Tennessee Vols Basketball Recruiting

[youcancallmeAl]

I’m going Catbone on this one - waste of time and resources

Establishing a mutual admiration relationship between the Howards and Barnes and Tennessee could pay off in many possible ways in the future. Recruiting is all about connections, they say, and you never know how those connections might benefit you in the future, so you just keep making new ones and building them. Build it and they will come.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

This seems more like a case of you making a mountain out of a mole hill. The program isn’t crumbling because of a video coordinator throwing a handful of attention at a kid we likely won’t sign. On the other hand, if something wild happens that leads to him choosing Tennessee, then you’ll have a minimal amount of effort from a support staff member to thank for it.

You call this a Catbone effort. I call it more Bruin-like.

Let’s not forget that’s a connection to the team and coaches Howard plays for that’s being built as well. May not get Howard, but better to have a relationship built if we are after a teammate in the future.

 

[cncchris33]

Let’s not forget that’s a connection to the team and coaches Howard plays for that’s being built as well. May not get Howard, but better to have a relationship built if we are after a teammate in the future.

Fair point, although in this case, it's IMG, so there is already a good relationship thru Jaden Springer, BHH, and others we've recruited from there. In general, though, there are some indirect benefits to be found in recruiting kids you may have little shot at landing.

 

[walkenvol]

This seems more like a case of you making a mountain out of a mole hill. The program isn’t crumbling because of a video coordinator throwing a handful of attention at a kid we likely won’t sign. On the other hand, if something wild happens that leads to him choosing Tennessee, then you’ll have a minimal amount of effort from a support staff member to thank for it.

You call this a Catbone effort. I call it more Bruin-like.

Guess things are getting slow when the discussion leaves the basketball topic and instead talking about a poster. I’ve made no statements which can be construed by a reasonable person as a “mountain” of anything. Instead I’ve stated any effort spent by anyone associated with the UT basketball program pursuing Howard’s boy is wasted time. That’s my opinion, not an absolute statement of fact. It appears to be the minority opinion of the folks who have posted, and I’m fine with that. Board wouldn’t be very interesting if we all shared the same opinions all the time don’t you think

 

[cncchris33]

Guess things are getting slow when the discussion leaves the basketball topic and instead talking about a poster. I’ve made no statements which can be construed by a reasonable person as a “mountain” of anything. Instead I’ve stated any effort spent by anyone associated with the UT basketball program pursuing Howard’s boy is wasted time. That’s my opinion, not an absolute statement of fact. It appears to be the minority opinion of the folks who have posted, and I’m fine with that. Board wouldn’t be very interesting if we all shared the same opinions all the time don’t you think

Sure, varying opinions are certainly welcomed. Mine happens to be that you are expressing an inordinate amount of concern over an idea that doesn't necessarily warrant it. That is my opinion.

The goal was never to make the discussion about you, and I only drew the parallel that your opinion was less Catbone, and more similar to a Bruin stance. While Cat has a historically negative perspective on most things, Bruin is traditionally one to take on a minority opinion or hot take issue and defend it to death. I didn't find your opinion to be negative as much as I found it to be unnecessarily worrisome. Again, JMO.

 

[walkenvol]

Remind me of when I defended my minority opinion other than to say it was just my opinion? No Bruin like behavior there that I can see. Maybe my opinion is a poor take on the situation but I haven’t read any opposing opinions that appeared to be anything more than hopeful thoughts that there might could be something good happen for us even though we all know Jett is going to play for his dad. Guess I’m more pragmatic with my opinion than most posters on this topic?

Things are too slow after all the recent positive recruiting news....we need something more interesting to discuss. I’ve even wondered over to the Pub for the first time ever as football still isn’t worth talking about

 

[Vol49er]

I wonder if Bruin is offended by this conversation

 

[golfballs]

Yeah guys he’s going to Michigan, his brother plays there too

Maybe he hates his brother

 

[cncchris33]

Maybe he hates his brother

You may be on to something, especially if his brother's name is Shark.

 

[BondJamesBond]

I’m going Catbone on this one - waste of time and resources

Let the player say no. Don't say it for him.

How much time and resources is UT spending on this player? What player isn't being effectively recruited because of the resources spent on this player? Serious question, I wouldn't think CRB was spending an hour or so per week on this guy, but if it is two or three, so what?

 

[walkenvol]

Let the player say no. Don't say it for him.

How much time and resources is UT spending on this player? What player isn't being effectively recruited because of the resources spent on this player? Serious question, I wouldn't think CRB was spending an hour or so per week on this guy, but if it is two or three, so what?

It’s not worth debating as it’s just an opinion. My opinion is any time spent by any staff member on a recruit that won’t come to UT is time that could be better invested in another player or recruit. I respect that others don’t share my same opinion.

