Portal Hopefuls

#176
#176
KnoxLikeUs said:
It’s one player and one visit announced SO far. The player has a better shooting percentage from 3pt range than any player from Tennessee’s rosters over atleast a 5 year span. Just for projections to the current system, this is a huge improvement over any shooter recruited over the past two seasons outside of Tess Darby. That includes all the freshmen and both Spear & Spencer.
If you’re going to complain at least be decent at it and make it make sense.
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The opponents matter.
 
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#178
#178
KnoxLikeUs said:
Two players have already been announced as visitors this week. The freshman signee who comes from a great family mom made a post that didn’t give a glaring stamp of approval to the portal. Didn’t directly mention Tennessee and this situation but said in many words she doesn’t like how players are being pushed to enter the transfer portal.
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What does that imply - is that the new reason as to why they all left?
 
#180
#180
The big question is will CKC’s scheme work at the D1 level against top athletes? Some of us want to blame the players while others want to blame CWC’s two former coaches. She tried her scheme against top D1 teams who only use 7 or 8 players and it failed. In fact, in the last few games our teams looked beat up during the third quarter. Play at this level requires the ability to change courses when plan A falls flat. In addition, you have to have staff and players who willingly buy into your system. Hoeever, even your team buys in your scheme could still fail. At the D1 level, a one trick pony will not get you far because the smarter coaches will figure out your team if you only play one way. This is one reason coaches have more than one plan. What if the next group of players fails in CKC’s system, will she continue to refuse to change her game plan? If things implode, again, we will be at this same situation at the end of next year. The house that Pat built is in serious trouble.
 
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#181
#181
Golfteacher said:
What if the next group of players fails in CKC’s system, will she continue to refuse to change her game plan? If things implode, again, we will be at this same situation at the end of next year.
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Not at all. If things don't look better early next year, Danny White will have feelers out for a new coach with plenty of time to prepare. If anything close to this year, Kim's departure might be announced before the end of the season. That would be a big difference from where we are now.

The more interesting question is what happens if things don't implode? What gets her an extension on her contract next year? Because it will be that or fire her. I think, after raise and extension last year, the the wheels coming off this year, there won't be an extension now and that won't be a factor. But what is the minimum success level for next year?

It's going to be hard to recruit top players this fall with the end of this season as the calling card. So we'll likely hit this time next year with, at best, a season with some team cohesion, but nothing super exciting in terms of conference success, likely no top recruits signed, and just the hope of some spring signings and portal success. Again. But if "the system" has looked competitive with a cobbled together lineup and there is some indication of an upgrade in talent for 27-28, then what?
 
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#182
#182
volfan102455 said:
And I know nothing about the players in the opening post other than they all seem to be from either mid-majors or schools that did not do well.
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Judging by most posts. All of our players hitting the portal fit that narrative as well. From a school
That didn’t do well
 
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#183
#183
Wonder if we'll be able to nab a pair or triple from one of the schools having an exodus. Would be nice to have one side of our rotations-of-5 to have some pre-existing chemistry like two or more teammates sticking together for their new school would be.
 
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#184
#184
RetroVol said:
Not at all. If things don't look better early next year, Danny White will have feelers out for a new coach with plenty of time to prepare. If anything close to this year, Kim's departure might be announced before the end of the season. That would be a big difference from where we are now.

The more interesting question is what happens if things don't implode? What gets her an extension on her contract next year? Because it will be that or fire her. I think, after raise and extension last year, the the wheels coming off this year, there won't be an extension now and that won't be a factor. But what is the minimum success level for next year?

It's going to be hard to recruit top players this fall with the end of this season as the calling card. So we'll likely hit this time next year with, at best, a season with some team cohesion, but nothing super exciting in terms of conference success, likely no top recruits signed, and just the hope of some spring signings and portal success. Again. But if "the system" has looked competitive with a cobbled together lineup and there is some indication of an upgrade in talent for 27-28, then what?
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If CKC happens to make her crazy system work, she deserves another bite of the apple. I hoped the same thing last year even though I had problems with the system. I think that she starts next year on the hot seat and if CKC is about to create another dumpster fire that White pulls the plug before the whole thing goes up in smoke. I hope sooner than later.
 
