2026 recruiting

#928
#928
lfvol said:
Really happy with Coach Kim’s progress. But your “second to none in high school recruiting“ is wishful thinking given we haven’t pulled a top talent. A few posts above the SC fan is sharing optimism they may lead for 1 and 2 in the class, girls we’ve offered. The next level is adding a top five player at least every couple of years not just having a big class of quality players ranked 10-40. We have a quality roster now so you move the needle by landing stars.
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Was second to none in 2025 and also second to none in the portal 2025. Don't know what is happening in 2026 but in 2025 we were second to none.
 
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#929
#929
lfvol said:
Really happy with Coach Kim’s progress. But your “second to none in high school recruiting“ is wishful thinking given we haven’t pulled a top talent. A few posts above the SC fan is sharing optimism they may lead for 1 and 2 in the class, girls we’ve offered. The next level is adding a top five player at least every couple of years not just having a big class of quality players ranked 10-40. We have a quality roster now so you move the needle by landing stars.
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I expect our strategy will be selectively picking from the top 10-40 ranked players from high school and adding a couple stars from the portal. There's just too much risk in spending your entire budget on a top 5 player, then spending thousands of priceless hours on her development, then she transfers after year 2 for more money. Let's be the thief in this scenario, not the victim.

Plus, we need to stretch our budget to keep 12 highly ranked players at all times. We can't and shouldn't pursue the Big 3 model. We are the anti-Big 3 model if this system is going to work.
 
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#930
#930
37620VOL said:
I expect our strategy will be selectively picking from the top 10-40 ranked players from high school and adding a couple stars from the portal. There's just too much risk in spending your entire budget on a top 5 player, then spending thousands of priceless hours on her development, then she transfers after year 2 for more money. Let's be the thief in this scenario, not the victim.

Plus, we need to stretch our budget to keep 12 highly ranked players at all times. We can't and shouldn't pursue the Big 3 model. We are the anti-Big 3 model if this system is going to work.
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Exactly it is a new system high school is only part of it. Plus rankings are all over the place depending on which service you want to believe. We already have four players on the team that were ranked top ten in their class and every player except Latham Robertson and Wynn are top 50 ranked players. The way Robertson and Latham are looking I will take all these unranked top 50 players I can get.

What were really needing now is post players in 2026 we have the perimeter player for several years to come if they stay here. Only Latham returns in the post.
 
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#931
#931
I’ll go ahead and reveal the details through factual information.
Hoopgurlz 2021- 2025 Player Rankings:

South Carolina: # 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15,17, 25, 28.
Texas: # 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 12, 14, 25, 38.
LSU: # 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 24, 26, 32.
Tennessee: #3, 7, 9, 15, 17, 18, 20, 30, 34.

Coach Caldwell and Coach Lazo were the best recruiters in the SEC & WCBB in 2024-2025. Tennessee roster is not ways behind any team in the SEC.
 
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#932
#932
KnoxLikeUs said:
I agree. I’m not going to speculate much on the 2026 class like others tends to, I’ll say that the LVs recruiting is top tier and second to none.
A lot of players you here are possibly heading elsewhere will end up in that Summitt Blue. Just like Jaida Civil and Deniya Prawl. The Pauldo twins were also a surprise commitment and we’ve already seen early this summer the twins are SEC ready w/ Mia Pauldo looking incredible in practice sessions. Lauren Hurst is looking poised to represent her home state!
Coach Caldwell gets the elite players she wants and has been the top recruiter in the SEC since coming to Tennessee which was only over a year ago in April 2024.
It really hasn’t even been close either. #1 transfer portal and #1/#2 high school classes.
GBO🍊.
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She is relentless. In CHRIST Alone
 
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#939
#939
mcannon1 said:
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Tennessee: “I went on a visit with them a couple weeks ago after getting offered. It’s amazing – the history behind it just speaks for itself. I know if I do pick to go there, I know I’ll definitely be in great hands of also going to the next level and with their playing style. I love the coach. Coach Kim [Caldwell] was amazing. One thing I liked about her, she’s not going to stop you or limit you from being a great player. If you can play, you can play. So that’s what stands out for me.”
 
