Harper vs Lawson.

[triaddukefan]

Early returns aren't promising, but I'll check back in 2025...

Checking back a few years early... I'm ready to declare a winner (again)

 

[EricLA]

Tennessee fans: "Fahr Holly"

Duke fans: "Give Kara whatever she wants so she never leaves"

Funny thing is Tennessee fans had no idea how good they had it with recruiting when they had Holly. Kelly's recruiting has been close to disastrous. The best player to date she recruited transferred out to Vandy over the summer. Amazingly she has had success in the portal which is the only reason Tennessee won any games the past 2 seasons.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Amazingly she has had success in the portal which is the only reason Tennessee won any games the past 2 seasons.

One wonders how she keeps getting good players out of the portal.

 

[cancontent]

View attachment 93768





Checking back a few years early... I'm ready to declare a winner (again)

As soon as I saw this thread back at the top of the list, I had a feeling you'd be the one to bump it.

 

[triaddukefan]

As soon as I saw this thread back at the top of the list, I had a feeling you'd be the one to bump it.

 

[EricLA]

One wonders how she keeps getting good players out of the portal.

Just a guess, but Tennessee DOES have an amazing history (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth)...

She may play to that nostalgia - telling transfers they are the missing piece to help get them to the top again, etc. Heck - last season, with all the transfers in, the "experts" had Tennessee as a probably final 4 team and I think preseason were ranked 5-ish or so. The ended the season with 11 losses, altho they did make the sweet 16, falling to Va Tech.

But they had Horston, Walker, and Jackson to lead the way. This season they added a bunch of new parts from the portal, had great expectations from them, and are led by Rickea Jackson, but now she's out with an injury so... They also brought Hollingshead back, who I think was expected to anchor the post along with Key.

This year they were preseason 11/12 but now are 4-5 on the season and won't be sniffing the top 25 when the polls come out next week (they were 29/27 before the loss to MTSU). I'm sure getting Jackson back will help. They might make it back into the top 25 sooner rather than later - their next 14 games are against unranked opponents until they face SC in February, but I suspect they will lose numerous SEC games, even to teams they feel they should beat.

Funny thing is, they only lost to Florida State by 1 point. The only other losses before MTSU were against ranked teams (Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State). AND they did beat then #22 Oklahoma by 3. But Jackson only lasted 2 games and the game after FSU was an OT win against Memphis. The wheels fell off pretty fast.

For their sake, I'm sure they want Jackson back ASAP. I'm happy to let her be out indefinitely and see them sink further once SEC play starts. BUT I suspect when Jackson comes back they will percolate back into the top 25 and at least make it to the 2nd round of the NCAA's...

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just a guess, but Tennessee DOES have an amazing history (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth)...

She may play to that nostalgia

The players in college today can't actually remember when Tennessee was truly a national power though, right? Last Title/Final 4 was 2008, Parker's last season. There have been a few 30 win seasons and Elite 8s since then, but it's been quite a while even for that.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The players in college today can't actually remember when Tennessee was truly a national power though, right? Last Title/Final 4 was 2008, Parker's last season. There have been a few 30 win seasons and Elite 8s since then, but it's been quite a while even for that.

No, they can't, really. But this is true across the board - RU fans were maundering about recruits not knowing Tasha Pointer or Coach Washington from their playing days, and truthfully, Arizona recruits don't remember Adia Barnes as a star college player or even being in the WNBA. And this applies to so many coaches (and even historically successful programs) out there.

So it is either "what have you done lately" or "educate them".

 

[triaddukefan]

Welp... i may have declared a winner too soon

 

[nwhoopfan]

Welp... i may have declared a winner too soon

I think I'd take Lawson, but the jury is still out on both.

 

[JDuro]

Clemson???
This thread definitely got bumped a year too early.

Lower Carolina owning Tobacco Road.

 

[triaddukefan]

Clemson???
This thread definitely got bumped a year too early.

Lower Carolina owning Tobacco Road.

Best two days of Clemson basketball ever.

Yall just getting us back for what happened during the football season

 

[Geew1992]

Shoot me if you want to but I feel like the difference between the 2 is recruiting. Otherwise, neither has done much with the players they have

 

[triaddukefan]

Shoot men want to but I feel like the difference between the 2 is recruiting. Otherwise, neither has done much with the players they have

Let's revisit this in 2026

 

[SECbbfan24]

I think I'd take Lawson, but the jury is still out on both.

