Saniya Chong was also the Parade POY ahead of Diamond. Nurse was an international player who was not scouted much by Hoopgurlz until she committed to UConn IIRC.
Having said that, Reynolds and Middleton are upperclassmen who have not improved (Jordan) or not delivered (Alexa) at the collegiate level. Maybe as 17 year olds, they were seen as stronger prospects, but in real time both of them (and Jackson) are not even middle of the road guards.
The sophomore from Auburn and Hicks from VT are other examples of lowly rated Hoopgurlz guards that played Tennessee H2H this year that are leagues better than Tennessee's guards. I don't think there's any argument that both of them are vastly superior players in spite of how Hoopgurlz ranked them.
I've said this before, but I'll repeat it. Fans pay attention to the ESPN and other publicly published recruit rankings. The best WCBB coaches do not. They have their own scouts, private scouting services, and staff that knows how to evaluate high school talent. They take into account ALL the variables... size, build, work habits, level of competition, coaching they've received, overall athleticism, and many other factors. The best coaches also know how to get players that fit their needs and will work well in their culture of play, even though they'll change their style of play to best use the talents of the recruits they bring in.
Sometimes gut instinct plays an important part. Pat had great instincts. Geno does. Kim does. And some coaches at middle-of-the-pack programs who might never get a "Top 100" recruit seem to be able to come up with some under-rated gems.
Sure, every year there are a handful of kids that everybody knows are going to be good. And the best coaches work to get their share of those, as well. Then, once you've established your program it gets easier to get those kids... but you still need to bring in those under-rated role players to make your program elite. And then you have to develop ALL your players to reach their potential.
Even the best coaches make mistakes. Watch the last quarter of a UConn game and you'll wonder if Geno was out to lunch on a couple of these recruits. Plus he loses some who, despite his extensive vetting, just can't put up with the rigors of him and his program. (But he usually cuts his losses pretty quick, even if it leaves him short-handed.)
Being the head coach of a Top 20 basketball team is as multi-faceted and as hard as being the CEO of a mid-sized company that loses 25% of its workforce every year. That's why they make the big bucks. Many people are able to work their way up and put themselves in a position to get the job. But that doesn't mean they'll be any good at it. Most that do get good at it in today's environment (as opposed to when Pat started) spend a few years in a few different programs to get their legs under them. But the majority of those that spend those years in various programs at various levels never reach the pinnacle of their profession.
Holly came in under tough circumstances. Who wants to follow a legend? Plus, many believe the program was already slipping a bit as the WCBB landscape had changed. She's never worked anywhere else. The Peter Principle may be at work, in that she might have been a good assistant promoted up to her level of relative incompetence.
Holly is not an awful coach. She may or may not be in the upper 25% of all WCBB coaches. But when the fans have been used to having a coach in the top 1%, it's pretty hard to settle for less. But, over time, they may have to get used to it. Unless UT can catch lightning in a bottle again.
