The Key Sisters !

[Amb3096]

Players like Parker, Catchings, Holdsclaw are few and far between but I think all three of our committments will be successful sooner rather than later. I could be wrong but expecting a Freshmen to play like an all-SEC player is expecting a bit much. Also, there is a ton of new things to learn then add on schoolwork on top of that. No wonder it takes the student athlete time to acclimate and learn their position on the team.

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why banking on a player to play position-less basketball as a freshman not with the accolades of Parker et al. is a bit too much. Recruit them for a position they will be strong at, and let them diversify their game as they mature as college players. As it stands, they have recruited excellent players at the SG, SF and PF spot. They still need a PG. Once they have that, they will have filled their roster needs...with our without Key.

 

[Rickster]

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why banking on a player to play position-less basketball as a freshman not with the accolades of Parker et al. is a bit too much. Recruit them for a position they will be strong at, and let them diversify their game as they mature as college players. As it stands, they have recruited excellent players at the SG, SF and PF spot. They still need a PG. Once they have that, they will have filled their roster needs...with our without Key.

Yes to all.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Yes to all.

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why banking on a player to play position-less basketball as a freshman not with the accolades of Parker et al. is a bit too much. Recruit them for a position they will be strong at, and let them diversify their game as they mature as college players. As it stands, they have recruited excellent players at the SG, SF and PF spot. They still need a PG. Once they have that, they will have filled their roster needs...with our without Key.

I am hearing the interest between Kayla and the program is growing.

 

[GameTime]

I just am curious as to why you feel that way. Not judging. Just seeing if you picked up something I may have missed out on. You could be totally correct I have no clue which way this will go.

If she chooses us I will be over the moon if she doesn’t I think we will survive and wish her all the best.

Just got back from long drive...My dogs, and me, needed to get out for awhile...Now, to answer your question....

First, Teonni appears to be a very sweet girl, however there has to be some unseen reason she has not committed to come here....She attended many games with her mom, and appears very close with her sister...She knows what the Lady Vols are all about....There are no LV secrets she is not aware of.

My gut feeling is she may want to be her own person, not the little sister, at some unnamed university....Kentucky seems to be a place she may find interesting....

I do hope she comes here to play ball and gets a great education too...She will be a wonderful asset wherever she goes.

This high release is not being blocked....And she also shoots a mean demon ball....

 

[krichunaka]

I'm not saying that Key isn't good, but Tennessee will likely be much less attractive to Sara if Key commits also. I think it will be hard to keep both happy when either are good enough to be starting players at most SEC schools.

This is a fascinating discussion. I’m not privy to anything beyond this forum, plus a few (or few hundred) videos, so just watching and reading. So, OMO:

Teonni Key is a Very High-Ceiling player. Playing time for her is simply ...up to her. She goes straight vertical to block shots, rebounds like crazy. She shoots from anywhere and everywhere. She can handle. She’s just so balanced! And competitive! If we add her to this class, we are really good.

My concern was more whether Marta might influence Sara’s decision. Didn’t happen. Makes me very happy! In fact, I’ve simply been too ecstatic to comment about the pretty lady from Muscle Shoals. Her Range and Handle are SEC Ready. And she and Striplin both appear quite strong, especially for what, 17-year-olds?

Folks, just a couple weeks ago, someone or some we’re suggesting that Coach Kellie get a new Recruiting Coordinator. Now, we’re on the verge of signing one of the top classes nationwide. Plus, we have Miss Kaiya Wynn! Could there be a more impressive family on earth? The athleticism, length, diversity of this class is promising. We’ve received commitments from a couple players who were highly sought by top ten programs and recruiting masters.

This playing time concern is reasonable, I suppose. But, Coach Kellie will soon (this upcoming season and beyond) demonstrate the method to the madness. When everyone plays hard enough, there are worse consequences than a few minutes rest.

 

[djtee]

Just got back from long drive...My dogs, and me, needed to get out for awhile...Now, to answer your question....

First, Teonni appears to be a very sweet girl, however there has to be some unseen reason she has not committed to come here....She attended many games with her mom, and appears very close with her sister...She knows what the Lady Vols are all about....There are no LV secrets she is not aware of.

My gut feeling is she may want to be her own person, not the little sister, at some unnamed university....Kentucky seems to be a place she may find interesting....

I do hope she comes here to play ball and gets a great education too...She will be a wonderful asset wherever she goes.

This high release is not being blocked....And she also shoots a mean demon ball....

I agree also a matchup problem for any team.

 

[Hoosier]

My gut feeling is she may want to be her own person, not the little sister, at some unnamed university

hmmmmm, wonder if setting Teonni Key up with a little chat with Ally Shipman would help with that angle?

 

[GameTime]

hmmmmm, wonder if setting Teonni Key up with a little chat with Ally Shipman would help with that angle?

When Ally arrived on campus, Madison was already gone....Similar circumstances, but not the same....But they are both "killers"....

"Forget about it"....

