Kellie Harper discussion/debate thread [merged]

[glv98]

...and interestingly Diamond DeShields is one of the former players that Rickea Jackson talked to on the bus back from the SEC tournament in Greenville when she was trying to decide whether to come back for another season.

Diamond advised her to stay...

My opinion of DD, which has never been very high based on her time here, just soared lol.

Seriously, its a pretty big indictment of the WNBA when the player who said she'd be a better player once she started getting paid rethinks her choice. Good for her being a sounding board and sharing her experience.

oklahoma texas a&m california maryland syracuse washington oregon oregon state mississippi state arizona all have been to the final 4 since we were there last so i dont want to celebrate sweet 16s

I don't get the zero sum game where if I'm glad we got to host, played well and made the S16 it means I don't want a final four. That's just a silly and false narrative. Ya'll act like you're guardians of the legacy by refusing to crack a smile over anything less then a natty. Then you have to huffily tell all us we should do the same or we're easy to please slackers. My life's too short not to find a little happiness in the journey.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

Sure, we all had hopes for that, but it didn't work out for us when we met a team that had a player shoot lights out the night we play them. That's what happens in tournament play - every season!

Don't you think Stanford, Indiana and Connecticut had the same aspirations?

I'm convinced that Kellie is the coach that we need. We are on an upward trajectory from where we were four years ago, despite the pandemic interrupting our recruiting efforts. High School recruiting is still important, but today's most successful teams are building their rosters from the transfer portal. They also have NIL collectives that help (indirectly) build those rosters as well...

BTW, I ignored Darth several months ago, but still have to read reactions to his ridiculous, acidic posts from posters such as you.

You don’t think Kellie had an EE caliber team this year?

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

I assume that you know that the reason that Diamond recanted her announcement to stay at UT another year had nothing to do with the WNBA and everything to do with Holly and the team?

My opinion of DD, which has never been very high based on her time here, just soared lol.

Seriously, its a pretty big indictment of the WNBA when the player who said she'd be a better player once she started getting paid rethinks her choice. Good for her being a sounding board and sharing her experience.

 

[glv98]

Kinda crazy. Makes me sad but it also makes me happy. Means the sport is growing and more people are getting an opportunity. That’s what competition is all about.

Both men and women's tourneys have been outstanding due to parity.

I assume that you know that the reason that Diamond recanted her announcement to stay at UT another year had nothing to do with the WNBA and everything to do with Holly and the team?

I just know what she said about making money. But reasonable to think anyone who could get away during those miserable times was right to do so. That year was actually when I stopped going to games. So hard to watch an LV squad so obviously disinterested and uncaring.

 

[Advol]

third best team in the SEC

Now that is something we hang our hat on..............sad sad Do We continue to accept that as a good thing!!!

 

[knoxvol52]

Still talking about Diamond DeShields lol what a waste of talent and that big lady that played center what was her name Mercedes something what happened to her?

 

[chuckiepoo]

Still talking about Diamond DeShields lol what a waste of talent and that big lady that played center what was her name Mercedes something what happened to her?

https://www.wnba.com/player/mercedes-russell/

 

[Golfteacher]

Now that is something we hang our hat on..............sad sad Do We continue to accept that as a good thing!!!

Third place should never be accepted, period!! Someone needs to figure it out quickly.

 

[knoxvol52]

Co

https://www.wnba.com/player/mercedes-russell/

ol road Brianna Stewart's coat tails to a couple of WNBA titles smart lady

 

[Golfteacher]

Still talking about Diamond DeShields lol what a waste of talent and that big lady that played center what was her name Mercedes something what happened to her?

Mercedes was a waste of talent and coaching malpractice. She finally got the coaching she needed when she turned pro and played very well as a substitute in Seattle. Last year she was injured all season and did not play. What happened under Holly’s watch was the major misuse of D1 talent. It was sad to watch.

 

[BoroVolBabe]

My opinion of DD, which has never been very high based on her time here, just soared lol.

Seriously, its a pretty big indictment of the WNBA when the player who said she'd be a better player once she started getting paid rethinks her choice. Good for her being a sounding board and sharing her experience.


I don't get the zero sum game where if I'm glad we got to host, played well and made the S16 it means I don't want a final four. That's just a silly and false narrative. Ya'll act like you're guardians of the legacy by refusing to crack a smile over anything less then a natty. Then you have to huffily tell all us we should do the same or we're easy to please slackers. My life's too short not to find a little happiness in the journey.

