Kellie Harper

[Bigpetunia]

Traditionally, on our Board, a lot of posters have been so mired in Tennessee hatred that they were blind to how great the rivalry once was for women's basketball. The dismal results achieved by UT under Holly Warlick obviously took a lot of the edge off the prospect of that rivalry, which was a shame in terms of the overall health of the sport. Admittedly, this game should not have been as close as it was, but I was highly impressed by UT's play. What Kellie is doing with a once-storied program is pretty terrific, and she's doing it with class. The example she's setting should be welcome news to all who are envisioning an inevitable post-Geno era in Storrs.

If I can successfully post Kellie's post-game presser below, the class she brings to the game will be readily apparent. I ardently hope for UT's return to greatness and an annual home-and-home series with packed stands in both arenas.

 

[Littlemin]

Coaching / managing is not only, but largely, a communication skill. Coach Harper seems to have that in spades. Add in the class she handled herself with in the session and Tennessee seems to be in good hands. I loved her comment about the choice they have collectively moving forward. Thanks for posting.

 

[eebmg]

Yes. Kellie is definitely a good coach and TN will slowly improve with her. They have certainly become more disciplined scheme wise. Now if (some of) their fan base can absorb some of her class, maybe this series might "feel" better. Still, I think it was very helpful for us to play a team of such size since the Big East does not have any.

 

[Plebe]

The remarkable magnanimity of your post — truly commendable, I must say — stands in jarring contrast to the despicable character of the person whose YouTube account bears the video.

That same person, for years, actively led a libelous smear campaign based on threadbare lies, with the unmistakable intent of destroying the UConn women's basketball program.

That same person has continued, in the years since, to stake her identity and cottage industry on the residual stench of her lies and smears. That she has the nerve to call herself a journalist is truly an affront to the many outstanding journalists whose work I admire and avidly consume.

I have nothing ill to say about Kellie, just as I have nothing ill to say about her team's players. Your point about how a treasured legacy can be carried forward with class is well taken. But for Tennessee the program and fanbase, I can muster no well wishes, certainly not as long as their culture continues to afford a privileged place to the likes of Ms. Cornelius.

 

[Littlemin]

Not directed at you eebmg but at the point; I played and coached in a MUCH different era and time and never gave a single thought to another teams fan base; I still don’t. People come in all colors, shapes, sizes and personalities and I try to surround myself and think about those that I can learn or grow from the experience and ignore the rest.
One anecdote, I played on excellent HS teams in Union County NJ In the mid 60’s. Our rivals, literally across railroad tracks, were also outstanding. To mention, they were largely, but not entirely, a black team; we were all white.
In their bandbox gym, fans would line the court and were able to reach out and touch players; one of their tactics would be to put coins in electrical clips, heat them and then jab you as you ran by; just the way it was. Conversely, on our court, their players were serenaded with racial epithets all game that would make people cringe today (and rightfully so!)
The salient point, both towns being small, we combined players from both to play in summer leagues against the larger towns in the county. There was an acceptance by all of us that their were “you know what” holes everywhere and the best thing was to ignore them and let our actions do our talking. It certainly didn’t always work smoothly for sure but it worked because at the end of the day, we pretty much all just wanted to play.

 

[oldude]

KJH is a superior coach in almost every way to her predecessor. The one area that she still has to prove herself is recruiting. So far, she has brought in some “nice” players over the last 2 seasons. But she has yet to secure a true Blue Chip prospect. Horston, Davis, Key, Burrell, etc. are all HW recruits.

The SEC has changed. TN is no longer the dominant force in the conference. The next few years will be critical at TN to determine whether or not they can bring in the type of players necessary to return the LV’s to a top tier WBB program.

 

[nickp91]

I hope Lady Vols continues to grow under Kellie Harper Tennessee being a contender is good for women’s basketball

 

[RedStickHusky]

Good presser.

 

[my2cents]

Obviously a well spoken and bright young coach.
One question, why does anyone wear a mask for a zoom call?
Can the virus now go through computers?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

And an excellent recruiter. She appears to be from the Tara mold of emphasizing height, no matter the athleticism. Coach Geno is well known to ask of potential "bigs," would we be recruiting this kid if she weren't 6'4"? In other words, is this just a tall player, or is she athletic? So Connecticut gets far more talented,yet smaller players, while Stanford and others emphasize height.

I think Harper has taken her place in the ranks of new top coaches. She'll be a force for years to come. Indeed, I expect Tennessee to rise several places in the rankings with this loss, given how tough she played Connecticut.

 

[Performance]

Let me start of by saying that I think Kelly Harper is just what Tennessee needed to get them back on track I do believe she has already done a lot with her players and for the program and I truly hope this continues. That being said the fans at Tennessee really need to grow up and try to show a little class ( just like their late coach had) to boo and taunt a player just because she transferred to another school is wrong, I have been to a lot of arenas following Uconn basketball one of which was Thompson Bowling Arena only one other place (in N.J) that I have been is even close to having the nasty fans that Tennessee has. This kind of treatment from what are supposed to be mature people is just disgusting!! I know what I am talking about I had the honor of being harassed by a Tennessee fan when I went their for a Uconn game. All of that being said this game was a great game for our team, a tough hard fought game with lessons to be learned. I for one am proud.

