Tennessee Not On Many Top Players Considerations

[NeedOrange]

The ratings are always an approximation and a lot depends on whether a player is able to get to key tournaments, etc to get scouted by the services. It is a great to get high ranked recruits but there can be lots of undervalued talent at lower ranks. Plus, players can develop quite a bit while in college. I don't think Rae was all that highly ranked either.

Exactly!!!

 

[ABV]

We may not be elite now, but that we won't be. Kellie arrived 2 years ago and attracted some good recruits, although they may not have been in top 5 or 10. Recruiting has been tough, especially for a new coach, with over a year of no in-person contact with recruits. Let's be honest--it is a big deal to get a recruit to Knoxville to visit the campus, meet the players, take in the history. We have some top 10 players in '22 and '23 looking at us. Kellie has a vision & will implement it...she just needs a little time. And please remember that Pat Summitt did not make TN a national championship program overnight....she was coach several years before (in her own words) she got "that monkey off her back".

 

[Lucy]

I think this thread has a rather inflammatory title. It is an opinion masquerading as a fact. Threads should be titled by topic.
Can we not just put this where it belongs in 2021 recruiting?

 

[VolBall09]

The Vic Shaefer-MSST Model: it's the proverbial chicken-egg game. I said last year that for her first few years, Kellie would have to do more with less to give recruits an incentive to come to Tennessee. I think where it gets tough is that SC is killing them in the south/SEC territory recruiting right now, and other programs are up and coming as well. S16 might not even be enough; we see with the transfer portal that the current crop of recruits seem to have little interest in rebuilding and want to win now/play now.

I think that this season and next season become very important for Kellie to set the tone for the program moving forward, especially since she'll have to make do without Rennia this season and Rae after next season. There's enough talent on the team to work with, but she needs to keep the momentum moving forward with performance and some degree of recruiting success...otherwise, the year after Horston/Key graduate will be very tough.

Bottom line is: we have to win. We have to win the SEC and then win in the NCAA tournament. That’s how you get recruits. Both from HS and the portal. The rest is just noise.

If we could start beating SC regularly that would go a long way for the confidence of our program and the confidence of recruits in our program. This season was a good start. Second game was tough, but it sure was fun to beat them in Knoxville! Might just watch that game later for kicks.

 

[Rickster]

Bottom line is: we have to win. We have to win the SEC and then win in the NCAA tournament. That’s how you get recruits. Both from HS and the portal. The rest is just noise.

Winning settles everything.

 

[Vols2015]

Winning settles everything.

It obviously doesn’t. All these players wanting to make other programs rise. Look at Arizona for example. UCONN gets big recruits, but they haven’t won in what, 6 years now?

 

[Vols2015]

L

 

[BreatheUT]

It's the truth. Top women's talent is not coming here. They will go to USC, Baylor, UCONN, Stanford, A&M before they come here. Honestly, there may be a few more programs top talent would choose over us. Nobody fears the Lady Vols anymore. They respect us but don't fear us.

I'd like to say Harper is killing it on the recruiting trail but she's not. The results are subpar and surprising even with lower expectations. She apparently doesn't have the personality or respect, but Warlick did not do her any favors being allowed to run the program down for 8/9 years.

 

[djtee]

I'm like to say Harper is killing it on the recruiting trail but she's not. The results are subpar and surprising even with lower expectations. She apparently doesn't have the personality or respect, but Warlick did not do her any favors being allowed to run the program down for 8/9 years.

I disagree with Holly did not run the program down for 8/9 years she just did not when with all the top talent she had. As for recruiting i agree KJH has hit a wall on that front, But to hall in that top talent you also need to win. Also it also depends on what type of talent she is looking for.

 

[ABV]

Too bad you don't know what you are talking about if you think Kellie can't recruit. She wasn't even a coach but a year & brought in 4 stellar recruits. These players are going to surprise a whole lot of people....just wait. And she has a good start on 2022 with Justine Pissott already giving her verbal. A new coach needs more than a couple of years to build relationships and change the culture of the program. Give her a little time and trust.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Too bad you don't know what you are talking about if you think Kellie can't recruit. She wasn't even a coach but a year & brought in 4 stellar recruits. These players are going to surprise a whole lot of people....just wait. And she has a good start on 2022 with Justine Pissott already giving her verbal. A new coach needs more than a couple of years to build relationships and change the culture of the program. Give her a little time and trust.

Welcome to the board

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

I disagree with Holly did not run the program down for 8/9 years she just did not when with all the top talent she had. As for recruiting i agree KJH has hit a wall on that front, But to hall in that top talent you also need to win. Also it also depends on what type of talent she is looking for.

You are correct it didn’t take her 8/9 years to run the program down...