Thank you . This sight needs to be more positive . Some of the very negative posters tend to sound like their opinions are the only one that matters . Very pompous !
FYI Diamond realizes how special this place is . There are more to blame for the spiral downward at Tn . A Highschool girls team that was once elite and set the gold standard in the boro was destroyed by a few . Tenn is coming back because the culture has been restored .

 

[T_Vol376]

Sure, we all had hopes for that, but it didn't work out for us when we met a team that had a player shoot lights out the night we play them. That's what happens in tournament play - every season!

Don't you think Stanford, Indiana and Connecticut had the same aspirations?

I'm convinced that Kellie is the coach that we need. We are on an upward trajectory from where we were four years ago, despite the pandemic interrupting our recruiting efforts. High School recruiting is still important, but today's most successful teams are building their rosters from the transfer portal. They also have NIL collectives that help (indirectly) build those rosters as well...

BTW, I ignored Darth several months ago, but still have to read reactions to his ridiculous, acidic posts from posters such as you.

I hope you are right. Time will tell.

 

[glv98]

Now that is something we hang our hat on..............sad sad Do We continue to accept that as a good thing!!!

Third place should never be accepted, period!! Someone needs to figure it out quickly.

I continue to ask for guidance on what not "accepting" looks like? What should we do to show we don't accept? Stomp our feet? Write a tough post? Burn a mattress? The team and coaches don't accept by trying their best to get better. Hate to break it to you guys, but we have no role in any of that.

 

[Majors]

Well I suppose we should have kept Holly?

a case could be made results wise.

No, not really. The program was in a downward spiral over Holly's last three years. Her first 4 years were solid with Sweet 16s and elite 8s.

But, her last three teams did not advance past the second round and she could not keep her star player Diamond DeShields in the fold, even after DD initially committed to using her remaining year of eligibility.

Interesting that you find Kellie getting to the Sweet 16 as being completely below the acceptable standard and grounds for being fired, yet you believe a case could me made for having kept Holly at the helm (even after she failed to advance to the Sweet 16 three years in a row).

SS is expected and has always been my minimum expectation no matter who the coach is….also, why I stated the tournament started and ended for us yesterday. Some like yourself took a different stance with weak competition first two rounds. Always state I’m not a Holly fan but the case could be said, life didn’t seem so bad with what she was able to do. You don’t have to agree, just stating CKH hasn’t achieved what Holly did, no disputing it.

My wanting to move on from CKH is that she’s not the one to move this team forward. We can beat up on mediocre teams or we can start winning the games tha matter. Her coaching deficiencies shouldn’t be dismissed as acceptable.

 

[Dansky]

Sure, we all had hopes for that, but it didn't work out for us when we met a team that had a player shoot lights out the night we play them. That's what happens in tournament play - every season!

Don't you think Stanford, Indiana and Connecticut had the same aspirations?

I'm convinced that Kellie is the coach that we need. We are on an upward trajectory from where we were four years ago, despite the pandemic interrupting our recruiting efforts. High School recruiting is still important, but today's most successful teams are building their rosters from the transfer portal. They also have NIL collectives that help (indirectly) build those rosters as well...

BTW, I ignored Darth several months ago, but still have to read reactions to his ridiculous, acidic posts from posters such as you.

Oh Covid is the reason for our poor recruiting. Didn’t think of that.

 

[glv98]

life didn’t seem so bad with what she was able to do. You don’t have to agree, just stating CKH hasn’t achieved what Holly did, no disputing it.

Life was fine except for Twitter wars between parents, fist fights in the dorms, and players on the floor visably quitting and uncaring. Everyone was miserable. But we went further in the tourney so what the heck . . .

 

[Probably_in_Class]

People complaining about KH I am old enough to remember coach PS first years wasn't a cake walk ,she is the greatest but she wasn't the toast of the town the first few years she was here. Actually she probably would have got fired these days with all these pissing and moaning fans we have.Let me rephrase that with the teams she had early on would have got her fired if there was all of the social media back in 70's and early 80's

If you're old enough to remember it, then hopefully you're still competent enough to realize it's not relevant. The program Summitt took over versus what Harper took over aren't even comparable. Regardless of current record, Kellie gets respect anywhere she goes on the recruiting trail due to the work Summitt did. Pat didn't have anything close to that during her early years.

 

[Majors]

Life was fine except for Twitter wars between parents, fist fights in the dorms, and players on the floor visably quitting and uncaring. Everyone was miserable. But we went further in the tourney so what the heck . . .

