Recruiting

#1

LadyOrange

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
1,444
Likes
3,698
#1
Message from Coach Sam:

“ Recruiting tip of the day: Right fit academically, basketball style of play, team culture and coaching temperament all matter…the right fit isn’t the same for everyone no matter what you’re ‘ranked.’”
 
#9
#9
The coaches points are well taken--but if you get too obsessive about "fit," etc. you're going to lose out on a lot of top prospects, which
I'm sensing is the case with Tennessee. Part of a staff's job is to work new players into the team's culture.
 
#10
#10
The coaches points are well taken--but if you get too obsessive about "fit," etc. you're going to lose out on a lot of top prospects, which
I'm sensing is the case with Tennessee. Part of a staff's job is to work new players into the team's culture.

Our recruiting is fine. Buzz off lmao. Fit is everything at this point. Bring a top recruit that doesn’t fit and they’ll be nothing but drama or in the portal mid season.
 
Last edited:
#11
#11
no matter the positive rocus of a thread such as this, some boarders will inject their redundant unoriginal negative comment.

Redundant definition: not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous.
 
#12
#12
Our recruiting is fine. Buzz off lmao. Fit is everything at this point. Bring a top recruit that doesn’t fit and they’ll be nothing but drama or in the portal mid season.

I kind of understand what turbovol was saying to a point. I didn't take it as criticism of Tennessee's recruiting (maybe a hint of it haha) but more of how can any coach really know if a player will be a good fit until you actually have them enrolled and on campus and in your practices? Most recruits are going to say whatever the prospective coach wants to hear during recruiting and on visits. There are obviously exceptions to this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyVol1908
#13
#13
The coaches points are well taken--but if you get too obsessive about "fit," etc. you're going to lose out on a lot of top prospects, which
I'm sensing is the case with Tennessee. Part of a staff's job is to work new players into the team's culture.
It's not that simple. If you are a parent, you should know how impossible it can be to steer a stubborn child.
 
#14
#14
I kind of understand what turbovol was saying to a point. I didn't take it as criticism of Tennessee's recruiting (maybe a hint of it haha) but more of how can any coach really know if a player will be a good fit until you actually have them enrolled and on campus and in your practices? Most recruits are going to say whatever the prospective coach wants to hear during recruiting and on visits. There are obviously exceptions to this.

Remember these coaches are often building relationships with these kids from about age 11-12 on. More than the fit with the kids is the fit with the parents. Kellie has said several times she recruits parents just as much as she recruits players. Something I think is very smart.

You see that with the Hayes sisters and some others. Their parents are such a nightmare to deal with they create drama for the entire program and dominate the coaches time.

Pretty obvious we have some wonderful parents on board with some wonderful kids. The Key mom, Horston mom, Jacksons mom and all the freshman parents seem AWESOME. I love how involved they are, loved the dads making videos and the touching moments these kids had with parents late in the season. That’s what fit and family feel is all about.
 
#15
#15
Remember these coaches are often building relationships with these kids from about age 11-12 on. More than the fit with the kids is the fit with the parents. Kellie has said several times she recruits parents just as much as she recruits players. Something I think is very smart.

You see that with the Hayes sisters and some others. Their parents are such a nightmare to deal with they create drama for the entire program and dominate the coaches time.

Pretty obvious we have some wonderful parents on board with some wonderful kids. The Key mom, Horston mom, Jacksons mom and all the freshman parents seem AWESOME. I love how involved they are, loved the dads making videos and the touching moments these kids had with parents late in the season. That’s what fit and family feel is all about.

I completely get that and agree 100%!!! I just mean no coach will be able to know that with every kid or their families. They are not always going to get the true and honest self from a recruit or parent at all times, and sometimes we come in late on recruits for various reasons. It’s always a gamble and not an exact science. Coaches get it wrong too, and that is why some of the kids leave and it’s better for the culture that they do. I don’t envy Kellie or any of these coaches trying to find the right fit. It’s hard as hell and stressful for them.
 
#16
#16
You see that with the Hayes sisters and some others. Their parents are such a nightmare to deal with they create drama for the entire program and dominate the coaches time.
And yet coaches keep taking them! It's not that coaches don't know what they're getting, there's an extensive network of AAU coaches, HS coaches, etc so there aren't many secrets. It's when coaches take the gamble to take on known problems like the Hayes bc they think the player is worth the drama. Which it almost never, ever is. These hard choices for coaches have skyrocketed with the portal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolBall09
#17
#17
And yet coaches keep taking them! It's not that coaches don't know what they're getting, there's an extensive network of AAU coaches, HS coaches, etc so there aren't many secrets. It's when coaches take the gamble to take on known problems like the Hayes bc they think the player is worth the drama. Which it almost never, ever is. These hard choices for coaches have skyrocketed with the portal.
Are any coaches really gonna fight over Aislyn and Alasia? Anastasia was at least an elite player; her sisters not so much. The Hayes Family sans Anastasia literally has zero leverage with any P5 team and probably most decent mid majors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyVols_WBK
#18
#18
Are any coaches really gonna fight over Aislyn and Alasia? Anastasia was at least an elite player; her sisters not so much. The Hayes Family sans Anastasia literally has zero leverage with any P5 team and probably most decent mid majors.
No doubt the Hayes Days are over. My point was, they were known poison but several coaches, including the coach's coach Rick Insell took them on anyway. Exactly bc they thought Anastasia would be worth it. She was not. Except in a roundabout way to the LVs for getting Rickea here!
 