#188
#188
Golfteacher said:
The big question is will CKC’s scheme work at the D1 level against top athletes?
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Well, it did in her first season. I don't think the game changed dramatically between March of 2025 and February of 2026.
Golfteacher said:
Some of us want to blame the players while others want to blame CWC’s two former coaches. She tried her scheme against top D1 teams who only use 7 or 8 players and it failed. In fact, in the last few games our teams looked beat up during the third quarter.
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It seemed to me that she wasn't even running the system full-tilt anymore, and was often using just 7-8 players herself. I don't know if she didn't trust the rest of the roster or they just wouldn't put in the work, or what it was, but the fact it failed was entirely predictable against the schedule they faced in the second half of the season.
Golfteacher said:
Play at this level requires the ability to change courses when plan A falls flat. In addition, you have to have staff and players who willingly buy into your system. Hoeever, even your team buys in your scheme could still fail.
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Yes, it could still fail. But I think it was painfully obvious that most, if not all, of the team was not buying into the system. If you don't have buy-in, nothing is going to work very well.
Golfteacher said:
At the D1 level, a one trick pony will not get you far because the smarter coaches will figure out your team if you only play one way. This is one reason coaches have more than one plan. What if the next group of players fails in CKC’s system, will she continue to refuse to change her game plan? If things implode, again, we will be at this same situation at the end of next year. The house that Pat built is in serious trouble.
Click to expand...
The "house that Pat built" no longer exists. A lot of current high school seniors weren't even born yet the last time the LVs won a national championship. The game has changed and it was already starting to pass her by even in her own day. She never got back to the Final Four after Candace. Geno and Mulkey didn't surpass her by cheating, but by having better schemes. And the years the program spent chasing after Bear Summitt with her top assistant and then Kellie, who tried to replace Shug Yow and then Bear Summitt, didn't help any. Be glad Pat happened, but that's over with.
I don't know if CKC is the answer or not, but I hope she is, or next time it will be time to take a look at Jody Adams or Bridgette Gordon or whoever else that played for Pat is in coaching right now (you're not getting Kara Lawson, forget it). In any case, if she is not successful next year, she's not going to be around for a fourth season. The only reason she's getting a third is because Danny White still believes in her, and that what just happened was not all her fault. That said, she's got to nail the portal and at least keep the tournament streak alive or she's not going to be there a year from now.
 
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#189
#189
jsc1973 said:
Well, it did in her first season. I don't think the game changed dramatically between March of 2025 and February of 2026.

It seemed to me that she wasn't even running the system full-tilt anymore, and was often using just 7-8 players herself. I don't know if she didn't trust the rest of the roster or they just wouldn't put in the work, or what it was, but the fact it failed was entirely predictable against the schedule they faced in the second half of the season.

Yes, it could still fail. But I think it was painfully obvious that most, if not all, of the team was not buying into the system. If you don't have buy-in, nothing is going to work very well.

The "house that Pat built" no longer exists. A lot of current high school seniors weren't even born yet the last time the LVs won a national championship. The game has changed and it was already starting to pass her by even in her own day. She never got back to the Final Four after Candace. Geno and Mulkey didn't surpass her by cheating, but by having better schemes. And the years the program spent chasing after Bear Summitt with her top assistant and then Kellie, who tried to replace Shug Yow and then Bear Summitt, didn't help any. Be glad Pat happened, but that's over with.
I don't know if CKC is the answer or not, but I hope she is, or next time it will be time to take a look at Jody Adams or Bridgette Gordon or whoever else that played for Pat is in coaching right now (you're not getting Kara Lawson, forget it). In any case, if she is not successful next year, she's not going to be around for a fourth season. The only reason she's getting a third is because Danny White still believes in her, and that what just happened was not all her fault. That said, she's got to nail the portal and at least keep the tournament streak alive or she's not going to be there a year from now.
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Completely agree. The whole point of the "No plan B" stuff was "I still believe this system will work, as last year showed, but this bastardized version isn’t the system and will never work."
Also, all the folks who keep claiming that great coaches can completely overhaul their approach when things aren't going well are off base. Great coaches make adjustments WITHIN their systems; they don't trash the system.
 
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#194
#194
Kim needs mid-major, fundamentally sound, gritty, role playing players like those Midwestern small town South Dakota State, Nebraska, Montana girls mixed with a 2-3 elite players. The fundamentally sound girls will get the elites the ball where they can finish while also knocking down the outside shots to keep defenses honest.
 
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#195
#195
LVfanLasVegas said:
Kim needs mid-major, fundamentally sound, gritty, role playing players like those Midwestern small town South Dakota State, Nebraska, Montana girls mixed with a 2-3 elite players. The fundamentally sound girls will get the elites the ball where they can finish while also knocking down the outside shots to keep defenses honest.
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Yeah, that would be great. But even so, are those 2-3 elite players going to sub in and out? I mean, what if she had Candace and Tamika plus 8-10 hustling defender's who could shoot threes. Does each of them play half a game? I'd guess that works ONLY if the overall system could generate enough possessions that Candace and Tamika both had plenty. That's asking a lot. I just don't know. Being real good at Tennessee isn't enough, for us or for her. She's going to have to prove she can put together contenders for a Natty or someone else will replace her.
 
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#196
#196
Volfan1017 said:
I swear the “system” is a trigger word for me now. Why do I feel like we have to say this word 100x more than any other fan base in the country 😂
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Yep, everybody runs a system, its just the low bBall IQ of ppl with an agenda to throw out their hate and disdain. Barnes runs a system that some players hate and some fans hate but he don't listen to the fans. Kims system was 1 of 2 teams to beat UConn in 2 years beat aOSU team at OSU with Cambridge & Cotie McMahon but a high % of Vol fans are in love with accentuating the negative and eliminate any positive to aid their agenda. This years team which had 8 new players. This years team quit on the fanbase half way through the season was that Kims fault were there some assistants being Judas we will probably never know. This team was lucky to win what they did with a team full of quitters & malcontents. Barker even didn't play the last game of her career because she's soft and Cooper was working out a deal with Ole Miss.
 
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#198
#198
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#199
#199
Goofy take👆. Nobody losing sleep over a player that the new recruiting coordinator wasn’t even following on social media. Highly doubt it’s true. Only folks like you believe every rumor posted on the internet with agents as the source. I doubt CKC called a player with a 13% field percentage a coveted target.
 
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