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#941
#941
37620VOL said:
I expect our strategy will be selectively picking from the top 10-40 ranked players from high school and adding a couple stars from the portal. There's just too much risk in spending your entire budget on a top 5 player, then spending thousands of priceless hours on her development, then she transfers after year 2 for more money. Let's be the thief in this scenario, not the victim.

Plus, we need to stretch our budget to keep 12 highly ranked players at all times. We can't and shouldn't pursue the Big 3 model. We are the anti-Big 3 model if this system is going to work.
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Great post. The top 5 to10 recruits in every sport seem to be asking for extraordinary amounts of NIL money, sometimes exponentially higher than the next group of players. Our system needs quality depth rather than spending almost all our NIL money on a few players. This doesn't mean we will never get a top 10 player (we just did), but there are limits to getting in a bidding war with a Texas or top NIL school who might just aim to have 3 great players and the rest support players. They will be able to offer more given that model of building a team. I really like the way we are recruiting. I don't know what we have offered but from persistent and consistent rumors that top three Chavez was asking for a boatload of NIL, I much rather to have three of our recruits than one Chavez.
 
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#942
#942
mcannon1 said:
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I am not finding Gabby anywhere in the top 100 2026 recruits per Hoopgurlz. That doesn't mean we shouldn't go after her, as I really trust our coaching staff. It is just interesting in that she is quite different from all the other recruits we have been pursuing in terms of national recognition. The other teams pursuing her are 2nd tier WBB programs in recent years with the possible exception of Baylor.
 
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#943
#943
LV renaissance said:
Great post. The top 5 to10 recruits in every sport seem to be asking for extraordinary amounts of NIL money, sometimes exponentially higher than the next group of players. Our system needs quality depth rather than spending almost all our NIL money on a few players. This doesn't mean we will never get a top 10 player (we just did), but there are limits to getting in a bidding war with a Texas or top NIL school who might just aim to have 3 great players and the rest support players. They will be able to offer more given that model of building a team. I really like the way we are recruiting. I don't know what we have offered but from persistent and consistent rumors that top three Chavez was asking for a boatload of NIL, I much rather to have three of our recruits than one Chavez.
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DITTO
 
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#944
#944
LV renaissance said:
I am not finding Gabby anywhere in the top 100 2026 recruits per Hoopgurlz. That doesn't mean we shouldn't go after her, as I really trust our coaching staff. It is just interesting in that she is quite different from all the other recruits we have been pursuing in terms of national recognition. The other teams pursuing her are 2nd tier WBB programs in recent years with the possible exception of Baylor.
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She’s ranked #43. Her full name is Gabrieal Minus.

2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 - ESPN
 
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#945
#945
LV renaissance said:
I am not finding Gabby anywhere in the top 100 2026 recruits per Hoopgurlz. That doesn't mean we shouldn't go after her, as I really trust our coaching staff. It is just interesting in that she is quite different from all the other recruits we have been pursuing in terms of national recognition. The other teams pursuing her are 2nd tier WBB programs in recent years with the possible exception of Baylor.
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I'm with you in trusting our staff on who they recruit. There are (obviously) more factors to consider than just court skills when it comes to program fit.

I sure like everything Gabby Minus said. Seems to me she's pretty smitten with the program and our staff, so I've got a really good feeling about her.

And yes, I know we've had other recruits in the past many of us had similar good feelings about our chances with and then were eventually disappointed, but maybe GM will be different. Hope so!
 
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#947
#947
lvocd said:
I'm with you in trusting our staff on who they recruit. There are (obviously) more factors to consider than just court skills when it comes to program fit.

I sure like everything Gabby Minus said. Seems to me she's pretty smitten with the program and our staff, so I've got a really good feeling about her.

And yes, I know we've had other recruits in the past many of us had similar good feelings about our chances with and then were eventually disappointed, but maybe GM will be different. Hope so!
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They are or were “going after” a few top ten players as well. Hoping we can land one.
 
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