2026 recruiting

[DarkPhoenix]

Plus already shown that if you perform your minutes go up and if they don't go down. Cooper, Spencer, Spearman, Boyd, and Latham gained a lot of minutes from where they started the season. Puckett, and Darby lost minutes and Jill stayed flat where she started. There was a couple games where Spencer hit 32 minutes and Cooper got 30 once or twice would've got more if she could've stayed out of foul trouble same for Spearman. Latham and Boyd started out low, but were really gaining late in the season at the expense of Darby and Puckett.

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

You saying this constantly over and over to try to prove a point when the first HS recruiting class features 3 McDAAs, 2 Gatorade POY honorees, 2 Naismith All-American (1 2nd team and Honorable Mention) as part of the overall #1 247Sports and #2 ESPN recruiting classes is just out of touch with reality. Nobody cares what your Tier 1 is, it doesn’t take away from the HS careers and accolades these players have earned over their careers. Or the careers they will have on the college level.

 

[th2421]

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

Harpring seems like the top player we're recruiting right now who could fit that bill. There's a lot of competition for her, but the fact she's visited several times now (at least once with the previous staff, and I think twice now with the new staff?) seems really promising. Even if we don't land her, I think it's a good sign that that type of player has a lot of interest.

I'm not sure if Oliviyah Edwards also fits that bill, but she is also is a top 5 recruit, so I would think yes.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Fit what bill? If you all seriously think Harping has any ability or is capable of leading any program anywhere that Jaida Civil, Mia and Mya Pauldo, and Deniya Prawl can’t you will be sadly mistaken once the kid enters college even if she lands at Tennessee. You have to be realistic. Isn’t that what people are telling us about our incoming freshman class of 5? I have a hard time seeing how 1 or 2 outweigh 5.
It’s one thing to want a team to add players you like and think are elite prospects, it’s something completely infallible to act as if only the 3-5 players you pretend have that ability as worthy of a self-made label of Tier 1 Players.

Harpring seems like the top player we're recruiting right now who could fit that bill. There's a lot of competition for her, but the fact she's visited several times now (at least once with the previous staff, and I think twice now with the new staff?) seems really promising. Even if we don't land her, I think it's a good sign that that type of player has a lot of interest.

I'm not sure if Oliviyah Edwards also fits that bill, but she is also is a top 5 recruit, so I would think yes.

 

[AllVols3]

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

So you don't think any of the 5 committed will be 1st team AA?

 

[DarkPhoenix]

So you don't think any of the 5 committed will be 1st team AA?

I was asking a question, how many do u think will be out of that class?

 

[GameTime]

Guys, Coach Kim knows what she needs, better than any of us pronastigators.......She'll make sure the LVs are very talented and fast at every position....

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Gametime you’re right. That goes without saying.. both sides have the right to speak their beliefs. I don’t hesitate to present the facts I see when it relates to the 2025 commits. As I do with any player on the current LV roster and will do so with those heading to Knoxville in the future.

Guys, Coach Kim knows what she needs, better than any of us pronastigators.......She'll make sure the LVs are very talented and fast at every position....

 

[Volfan2012]

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

Well Hidalgo can't be one even if she is acting like one she is only 5'6" tall so she is overachieving cause it has been explained totally that people that short can't be tier one and really will struggle in the big leagues. We'll have to see how our players do in this next class. Two or three of them could break into tier one in efficiency. All I care about is efficiency in scoring no matter if their average is 12 ppg. I mean three of them can score at all three tiers so that is a start. As much as you don't like to hear it Ju Ju is a 43 percent shooter from the field and 33 percent from the three. They didn't start playing as well until she started working more to get the bigs inside shots. That is when they are very good. That is when the team got more efficient with their possessions and started winning the big games. In their one loss to UCLA Ju Ju again overshot and the bigs scored way less and had minimal shots.
If Tennessee had their bigs we would be where they are and they would be where we are. Wish we had two inside players like they have we'd be playing for a National Championship cause they would make all our perimeter players better. We were just one big scorer inside from being top ten team.

We get two bigs from somewhere Tennessee will be ready to challenge for the title our class is that good.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Well Hidalgo can't be one even if she is acting like one she is only 5'6" tall so she is overachieving cause it has been explained totally that people that short can't be tier one and really will struggle in the big leagues. We'll have to see how our players do in this next class. Two or three of them could break into tier one in efficiency. All I care about is efficiency in scoring no matter if their average is 12 ppg. I mean three of them can score at all three tiers so that is a start. As much as you don't like to hear it Ju Ju is a 43 percent shooter from the field and 33 percent from the three. They didn't start playing as well until she started working more to get the bigs inside shots. That is when they are very good. That is when the team got more efficient with their possessions and started winning the big games. In their one loss to UCLA Ju Ju again overshot and the bigs scored way less and had minimal shots.
If Tennessee had their bigs we would be where they are and they would be where we are. Wish we had two inside players like they have we'd be playing for a National Championship cause they would make all our perimeter players better. We were just one big scorer inside from being top ten team.

