2024 Target List

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Man, I get that we love our former assistants, but none that I can think of right now deserve a HC position at a top SEC bball school (I may be forgetting someone - let me know). If they weren't former UT assistants, I'd bet their names would never come up when considering a replacement for Barnes.

We're most likely not going to have another future HOF coach land in our laps like Barnes, but more likely a very successful mid-major coach with an established pattern of winning. Something more along the lines of 5+ consecutive years of finishing top-3 in a mid-major conference. I'm speaking pretty generally, and there are other nuances as well. I'm also not trying to put words in anyone's mouth, but does a HC candidate with two years of experience finishing in 9th and 5th place in the A10 sound like the kind of guy that should be leading UT bball? Maybe Barnes is here for five more years, and maybe English tears it up in the Big East within that time, but I'd bet that both of those things happening is pretty unlikely.

I like the potential upside with English and Schwartz. But I agree about wanting to see the résumés of the former assistants enhanced before making those hires right now.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Maybe Bobby Maze will be the next coach

 

[VolFreakJosh]

I like English but I don’t think he’s proved enough to take on an SEC level job.

If we were to struck out on potential targets then I’d guess he’d make an excellent back up option.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I think that the next coach needs to be a recruiter more than an Xs and Os coach. I believe that the talent is more important in the SEC. A mid-major can scheme around less talent - maybe pull off a few upsets. But to stay at the top of the SEC the roster needs to remain at a very high level. Therefore, unless English can’t out recruit in the NIL era, he should be a good replacement.

Both a recruiter and a better bench coach than the opponents would be great, but probably not realistic. Especially with TX and OK being added.

 

[Abvolsfan92]

any new news on our 24 prospects. What's going on with Nowell and Swartz

 

[TrippieRedd]

any new news on our 24 prospects. What's going on with Nowell and Swartz

Just made top 8 for Del Jones

Would also be a nice pickup

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Removed Givens as he released a list with no UT, added some “Top Lists” that have included Tennessee

Updated…

#21 Isaiah Abraham
#16 Cam Scott-UOV
#23 Somtochukwu Cyril-UOV
#24 VJ Edgecombe
#26 Marcus Allen
#35 Jalen Shelley
#51 Ahmad Nowell-OV Taken
#54 Austin Swartz-UOVx2
#58 Rakease Passmore-UOV
#67 Tyler McKinley-OV scheduled, Top 7
#70 Chase McCarty-UOV
#73 Pharaoh Compton
#77 Derrion Reid-UOV
#86 Jayden Williams-UOVx2
#88 Del Jones -UOV, Top 8
#94 Jordan McCullum
#95 Jasheem Felton
#112 Doryan Onwuchekwa
NR Jaye Nash

 

[bleedingTNorange]

It’s going to be a small fall class and so you know Barnes and staff will keep their target list small, imo…Ahmad Nowell & Austin Swartz top the wish list, they’ll continue to watch guys and maybe push another name or 2 up the board through summer, McKinley/McCarty/Reid seem like possibilities.

 

[Willy14]

It’s going to be a small fall class and so you know Barnes and staff will keep their target list small, imo…Ahmad Nowell & Austin Swartz top the wish list, they’ll continue to watch guys and maybe push another name or 2 up the board through summer, McKinley/McCarty/Reid seem like possibilities.

I guess since JJJ will be a walk on, we will have 3 open scholarships due to seniors. Which I always assume 1-2 transfer/nba decision that I didn't expect. So we are looking at roughly 4-5 open scholarships for next year I'm assuming? Could take 2 in the fall, 1 in the spring and then maybe 2 from the portal. Its hard to predict with the college landscape now with the immediate transfer portal and NIL.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I guess since JJJ will be a walk on, we will have 3 open scholarships due to seniors. Which I always assume 1-2 transfer/nba decision that I didn't expect. So we are looking at roughly 4-5 open scholarships for next year I'm assuming? Could take 2 in the fall, 1 in the spring and then maybe 2 from the portal. Its hard to predict with the college landscape now with the immediate transfer portal and NIL.