Who needs to start, or even play....Shrout, don't lose that girl!

 

[Volfan2012]

Just got back from long drive...My dogs, and me, needed to get out for awhile...Now, to answer your question....

First, Teonni appears to be a very sweet girl, however there has to be some unseen reason she has not committed to come here....She attended many games with her mom, and appears very close with her sister...She knows what the Lady Vols are all about....There are no LV secrets she is not aware of.

My gut feeling is she may want to be her own person, not the little sister, at some unnamed university....Kentucky seems to be a place she may find interesting....

I do hope she comes here to play ball and gets a great education too...She will be a wonderful asset wherever she goes.

This high release is not being blocked....And she also shoots a mean demon ball....

Going to be painful if she commits somewhere else, but like players we haven't gotten in the past we'll move on. Teonni potential is a possibility to be the best player in college basketball by her junior season. She has an amazing basketball body and as her skills develop and speed of the game gets better she will be a hard player to contain. If not Tennessee you would like to see her leave the SEC. We don't need to see her put up thirty on us. I like the way she has went about choosing a team very careful and deliberate so whomever she chooses will be a lucky team cause she will be 100 percent committed to their success.

 

[Orange Maniac]

Teonni will commit whenever she is ready. I don't understand all the angst because she hasn't committed somewhere yet. Her mom seems like a pretty smart cookie to me and I think she is doing everything the right way with her girls. I want her to be a Lady Vol because number one, I think she will be a good player and number two, I think she will represent the Lady Vols with class and dignity like her sister. We need to keep the team GPA up at a high level and keep the 100% graduation record intact. The Lady Vols have all the support they need to excel on the floor and in the classroom. There is a special bond with true Lady Vols players as well as fans. I think we would be a good choice for her but if not, I'm sure she will excel wherever she ends up but she would look better in orange and white with just a touch of baby blue.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

When Ally arrived on campus, Madison was already gone....Similar circumstances, but not the same....But they are both "killers"....

"Forget about it"....

Who needs to start, or even play....Shrout, don't lose that girl!

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Um, Madison married Kyle Sanders, and I believe they now have a son. Not positive, but I believe Madison was graduate assistant when her sister came to play. Either way, lovely ladies.

 

[GameTime]

Madison went into the ESPN booth in 2018...She had not been a GA for Tennessee for several years prior to that....Ally came to UT in 2019....

Beauty walks a razor's edge...

 

[Lucy]

Just got back from long drive...My dogs, and me, needed to get out for awhile...Now, to answer your question....

First, Teonni appears to be a very sweet girl, however there has to be some unseen reason she has not committed to come here....She attended many games with her mom, and appears very close with her sister...She knows what the Lady Vols are all about....There are no LV secrets she is not aware of.

My gut feeling is she may want to be her own person, not the little sister, at some unnamed university....Kentucky seems to be a place she may find interesting....

I do hope she comes here to play ball and gets a great education too...She will be a wonderful asset wherever she goes.

This high release is not being blocked....And she also shoots a mean demon ball....

Hey GT,
For some reason you have been on my mind the last couple of days. Hope you are doing well and really hope this young lady decides to be a lady vol!!

 

[Hoosier]

When Ally arrived on campus, Madison was already gone....Similar circumstances, but not the same

True, but remember that Ally was a Lady Vol commit way back before Madison graduated, not to mention that her big sister left huge shoes to fill, so not all that different ---- oh, and Maddie is frequently around now as a broadcaster, so any shadow is still there ---- Ally is confident and fearless!

 

[krichunaka]

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why banking on a player to play position-less basketball as a freshman not with the accolades of Parker et al. is a bit too much. Recruit them for a position they will be strong at, and let them diversify their game as they mature as college players. As it stands, they have recruited excellent players at the SG, SF and PF spot. They still need a PG. Once they have that, they will have filled their roster needs...with our without Key.

Very good analysis. I don't expect any of them to take over games offensively and defensively first time out, but rather than "position-less" we could state that our small forward/wing (name your player/position) can be effective ...court-wide. It's redundant to say we're getting players with length, range, etc., but the philosophy is obvious: She can drive; she can shoot (from anywhere); she can rebound; SHE CAN PASS! Every one of Kellie's recruits has these multi-dimensional skills.

Marta stated that Coach Kellie plans to "move her around." Larry Bird was a small forward. K. C. Jones moved him around. A lot. I'm not suggesting we have Larry, or Magic, or Lebron. But for instance, being a "shooting guard," should not be pigeon-holed to mean, standing on the right wing or in the right corner waiting for the open shot.

Thus, Defense will factor heavily into determining playing time, a trait that freshmen aren't famous for. But, be of good cheer: One of the attractions of pre-pro Michael Jordan was his Defense, of which I think he later won numerous awards. But, his first couple seasons on the other team's end of the court were humbling, if not at times, embarrassing, and things sure worked out alright for him. Teonni Key has so much defensive presence. Some of it, innate, but it appears that she's invested greatly in that part of her game.

