Tennessee struggling to get JUCO to even visit...

[EricLA]

Waiting on recruits' decisions

Article from 2 days ago. They were looking hard at a pair of JUCO's - Uju Ugoka and Wilka Montout. Ugoka is a 6'0" forward and Montout is a 6'5" center. personally i'm not sure they need a 6'0" forward - i guess depth would be good. She visited Tenn Nov 27, last year, and is still taking visits. anyway, they need a center more IMHO.

but Montout took 4 official visits and was deciding between Tennessee and Washington for her 5th OV. Apparently she chose to take Washington as her 5th OV.

Some of their fans are on the ledge - they feel a big haul of top 10 kids from 2013 is a must if Tennessee is to avoid a continued slide out of the top 10. Others are convinced everything is rosey and once the coaching situation irons itself out, top kids will once again flock to Tennessee.

Personally i think the truth is somewhere in between. If Pat decides to "come back" next year, she essentially has Worlick running the team (they already lost Demoss correct? or is she pulling double duty in the WNBA and at Tenn?). in that scenario, i find it hard to imagine any of the top 10 kids would really be interested in going there. several of their top targets are already rumored to be leaning elsewhere.

If she decides to hang it up and they find a new coach, it remains to be seen if any of the top 2013 kids will look harder at Tenn, or favor them over other schools as they continue to decide. The good news for them is the longer the top 10 hold out, the more it seems like they may be waiting for the coaching situation to shake out and possibly strongly consider Tennessee...

 

[Icebear]

DeMoss and Lockwood both, I think.

 

[pap49cba]

I don't recall reading anything about Lockwood leaving. His name was raised in connection with the Michigan job but I don't think he's been contacted.

 

[Icebear]

OK, I remembered something but not the details. That's why I said I think, but clearly he is open to leaving. thanks for the correction.

 

[oneresult]

(And Dean Lockwood has carved a path to Oregon himself.)​

Icebear this is what you read on their board by maria​

 

[Kibitzer]

As the past season wore on it became increasingly clear that Pat was not fully engaged. Holly seemed to be in charge at courtside and then, remarkably, she took the post-game pressers. I have no idea what a recruit (and her family) would see during an official visit to Knoxville -- who runs practices, who interviews, etc. -- but the agenda surely varies from years past when the legendary Pat Summitt dominated the landscape.

The withdrawal of the much celebrated oral commitment of Kaela Davis may be ominous. Ditto the DeMoss association with the WNBA.

My view is that for better or worse Tennessee has already slid from the top ten and the challenge they now face is to arrest their decline before they are not even ranked.

I neither celebrate nor mourn. I simply see it as inevitable, barring some dramatic solution to their coaching quandary.

 

[Tonyc]

Kib very eliquently put especially after all you went through with Tenn and the 37 pages. Tenn needs someone to stand up and make a very difficult decision, and that decision imo is whether they can take the program back to where it once was and they need to do that before its to late. With that said it may already be a little late. Davis is gone, DeMoss is gone who's next. Recruits arent jumping to get into Tenn anymore. For all intensive purposes Pat is no longer the coach. Tenn needs a coach and Pat has earned the right to stay on as long as she wants. However for the good of the team, decisions need to be made to keep the team from falling any futher. Decisions need to be made to get the team back on track. From what Ive heard some of the coaches whos names were mentioned arent interested in the Tenn job. So instead of looking for a top coach perhaps Tenn needs to find somebody who is on the way up and keep Pat in the wings. Its a very tuff call but thats why they have top executives.

 

[doggydaddy]

Word is that Montout did not visit Tennessee because they didn't have her major. Not sure what took her so long to decide to eliminate them. I also heard that TN does have her major listed under the business program. Something sounds weird about this.

 

[justML]

IMO Pat IS the reason top recruits have chosen TN over the years. They wanted to play for one of wcbb's best coaches. Knowing that window of opportunity is closing, I would think current college players would be encouraged to look elsewhere.

Whoever takes over for Pat will need years to return that program to its former greatness. If they could even do it at all.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Phil]

I haven't thought much of the Washington program, but i got to meet some of the coaching staff, and was impressed. We may see some good things out of them. If they get Wilka Montout, it will help.

 

[Vowelguy]

Tenn needs a coach

However for the good of the team, decisions need to be made to keep the team from falling any futher. Decisions need to be made to get the team back on track.

Who's to say decisions haven't been made?
It looks to me like they have: Warlick is HC and Summitt is an Asst.

I just don't get all these comments that "Tenn _has_ to do something."

Even before her illness, a lot of people questioned whether TN would make the F4 this year. Then they didnt and all of a sudden it's because she's still coach?

Tenn's problems were an underperforming senior class, a transitional coaching situation (which would've happened whether PHS stayed or not), and their weak recruiting in recent years.