Lawson is a way better recruiter than Harper. I'm still not completely sold on her coaching though but thats just me. Their young talent is amazing. Provided no one transfers (you never know) next year will be pretty telling for Duke/Lawson

Harper is lovely but she seems very passive and her HS recruiting is a major problem. When TN, loses Rickea and Powell this offseason, TN will have to strike gold in the portal because if not they are in a huge hole in the near future with their recruiting issues the last couple years.

 

[cancontent]

Lawson is a way better recruiter than Harper. I'm still not completely sold on her coaching though but thats just me. Their young talent is amazing. Provided no one transfers (you never know) next year will be pretty telling for Duke/Lawson

Harper is lovely but she seems very passive and her HS recruiting is a major problem. When TN, loses Rickea and Powell this offseason, TN will have to strike gold in the portal because if not they are in a huge hole in the near future with their recruiting issues the last couple years.

Not to mention one of their 2024 recruits will be coming in recovering from an injury. Recall seeing she's enrolling early. Can't recall how long it will take her to recover.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Lawson is a way better recruiter than Harper. I'm still not completely sold on her coaching though but thats just me. Their young talent is amazing. Provided no one transfers (you never know) next year will be pretty telling for Duke/Lawson

Last season was certainly good for Duke, but their inability to score was problematic. Then they had a bunch of outgoing transfers and practically had to start over this year. While the young talent is exciting, they are going to be very hard pressed to match their record from a year ago (would have to go 21-3 overall and 14-3 in conference from this point). Another round of transfers would be devastating for them.

 

[JellyBean]

Lawson is a way better recruiter than Harper. I'm still not completely sold on her coaching though but thats just me. Their young talent is amazing. Provided no one transfers (you never know) next year will be pretty telling for Duke/Lawson

Harper is lovely but she seems very passive and her HS recruiting is a major problem. When TN, loses Rickea and Powell this offseason, TN will have to strike gold in the portal because if not they are in a huge hole in the near future with their recruiting issues the last couple years.

I got to agree. In this comparison, I am a big fan of both coaches, but Lawson is doing a better job at the recruiting and given the fact that Coach Harper, who has been coaching for 20 plus years, Lawson is doing a slightly better job as well in that department. Same with skill development, which is another key factor to the development of a program, Coach Lawson has the edge.

 

[Geew1992]

I got to agree. In this comparison, I am a big fan of both coaches, but Lawson is doing a better job at the recruiting and given the fact that Coach Harper, who has been coaching for 20 plus years, Lawson is doing a slightly better job as well in that department. Same with skill development, which is another key factor to the development of a program, Coach Lawson has the edge.

Development?? Who has Lawson developed? I’d give the edge to Harper on that one.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Last season was certainly good for Duke, but their inability to score was problematic. Then they had a bunch of outgoing transfers and practically had to start over this year. While the young talent is exciting, they are going to be very hard pressed to match their record from a year ago (would have to go 21-3 overall and 14-3 in conference from this point). Another round of transfers would be devastating for them.

Does you no good if you recruit well but you can't keep them (see Oregon). I'd say only Maryland seems to be the only team to have somewhat withstood the massive amounts of transfers to high caliber talent but its a bit of a rebuild for them this year.

 

[triaddukefan]

Friendly reminder that transfer speculation isn't allowed on this board

 

[triaddukefan]

Development?? Who has Lawson developed? I’d give the edge to Harper on that one.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I also post on Volnation and some fans there have been saying UT should have hired Lawson.

While Harper hasn't exactly been terrific, I'd say the jury is still very much out on Lawson. She has certainly recruited better and is perhaps a better in game coach but her body is work is still too small to see if she will get Duke anywhere close to the level they were under Gail.

UT expects and NC title contention with their base. Harper is probably not that person- but I don't believe Lawson is either.

 

[Darwin]

I can see a difference. In the time Harper has cached at Tennessee. From when Holly was coach.

Harper’s record is behind Hollie’s and her accomplishments are as well so far after 5 years.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Harper’s record is behind Hollie’s and her accomplishments are as well so far after 5 years.

True, but that doesn't tell the full story. Holly did quite well her first 3 years. However, the team gradually got worse each season after that. It was evident there were significant issues in the program. Her last team lost in the first round and it was questionable if UT would even make the tournament that year. Things were trending downward and I don't believe they were going to get better.

However in year 5 this is Harper's program by now and they appear stuck in neutral and even trending down in a similar fashion. Her inability to recruit has left UT with a roster that isn't up to par with the expectations of the fan base and cannot compete with most top 25 programs. I've used the phrase "stopped the bleeding" which is exactly what Harper did when hired but now she doesn't seem to be able to move them forward. If the struggles continue for UT, they will possibly miss the tournament for the first time and the AD will have a big decision to make.