We get two bigs from somewhere Tennessee will be ready to challenge for the title our class is that good.

Another question, does reading stats off a stat sheet tell the story, or is it the eye test? So the players that have a better percentage is better than Juju in your opinion?

 

[Moar Steam]

Kim isn’t going to get the recruits that she got in 2025 because they watched her style of play this year.

CKCfan=Newladyvolfan?

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

CKCfan=Newladyvolfan?

Maybe. Certainly doesn't sound like a Kim Caldwell fan.

 

[chuckiepoo]

CKCfan=Newladyvolfan?

Ya think?

 

[mudcat1973]

Recruits will always come, but do u think they’ll ever be able to get a truly Tier 1 recruit? Tier 1 for me are recruits like Juju, Paige, Betts, and Hidalgo. First Team All-American type players.

University like unconn huskies will spend more than football schools like Tennessee Georgia and Alabama.
In non football sports.
Think if they get payment of player's settled by university directly.
they Will be even more competition for players even teams who don't have great NIL deals.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

University like unconn huskies will spend more than football schools like Tennessee Georgia and Alabama.
In non football sports.
Think if they get payment of player's settled by university directly.
they Will be even more competition for players even teams who don't have great NIL deals.

Tennessee has a HS recruiting class in 2025 ranked #1/#2, where does UConn class rank this season?
I don’t know what’s even the point anymore with high school recruiting on the forum right now there are posters all over the place. I could only imagine what it would be like if Coach Caldwell didn’t get commitments from 10 players via the portal and high school recruiting in 7 months.

 

[mudcat1973]

Tennessee has a HS recruiting class in 2025 ranked #1/#2, where does UConn class rank this season?
I don’t know what’s even the point anymore with high school recruiting. I could only imagine what it would be like if Coach Caldwell didn’t get commitments from 10 players via the portal and high school recruiting in 7 months.

Not a unconn huskies fan
Just using huskies as example recruiting is going to change after lawsuit settlement on paying players.
University with bad football teams.
Will be more likely to spend more of the 20million dollars on non football sports at their university.
Than football schools like Tennessee Georgia Alabama Texas.
They others schools besides huskies with bad football teams.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Well Hidalgo can't be one even if she is acting like one she is only 5'6" tall so she is overachieving cause it has been explained totally that people that short can't be tier one and really will struggle in the big leagues. We'll have to see how our players do in this next class. Two or three of them could break into tier one in efficiency. All I care about is efficiency in scoring no matter if their average is 12 ppg. I mean three of them can score at all three tiers so that is a start. As much as you don't like to hear it Ju Ju is a 43 percent shooter from the field and 33 percent from the three. They didn't start playing as well until she started working more to get the bigs inside shots. That is when they are very good. That is when the team got more efficient with their possessions and started winning the big games. In their one loss to UCLA Ju Ju again overshot and the bigs scored way less and had minimal shots.
If Tennessee had their bigs we would be where they are and they would be where we are. Wish we had two inside players like they have we'd be playing for a National Championship cause they would make all our perimeter players better. We were just one big scorer inside from being top ten team.

We get two bigs from somewhere Tennessee will be ready to challenge for the title our class is that good.

Agree.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Tennessee women’s basketball is the biggest brand and most historic program in the sport. All of these resources are part of the process now, yet with NIL and the transfer portal etc. the Lady Vols are still at the top and have always been the change that needed to be made happened. The results were a #1/#2 recruiting class under Coach Caldwell in 7 months.

Not a unconn huskies fan
Just using huskies as example recruiting is going to change after lawsuit settlement on paying players.
University with bad football teams.
Will be more likely to spend more of the 20million dollars on non football sports at their university.
Than football schools like Tennessee Georgia Alabama Texas.
They others schools besides huskies with bad football teams.

 

[Rooster1]

Tennessee has a HS recruiting class in 2025 ranked #1/#2, where does UConn class rank this season?
I don’t know what’s even the point anymore with high school recruiting on the forum right now there are posters all over the place. I could only imagine what it would be like if Coach Caldwell didn’t get commitments from 10 players via the portal and high school recruiting in 7 months.

Knox, typically it goes in 2-3 year cycles with the top programs….get a big highly ranked class in one year (like UT in 25 class), fill a few needs the next year, then go big or semi big class the next….rinse and repeat. Nobody recruits a top 5 class every year, it cycles for obvious reasons. But yeah, in 2025 UT killed it.