 

[GameTime]

Very good analysis. I don't expect any of them to take over games offensively and defensively first time out, but rather than "position-less" we could state that our small forward/wing (name your player/position) can be effective ...court-wide. It's redundant to say we're getting players with length, range, etc., but the philosophy is obvious: She can drive; she can shoot (from anywhere); she can rebound; SHE CAN PASS! Every one of Kellie's recruits has these multi-dimensional skills.

Marta stated that Coach Kellie plans to "move her around." Larry Bird was a small forward. K. C. Jones moved him around. A lot. I'm not suggesting we have Larry, or Magic, or Lebron. But for instance, being a "shooting guard," should not be pigeon-holed to mean, standing on the right wing or in the right corner waiting for the open shot.

Thus, Defense will factor heavily into determining playing time, a trait that freshmen aren't famous for. But, be of good cheer: One of the attractions of pre-pro Michael Jordan was his Defense, of which I think he later won numerous awards. But, his first couple seasons on the other team's end of the court were humbling, if not at times, embarrassing, and things sure worked out alright for him. Teonni Key has so much defensive presence. Some of it, innate, but it appears that she's invested greatly in that part of her game.

Nice post Krich....

On a personal, note I want scorers out there...The teams that are winning it all these days are teams that are efficient at putting the ball through the iron hoop quite often....Get all the offensive talent you can and figure out the rest at practice....

And yes, Teonni would be a big piece to the puzzle of bringing the LV brand back to national prominence again...So sick of hearing about UConn and now South Carolina, as the dominant forces in the women's college basketball game...

 

[Coach Jumper]

Nice post Krich....

On a personal, note I want scorers out there...The teams that are winning it all these days are teams that are efficient at putting the ball through the iron hoop quite often....Get all the offensive talent you can and figure out the rest at practice....

And yes, Teonni would be a big piece to the puzzle of bringing the LV brand back to national prominence again...So sick of hearing about UConn and now South Carolina, as the dominant forces in the women's college basketball game...

me too GT ,,,sounds like a reality TV series.. "Connies and Cocks"

 

[Volfan2012]

I'm not saying that Key isn't good, but Tennessee will likely be much less attractive to Sara if Key commits also. I think it will be hard to keep both happy when either are good enough to be starting players at most SEC schools.

I'm totally afraid that one of those three unknown commitments to SC is Key. That being said if Key were to commit to Tennessee that wouldn't affect Puckett at all. Puckett is the ultimate team player and she will be a Lady Vol regardless of what Key does. Now the commit of Puckett may make Key think about another option we'll see. We could see Key at the three and Puckett playing some stretch four and three. We do look to have a lot of perimeter players, but instead of 120 minutes may have to go something like 135 as Puckett and maybe even Suarez are on the floor at the four for some of their minutes. With this type of versatile players coming in I don't want to name names but I can see some present roster players getting limited minutes very quickly as soon as they arrive.

 

[Rickster]

Both can play wing or post. Should not be a one or the other situation. I know fans of other schools would love to see Key go someplace else but I personally don't think she will. It will be a great competitive advantage to get both Key and Puckett on the floor at the same time. Regardless, whether we sign another big or not, this is a strong class. No getting around that. Star ratings or position numbers are not the only considerations as many of you have pointed out. We need a PG. I believe Rae is the only Junior so next recruiting cycle is potentially large based on who is leaving.

 

[Hooper22]

I'm totally afraid that one of those three unknown commitments to SC is Key. That being said if Key were to commit to Tennessee that wouldn't affect Puckett at all. Puckett is the ultimate team player and she will be a Lady Vol regardless of what Key does. Now the commit of Puckett may make Key think about another option we'll see. We could see Key at the three and Puckett playing some stretch four and three. We do look to have a lot of perimeter players, but instead of 120 minutes may have to go something like 135 as Puckett and maybe even Suarez are on the floor at the four for some of their minutes. With this type of versatile players coming in I don't want to name names but I can see some present roster players getting limited minutes very quickly as soon as they arrive.

I am 99.9% positive the 4 players for SC are Rivers, Hall, Feagin and Johnson. I do believe Key will be a Lady Vol.

 

[Volfan2012]

I am 99.9% positive the 4 players for SC are Rivers, Hall, Feagin and Johnson. I do believe Key will be a Lady Vol.

I chose those four as well and hope we are right Key needs to be a Lady Vol.

 

[superfly]

I am 99.9% positive the 4 players for SC are Rivers, Hall, Feagin and Johnson. I do believe Key will be a Lady Vol.

Johnson would be a surprise. I think Dawn has enough guards and another wing player would make more sense. I think either Key or Hollingshead would make more sense....but...I have been wrong many times in my life.

 

[Volfan2012]

Until all four SC commits are known plenty of worry for Tennessee about Key.

 

[sisaq]

Until all four SC commits are known plenty of worry for Tennessee about Key.

Key is committed to V ....