 

[Rickster]

Are you saying her requirements for new players are too specific and sets the bar too high for the talent available?

There is another angle that no one talks much about and that’s the communication that goes on in the background. Coaches share information about players and if players are difficult to coach, you can bet that report travels with them. I’m sure there are teams that are desperate and will take players solely on talent but having just gone through chemistry issues with the last staff, I’m glad Kellie is selective. It seems like forever before chemistry issues work themselves out.

 

[Volfan2012]

I disagree with Holly did not run the program down for 8/9 years she just did not when with all the top talent she had. As for recruiting i agree KJH has hit a wall on that front, But to hall in that top talent you also need to win. Also it also depends on what type of talent she is looking for.

Then everybody in the SEC has hit a wall with this class except SC as our class was rated number two by every service but one. They rated us number three in the league.

 

[djtee]

Then everybody in the SEC has hit a wall with this class except SC as our class was rated number two by every service but one. They rated us number three in the league.

True and i will say GA did very well

 

[ABV]

Then everybody in the SEC has hit a wall with this class except SC as our class was rated number two by every service but one. They rated us number three in the league.

Think about it seriously for a minute....did you think in 2 years that Kellie could compete with Dawn in recruiting? That's ridiculous! It takes time to put a winning program together. Go look at Dawn's record her first few years at South Carolina. In her early years, she wasn't tearing it up anything like she can now. Once she got a "game changer" recruit in local phenom Aja Wilson, things totally changed. She got a natty and recruits noticed. Now she's coach of the USA national team. Those things make a difference. It's just not fair to expect Kellie to compete with Dawn just yet. In time you're gonna see that change.

 

[Rickster]

Kellie needs to coach the national team.

 

[Volfan2012]

Think about it seriously for a minute....did you think in 2 years that Kellie could compete with Dawn in recruiting? That's ridiculous! It takes time to put a winning program together. Go look at Dawn's record her first few years at South Carolina. In her early years, she wasn't tearing it up anything like she can now. Once she got a "game changer" recruit in local phenom Aja Wilson, things totally changed. She got a natty and recruits noticed. Now she's coach of the USA national team. Those things make a difference. It's just not fair to expect Kellie to compete with Dawn just yet. In time you're gonna see that change.

No I didn't I thought she did great in year two but half the posters on here think she did a terrible job recruiting even though our class was as good as anybody's except SC in the SEC. Everyday somebody post how terrible recruiting is and not one of the players in this next class has played a minute yet.

 

[Darth_Vol]

I'm like to say Harper is killing it on the recruiting trail but she's not. The results are subpar and surprising even with lower expectations. She apparently doesn't have the personality or respect, but Warlick did not do her any favors being allowed to run the program down for 8/9 years.

It shouldn't be surprising if you look at the totality of her coaching career.

Unfortunately her ineptitude recruiting also seems to extend to the transfer portal...

 

[VolBall09]

No I didn't I thought she did great in year two but half the posters on here think she did a terrible job recruiting even though our class was as good as anybody's except SC in the SEC. Everyday somebody post how terrible recruiting is and not one of the players in this next class has played a minute yet.

Must be discouraging to the ladies who have signed to look on here and see everyone is disappointed. I’m thrilled with the 4 ladies coming in and have no doubt we will have a tough class for 2022. Justine is already a great centerpiece to build around. Other young women are going to want to play with her. Who wouldn’t want to pass the ball to someone who can shoot like that?

 

[Vols2015]

Let’s all quit being negative Nancy’s and let Kellie have a chance to prove her worth. She’s already proven her worth as a player, and coaching other schools. It’s already been known, the top players don’t always matter. Look at Arizona and what they did this year. Allow her to work through this off season and see what she can bring.

 

[Darth_Vol]

UCONN gets big recruits, but they haven’t won in what, 6 years now?

 

[Coach Jumper]

It shouldn't be surprising if you look at the totality of her coaching career.

Unfortunately her ineptitude recruiting also seems to extend to the transfer portal...

Darth, you've posted this "ineptitude" crap so long now that even your correct posts are ignored by knowledgeable posters,,,get a new shtick.

 

[GameTime]

It shouldn't be surprising if you look at the totality of her coaching career.

Unfortunately her ineptitude recruiting also seems to extend to the transfer portal...

I see Darth said hello again...

 

[VOLPAT]

They already have a successful P5 coach who is rebuilding the team. Give her a chance.

Spot on Rickster. To those who need to understand CKH‘s heart and willingness to work, need to pull out their copy of Coach Summitt’s book “Raise the Roof“ and read the chapter on her point guard, Kellie Jolly. It speaks volumes about her character and what her coach thought of her.