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

Tennessee women’s basketball is the biggest brand and most historic program in the sport. All of these resources are part of the process now, yet with NIL and the transfer portal etc. the Lady Vols are still at the top and have always been the change that needed to be made happened. The results were a #1/#2 recruiting class under Coach Caldwell in 7 months.

I want a nickel for every time I read "#1/#2 recruiting class". I'll be a wealthy guy.

 

[Rickster]

Harpring seems like the top player we're recruiting right now who could fit that bill. There's a lot of competition for her, but the fact she's visited several times now (at least once with the previous staff, and I think twice now with the new staff?) seems really promising. Even if we don't land her, I think it's a good sign that that type of player has a lot of interest.

I'm not sure if Oliviyah Edwards also fits that bill, but she is also is a top 5 recruit, so I would think yes.

After the last class, who really knows who they’re in on. I’m going to keep hoping she pulls some more rabbits out of the hat.

 

[Rooster1]

After the last class, who really knows who they’re in on. I’m going to keep hoping she pulls some more rabbits out of the hat.

Caldwell just needs to fill some need spots in next class, then reload again the following class. She is starting to stack talent.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

I know, and what makes this different is Coach Caldwell nailed it with arguably the top class ranked #1/#2 in less than a year. That’s where this is unheard of. And the fact anyone… although it’s expected on the forum is trying to discredit the class of 5 commits as not including truly elite players is nonsense. Four of the current Top 5 -10 players in the SEC in my opinion according to overall career productivity are Fulwiley, Morrow, Booker, and Flau’jae. None of these players according to some of these posters on here would’ve been deserving of a Tier 1 label because they weren’t ranked in the Top 10 coming out of HS. Morrow wasn’t even in the Top 100.
Sometimes HS rankings don’t give you the full picture.. and even though some of our commits have and still are ranked as high as the Top 10 by some recruiting services I think despite their elite rankings there are people trying to discredit them before they even play the 1st college game. They refuse to acknowledge the elite talent they see CKC bringing to this program. Having five HS players no matter what their rankings are is an accomplishment of it’s own, as a part of fanbase all of us should just be supportive and put all the petty stuff aside. I know SC fans will welcome their freshmen with open arms whether they are ranked 1, 30, or whatever. That’s my main point.

Knox, typically it goes in 2-3 year cycles with the top programs….get a big highly ranked class in one year (like UT in 25 class), fill a few needs the next year, then go big or semi big class the next….rinse and repeat. Nobody recruits a top 5 class every year, it cycles for obvious reasons. But yeah, in 2025 UT killed it.

 

[Rooster1]

I know, and what makes this different is Coach Caldwell nailed it with arguably the top class ranked #1/#2 in less than a year. That’s where this is unheard of. And the fact anyone… although it’s expected on the forum is trying to discredit the class of 5 commits as not including truly elite players is nonsense. Four of the current Top 5 -10 players in the SEC in my opinion according to overall career productivity are Fulwiley, Morrow, Booker, and Flau’jae. None of these players according to some of these posters on here would deserving of a Top Tier label because they weren’t ranked in the Top 10 coming out of HS. Morrow wasn’t even in the Top 100.
Sometimes HS rankings don’t give you the full picture.. I think despite their elite rankings there are people trying to discredit them before even playing a game and refuse to acknowledge what they see bringing to this program. Having five HS players no matter what their rankings are is an accomplishment of it’s own, as a part of fanbase all of us should just be supportive and put all the petty stuff aside. I know SC fans will welcome their freshmen with open arms whether they are ranked 1, 30, or whatever. That’s my main point.

I think the 25 UT class is going to be amazing, some will require more time to develop fully, but there is little doubt that at least 2-3 impact players are in that group right from the start. I think Caldwell hits the portal for a big also. She doesn’t need another big ideally if she stays true to her system, but I bet she adjusts just a bit and gets a big for times when she should adjust, which may happen often as she grows in the SEC.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

That’s true. It’ll help that they are surrounding by talented players with experience in year 1. Civil and Prawl have the size right now that is needed to step on the court physically early without being at a disadvantage.
Mia and Mya are ready athletically they will have to get stronger and get accustomed to the speed of the college game. That’s really it. I saw how much stronger Kaniya Boyd got from high school to college over the summer which is why I think the Pauldo twins will get there with their work ethic. The USC, Michigan, and Louisville freshmen classes are good measuring sticks to use with this group because I feel that all players at each of these three schools went to the perfect fit.

I think the 25 UT class is going to be amazing, some will require more time to develop fully, but there is little doubt that at least 2-3 impact players are in that group right from the start. I think Caldwell hits the portal for a big also.