Is this true? Justine transferring

[Majors]

What Justine "KNOWS" is a pure assumption on this forum.
What I do know is a player does not reach their potential playing in spurts

TEAM USA member knows if they can play…those aren’t handed out to kids who doubt themselves.

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

WE KNOW! THEY KNOW! The local beat reporter wrote a long article about it all. Would you like a billboard in Knoxville to list Tess' shortcomings? Because they know, the program is currently looking for an upgrade at Tess' position, just like they upgraded PG already. Not sure what else you want anyone to do about these deadhorse personnel problems.

I live in Frisco TX so I have no ideal what your local reporter is saying or what the situation is in Knoxville all I know is we need a replacement for Darby and I posted so

 

[Golfteacher]

Pisscot has a lot of talent and she has parking lot shooting range and she was the number 11 recruit in the class of 22. It is a good chance that she did not like the possibility of another year of warming the bench. There are guards in the portal that we can bring in to replace Pisscot. To get them is going to require KJH and her crew convincing them that Tennessee will produce the results they are looking for. In the age of the portal and NILs you have to be prepared for loses of players with outstanding potential. All we can do is speculate and hope KJH has her act together.

 

[Rixxx]

Pisscot has a lot of talent and she has parking lot shooting range and she was the number 11 recruit in the class of 22. It is a good chance that she did not like the possibility of another year of warming the bench. There are guards in the portal that we can bring in to replace Pisscot. To get them is going to require KJH and her crew convincing them that Tennessee will produce the results they are looking for. In the age of the portal and NILs you have to be prepared for loses of players with outstanding potential. All we can do is speculate and hope KJH has her act together.

A previous poster shared that JP played 5 in HS/AAU. How is a player supposed to learn to play a 3/4 in one year? IMO your ball handling must improve, your defense/footwork must improve, and shooting including making your own space must improve. All these attributes seemed to fail in its improvement. I am wondering if the ability to substantially improve is there for JP or was the coaching not there for JP. It is unfortunate that she decided to enter the portal.

 

[sonofUT62]

Apples and Oranges. One has nothing to do with the other. A legend at one school. And a mid major coach at the other. Sorry you cant see that.

So maybe your post should gripe about how she’s a mid major coach and not about how she couldn’t develop a McDonald’s all American. Seems to be you’re the one juggling fruit.

 

[Lawdawg]

“It's also why there were no 2023 recruits. BC they no longer feel compelled to take whoever will agree to come here”
Oh that explains it all. End of story!! Lol
Someone actually posted that. Maybe they don’t understand what the word “agree” implies? They are recruited by the staff( means staff wants them) then they AGREE to come to the school.

 

[Golfteacher]

All of which is exactly why the coaches are actively working the portal to upgrade the shooting guard position. Pretty sure someone visited yesterday. And exactly why they already upgraded the PG position with a highly regarded transfer.

Why are so many acting like the coaches don't recognize the problem and aren't trying to fix it? Actually, I think they deserve alot of credit for making some very tough decisions which I'm sure are painful for them. You know they love Tess Darby, and it's hard to recruit over her. But they are. Players like Darby, Puckett, Miles, etc. got caught in a transition period for recruiting where the talent level for the program was about to upgrade and where the portal happened making that possible far faster. A few, like Justine, will leave, others will become solid contributors as role players.

It's also why there were no 2023 recruits. BC they no longer feel compelled to take whoever will agree to come here. No more love the one your with. Of course it's a huge gamble to rely on the portal to replace empty classes. Did they want to miss out on all the elite recruits and is that a very bad look? No and yes. Were they wrong not to go back and take another limited tweener exactly like the ones they're criticised for recruiting in the past? Possibily, but it's an understandable decision given their major success in the portal up to now.

Endless recitation of the personnel problems, which the local reporter actually detailed in an article in case there was doubt, doesn't seem to move anything forward. Especially without the context that the program knows and is actively, and in many cases successfully, working to fix them.