Parents ruin it for kids. Not discounting the issues as cancers are hard to manage after they take hold.

 

[glv98]

Oh Covid is the reason for our poor recruiting. Didn’t think of that.

Actually Covid did hurt recruiting. One of the LVs main offerings is the facilities and the in person feel of the team. Jill said if she could have visited in person during her recruitment she would have come here instead of Georgia out of high school. I'm sure there are others.

There are obviously other problems with recruitment now, but covid restrictions did hurt.

 

[RAVOL]

Team had talent to get to Elite 8 but needed everyone to play at there best against VA Tech. The weakness of this team was guard play plain and simple guard play especially our shooting guard is a real weakness against the best. I love Tess heart and she can shoot when open but you have to have athletic guard that can shoot and stress a D getting into paint. Walker played much better this year but the problem is you need your PG to initiate offense most of our turnovers were due to Horston and Jackson forcing things because your starting guards could not get team in offense and allow our 2 most talented players ability to do what they do best take advantage of there athletic gift and size to abuse there defenders. I believe we all need to see this team returning get to final 4 if Kellie addresses her biggest need. I believe everyone who knows my post I have been behind Coach and I do really want her to succeed so we shall . In CHRIST Alone

 

[knoxvol52]

If you're old enough to remember it, then hopefully you're still competent enough to realize it's not relevant. The program Summitt took over versus what Harper took over aren't even comparable. Regardless of current record, Kellie gets respect anywhere she goes on the recruiting trail due to the work Summitt did. Pat didn't have anything close to that during her early years.

Okay just keep believing it's CKH fault everyone has an opinion carry on

 

[VolBall09]

C

 

[VolBall09]

X

 

[madtownvol]

a case could be made results wise.


SS is expected and has always been my minimum expectation no matter who the coach is….also, why I stated the tournament started and ended for us yesterday. Some like yourself took a different stance with weak competition first two rounds. Always state I’m not a Holly fan but the case could be said, life didn’t seem so bad with what she was able to do. You don’t have to agree, just stating CKH hasn’t achieved what Holly did, no disputing it.

My wanting to move on from CKH is that she’s not the one to move this team forward. We can beat up on mediocre teams or we can start winning the games tha matter. Her coaching deficiencies shouldn’t dismissed as acceptable.

You and any one else can have all the expectations you want!!! Expect an undefeated season with a 20 pt average margin of victory. Expect away! Expect to high heaven. But it doesn't mean squat.

The basic facts are this. The LVs went from being a perennial Final Four team to getting consistently stuck at the sweet 16 or elite 8 stage and this decline began under Pat. Yes, CPS was struck by a tragic illness but that does not change the fact that the LVs had fallen from their lofty heights. For 4 years, Holly sustained this lower but still pretty good level and then we had a multi-year drought on even making it out of the opening weekend (you know, where losses eliminate teams and the tournament actually starts). Kellie has now gotten the LVs to consecutive sweet 16s which is showing some consistency and finished runner-up in the SEC tournament (the best finish in years). So, yes disappointing in comparison to the lofty preseason expectations but nonetheless a step forward. And there will be some pressure on Kellie to deliver tangible signs of further improvement.

But she will be back next season without question.

 

[Majors]

You and any one else can have all the expectations you want!!! Expect an undefeated season with a 20 pt average margin of victory. Expect away! Expect to high heaven. But it doesn't mean squat.

The basic facts are this. The LVs went from being a perennial Final Four team to getting consistently stuck at the sweet 16 or elite 8 stage and this decline began under Pat. Yes, CPS was struck by a tragic illness but that does not change the fact that the LVs had fallen from their lofty heights. For 4 years, Holly sustained this lower but still pretty good level and then we had a multi-year drought on even making it out of the opening weekend (you know, where losses eliminate teams and the tournament actually starts). Kellie has now gotten the LVs to consecutive sweet 16s which is showing some consistency and finished runner-up in the SEC tournament (the best finish in years). So, yes disappointing in comparison to the lofty preseason expectations but nonetheless a step forward. And there will be some pressure on Kellie to deliver tangible signs of further improvement.

But she will be back next season without question.

Don’t believe I ever stated undefeated, but do believe I have said we need/expect to start winning benchmark games. Outside of that I don’t disagree with what you said, pretty much what others like myself have said. It’s unfortunate that she’ll be back based on her resume…many like myself wanted to be proven wrong, unfortunately CKH didn’t do that. On record, I don’t expect undefeated just be competitive in the games that matter and stop clubbing baby seals for validity.