Barnes staying is huge, HUGE. I think UCLA & our ridiculous media attention from "VolTwitter" drove the rumors more than anything. I am positive Barnes & Fulmer didn't want/or leak anything while still in discussion. In short all the complaints about how he went about it are pointless, Barnes & Phil both were tight lipped and any leaks/speculation was not coming from them in anyway. Barnes was approached by UCLA (since he doesn't have an agent) and then took the time to talk things over at length with Phil. I don't know how serious he was about taking the job, but it's very obvious to me now more than ever that he really loves being our coach.
Harper is a solid hire, she checked all the boxes that Phil & co wanted to check. I think she was a top 3 candidate from the beginning. And people act like she was absolutely awful at NC State, which simply isn't the case. She was 70-64, went 20-14, 14-17, 19-16, 17-17. I think NC State let her go a little too quickly, but they found a great replacement in Wes Moore. I'm glad she had that experience though should make her a better coach. She's probably not the best they could have got, but she may be the best thing for the Lady Vols. We'll see if she can turn the corner with better facilities/talent.
Grant's about to go down as a VFL legend when he announces his return for one more year, I hope it entices Bone to return as well if he does't get a first round evaluation.