Not sure if what the reciters want is for KJH and staff to be immediately fired bc she's already had long enough to fix all this. Everyone has a right to that opinion. I'm curious who you would hire this summer to replace them?

Number one you do not fire KJH because of players transferring. The portal is fluid and will continue to be an issue for all programs. Add NILs to the situation and transferring is an issue that every program must deal with. Duke and Iowa State have lost several players but the answer is not get rid of the coach based upon those loses. Let's see if KJH can successfully work the portal to fill her needs and loses. If she can't and she has another fruitless recruitment year then administration has a decision to make.

 

[glv98]

“It's also why there were no 2023 recruits. BC they no longer feel compelled to take whoever will agree to come here”
Oh that explains it all. End of story!! Lol
Someone actually posted that. Maybe they don’t understand what the word “agree” implies? They are recruited by the staff( means staff wants them) then they AGREE to come to the school.

I actually posted that and I'm still not sure what's wrong w agree. Let me be clearer: one of the reasons for zero 23 recruits is they decided nobody was better than just anybody. In the past when they struck out on all the elite recruits, they took the best of who was left and willing (agreeable). Not doing that anymore, gambling on the portal instead. Yep that's a scary bet and yep it's alarming they whiffed on all the elites. I'm sure this wasn't their A plan.

Question is would you have rather they go ahead and pad out a class of the exact type players we complain about than come up empty?

 

[cwbytruckers]

So maybe your post should gripe about how she’s a mid major coach and not about how she couldn’t develop a McDonald’s all American. Seems to be you’re the one juggling fruit.

Good grief i assume you are one of these that think the Lady Vols are still at elite level as well?

 

[Lawdawg]

I actually posted that and I'm still not sure what's wrong w agree. Let me be clearer: one of the reasons for zero 23 recruits is they decided nobody was better than just anybody. In the past when they struck out on all the elite recruits, they took the best of who was left and willing (agreeable). Not doing that anymore, gambling on the portal instead. Yep that's a scary bet and yep it's alarming they whiffed on all the elites. I'm sure this wasn't their A plan.

Question is would you have rather they go ahead and pad out a class of the exact type players we complain about than come up empty?[
Replace the word agree with “want”.

 

[sonofUT62]

Good grief i assume you are one of these that think the Lady Vols are still at elite level as well?

I never said that. And now you’re straying way off the subject.

 

[creekdipper]

Good grief i assume you are one of these that think the Lady Vols are still at elite level as well?

Who is at the "elite level?"

 

[VolFuture]

Good grief i assume you are one of these that think the Lady Vols are still at elite level as well?

I am

 

[birdie74]

Lady Vols are just another B program. The good days are gone. Another 10 loss season is coming next year unless a miracle happens. We need a coach bottom line. How do you not develop and play a high school McDonalds all american player? Sad she is leaving but probably in her best interest.

Developing a McDonald’s HS All-American? These players should already be developed. I saw nothing that showed me that she should be playing in front of those who played in front of her…

 

[PRG]

What Justine "KNOWS" is a pure assumption on this forum.
What I do know is a player does not reach their potential playing in spurts

You are right about my assumption pertaining to Justines knowing whether she can compete at this level of basketball. I did make an assumption about her understanding this bb game ! Every player eventually comes to a realization of their skill level and will rise or fall with their mental capabilities to compete at a certain level ! Now tell me that ( this light bulb moment) players must go through does not exist ? That in all sports ..,, there is no need for having a mental game to go along with physical capabilities of playing sports ?

Justine just spent a year of practicing and playing with professional players … some good players …. Some average players … and some not so good players! I assume she does know the differences? JMO

 

[madtownvol]

Pisscot has a lot of talent and she has parking lot shooting range and she was the number 11 recruit in the class of 22. It is a good chance that she did not like the possibility of another year of warming the bench. There are guards in the portal that we can bring in to replace Pisscot. To get them is going to require KJH and her crew convincing them that Tennessee will produce the results they are looking for. In the age of the portal and NILs you have to be prepared for loses of players with outstanding potential. All we can do is speculate and hope KJH has her act together.