 

[oldhusky]

I know very little about Kellie, but the defensive preparation her team had for Uconn seemed to be very very good. For much of the game we were taking the shots they wanted us to take. Other teams may use her blueprint against us in the future, but that was the first team we have played this year that had a good defensive scheme against us.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I always rooted for UT during the rivalry's most public days but had zero negative feelings or attitude about UConn.

Women's basketball obviously has a very small world but compared to SEC football the vitriol by both UConn and UT is tame. I've always understood why the fans here would be angry and hostile towards the LVs and fanbase but at this point the roots of the conflict are ancient history. Both bases would be better off to let it go and think about the future when it comes to the relationship between the programs.

I've generally hoped UT would get back to at least being one of the top programs in large part because everyone still remembers the history and associates them with the growth of the sport. I hope the same for UConn when their program makes their inevitable coaching shift. The fanbase of the sport is so small that in order to get any recognition on a national scale it helps to have the power players doing well.

I am glad last night was a competitive game and it likely helped UConn grow their team mindset and strategy and also gave UT a positive showing for a program that is striving to be in the top 5-10 again. The LVs aren't there yet and it's unlikely Harper will ever be close to Summitt but that doesn't mean she can't be successful.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I always rooted for UT during the rivalry's most public days but had zero negative feelings or attitude about UConn.

Women's basketball obviously has a very small world but compared to SEC football the vitriol by both UConn and UT is tame. I've always understood why the fans here would be angry and hostile towards the LVs and fanbase but at this point the roots of the conflict are ancient history. Both bases would be better off to let it go and think about the future when it comes to the relationship between the programs.

I've generally hoped UT would get back to at least being one of the top programs in large part because everyone still remembers the history and associates them with the growth of the sport. I hope the same for UConn when their program makes their inevitable coaching shift. The fanbase of the sport is so small that in order to get any recognition on a national scale it helps to have the power players doing well.

I am glad last night was a competitive game and it likely helped UConn grow their team mindset and strategy and also gave UT a positive showing for a program that is striving to be in the top 5-10 again. The LVs aren't there yet and it's unlikely Harper will ever be close to Summitt but that doesn't mean she can't be successful.

I think most UConn fans have let it go. Tennessee fans on the other hand...

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I think most UConn fans have let it go. Tennessee fans on the other hand...

From my outside view there are certainly more UT fans who have anger about it but it isn't absent from UConn's fanbase. The clearest view of this is any LV loss or lack of success with a recruit is frequently met with glee and satisfaction.

We all do this to have some fun and it's natural to have teams that one dislikes for some reason but ND and UT touch nerves with the fans here that are understandable yet also a little humorous given neither has been as successful as UConn.

 

[oldude]

I think most UConn fans have let it go. Tennessee fans on the other hand...

Reading through the many posts on VolNation after the game, while there were a handful of rational comments, most echoed one of the following themes:

• If Horston & Davis played better, TN would have won (Ignores UConn’s shooting woes as well as the fact that the Huskies haven’t played much over the past few weeks)
• UConn is not that good and will get blown out by SC. (We’ll see about that)
• Paige Bueckers is overrated. (They should really take a close look at how she stepped up during crunch time)
• Evina is not that good. ( Yea sure, except the LV’s would have loved to have her on a night when their 2 pg’s were 2/20 with 7 turnovers)
• Finally, the oldy but goody, “We were screwed by the refs.” (There were several questionable calls and non-calls during the game. But as I watched, at best they evened out. At worst UConn was hit with far more questionable calls than the LV’s)

 

[Plebe]

I always rooted for UT during the rivalry's most public days but had zero negative feelings or attitude about UConn.

Women's basketball obviously has a very small world but compared to SEC football the vitriol by both UConn and UT is tame. I've always understood why the fans here would be angry and hostile towards the LVs and fanbase but at this point the roots of the conflict are ancient history. Both bases would be better off to let it go and think about the future when it comes to the relationship between the programs.

I've generally hoped UT would get back to at least being one of the top programs in large part because everyone still remembers the history and associates them with the growth of the sport. I hope the same for UConn when their program makes their inevitable coaching shift. The fanbase of the sport is so small that in order to get any recognition on a national scale it helps to have the power players doing well.

I am glad last night was a competitive game and it likely helped UConn grow their team mindset and strategy and also gave UT a positive showing for a program that is striving to be in the top 5-10 again. The LVs aren't there yet and it's unlikely Harper will ever be close to Summitt but that doesn't mean she can't be successful.

