Recruiting tidbit (sort of)

[CannonVol80]

When asked if there was another player in the class of 2013 she would love to play with, Mercedes Russell responded Linnae Harper.

The only school on both their short lists is Tennessee!

Both are due in Knoxville sometime in the near future for visits (Russell Oct 18-20), although apparently not at the same time. And, from past commitments it is clear that Ms Russell is going to take her time and choose the school best for her regardless of friendships. A smart move on her part.

If Holly and staff were to get commitments from Russell, Harper, and either Davis or Scaife, and Emmonie Henderson or Kendall Cooper to go along with Jannah Tucker, that would, without question, be the number 1 recruiting class of 2013 and would establish this staff as one of theh best group of recruiters in the nation!

Anything can happen between now and the early signing period in November, but any and all of these young ladies would look certainly good in Orange!

Jim

on edit:
P.S. According to a poster on the Boneyard, the coaching staff was at Kaela Davis' HS this afternoon. Two things interesting about this, imo. One that I had to see it on a Connecticut fan site and, two that Connecticut fans are still interested in Lady Vol recruiting!

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

Thanks for the update and would love for us to have this great group of women playing at TN in the very near future. If we are lucky to have these recruits to sign with TN, I'm more than sure we would have #'s 9,10,11 NC banners hanging from TBA ceiling.

 

[armchair]

I'm having trouble understanding why louisville has become such a lure the last two/three years. What am i missing?

 

[soda23]

I'm having trouble understanding why louisville has become such a lure the last two/three years. What am i missing?

Jeff Walz

 

[CannonVol80]

I'm having trouble understanding why louisville has become such a lure the last two/three years. What am i missing?

Three reasons. Jeff Waltz is an excellent recruiter and a decent coach. Two, their facilities rival those of the Tennessee program, and three, the Louisville program has developed their fan base to the extent that they are behind only the Lady Vols in average attendance on an annual basis. I think that there is a lot to be said for the selling point of fan support.

Jim

 

[Rudy123]

When asked if there was another player in the class of 2013 she would love to play with, Mercedes Russell responded Linnae Harper.

The only school on both their short lists is Tennessee!

Both are due in Knoxville sometime in the near future for visits (Russell Oct 18-20), although apparently not at the same time. And, from past commitments it is clear that Ms Russell is going to take her time and choose the school best for her regardless of friendships. A smart move on her part.

If Holly and staff were to get commitments from Russell, Harper, and either Davis or Scaife, and Emmonie Henderson or Kendall Cooper to go along with Jannah Tucker, that would, without question, be the number 1 recruiting class of 2013 and would establish this staff as one of theh best group of recruiters in the nation!

Anything can happen between now and the early signing period in November, but any and all of these young ladies would look certainly good in Orange!

Jim

on edit:
P.S. According to a poster on the Boneyard, the coaching staff was at Kaela Davis' HS this afternoon. Two things interesting about this, imo. One that I had to see it on a Connecticut fan site and, two that Connecticut fans are still interested in Lady Vol recruiting!

Recruiting is well and good but if the coach can't coach or she can't get the players to play hard, then it doesn't matter.

 

[CannonVol80]

Recruiting is well and good but if the coach can't coach or she can't get the players to play hard, then it doesn't matter.

Actually, I disagree to an extent. Clearly, coaching ability matters. However, one of the things that typically makes a great player great is the willingness to work hard. Just to name one of the incoming class, look at Andraya Carter.

I can name at least three major schools where the program wins enough to be a consistently in the top ten on the talent of the players and in spite of coaching, in my opinion (and no, one is not Tennessee).

I'm not sure if your little jab was meant as a criticism of our current coaching staff or not, but if it was, I suggest you look at the history of each of the individual coaches and I think it will be clear that coaching ability is there, in abundance.

Jim

 

[Vols4life]

I'm having trouble understanding why louisville has become such a lure the last two/three years. What am i missing?