During the season, I was a big advocate that Justine needed more time on the court.

And I was not thinking Justine rather than Tess but situations where Justine and Tess played together. That line-up would presume that Kellie was willing to run an Iowa style spread offense with shooters all around and zone defense to cover some resulting deficiencies on the other side.-- imagine Horston (at PG) with Rickea, Hollingshead, Tess and Justine both bombing away from outside.

I have realized that such an offensive scheme is not going to happen with Kellie. Her teams are going to run a "pound the paint" offense where the three is the shot you take as the last resort. End of story. With Key back, we will see a doubling down on that old skool approach. And SC and to some extent LSU have shown that dominating the paint with size and athleticism can still be quite successful but you have to have the right players. The flipside is that playing time for an outside sniper is going to be limited. And Kellie clearly values Tess for her work ethic and other attributes. So Justine seems like she was going to be the odd one out for two more seasons, presuming that Tess takes her covide season.

So, in some ways Justine transfers could be a win-win, if Kellie brings a portal player who better fits her system and Justine goes somewhere we she can have a more prominent role.

One thing we are seeing in the last two season is that Kellie is starting to build a more coherent team identity whereas earlier on, it was a bit hodge podge based on the players she inherited and those she was able to recruit on short notice when she first joined and was working under covid restrictions.

I do think it will be hard for Kellie to beat SC and LSU at their own game but if the SEC puts 3 teams in the final four next season-- being third best in conference might not seem so bad.

 

[VOLPAT]

You gotta work don’t care what star rating you are.

Sometimes it looked like guards ignored her. Looked like she lost her confidence. The girl could clearly shoot.

 

[GameTime]

During the season, I was a big advocate that Justine needed more time on the court.

And I was not thinking Justine rather than Tess but situations where Justine and Tess played together. That line-up would presume that Kellie was willing to run an Iowa style spread offense with shooters all around and zone defense to cover some resulting deficiencies on the other side.-- imagine Horston (at PG) with Rickea, Hollingshead, Tess and Justine both bombing away from outside.

I have realized that such an offensive scheme is not going to happen with Kellie. Her teams are going to run a "pound the paint" offense where the three is the shot you take as the last resort. End of story. With Key back, we will see a doubling down on that old skool approach. And SC and to some extent LSU have shown that dominating the paint with size and athleticism can still be quite successful but you have to have the right players. The flipside is that playing time for an outside sniper is going to be limited. And Kellie clearly values Tess for her work ethic and other attributes. So Justine seems like she was going to be the odd one out for two more seasons, presuming that Tess takes her covide season.

So, in some ways Justine transfers could be a win-win, if Kellie brings a portal player who better fits her system and Justine goes somewhere we she can have a more prominent role.

One thing we are seeing in the last two season is that Kellie is starting to build a more coherent team identity whereas earlier on, it was a bit hodge podge based on the players she inherited and those she was able to recruit on short notice when she first joined and was working under covid restrictions.

I do think it will be hard for Kellie to beat SC and LSU at their own game but if the SEC puts 3 teams in the final four next season-- being third best in conference might not seem so bad.

I was hoping that Kellie would have gone to the double wing offensive attack and a zone defense too, but Kellie is old school and will never change....As she said "I don't like change."

I felt that Justine should and would move on.....She looked bored with the whole stand to the side and watch approach to Kellies offensive philosophy....The most un motion, motion offense, that exists in the college game today.

I wish the girl well.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Developing a McDonald’s HS All-American? These players should already be developed. I saw nothing that showed me that she should be playing in front of those who played in front of her…

She never got the opportunity like some others. Yet slow footed girls got multiple minutes. She should have played early and often in those non conference games. With this turnover machine we saw this year she wasnt that bad.

 

[GameTime]

She never got the opportunity like some others. Yet slow footed girls got multiple minutes. She should have played early and often in those non conference games. With this turnover machine we saw this year she wasnt that bad.