I think it's rather easy to stand from the outside in judgment of the enduring animosity. I'm actually an easy-going person by nature and find it terribly hard to nurse grudges long term. But to me there was an egregious line crossed by the fans on one side, not both sides, led by Cornelius and others of her ilk who managed to sway Pat Summitt (likely by then suffering from undiagnosed diminished capacity) into signing her name to their libelous smear campaign.

If one of your neighbors drops their poop on your doorstep over and over again, and continues to do so at will, and never acknowledges their wrongdoing or much less apologizes, would you be ready to sing kumbaya with them?

 

[Jmsdawg]

The remarkable magnanimity of your post — truly commendable, I must say — stands in jarring contrast to the despicable character of the person whose YouTube account bears the video.

That same person, for years, actively led a libelous smear campaign based on threadbare lies, with the unmistakable intent of destroying the UConn women's basketball program.

That same person has continued, in the years since, to stake her identity and cottage industry on the residual stench of her lies and smears. That she has the nerve to call herself a journalist is truly an affront to the many outstanding journalists whose work I admire and avidly consume.

I have nothing ill to say about Kellie, just as I have nothing ill to say about her team's players. Your point about how a treasured legacy can be carried forward with class is well taken. But for Tennessee the program and fanbase, I can muster no well wishes, certainly not as long as their culture continues to afford a privileged place to the likes of Ms. Cornelius.

I really like to watch Tennessee and ND WBB, it is a pleasure to watch those teams LOSE,

 

[MSSportsGuy]

You are correct that it's easier to view the situation from the outside and it's also true that it can give some objectivity to the situation. Yes, it was a gross mistake on the LVs but 1. How has it occurred over and over other than some rather immature comments from the same small cluster of fans 2. What damage actually took place? There was no infraction that took place so the entire situation reflected poorly on UT and not on UConn.

I never said don't acknowledge the hurt feelings or pretend it never happened, rather that it's better to focus on the future of the relationship between the programs. However, we are all entitled to our own feelings and I would give the same message to any LV person who would rather think about the past.

 

[Performance]

Just watched part of the video listening to Davis talk about the team (how they are better than Uconn) no class just like some of the fan base, not a good look to be a sore loser. For the record they should be better than Uconn they are older and have played more games thus far.

 

[CL82]

The remarkable magnanimity of your post — truly commendable, I must say — stands in jarring contrast to the despicable character of the person whose YouTube account bears the video.

That same person, for years, actively led a libelous smear campaign based on threadbare lies, with the unmistakable intent of destroying the UConn women's basketball program.

That same person has continued, in the years since, to stake her identity and cottage industry on the residual stench of her lies and smears. That she has the nerve to call herself a journalist is truly an affront to the many outstanding journalists whose work I admire and avidly consume.

I have nothing ill to say about Kellie, just as I have nothing ill to say about her team's players. Your point about how a treasured legacy can be carried forward with class is well taken. But for Tennessee the program and fanbase, I can muster no well wishes, certainly not as long as their culture continues to afford a privileged place to the likes of Ms. Cornelius.

(For the record, I agree with everything you posted but your passion about it made me laugh.)

 

[MooseJaw]

Traditionally, on our Board, a lot of posters have been so mired in Tennessee hatred that they were blind to how great the rivalry once was for women's basketball. The dismal results achieved by UT under Holly Warlick obviously took a lot of the edge off the prospect of that rivalry, which was a shame in terms of the overall health of the sport. Admittedly, this game should not have been as close as it was, but I was highly impressed by UT's play. What Kellie is doing with a once-storied program is pretty terrific, and she's doing it with class. The example she's setting should be welcome news to all who are envisioning an inevitable post-Geno era in Storrs.

If I can successfully post Kellie's post-game presser below, the class she brings to the game will be readily apparent. I ardently hope for UT's return to greatness and an annual home-and-home series with packed stands in both arenas.

Ironic I find, Kellie's thoughts on the game in large part mimic what many in the BY have posted yesterday and today. Talking defensive scheme, rebounds, tempo, scoring and disappointment. In large part both sides have aligned on how their team played. The only major difference being we come away with a W and the Lady Vols end up with the L. They are heartbroken and many on the BY are disappointed. Two sides of the same coin, maybe? Expectations I think.

 

[cbraarj]

This was supposed to be about Kellie Harper. She is doing a good job down in Tennessee and the future is bright in Knoxville.

 

[Nash83]

For the record they should be better than Uconn they are older and have played more games thus far.

Thought both teams are young, right? Davis and Westbrook are the oldest starters on the floor.
Starters:
UCONN: Fr., So., Jr., Jr., RS Jr.
TN: Fr., So., So., Jr., Sr.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Coach Harper had a really good game plan (giving a lot of space to our bigs to shoot from outside, cover Paige closely with a long athletic player, hit the boards hard, crowd CW to hurt her ability to attack the basket, etc.) and it worked real well for 3 quarters. There is a clear growth for some of the players of the TN team and they play way more disciplined than in the last few years. She'll make TN better but for now i don't see them getting to a top 5 team unless they can land some top 10 players.