Do Active Women's Basketball Forums Help Recruiting?

[stllvf]

Today, Sept 26, the St. Louis newspaper had a feature article in the sports section on the Missouri women's team. I then googled around the SEC to discern which universities had active message boards life the two the LVs have. random findings - I found that Kentucky picked up a transfer from NC State who averaged a point a game. (latest from their message board in April). Ohio State had a two response on their team this year without Mitchell.

I remember being in that discussion many years ago re PHS and she related attendance, forums, fans as combined positives. Any thoughts from both long-time and recent fans on the value of having a player and family researching possible schools and being able to read a comprehensive (my word with a smile) forum?

 

[mtsuraider06]

Recruits, parents, rival schools, the NCAA, etc all look at what is being said on message boards. They can both help, and hurt recruiting. Families want to see the kind of atmosphere that their daughters are going to be in for four years.

I'm not going to give a name, but yes, message board comments have been used to sway recruits away from Tennessee in the past.

 

[CoryDallasLV]

I know that Christyn Williams family were active on the message boards during her recruitment, and they were very put off by the criticism of Holly and some players on The SUmmiTT message board.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Recruits, parents, rival schools, the NCAA, etc all look at what is being said on message boards. They can both help, and hurt recruiting. Families want to see the kind of atmosphere that their daughters are going to be in for four years.

I'm not going to give a name, but yes, message board comments have been used to sway recruits away from Tennessee in the past.

Are these recent recruits that you’re speaking of ?

 

[Rickster]

I've been saying for the past three years that these forums are now a recruiting battleground. I have no doubt that fans of other teams come to opponents forums disguised as a loyal fan to create controversy and to try to show the university in a bad light.

 

[FrozenLVFan]

I've been saying for the past three years that these forums are now a recruiting battleground. I have no doubt that fans of other teams come to opponents forums disguised as a loyal fan to create controversy and to try to show the university in a bad light.

I think some of the negative comments from "genuine" LV fans could be equally deterring to recruits. Is it better for recruiting to not have an active forum like Kentucky, or to have one where 25% of the comments are "Fahr the HC"?

 

[volnationnj]

The criticism of Holly the past few years doesn't seen to have negatively affected the last two recruiting classes. Could we have done even better ?
It would only be speculation to answer either way.

 

[mtsuraider06]

Are these recent recruits that you’re speaking of ?

Some

 

[mtsuraider06]

The criticism of Holly the past few years doesn't seen to have negatively affected the last two recruiting classes. Could we have done even better ?
It would only be speculation to answer either way.

Criticism of Holly, in part, has been warranted due to the on court results.

However, the level of criticism from our own fans, who both follow WBB and could care less about anything other than football, has been used more times than I care to discuss by other coaches who want to show that Tennessee is in upheaval. Casting a cloud of doubt, whether it being true or not, about a rival coach or university is the norm for some coaches/handlers in recruiting today. It's sad, and it's pathetic, when the only card you have to play comes from casting doubt on another university instead of building up your own school.

 

[mtsuraider06]

I think some of the negative comments from "genuine" LV fans could be equally deterring to recruits. Is it better for recruiting to not have an active forum like Kentucky, or to have one where 25% of the comments are "Fahr the HC"?

Having an active fan base is a double edged sword. On one hand, recruits know they will have a fanbase that follows their careers, who care about them, who cheer for them, and who want the best for them no matter what.

On the other, fans can turn vicious when their perceptions of what the team should be doing doesn't happen. Some recruits don't listen to the outside noise. Others feed off of it and don't want to put themselves in a situation where they are constantly under the microscope.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

So here is another question... if forums hurt recruiting do things or why don’t things like what happened Baylor hurt? I know it’s football but it’s school related ? How about the Mich St situation? Louisville’s situation with their men’s team (which came back on the school then the school passed onto the coach so it seems). The list goes on and on but do you all think that it hurts? I remember Geno going thru his thing (unwarranted touching) and he was able to pull in quite a hall! To be fair nothing ever came of the Geno thing, or his attack on players leaving, or not choosing UConn so he bad mouthed them LOL! Ok ok I’m just having fun but seriously if forums have an effect do you think those things do as well?

 

[gule]

better to have an active forum with both the pros and cons than no forum at all because no one gives a ****

 

[stllvf]

Gule: serious question - do the Fla Gators have a women's basketball fan base? versus "no one gives a ****?

