Alyssa Latham to Tennessee!

#76
#76
plumbervol said:
I never griped about KJH recruiting and signing portal players. My gripe with KJH was evaluation of her roster and HS recruiting. She signed the same prototype player such as Puckett Striplin Pissotte etc and never the HS athletic quickness and speed athlete that any team who competes in the SEC has to have.
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I agree but u have others on here that think those are great players, but she did have a problem evaluating talent and I’ve said that many times.
 
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#77
#77
DarkPhoenix said:
I agree but u have others on here that th ink those are great players, but she did have a problem evaluating talent and I’ve said that many times.
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And you've been answered just as many times that it was never a matter of evaluating talent. Pretty sure Sam Williams can match even you in eval. They always knew who the best players were. For the millionth time, the question was when you don't get the best players, do you recruit the middling players who will sign, or recruit no one. KJH and staff tried both approaches. Take who you can get, resulted in the exact class everyone has spent 4 yrs gripping about. The second option, focus on a few elite only, resulted in 2 classes with just one player (who left) and a horribly imbalanced roster.

I know you have the best player eval first, but the problem here was never eval.
 
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#80
#80
glv98 said:
And you've been answered just as many times that it was never a matter of evaluating talent. Pretty sure Sam Williams can match even you in eval. They always knew who the best players were. For the millionth time, the question was when you don't get the best players, do you recruit the middling players who will sign, or recruit no one. KJH and staff tried both approaches. Take who you can get, resulted in the exact class everyone has spent 4 yrs gripping about. The second option, focus on a few elite only, resulted in 2 classes with just one player (who left) and a horribly imbalanced roster.

I know you have the best player eval first, but the problem here was never eval.
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There is truth to both. There is also truth to developing. Which was all over the place with the last staff… “middling” lol….

Outside of a few programs everyone has “middling” players that over perform. Look at Indiana or VT for examples

Colorado a great example too. I think it more about balance and build of the classes
 
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#83
#83
glv98 said:
And you've been answered just as many times that it was never a matter of evaluating talent. Pretty sure Sam Williams can match even you in eval. They always knew who the best players were. For the millionth time, the question was when you don't get the best players, do you recruit the middling players who will sign, or recruit no one. KJH and staff tried both approaches. Take who you can get, resulted in the exact class everyone has spent 4 yrs gripping about. The second option, focus on a few elite only, resulted in 2 classes with just one player (who left) and a horribly imbalanced roster.

I know you have the best player eval first, but the problem here was never eval.
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This is just not about the top players, but even when settling on lower level players I think they still could have done better. But that’s over now anyway so it doesn’t matter. I like theLatham pickup because I see the skills, so let’s keep it going.
 
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#84
#84
VolFuture said:
There is truth to both. There is also truth to developing. Which was all over the place with the last staff… “middling” lol….

Outside of a few programs everyone has “middling” players that over perform. Look at Indiana or VT for examples

Colorado a great example too. I think it more about balance and build of the classes
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Agree. But it was an answer specifically to the constant drumbeat that the last staff (or any paid recruiting staff at any level) was unable to eval talent. And he could and did do it better. I don't think so.
 
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#85
#85
DarkPhoenix said:
This is just not about the top players, but even when settling on lower level players I think they still could have done better. But that’s over now anyway so it doesn’t matter. I like theLatham pickup because I see the skills, so let’s keep it going.
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I do not understand why you are using Alyssa Latham to try to make a point about player evaluation.
She performed as a Top 15 freshman in the country this season.
Her and Audi Cooks were not ranked highly because of the unreliable recruiting and ranking systems in place in High School sports. And I do not understand why in WBB fans focus so much on rankings.
In every single sport on all levels there are players that are better than their former rankings.
You have Hall of Famers that had very few offers to play D1 in college. You have college stars that were one star and two star athletes.
Focusing on rankings is just lazy.
 
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#86
#86
glv98 said:
Agree. But it was an answer specifically to the constant drumbeat that the last staff (or any paid recruiting staff at any level) was unable to eval talent. And he could and did do it better. I don't think so.
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Nobody knows what anyone can do, I know for sure I wouldn't pick certain players, everyone looks for different attributes. Now I can understand not being able to get the players you want.
 
#87
#87
sometimes it is wise to abandon a bad argument and just move on. any objective metric would say that we just landed one of the best underclassman in the portal. her growth over the next few years could be scary. she gives me glory johnson-like rebounding aggressiveness
 
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#89
#89
House|RockyTop said:
I do not understand why you are using Alyssa Latham to try to make a point about player evaluation. She performed as a Top 15 this season. Her and Audi Cooks were not ranked highly because of the unreliable recruiting and ranking systems in place in High School sports. And I do not understand why in WBB fans focus so much on rankings.
In every single sport on all levels there are players that are better than their former rankings.
You have Hall of Famers that very few offers to college in college. You have college stars that were one star and two star athletes.
Focusing on rankings is just lazy.
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Bro if you’ve seen my posts Iv’e said multiple times I don’t care about the rankings, I look at their games and skill set and that’s how I evaluate. I said Latham has a skillset similar to Kiki Iriafen and I can see a huge jump from her freshman season.
 