What 3? Vescovi and Knecht are the only 2 that will be out of eligibility, and as you said JJJ is a walk-on so that won’t free up a spot. Ledlum is a senior but has a COVID year so he could or could not elect to return for another year. Nobody on the roster, at least to my knowledge, is coming in thinking 1 and done so I don’t think like with Phillips or Chandler etc that someone is more likely NBA bound than not.

Essentially you know of at least 2 scholarships coming open, as you mentioned transfers are always a thing but when you look at this year we could’ve had zero transfers if that’s what we wanted. I would expect the fall class to be 2, 3 signees max as of today, and then reevaluate as they head into spring.

 

[Willy14]

What 3? Vescovi and Knecht are the only 2 that will be out of eligibility, and as you said JJJ is a walk-on so that won’t free up a spot. Ledlum is a senior but has a COVID year so he could or could not elect to return for another year. Nobody on the roster, at least to my knowledge, is coming in thinking 1 and done so I don’t think like with Phillips or Chandler etc that someone is more likely NBA bound than not.

Essentially you know of at least 2 scholarships coming open, as you mentioned transfers are always a thing but when you look at this year we could’ve had zero transfers if that’s what we wanted. I would expect the fall class to be 2, 3 signees max as of today, and then reevaluate as they head into spring.

I forgot that Ledlum has a COVID year, I was thinking that this was his COVID year.

Yeah, that definitely makes sense. I see what you're saying about this class not really having a player coming in thinking 1 and done. Our highest rated guy was Dillione and he came in early to redshirt so I doubt he is thinking one and done like you said.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Had not heard about OV rule change but according to VQ a new rule doesn’t allow OV’s as a junior and senior to the same school. So in the past you could bring in a guy say June/July as a junior and then bring hun back for a football weekend like September/October as a senior heading into the sighing period. Now you can’t. According to VQ Tennessee had junior visits for Swartz & McCarty set up but are pushing those back to senior year calendar. Bigger issue is that kids weren’t grandfathered in, so Ahmad Nowell who OV’d as a junior now can not OV as a senior.

 

[cncchris33]

Had not heard about OV rule change but according to VQ a new rule doesn’t allow OV’s as a junior and senior to the same school. So in the past you could bring in a guy say June/July as a junior and then bring hun back for a football weekend like September/October as a senior heading into the sighing period. Now you can’t. According to VQ Tennessee had junior visits for Swartz & McCarty set up but are pushing those back to senior year calendar. Bigger issue is that kids weren’t grandfathered in, so Ahmad Nowell who OV’d as a junior now can not OV as a senior.

What a garbage rule change, especially not to make exceptions for kids that already OV’d as juniors. Even dumber in light of the fact that they recently loosened the rule on the number of OVs you can take from a limit of 5 to an unlimited number, which I’m sure is perhaps at the heart of this change. I’m all for restricting it to 1 OV per school, per year, but this rule change seems to fly in the face of all of the recent changes they’ve made.

 

[Willy14]

Had not heard about OV rule change but according to VQ a new rule doesn’t allow OV’s as a junior and senior to the same school. So in the past you could bring in a guy say June/July as a junior and then bring hun back for a football weekend like September/October as a senior heading into the sighing period. Now you can’t. According to VQ Tennessee had junior visits for Swartz & McCarty set up but are pushing those back to senior year calendar. Bigger issue is that kids weren’t grandfathered in, so Ahmad Nowell who OV’d as a junior now can not OV as a senior.

Thats honestly quite ridiculous.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Really like Del Jones

 

[Vol49er]

So besides the coaches being able to pay for travel to the school for the OVs, what is the functional difference between an OV and UV?

 

[cncchris33]

So besides the coaches being able to pay for travel to the school for the OVs, what is the functional difference between an OV and UV?

Funding really is the main functional difference. All expenses paid for OVs. All expenses come at the cost of the recruit for UOVs. Now, whether anyone believes the kids traveling from California to Tennessee for UOVs 2-3 times a year are fitting that bill, entirely, well…that’s probably a head in the sand perspective.

Aside from that, the OVs are oftentimes tailored to each recruit based on their interests/major/etc. where UOVs are more general around certain activities like games or practices, campus touring, group activities (like the scavenger hunt this past weekend).