The KFC Yum center is legit!!! and their coach is a good one

 

[Voluble2]

People seem to think highly of their AD as well. That is one area where we have been lacking but hopefully Hart is putting things on a firmer footing.

Most of our discretionary funds are going to pay people not to coach right now.

I think we get Mercedes in the end because she will have tons of talent surrounding her here and will have the opportunity to go further than she likely could at Louisville.

 

[Chitownvol1129]

They get a lot of interest but they have not brought in anything super awesome yet, and lost more than a few to decommits.With Notre Dame running away from the Big East, and everyone knowing, ever other college wants out of it too, it really leaves a recruit wondering who and where they will travel to play. Louisville would jump to big 12 in a heartr beat, and weekday games at Texas Tech, Kansas St in front of no one, would sux, not to mention that conference still might lose Oklahoma and Texas to Pac 12, which really sucks money out of the sports pool for all members. I would go to a sure deal in TN. Lady vols will only take 4, I think, they don't want to have such a small class in 2014 only 1 or 3. I think we sign 3 more at most. Unless we get a late spring commit from 1, 2

 

[Voluble2]

With Notre Dame running away from the Big East, and everyone knowing, ever other college wants out of it too, it really leaves a recruit wondering who and where they will travel to play.

That is a really good point. There is no assurance that the resources will be there in the future because Louisville's conference situation is not stable. You know you will have a topflight schedule and topflight resources at UT. Louisville is a bit more of a crap shoot. KY also seems to be the up and coming program in KY so Louisville is probably not even the best program in that state.

 

[Volfan2012]

We will get a big player Russell, Coates, or Cooper. I think we really want power forward Henderson and who wouldn't she is a power player. I see Kaela Davis coming to Tennessee and certainly Scaife, and Harper are other options.

 

[CannonVol80]

We will get a big player Russell, Coates, or Cooper. I think we really want power forward Henderson and who wouldn't she is a power player. I see Kaela Davis coming to Tennessee and certainly Scaife, and Harper are other options.

I have no doubt that there is substantial interest (hopefully on both sides) with each of the players you mention. The problem, as I see it, is that taking five players in this class puts us in the same position that we are in this year. The team only has two seniors, so a class of five will put us with as roster of fourteen next year, with only one senior. That would allow a maximum of two players to be recruited from the class of 2014, and even that would put the roster at 15.

I haven't heard Holly specifically speak to the issue, but my feeling is that she subscribes to the theory that the ideal roster size is 10-12, and probably shading on the high side. As it stands right now we are in a cycle of large class small class which started with the class of 2004. At some point the decision is going to have to be made to sign fewer than graduate, and this might be the year to start that by signing a maximum of four players. Just a thought.

Jim

 

[Volfan2012]

I have no doubt that there is substantial interest (hopefully on both sides) with each of the players you mention. The problem, as I see it, is that taking five players in this class puts us in the same position that we are in this year. The team only has two seniors, so a class of five will put us with as roster of fourteen next year, with only one senior. That would allow a maximum of two players to be recruited from the class of 2014, and even that would put the roster at 15.

I haven't heard Holly specifically speak to the issue, but my feeling is that she subscribes to the theory that the ideal roster size is 10-12, and probably shading on the high side. As it stands right now we are in a cycle of large class small class which started with the class of 2004. At some point the decision is going to have to be made to sign fewer than graduate, and this might be the year to start that by signing a maximum of four players. Just a thought.

Jim

I don't think we will take but four and that one will be a center, a forward, and two wing type players. They may take five if they have a top ten player wanting to come and four already committed. If Russell commits she will be the center. I think the backup plan is Coates or Cooper. Wings Davis and Tucker. We don't really need a point guard in this class so we'll see how that goes. I really hope we take power forward Henderson she is a woman among girls who could really be a force inside. I'm just waiting to see how it plays out but I agree four will be the class.