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#90
#90
Orange007 said:
sometimes it is wise to abandon a bad argument and just move on. any objective metric would say that we just landed one of the best underclassman in the portal. her growth over the next few years could be scary. she gives me glory johnson-like rebounding aggressiveness
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One of the best players in the portal in WBB. She showed up night in and night out in her freshman season.
 
#91
#91
glv98 said:
Tell it to Dawn Staley. I wonder when the last time she lifted a finger to recruit a player outside the top 25 was?

Rankings aren't everything, but combined with her coach's eye and experience, they keep her fishing in one pond only.
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What? South Carolina 2023/2024recruiting class included from HS Jah #40, Tac #28, and Sakima Walker from JUCO who was #63 out of HS.

Tess Johnson was #25 so I’m sure that is why you said Top 25 as opposed to Top 20.
 
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#93
#93
House|RockyTop said:
What? South Carolina 2023/2024recruiting class included from HS Jah #40, Tac #28, and Sakima Walker from JUCO who was #63 out of HS.

Tess Johnson was #25 so I’m sure that is why you said Top 25 as opposed to Top 20.
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Jah transferred right? Walker/JuCO doesn't count. So there's one, Tac just outside the top 25.And she didn't play all year. So on the active natty squad, except Walker if you count that, no one wasn't highly nationally ranked. Point remains, with very few exceptions, there's one ranking pond they fish from.

Rankings aren't everything, obviously, but they aren't nothing either.
 
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#94
#94
glv98 said:
Jah transferred right? Walker/JuCO doesn't count. So there's one, Tac just outside the top 25.And she didn't play all year. So on the active natty squad, except Walker if you count that, no one wasn't highly nationally ranked. Point remains, with very few exceptions, there's one ranking pond they fish from.

Rankings aren't everything, obviously, but they aren't nothing either.
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Again, if you think you made a point then so be it.
 
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#97
#97
glv98 said:
And you've been answered just as many times that it was never a matter of evaluating talent. Pretty sure Sam Williams can match even you in eval. They always knew who the best players were. For the millionth time, the question was when you don't get the best players, do you recruit the middling players who will sign, or recruit no one. KJH and staff tried both approaches. Take who you can get, resulted in the exact class everyone has spent 4 yrs gripping about. The second option, focus on a few elite only, resulted in 2 classes with just one player (who left) and a horribly imbalanced roster.

I know you have the best player eval first, but the problem here was never eval.
Click to expand...

I am basically with you but in the end, you can make a case that Kellie and company did place too many bets that did not quite pan out.

No one has to be a basketball genius to figure out that Rickea Jackson was a half decent player. The trickier task is picking well from the 2nd or even 3rd tier.

Dark hammers Kellie for signing players of a certain type, Darby, Puckett, Striplin, Strickland Suarez, and Pissott (a high ranked prospect who never passed the eye test). Actually, the first three of those have been solid (with Puckett often being more than that) but that group does suffer from the lack of athleticism that other teams so often exploited. Book is still basically out on Stickland but it is really hard to see her being more than a good role player.

On the flip side, Kellie did sign more athletic players like Wynn and Hollingshead, who have great upsides but have also been slower developing "project" players. I think they may blossom this season so that (along with Jewel) will be a nice welcoming gift from Kellie (along with Cooper, Boyd, and Strickland). And al due credit to CKC, for keeping those players in the fold (or so it seems to this point).

KJH scored with Rickea (Duh), and Jewel (though a little spotty this season), and I would say Powell (after an adjustment period). Going back, Jordan Walker was another solid player, who has some big games but probably was still a level below what was needed for an elite team.

Lets not forget that KJH also kept Jordan Horston in the fold a re-recruit.

Of course, I am combining the high school and portal recruiting, with the later being the one everyone hammers Kellie on. I still contend that is fast becoming as important or even more so than the High school path.

Latham is coming in with 3 years (and one year D1 experience under her belt). Massive roster shake-ups every season have become the norm.
 
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#99
#99
DarkPhoenix said:
Bro if you’ve seen my posts Iv’e said multiple times I don’t care about the rankings, I look at their games and skill set and that’s how I evaluate. I said Latham has a skillset similar to Kiki Iriafen and I can see a huge jump from her freshman season.
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But I can't go on immediate game and skillset,,, unless I have seen her prior game and skillset.

I look at physical structure, individual mechanics, the look in their eyes,, the effort on the floor,,,,etc,,,everything

And if I get to speak to the coach person to person,,,I really know more about the potential,,instead of what my eyes just told me

Sometimes when scouting a potential recruit,,they may be having the worst day ever, in all facets of the days events....Or they may be a marginal shooter and go 6 for 7 on 3s.

I do agree about rankings...as a coach I look at much more than game and skills
e.g..
Do I want to spend a year (or four) with this athlete?
Is respect both given,,and warranted?
Is she someone I have to coddle?
Is she only about money?fame? or is she equally about, being a champion?
Are the parents people I want to spend a year (or four) with?
How does she mesh with the players I have?
 
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