Coach Kellie’s Fundamental Challenge

[vettefool]

But we could typically think a team full of top 50 athletes can make a final four? This is not to be combative by any means. I just wonder if we had a roster full of top 50 kids how it would look? i guess it depends on how they produce on the court.

Didn’t work great for the Vol men’s team this year, so I guess there’s that. In fact I wonder if Baylor or Gonzaga had a lot of top 10 recruits. Nevertheless the Lady Vols have got to get a couple of top recruits IMO.

 

[VOLPAT]

People here don't seem to like to hear it, but recruiting will be the key to getting Tennessee back to contender status. Kellie can improve the program to an extent without necessarily getting the very best recruits, but she needs to start landing some of them to regularly compete for SEC titles and Final Fours.

I’m guessing she knows that.

 

[Volfan2012]

I think Kellie and every coach knows they have to recruit top players to be competitive in the SEC and certainly Nationally. Sometimes coaches have a plan that takes more than two years to achieve. If everyone remembers when Coach Barnes came here it was around his fourth season that he really got it rolling. Same for Dawn at South Carolina and also Vince at Miss St. Fourth year seems to be the standard of getting a program back up and running.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

I think Kellie and every coach knows they have to recruit top players to be competitive in the SEC and certainly Nationally. Sometimes coaches have a plan that takes more than two years to achieve. If everyone remembers when Coach Barnes came here it was around his fourth season that he really got it rolling. Same for Dawn at South Carolina and also Vince at Miss St. Fourth year seems to be the standard of getting a program back up and running.

We also had a pandemic that didn’t allow coaches to get players on campus and that was national wide... The players also couldn’t come to games with large sized crowds which may have put them in awe.

 

[stlvolsfan]

Sophie Cunningham was a top 20 recruit and McD AA. She was legit from the time she started playing for Missouri. As far as UK and Alabama, Holly had as much to do with them beating Tennessee as the teams themselves.

The winning combination is attracting the best players and being a good enough coach that you can maximize their potential. Any coach whose strategy is to recruit lower ranked players and expect to develop them into the next Aari McDonald will likely have a low success rate.

Completely agree. Plus Cunningham did have help. She had several talented players who played the Mizzou way around her. The Porter sisters, Amber Smith, Jordan Dayle (I think that’s how you spell her name) we’re all good, solid players. But none of them reach their potential without playing with a player like Sophie.

 

[stlvolsfan]

And again I say to you...you wouldn't be having this same attitude if UConn wasn't getting the Azzi Fudds and Ayanna Pattersons and Tennessee was. So why don't YOU give it a rest instead of going to a rival fan board and telling them that they should be happy with their lower rates recruits while your team racks up top 5 players.

Seriously, your whole act here is as transparent as plastic wrap.

🗣🗣🗣@amb3096 spitting all facts

 

[NeedOrange]

I listened to Shea Ralph talking about building elite success that endures. She explained that it is about the people. KJH understands that and Pat knew that. There are some on the HG top 15 who are not players you want to wear your uniform. There are some in the top 50 that have a LV attitude, drive, commitment, unselfishness, and integrity that make a great team. Those are the ones to go after. Of course you want great athletes but you want great athletes who have the intangibles that make the entirety of the program great. Those players are drawn to a program that has those qualities in place. Your head coach has them and she is infusing them into the totality of the program. The athletes you want are coming and they are coming very soon.

 

[NeedOrange]

And again I say to you...you wouldn't be having this same attitude if UConn wasn't getting the Azzi Fudds and Ayanna Pattersons and Tennessee was. So why don't YOU give it a rest instead of going to a rival fan board and telling them that they should be happy with their lower rates recruits while your team racks up top 5 players.

Seriously, your whole act here is as transparent as plastic wrap.

I do believe there are many posters here who would be satisfied with a national championship and competing for the conference championship regularly. If that is you than you can't understand what I am saying. Would you be happy with a Baylor program? Wins the Big 12 every year and gets to the elite 8 every years. Baylors has 3 natty's 2005, 2012, 2019. If that is what you want. OK. But it is because I have seen sustainable excellence and been around it I say what I say. Yes you need top 5's to win national championships. The Lady Vols were not a Baylor style program. It was excellence every year. If you scream that all you need is a couple of top 5 recruits than you don't understand the enormity of what Pat did or what KJH is attempting.

 

[Border Vol]

Coach Harper is doing what she has to do in upgrading her coaching staff. This is the SEC not the Missouri Valley Conference.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Coach Harper is doing what she has to do in upgrading her coaching staff. This is the SEC not the Missouri Valley Conference.

But her recruiting coordinator came from Ark (power 5) and Ok St before that. She had P5 experience. But this seems to be a major upgrade. I hope she still has her Louisville/Duke magic

 

[lfvol]

Didn’t work great for the Vol men’s team this year, so I guess there’s that. In fact I wonder if Baylor or Gonzaga had a lot of top 10 recruits. Nevertheless the Lady Vols have got to get a couple of top recruits IMO.

In WBB, you keep top recruits for at least three years which increases their importance. In MBB, they leave after one. In TN’s case, they left after one year and they weren’t top ten recruits much less top five like our WBB glory days.

On the Zags, they had two experienced AA plus one of the top 3 freshmen who I’d argue was their second best player if not the best.

 

[stllvf]

below is a breakdown by player turnovers to assists . Some of you may be surprised at who lead the team in turnovers. The generalies of stating that the primary issue is distribution by the guards is one concern but not the primary one. Turnovers include, having the ball stolen by an opposing player, walking, in the lane too long, charging, poor pass, poor catch or not prepared, 5 seconds call. Particular players need to reduce the primary faults that cause them to commit turnovers, similar to improving weaknesses in their defense, or ...

Player
Turnovers
Assists
Davis
50 TO
56
Kaciy
40
29
Salary
24
26
3 Former players

Averaged 4.5 TO per game


Suarez
39
19
Walker
58
57
Horston
68
104
Burrell
69
46
Rest of team
20
18
Averaged 11.9 TO per game