Is this true? Justine transferring

[creekdipper]

It's hilarious to me how many are trumpeting a player who averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds in her second season of college ball as some kind of recruiting triumph for Kellie. I'm sure she can improve and develop into a nice player, but projecting her to become the type of difference-maker you need to reach a Final Four is quite a stretch IMO...

Might want to dismiss that hilarity since it's coming from someone who just finished ridiculing the thought of a Harper-led team competing for championship, apparently oblivious to the fact that this season's team literally competed for the SEC Tournament Championship.

Or, more likely, that poster was aware of that fact but merely hoped that everyone else developed mass amnesia.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Pissot's prospects for improvement are somewhat limited. She just isn't much of an athlete. I don't like KJH either, and agree that her recruitment of high school talent has been abysmal.... but I have a hard time blaming her for the lack of development from Justine Pissot. I don't think there is as much of an upside there to work with as we once thought. It was a poor evaluation.

Bad evaluation may be correct.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

If that's the case, why did Darby ever see the floor, she could not guard me, and I am old

Darby's not a good defensive player, either, and not a great rebounder. But she's a better defensive player and rebounder than Pissott. She's also a shooter, like Pissott is advertised to be, and she shot the ball from three at a 41% clip. Justine shot threes at 26%. That's why Darby played and Pissott sat.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Who else would you blame?, that is what coaches are for to develop the young players, and I disagree she never gave her a decent chance. I think we are all avoiding the obvious, she is not an SEC Coach.

Justine played in 27 of our 37 games, and averaged 7 minutes for those 27 games. She was given 27 chances, and did not give Kellie reason to make it 28 or more. She averaged 26% on three point shots, which were supposed to be her specialty. She didn't defend well or rebound well enough to keep her on the floor. She was just a freshman, and if she had a good path to playing time here, she would be default play next year. But there are players who are better and better developed in front of her, and she knows it.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I'm so glad that you keep up with Lady Vols basketball. She was a true Freshman and was never given a chance. It's time to stop living in a fantasy world thinking she can coach in the SEC. She had one miracle this year against a good team (LSU) and never beat another ranked team, and can't recruit as everyone can see

Thanks for being glad I keep up with LV BB. We don't agree on Kellie, but that's OK.

 

[Memvol44]

Or Coach Sam could just be messing with us.

Not the environment for that!!!

 

[Memvol44]

Samantha Williams has been a huge waste of money since she was hired.

She has done her job. The recruits are visiting!! The rest is out if her hands..

 

[PRG]

Justine played in 27 of our 37 games, and averaged 7 minutes for those 27 games. She was given 27 chances, and did not give Kellie reason to make it 28 or more. She averaged 26% on three point shots, which were supposed to be her specialty. She didn't defend well or rebound well enough to keep her on the floor. She was just a freshman, and if she had a good path to playing time here, she would be default play next year. But there are players who are better and better developed in front of her, and she knows it.

“And She Knows It!”

I can’t agree more …. I was on athletic scholarship and competed in the high hurdles.
One of my teammates competed in this same event ! No matter how much I tried or how long I practiced ….. I was not going to beat him ! I knew it …. And he knew it !

I also played basketball…. There is a certain point during practices that you MENTALLY become aware that you CAN compete at this level ! OR NOT ! This mental awareness might be before you get to campus ? Or after a few practices? Or after a few games ? But there is an expression I like to use …. “ The light bulb just turned on !” THEN YOU KNOW


JUSTINE KNOWS : and as always JMO

 

[Dansky]

Maybe she was recruited over by someone coming in?

Yeah right. Who has she recruited that’s showing up in the next couple of years? Oh right, there’s going to be an influx of high level transfers. It’s just sad what’s happened to the lady vol program since Coach Summit got ill.

 

[MsSportsGuy]

Players today want to play. If they don't play they walk. That's just the way it is. I'm sure Tara didn't expect to lose Betts after one year, especially after two players in front of her were leaving.

The recruiting struggles are definitely a bigger concern for Harper than the W/L record.

 

[Majors]

The recruiting struggles are definitely a bigger concern for Harper than the W/L record.

It’s the chicken and the egg scenario.

 

[sonofUT62]

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.

The number one player in the country left Stanford. Does that mean they don’t have a coach?

 

[VolBall09]

“And She Knows It!”

I can’t agree more …. I was on athletic scholarship and competed in the high hurdles.
One of my teammates competed in this same event ! No matter how much I tried or how long I practiced ….. I was not going to beat him ! I knew it …. And he knew it !

I also played basketball…. There is a certain point during practices that you MENTALLY become aware that you CAN compete at this level ! OR NOT ! This mental awareness might be before you get to campus ? Or after a few practices? Or after a few games ? But there is an expression I like to use …. “ The light bulb just turned on !” THEN YOU KNOW


JUSTINE KNOWS : and as always JMO

Agreed, as a former basketball player I feel this post so much. As a freshman I didn’t see much playing time at all. A few minutes here and there for my defense and that was it.