 

[Bestiarius]

Word is that Montout did not visit Tennessee because they didn't have her major. Not sure what took her so long to decide to eliminate them. I also heard that TN does have her major listed under the business program. Something sounds weird about this.

Nothing weird about it. Just a program trying to save face. Interpretation: To all you BBall prospects out there, Pat's situation was not a consideration, Montout just wanted a program that we didn't offer. To all prospective students out there, we do offer that major, so don't worry. Future elaboration: Truth is, she just didn't fit into our 5 guard offense.

 

[alexrgct]

The LVs are fine. Harrison will have 5-7 blocks a game next year. Her performance this year makes that level of improvement a mere formality.

We should just worry about our own house. Michala Johnson didn't want to play out her college career on the bench, so that means UConn is in a world of trouble.

 

[sarals24]

Yeah, plus our team might be TOO talented for Deshields to consider joining.

 

[doggydaddy]

Who's to say decisions haven't been made?
It looks to me like they have: Warlick is HC and Summitt is an Asst.

I just don't get all these comments that "Tenn _has_ to do something."

Even before her illness, a lot of people questioned whether TN would make the F4 this year. Then they didnt and all of a sudden it's because she's still coach?

Tenn's problems were an underperforming senior class, a transitional coaching situation (which would've happened whether PHS stayed or not), and their weak recruiting in recent years.

The Tenn_has_to do something is mostly in regards to recruiting. It HAS to have an impact on whether or not they want to play at Tennessee.

There were as many people that thought Tennessee would make the F4 as well as not making it. And clearly they underachieved with the talent on this team. They will have 2 players in the top 5 of the WNBA draft and another in the first round. Why? Part was certainly the coaching situation. IF they do indeed have the same situation next year, it's a big mistake.

Their last 2 recruiting classes were ranked 1 and 5. They did have 2 weak classes in 2009 and 10 with the 12 and 14 rated classes.

 

[Vowelguy]

And clearly they underachieved with the talent on this team. They will have 2 players in the top 5 of the WNBA draft and another in the first round. Why? Part was certainly the coaching situation.

Those players underachieved their whole career.

 

[doggydaddy]

Those players underachieved their whole career.

They lost 4 games the year before and 9 games this year. I don't know how it couldn't have an impact.

 

[UcMiami]

I am a little surprised in that I really thought Pat would retire/step into an administrative position right after the NCAAs. Late March/early April is the time for the coaching carousel to turn. With her not doing so, I assume the decision is that she is coming back next year. The absolute worst thing for TN would be making the decision to retire in the summer after everyone has already done their recruiting.
I know 'Pat deserves to go out on her own terms' but as far as the TN WCBB program is concerned I really think now is the time - the longer this drags on, the harder it is going to be for them to recruit as few high schoolers (and especially their parents) want to make a four year commitment to an 'unstable' program. (Unstable just meaning that no one knows who will be the HC in 12 months time.)

 

[Vowelguy]

They lost 4 games the year before and 9 games this year. I don't know how it couldn't have an impact.

I'm sure it did.
But the key question is whether the team would've been better off had Summitt immediately retired last summer? I doubt it.

It was traumatic event; there was no way aruond it.

 

[justML]

It was traumatic event; there was no way aruond it.

Yes. And as much as their fans wished for a Hollywood ending where the team rallies around the coach and wins it all; it was not to be.

 

[doggydaddy]

I'm sure it did.
But the key question is whether the team would've been better off had Summitt immediately retired last summer? I doubt it.

It was traumatic event; there was no way aruond it.

Agreed. In fact, it might have been worse. We will never know.

 

[Tonyc]

Well here is something to think about. How good would Glory Johnson have become if she choose UConn????????????????

 

[semper]

Who will be the new coach?

Sherri Coale
John Waltz
Matthew Mitchell
Kim Mulkey
More?

Or must it be a UT insider?

 

[TRest]

Who will be the new coach?

Sherri Coale
John Waltz
Matthew Mitchell
Kim Mulkey
More?

Or must it be a UT insider?

I think they keep it inside the family for the next several years. Pat may stay relatively plateaued for now, and they can keep things as they are unless something changes. If she feels the need to step away at any time, the staff is in place to continue up until the time the school is forced to make a change. This would present a known scenario for recruits, but IMO not an attractive one.

 

[EricLA]

The LVs are fine. Harrison will have 5-7 blocks a game next year. Her performance this year makes that level of improvement a mere formality.

We should just worry about our own house. Michala Johnson didn't want to play out her college career on the bench, so that means UConn is in a world of trouble.

you're very ! somebody's been reading the other board. i don't want to bring anything over here that the mods would frown on, but i was STUNNED at some of the comments on their board.