I am rapidly becoming fan of Coach Harper, and I sincerely hope that her efforts to revive the former glory of UT women's basketball bear fruit. I'm certainly aware of the fact that this is an unpopular position on our forum, but I think the bases underpinning that unpopularity are rooted in ancient history, and overlook the salutary effects such a resurrection would have on the game we love. If it is indeed Coach Harper's intention to upgrade her team's schedule going forward, I applaud such a move, and believe I understand the factors that shape her attitude.
While it is my good fortune to divide time between residences in Connecticut and in the Deep South, I was raised, and spent my entire professional life, in the latter area. Specifically, as a sports fan, what this means is that I, like Coach Harper, was "brought up" in the SEC. I know that many folks will vigorously contest this view, but those of us who grew up observing sports in that part of the country entertain a different perspective, as compared with most folk, about what the term "strength of schedule" means, or ought to mean. Because football, in that part of the country, constitutes the national religion, this view is especially applicable to that sport, but extends to others as well. The regular season in most sports tends to be much more entertaining than in many other conferences because, week in and week out, teams are engaged in one "holy war" after another, a more imposing gauntlet than other fans around the country can possibly imagine. As a country girl from Sparta, Tennessee, Kellie's attitudes were inevitably shaped by these experiences.
Simply put, if Coach Harper does, in fact, not only have the Lady Vols on a roll, but is intent upon a schedule upgrade in the process, I say kudos to her...bring it on!