 

[Coach Jumper]

better to have an active forum with both the pros and cons than no forum at all because no one gives a ****

Bingo
gule,

The first thing that hit me when I logged on initially was that VolNation had 36,000 posters.

The analytical part of me went straight to work figuring how many posters we have who follow the LV BB team,, based on how many views that the primary posters ((The "daily" 25-30 posters (e.g..mtsuraider, gule, Rickster, Smallvol, me ...etc) got for each post during periods...As far as I have been able to calculate on my own,,,actual bodies in the seat for for the LVBB Forum : ....In season between 1500-2000+...Off-season around 600-1000...and year round about 300.

This is purely an estimate.
Only Freak knows the true #'s

 

[volnationnj]

Criticism of Holly, in part, has been warranted due to the on court results.

However, the level of criticism from our own fans, who both follow WBB and could care less about anything other than football, has been used more times than I care to discuss by other coaches who want to show that Tennessee is in upheaval. Casting a cloud of doubt, whether it being true or not, about a rival coach or university is the norm for some coaches/handlers in recruiting today. It's sad, and it's pathetic, when the only card you have to play comes from casting doubt on another university instead of building up your own school.

This response falls below your usual well thought out posts.
You said "Criticism of Holly, in part, has been warranted due to on court results".
Who determines what is warranted and what is not ?
And then wouldn't even the "warranted" criticism be used against Holly and the program by these unscrupulous coaches/handlers ? If so, then any criticism of the program would be deleterious to recruiting. Surely you're not advocating a ban on all criticism of the program ?
Finally, it seems as though you've determined that the real culprits are the "pathetic" coaches/handlers who can ONLY cast aspersions (true or not) about other programs. Does this really work ?
Can only degrading your competition ("one card"), without boosting your own program, really sway a recruit to want to be coached by the perpetrator of such obvious tactics ?

 

[gule]

you are taking this way too seriously. vnj

 

[volnationnj]

you are taking this way too seriously. vnj

You may be right. I probably should ease up.

 

[LadyVol1908]

You may be right. I probably should ease up.

Definitely ease up! Most of your post was rambling trying to use big words to make some type of point to Raiders post! It was hilarious to read honestly. You can tell you tried really hard!

 

[volnationnj]

Definitely ease up! Most of your post was rambling trying to use big words to make some type of point to Raiders post! It was hilarious to read honestly. You can tell you tried really hard!

I'm glad you found my post enjoyable. In an effort to make them even better in the future, I will endeavor to limit my choice of words to 2 syllables or less. I wouldn't want to confuse you any further by using "big words".

 

[LadyVol1908]

I'm glad you found my post enjoyable. In an effort to make them even better in the future, I will endeavor to limit my choice of words to 2 syllables or less. I wouldn't want to confuse you any further by using "big words".

Didn’t say anything about confusion love, it was just funny!

 

[volnationnj]

Didn’t say anything about confusion love, it was just funny!

I'm happy I was able to entertain you. Since you mentioned "big words" in your response to my post, I thought you might have been confused by them. If not, we good.
I just wanted to make it easier for you to understand my future postings.

 

[Coach Jumper]

I'm glad you found my post enjoyable. In an effort to make them even better in the future, I will endeavor to limit my choice of words to 2 syllables or less. I wouldn't want to confuse you any further by using "big words".

are you deleterious? ,,I mean, serious?

 

[volnationnj]

are you deleterious? ,,I mean, serious?

Of course I am. I'm following Gule's advice and I'm easing up !!

 

[gule]

I don't even follow my advise. You better just trust your instincts!

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Very interesting I visited the Boneyard for the first time becuz someone on here said the BY was posting that she was a TN/SC lean and I wanted to read what they had to say...

Well as I posted before they are already saying that if Horston chooses anywhere other than UConn she won’t reach her potential nor blah blah blah... so that made me think if Horstons mom really is intune with what people say what will she think of some of the fan base already downing her daughters potential if not signing with UConn. Also what does/if anything she think of Geno bashing players that have either left or decided not to sign with them?

Finally I clicked on a post and they are STILL talking /bashing Andra Espinoza-Hunter and transferring/leaving when they all said she quit on her teammates. It made me think sometimes the BY and this forum aren’t so different both forget that these players are still maturing and make some mistakes and dog the players out.

To be fair Espinoza Hunter seemingly put up a tweet that said something like “ if ya can’t beat them... join them” but it seemed to be in response to Geno’s tirade about not wanting here there and that she basically was forced to leave.