Had Tina Thompson not joined the Texas staff, I would like Tennessee's chances.
Joyner played for Tina's AAU team, and Tina is HUGE mentor for her. Going anywhere other than Texas would be shocking.
Looking at Texas current roster, they are supporting 16 players right now. That includes Vandy's transfer, who is sitting this season out.
They will loose 4 players to graduation, only one being a post.
So Joyner's freshman year, she will be competing with these post players:
Jordan Hosey (#16 2015) 6'1
Christina Aborowa (#72 2015) 6'4
Khaléann Caron-Goudreau (Vandy Transfer) 6'3 **any idea where her twin sister went?**
Sara Hattis 6'4
Kelsey Lang 6'5 (will be a senior when Joyner is freshman)
Current recruting for 2015 prospects:
6'4 Cierra Johnson (#16 2016 class) - Will make a decision next month.
I agree Joyner will be hard to get. I also think her talent will probably put her in front of some of the players already on the roster. But looking at Tennessee roster vs. Texas roster, her resources would go farther here than Texas. But, that seems to not really be a factor for players today .... connections and how comfortable they feel (which are important). Either way it sounds like she will be wearing some kind of orange. Fingers Crossed!
That is why some fans are worried. I, for one, just don't understand it. We still have a lot to offer recruits.
At the end of the day these girls are like everyone else now, they want to go with a Champion and the Lady Vols have not had a championship in about 8 years. With the success that is anticipated with the return of Russell and addition of DeShields, the LVs have a great opportunity to turn some recruits heads, if not with the 2016 class then with the 2017 & 18 classes. They all know Tennessee, they just want to know they can win at Tennessee instead of thinking I am going to Tennessee to help them get to the final four and win it all.
People say things like "well Holly can't force them to come here" which is true as far as it goes. But it is also true that she is responsible for convincing them to come here. That is part of the job. Pat wasn't allowed to round them up with a shotgun either. Holly will be held to the same standard as every other coach. Either she gets it done or you go out and find someone who can. That is the way it works. There are no mulligans. There is no throwing up your hands and saying "well that is just how the cookie crumbled."
The UT coach gets paid lots of money and results are expected. If we let a position get understocked with talent then there is really no excuse for it and it falls on the head coach.
This is our make or break year. We have the talent to at least make the Final Four. We have a Diamond, and for at least this year we will have a proper setting for her. Next year we will be too thin in the post to expect much. So we risk squandering the years we have with Diamond by not having the proper mix around her. It should not have come to this at a place with UT's support and resources. That is the long and short of it.
Hopefully we kick some ass this year and recruiting will get a little easier.
They won't do that though. If Holly makes it to a Sweet 16 most years the administration will be happy. Women's basketball loses money. Even when it was winning NC's it lost money. It doesn't pay any grocery bills. There is no incentive for them to go out and get the best coach they can find.
Then UCONN would be on Holmes final list... it's not. Texas hasn't been to a final four since??? Elite 8 since???
Wasn't UT packing a big arena for most home games for many years when PS was coach--and yet the program was losing money? That's hard to believe. I thought our women's program made money. Even now we must draw more fans than 95 percent of the women's programs in the country, which would mean that everybody else is losing considerable money. I would hope that the administration would never be happy with Sweet 16s--that would mean accepting a demonstrably lower standard than we have for 30 years.
Wasn't UT packing a big arena for most home games for many years when PS was coach--and yet the program was losing money? That's hard to believe. I thought our women's program made money. Even now we must draw more fans than 95 percent of the women's programs in the country, which would mean that everybody else is losing considerable money. I would hope that the administration would never be happy with Sweet 16s--that would mean accepting a demonstrably lower standard than we have for 30 years.