I got better, more physical and improved my game. There were younger, more athletic players on our team but I got the minutes because I did all the little things. Your offense is rarely what keeps you on the floor. I played excellent defense, rebounded the ball and finished easy shots. That’ll earn you more playing time than jacking up 3s every day of the week.

 

[creekdipper]

It’s the chicken and the egg scenario.

Lot of chickens 'round these parts.

 

[creekdipper]

Yeah right. Who has she recruited that’s showing up in the next couple of years? Oh right, there’s going to be an influx of high level transfers. It’s just sad what’s happened to the lady vol program since Coach Summit got ill.

I believe they were talking about shovel-ready portal players coming in, not more-talented high schoolers.

 

[creekdipper]

I would guess (and Kellie has intimated this) that Kellie regrets the ambitious schedule last year. Mulkey's "I didn't know what my team would look like" excuse for her pathetic OOC schedule was comical, but there's a kernel of good advice there. Kellie assumed the best...no season-ending injuries to key players essential to the tean's succcess, immediate and smooth integration of newcomers, ample development time for younger players. A less-challenging schedule would have permitted the bench to go through growing pains; instead, we were in a dogfight in most games while rivals with many new faces were coasting against teams posing no threat. Experience is a hard teacher.

 

[turbovol]

Darby's not a good defensive player, either, and not a great rebounder. But she's a better defensive player and rebounder than Pissott. She's also a shooter, like Pissott is advertised to be, and she shot the ball from three at a 41% clip. Justine shot threes at 26%. That's why Darby played and Pissott sat.

While her shooting percentage was good, Darby only averaged 7.4 points a game and surely gave up more points than that on the defensive end, as practically everyone drove past her to the basket. Not a plus player for us, I would bet. We certainly do need SOMEBODY on the floor who can shoot the 3--but late in the season there were a few games in which Darby would make a couple of threes in the first quarter--and that would be IT for her scoring for the game. Maybe she'd make one more basket or two the rest of the game, but it was score early....and then very little the rest of the way.

 

[volbabyvol]

If that's the case, why did Darby ever see the floor, she could not guard me, and I am old

That's why we are Losing we have to play 5.

 

[cwbytruckers]

The number one player in the country left Stanford. Does that mean they don’t have a coach?

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.

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

She has done her job. The recruits are visiting!! The rest is out if her hands..

I wish people would understand that her job is to get them on campus for a visit. No recruit is committing based on the assistant coach.A commitment is all about the head coach and NIL pitch

 

[glv98]

While her shooting percentage was good, Darby only averaged 7.4 points a game and surely gave up more points than that on the defensive end, as practically everyone drove past her to the basket. Not a plus player for us, I would bet. We certainly do need SOMEBODY on the floor who can shoot the 3--but late in the season there were a few games in which Darby would make a couple of threes in the first quarter--and that would be IT for her scoring for the game. Maybe she'd make one more basket or two the rest of the game, but it was score early....and then very little the rest of the way.

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?

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

That's why we are Losing we have to play 5.

So many of the fans see Darby with their heart not their eyes but her minimal contributions are the reason we were losing to the better teams.When teams smothered her she was a non factor we need someone in that spot that’s more athletic and can do more than be a spot up shooter we need someone with a secondary move off the perimeter when contested

 

[glv98]

So many of the fans see Darby with their heart not their eyes but her minimal contributions are the reason we were losing to the better teams.When teams smothered her she was a non factor we need someone in that spot that’s more athletic and can do more than be a spot up shooter we need someone with a secondary move off the perimeter when contested

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.

 

[Bakers1]

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.

Obviously Tara is on another level to KJH and that's not a knock on KJH. I still don't totally agree. Historically Stanford has very few transfers. Tara rarely gives freshmen many minutes never mind start them. Times have changed. The portal has allowed players to leave with more ease. NIL money is huge and plays a huge part in recruiting and gives a player another reason to leave. Money is a powerful thing.

It's too early to tell but I think with NIL money and the portal even great coaches and programs will see players leave. There's going to be way more over recruiting too. Coaches want to win. Now they have another avenue to recruit. Look at KY and Duke on the men's side. Until we know why a player is leaving its all conjecture.

 

[Coach Jumper]

“And She Knows It!”

I can’t agree more …. I was on athletic scholarship and competed in the high hurdles.
One of my teammates competed in this same event ! No matter how much I tried or how long I practiced ….. I was not going to beat him ! I knew it …. And he knew it !

I also played basketball…. There is a certain point during practices that you MENTALLY become aware that you CAN compete at this level ! OR NOT ! This mental awareness might be before you get to campus ? Or after a few practices? Or after a few games ? But there is an expression I like to use …. “ The light bulb just turned on !” THEN YOU KNOW


JUSTINE KNOWS : and as always JMO

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