 

[i2amavol]

With the Transfer Portal now a part of the equation, I would guess that any player's odds of eventually playing at a school that was not their first choice is pretty high. While there are no guarantees, I would expect that Tennessee being the only other university in the picture at this time puts them in a pretty strong position. It is well worth the effort if it is true who is doing the recruiting.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

It’s not worth debating as it’s just an opinion. My opinion is any time spent by any staff member on a recruit that won’t come to UT is time that could be better invested in another player or recruit. I respect that others don’t share my same opinion.

To be fair, that would eliminate nearly 80% of our recruiting targets.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

To be fair, that would eliminate nearly 80% of our recruiting targets.

One thing is fact. If you don't recruit these players, you will never sign any of the. Don't give up without trying. When you don't try, you are always playing third fiddle.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

One thing is fact. If you don't recruit these players, you will never sign any of the. Don't give up without trying. When you don't try, you are always playing third fiddle.

Not to mention every time he’s asked about his recruiting Tennessee is coming up. I feel like there’s really nothing but benefits from recruiting the highest rated guys available.

If he was a 3 star then yeah, why spend so much effort on him. But he’s a top 50 national ranked guard with the size Barnes loves so I say let the staff work on him and even if we don’t get him ya still get the benefit of him praising us & the staffer gets some experience recruiting.

 

[BondJamesBond]

It’s not worth debating as it’s just an opinion. My opinion is any time spent by any staff member on a recruit that won’t come to UT is time that could be better invested in another player or recruit. I respect that others don’t share my same opinion.

It's a fair opinion. I just wondered "how many resources. " I think that's something we need to know before I can agree that it is significant or not. I don't have a sense of how much time it takes weekly to initially recruit a player and what isn't getting done because of it.

 

[cncchris33]

It's a fair opinion. I just wondered "how many resources. " I think that's something we need to know before I can agree that it is significant or not. I don't have a sense of how much time it takes weekly to initially recruit a player and what isn't getting done because of it.

Our Video Coordinator/Director of Player Development, Bryan Lentz, is the one who has developed a relationship with him. A staff member who isn't even allowed to recruit off-campus.

 

[Maxwell865]

ON RECRUITING FOR A PROGRAM LIKE TENNESSEE

"The great thing about Tennessee is—I've been some places where you tell guys where you're from and they're like, 'Who? What? Where?' And you have to tell them that your colors are X, Y, Z and our mascot is so forth and so on. And the great thing about the brand that is Tennessee is that everyone knows it. So, when you walk into a gym with that on your chest and that on your polo especially in our region is something that guys want to be a part of. For me, it's great and I'm excited about being able to recruit these young men that care so much. The brand is recognizable and it's going to be fun."

-Justin Gainey

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It seems to me that building a relationship with members of the Howard family is an excellent use of TN’s resources. The Howards are well connected to the most elite recruits in the country. Networking is part of the drill. You never know when a great player might be interested in attending Michigan but they are full. Coach Howard could steer the player to another program. No doubt he’d rather help TN sign them instead of Ohio State or Michigan State or Indiana or Purdue. It’s not a bad relationship to develop.

 

[walkenvol]

To be fair, that would eliminate nearly 80% of our recruiting targets.

I know you’re saying we don’t land 80% of the players we recruit. Now if 80% of our targets have a father on another teams coaching staff then you’d have a good analogy.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I know you’re saying we don’t land 80% of the players we recruit. Now if 80% of our targets have a father on another teams coaching staff then you’d have a good analogy.

Why does it matter though, he’s a top 50 player? We have landed about 5 total in the last decade. I have zero issues with us recruiting every top 50 player though, regardless if the player’s dad coaches basketball at another Power 5 school.

Especially if all that recruiting requires is an office guy to text & chat with the player a few minutes a day.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

It seems to me that building a relationship with members of the Howard family is an excellent use of TN’s resources. The Howards are well connected to the most elite recruits in the country. Networking is part of the drill. You never know when a great player might be interested in attending Michigan but they are full. Coach Howard could steer the player to another program. No doubt he’d rather help TN sign them instead of Ohio State or Michigan State or Indiana or Purdue. It’s not a bad relationship to develop.

Bingo! The positive publicity of a regal basketball family like the Howard's praising UT to the hilt on social media is worth the investment and then some.

 

[Rrcox1951]

Emoni Bates decommits from Michigan State. IMO, he goes pro. Otherwise, one of the blue bloods will probably get him.

 

[The Dog]

Yeah, Bates is going G League or maybe he wants to play with Chandler, Mashack, BHH and Aidoo and have UT's version of the Fab 5

 

[OrangeVolMan]

It’s not worth debating as it’s just an opinion. My opinion is any time spent by any staff member on a recruit that won’t come to UT is time that could be better invested in another player or recruit. I respect that others don’t share my same opinion.

So in your opinion UT basketball staff wastes most of their recruiting time. They recruit 10/20/30 players every year. Most of those players don’t come to UT, so all that time is just wasted time.