[glv98]

I think yours is: if you haven't been recruited by Dawn, Geno, Mulkey, maybe Schaefer? Maybe Close or Gottlieb, now within the last year?

How exactly do you define it? Are they not elite BECAUSE TN wanted them? TN not relevant anymore?

First part is correct. If none of the current top 10 recruits someone, esp a highly ranked player, it makes me wonder why. I defer to the collective judgement of Dawn, Geno, etc. They been doing it for awhile.

Absolute no on the second part. TN almost never doesn't recruit the same players the big dogs do. They just don't get them. Soon as they do we're back in business.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

I think yours is: if you haven't been recruited by Dawn, Geno, Mulkey, maybe Schaefer? Maybe Close or Gottlieb, now within the last year?

How exactly do you define it? Are they not elite BECAUSE TN wanted them? TN not relevant anymore?

They are living in a fantasy. Anytime people separate portal from high school recruiting in the current collegiate athletics landscape you know they are unserious.

Just this weekend ESPN and McDonald All-American basketball analysts evaluated Mia Pauldo as arguably the best pure PG in the 2025 class. She is easily Top 10 in her class.

And the few posters on here talking up this myth of Mia and Mya recruitment are doing so to deflect from those very facts. Next time the Pauldo twins accomplish something major they’ll come back to move the goalpost again.

 

[Volfan2012]

Their progress up the ratings ladder is great news. I would love to be wrong about their potential and will gladly eat the crow. But I'll always wonder why they weren't more highly recruited. Maybe a size issue, maybe a package deal issue.

14th and 97 score isn't high enough? Only three players got a 98. The other twin had an injury that kept her ranking down. I think she should be at least top 25. Both have proven themselves on the court this year. I am very confident that the point guard position is taken care of to compete with anyone. Still need to get a couple of these top players left that were in on to make the class successful.

 

[Hexad Vol]

Only the schools and players actually know whether they were "recruited". A school/coach may be interested (or more) and the player tells them to go fly a kite. If neither side makes it public, then we think there was no interest by the school/coach when that may not be the case.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Only the schools and players actually know whether they were "recruited". A school/coach may be interested (or more) and the player tells them to go fly a kite. If neither side makes it public, then we think there was no interest by the school/coach when that may not be the case.

You're the expert...uh,,,ok

 

[glv98]

Only the schools and players actually know whether they were "recruited". A school/coach may be interested (or more) and the player tells them to go fly a kite. If neither side makes it public, then we think there was no interest by the school/coach when that may not be the case.

Can’t imagine anyone being recruited by one of the big dogs and keeping it a secret. They want that offer list to be as impressive as possible in the age of NIL $

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Only the schools and players actually know whether they were "recruited". A school/coach may be interested (or more) and the player tells them to go fly a kite. If neither side makes it public, then we think there was no interest by the school/coach when that may not be the case.

You are exactly right. Only the schools and players actually know. The Pauldo twins during their recruitment posted a video on social media showing offers from over 20 major schools.
These folks are just pushing a false narrative because they announced a top school lists that was unique and publicly stated they were a package deal.
They have to be really off in the mind to believe Mia and Mya Pauldo couldn’t pick up offers/interest from these schools when these so called top programs and coaches that are signing HS players that aren’t better prospects than the twins.
Recruitment is a two way street. Players that were the youngest to sign a major NIL deal (Puma) and several other top brand NIL deals such as Gatorade, Nissan, Overtime, Lego, etc don’t have to validate their recruitment when they are projected McDonald All-Americans.
This is comical.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Only the schools and players actually know whether they were "recruited". A school/coach may be interested (or more) and the player tells them to go fly a kite. If neither side makes it public, then we think there was no interest by the school/coach when that may not be the case.

Interest is one thing, recruiting hard is another. No serious dialog leading to a visit can’t lead to being SERIOUSLY RECRUITED. No way to verify fit with highlights.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Interest is one thing, recruiting hard is another. No serious dialog leading to a visit can’t lead to being SERIOUSLY RECRUITED. No way to verify fit with highlights.

Like being interested in Miss Universe but afraid to ask her out when you see her at the bar?

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

Since when is being "recruited hard" by 3 or 4 programs the end all in determining whether a recruit is deemed elite??? What if those same programs don't make the Sweet 16 for the next 5 years. Would any recruit being pursued by them be considered elite or not?

That kind of reasoning doesn't make sense. Like they're the only ones who can evaluate talent. Pffffttt.

 

[glv98]

Since when is being "recruited hard" by 3 or 4 programs the end all in determining whether a recruit is deemed elite??? What if those same programs don't make the Sweet 16 for the next 5 years. Would any recruit being pursued by them be considered elite or not?

That kind of reasoning doesn't make sense. Like they're the only ones who can evaluate talent. Pffffttt.

The good thing is we don't have to agree on what makes an elite recruiting process. We're free to have differing opinions and express them here.

I admit my method is the lazy way and could well be wrong. But since I don't watch alot of exposure tourneys, etc, I just defer to the judgement of coaches with umpteen combined nattys and a century or so of experience successfully recruiting elite talent at this level. But maybe your right, maybe their not actually very good judges of elite talent and have just been really, really lucky.

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

And how long did it take for Dawn to get a NC? Recruiting gets easier after the first one. There's a lot of luck involved actually.

 

[glv98]

Recruiting gets easier after the first one.

That's exactly my point. Once you start winning nattys, you only go after the best of the best. The pool you fish in gets really exclusive.

Never meant to imply that anyone not in the high flautin pool is not worth recruiting and can't be a really good player. It's just my opinion that in order to break thru to the highest level, we have to start ocassionally catching something out of the big dog pond.