How many offensive minutes did Puckett just waste this year, yet Kellie kept sending her out, but Justine had to just sit and watch, and watch...It must have been humiliating to her.

 

[glv98]

.The most un motion, motion offense, that exists in the college game today.

Kellie has never had a point guard capable of running a motion offense effectively. Alot of dominos fell when Jordan Horston turned out not to be the PG of the future they thought she would be. There was J Mass, who just seemed to be catching on a little when she left, then Jordan Walker, who we all agree was a tough trooper but never the PG to lead us to the promised land. Now she has one, apparently, in Wells. We'll see how they do.

How many offensive minutes did Puckett just waste this year, yet Kellie kept sending her out, but Justine had to just sit and watch, and watch...It must have been humiliating to her.

The coaching staff would never have intentionally hid Justine's light under a bushel. Obviously, what they were seeing in practice did not warrant development minutes in games. The fact that Puckett and Darby did continue to get those minutes should tell us something. If they thought Justine would have helped, they would have played her.

Justine was so far behind physically and in mental approach that it never got around to the point of developing her actual game. I don't think Justine had any idea how hard you have to play and how focused you have to be mentally to play at this level. Not only was she physically a baby giraffe on skates, she had zero intensity. Of course that may have developed given extra playing time, but again the coaches' assessment was she was so far away it was not worth the game mins.

I hope the best for Justine and am sorry to hear our trusted insiders say it was a really tough, back and forth decision for her driven more by her parents' frustration than her own desires. This says to me she'll end up closer to home and at a smaller situation where more mins are guaranteed and parents have more control. Hope it works out for them.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

She never got the opportunity like some others. Yet slow footed girls got multiple minutes. She should have played early and often in those non conference games. With this turnover machine we saw this year she wasnt that bad.

You don’t think she got an opportunity in practice, or do u think she was outplaying everyone in practice and the coaches just decided not to play her?

 

[glv98]

I have realized that such an offensive scheme is not going to happen with Kellie. Her teams are going to run a "pound the paint" offense where the three is the shot you take as the last resort. End of story. With Key back, we will see a doubling down on that old skool approach

I don't think KJH is as reflexively opposed to the 3 ball as you do. She's just never had anyone who can reliably shoot it, especially against top competition. But Tess certainly seemed to have a green light, as did Puckett and even Justine in the limited mins she played. JH and Rickea only seemed hesitant bc neither was historically statistically very good at it.

I'd be very surprised if improving her 3 ball is not #1 on Rickea's offseason to do list. If she can ratchet it up by about 5% pts, she will be unstoppable offensively and also a much better WNBA player. I expect Wells to have the green light for outside shooting, pretty sure it was one of the reasons we got her. Hopefully we're also working on getting a shooting guard who can actually shoot AND guard. So I fully expect, and hope, the 3 will be a big part of our game next season.

Of course w the return of Key and the emergence of a developing gem in Jill, we'll want to get the ball inside some. But hopefully we'll be able to find the balance btw inside and outside we've been missing for so long. I don't think the coaching staff is opposed to that at all.

 

[lvocd]

All I really want is for any of these kids to be healthy and happy and to never regret their decision to transfer. In my youth it actually took several times of doing what was, in hindsight, the wrong thing before it finally sunk in that the grass ISN'T always greener on the other side of the fence.

I hope and pray that 15, 20 years from now Justine is still happy with her decision. I'm pretty bummed she's leaving because I felt like next season was going to be a good one for her, but I'll be pulling for her wherever she lands.

 

[glv98]

I hope and pray that 15, 20 years from now Justine is still happy with her decision. I'm pretty bummed she's leaving because I felt like next season was going to be a good one for her, but I'll be pulling for her wherever she lands.

Same here. It's especially sad bc she's one of those increasingly rare "legacy" recruits who actually did come bc of the tradition, and always thought being an LV was what she wanted. Hope it all works out for her.