#19
#19
Are any coaches really gonna fight over Aislyn and Alasia? Anastasia was at least an elite player; her sisters not so much. The Hayes Family sans Anastasia literally has zero leverage with any P5 team and probably most decent mid majors.
No they may end up at a mid-major.
 
#20
#20
No doubt the Hayes Days are over. My point was, they were known poison but several coaches, including the coach's coach Rick Insell took them on anyway. Exactly bc they thought Anastasia would be worth it. She was not. Except in a roundabout way to the LVs for getting Rickea here!

The last Hayes sister was a senior at Riverdale this year ! She did not finish playing her senior year in high school ….. That story I’ll leave alone as to why that happened? But as some here know I was at a Webb high school game and noticed someone who looked like one of the Hayes sister’s. As it turns out their brother was playing with the Webb mens team and family there to support!

As the story goes Annie was going to announce she was declaring for the draft this year and the last Hayes sister is going to Western Kentucky!
Are the other sisters staying at Miss. State or in the portal , or going to Western Kentucky? Either way ….. I am sure the family along with its reputation will be there supporting their kids ? 🤷‍♂️
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyVols_WBK
#22
#22
Since his #1 recruit, Milton, did so well your example fits?
When Heuple came in last season, he had a s*it show to deal with. Milton was what he could get at the time. And Milton isn't a bad quarterback.....he hasn't been coached. With some coaching and practice, he could be good but not great. But he is a good fit for Heuple's system and culture.
 
#23
#23
Our recruiting is fine. Buzz off lmao. Fit is everything at this point. Bring a top recruit that doesn’t fit and they’ll be nothing but drama or in the portal mid season.

Ha: How about you buzz off. I didn't realize our recruiting was going so gangbusters that the staff can concentrate solely on fit. In fact, Harper's recruiting has been, well, let's just say, less than sizzling. We signed one prospect in '22, got 0 commits for '23. But my point is this: If you recruit only prospects who are only a dream to coach, you'll likely end up with a lot of role-playing 3 stars--which we have a few of already. That's the way it is. Some of the top players can be more challenging, maybe have some ego/family issues--but that's why you are running the program and have a staff. You think the top BB programs in the country--men and women--ignore the best prospects because they may not be the right fit? Get real. They don't. They recruit them and sign them, if they can. That's the way it rolls if you aim to win championships. PS recruited kids who were challenging to coach, as did Warlick. If your program is strong, and the coach/staff are strong, then 9 out of 10 of the players you sign will WANT to fit in. No coach is turning down a 5 star because the coach is not sure she'll be a fit. Unless she's a known bad apple, you'll sign her and then hope she works to fit in with your culture and that you and your staff can inculcate your values with her. Sometimes it doesn't work out--true for every program for a variety of reasons--and you move on. Buzz, buzz.
 
#24
#24
The coaches points are well taken--but if you get too obsessive about "fit," etc. you're going to lose out on a lot of top prospects, which
I'm sensing is the case with Tennessee. Part of a staff's job is to work new players into the team's culture.
You have to now consider the portal as part of any recruiting class so doing so we have a five star and a four star joining a five star high school player. If they complete this with a elite highly ranked post player which there are several then your looking at a top five class coming in and three of them will be game ready.
 
#25
#25
Ha: How about you buzz off. I didn't realize our recruiting was going so gangbusters that the staff can concentrate solely on fit. In fact, Harper's recruiting has been, well, let's just say, less than sizzling. We signed one prospect in '22, got 0 commits for '23. But my point is this: If you recruit only prospects who are only a dream to coach, you'll likely end up with a lot of role-playing 3 stars--which we have a few of already. That's the way it is. Some of the top players can be more challenging, maybe have some ego/family issues--but that's why you are running the program and have a staff. You think the top BB programs in the country--men and women--ignore the best prospects because they may not be the right fit? Get real. They don't. They recruit them and sign them, if they can. That's the way it rolls if you aim to win championships. PS recruited kids who were challenging to coach, as did Warlick. If your program is strong, and the coach/staff are strong, then 9 out of 10 of the players you sign will WANT to fit in. No coach is turning down a 5 star because the coach is not sure she'll be a fit. Unless she's a known bad apple, you'll sign her and then hope she works to fit in with your culture and that you and your staff can inculcate your values with her. Sometimes it doesn't work out--true for every program for a variety of reasons--and you move on. Buzz, buzz.
This!

I think the addition of Powell and Jackson eased a lot of people’s mind in regards to recruiting for the short term, but it still doesn’t negate the fact the it’s imperative to have a good 2023 class unless we’re going to play the portal game every year and that’s no fun.

I don’t think we’re quite in the position to be picky as of yet, and the way the rich has been getting richer these last two cycles, we have to turn it up a notch recruiting these high school kids.
 

VN Store



Back
Top