 

[bleedingTNorange]

What a garbage rule change, especially not to make exceptions for kids that already OV’d as juniors. Even dumber in light of the fact that they recently loosened the rule on the number of OVs you can take from a limit of 5 to an unlimited number, which I’m sure is perhaps at the heart of this change. I’m all for restricting it to 1 OV per school, per year, but this rule change seems to fly in the face of all of the recent changes they’ve made.

Yup, sucks and is dumb, will be something worth tracking this cycle though as guys take junior year visits and seeing where guys go like Nowell that’s visited here.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Had not heard about OV rule change but according to VQ a new rule doesn’t allow OV’s as a junior and senior to the same school. So in the past you could bring in a guy say June/July as a junior and then bring hun back for a football weekend like September/October as a senior heading into the sighing period. Now you can’t. According to VQ Tennessee had junior visits for Swartz & McCarty set up but are pushing those back to senior year calendar. Bigger issue is that kids weren’t grandfathered in, so Ahmad Nowell who OV’d as a junior now can not OV as a senior.

I don’t get that rule change. Seems an incredibly silly, and it makes junior year official visits literally pointless. What coach is going to waste an official visit early on in the process? But, of course, no one has ever accused the NCAA of being sensible.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I don’t get that rule change. Seems an incredibly silly, and it makes junior year official visits literally pointless. What coach is going to waste an official visit early on in the process? But, of course, no one has ever accused the NCAA of being sensible.

I guess with hopes the kids is close to a decision, but you better be damn sure if you’re using it.

 

[Volfan1000]

I think that the next coach needs to be a recruiter more than an Xs and Os coach. I believe that the talent is more important in the SEC. A mid-major can scheme around less talent - maybe pull off a few upsets. But to stay at the top of the SEC the roster needs to remain at a very high level. Therefore, unless English can’t out recruit in the NIL era, he should be a good replacement.

Both a recruiter and a better bench coach than the opponents would be great, but probably not realistic. Especially with TX and OK being added.

White's background is in basketball and he will make a solid hire whenever the Deacon decides to retire from the pulpit.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I guess with hopes the kids is close to a decision, but you better be damn sure if you’re using it.

Basketball is different culturally than football, but just look at the kids that commit their junior year off an official visit and then continue to take visits into their senior year and flip. Happens all the time. If you’re using your official visit in a recruits junior year visit, you’re basically leaving yourself defenseless if they decide they committed too early and you now have no way to counter “legally.”

I hate this rule change, but it is what it is just have to adapt.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Basketball is different culturally than football, but just look at the kids that commit their junior year off an official visit and then continue to take visits into their senior year and flip. Happens all the time. If you’re using your official visit in a recruits junior year visit, you’re basically leaving yourself defenseless if they decide they committed too early and you now have no way to counter “legally.”

I hate this rule change, but it is what it is just have to adapt.

As you said apples to oranges with basketball and football, you rarely see basketball decommits that aren’t coaching change related or the school dropping them. For whatever reason when kids commit in basketball for the most part schools stay away, complete opposite with football.

 

[therickbol]

Basketball is different culturally than football, but just look at the kids that commit their junior year off an official visit and then continue to take visits into their senior year and flip. Happens all the time. If you’re using your official visit in a recruits junior year visit, you’re basically leaving yourself defenseless if they decide they committed too early and you now have no way to counter “legally.”

I hate this rule change, but it is what it is just have to adapt.

As you said apples to oranges with basketball and football, you rarely see basketball decommits that aren’t coaching change related or the school dropping them. For whatever reason when kids commit in basketball for the most part schools stay away, complete opposite with football.

You guys both just said completely opposite things. Which one is more accurate? Common for basketball commits to flip as seniors or no?

 

[TheMookieMonster]

You guys both just said completely opposite things. Which one is more accurate? Common for basketball commits to flip as seniors or no?

No, we said the same thing. Basketball commits rarely flip once they commit. That’s what I meant by culturally different. I’m just posing the question of what happens when this rule change is made. Feels like it opens the door for more flips to happen if you use your OV way too early in the junior year. Like I said, it makes using your visit in their junior year basically pointless if not stupid.