Eris Lester Has Vandy on Finalist List

[MikeADore]

Class of '24, she's a 5'11 guard out of Florida. Will be attending Montverde Academy in Florida for her senior year. Finalists include six SEC schools plus Florida State. This is another one, like Mikayla Blakes last week, that I knew nothing about in terms of Vandy recruiting her. Very similar physically to Blakes. Plays for the Miami Suns EYBL squad in the summer, same organization as Bella LaChance and Kaylon Smith

[MikeADore]

Ranked #39 on ESPN Hoopgurlz. She's from Orange Park, Fla. Other offers include Syracuse, Ohio State and Miami.

[MikeADore]

A few highlights. Also found offers from Missouri, Auburn, Purdue, Wisconsin and Columbia.

[Go Vandy!]

Mike, How many open slots do we have for '24? '25? I know with the portal it's impossible to tell, but as far as you know. Thanks

[MikeADore]

Mike, How many open slots do we have for '24? '25? I know with the portal it's impossible to tell, but as far as you know. Thanks

Right now, we have two slots open. That's if Bella LaChance and Jordyn Oliver come back for a final season and no one else leaves. We currently have three offers out that I know about...Orlagh Gormley (official visit), Mikayla Blakes (we made her top 7), and Eris Lester (we made her top 7). It's probably not likely that all three would choose Vandy.

A few weeks back Ndorefin and I had a discussion about the covid-motivated rule that allowed teams to go beyond the 15-player roster limit (scholarship players). Neither of us had a handle on how the rule applies now compared to back then. So, I went and found some info. The long and short of it is this passage:

"Beyond the 2021-22 season, programs will again be limited to 15 scholarships, no matter how many players in those future seasons are utilizing eligibility gained now."

So, the rule to allow teams to exceed 15 was temporary, and it is no longer in effect. If all three of the players listed above were to, by some near-miracle, choose Vandy, something would have to give. I'm sure the coaches have considered all this and have a plan in place. First come, first served? Maybe, except I think they'll save a spot for Blakes no matter what.

By the way, the rule allowing players the extra year of eligibility does not require schools to give players an extra year on scholarship. The Ivy league, for instance, decided they wanted no part of it. Once a senior graduates from an Ivy school, they have to transfer if they want to use he extra year of eligibility. Also, next season will be the last for the extra year.

[Go Vandy!]

Mike, thanks so much. I really appreciate you keeping up with the team, and especially, letting us know! I am SO ready for this team to have a good season. Regardless of what happened later, these last 3 hires have had something to recommend them. I don't know if everyone knew Pat Summitt recommended Melanie because the Lady Vols had lost to Balcomb's Cincinnati team. White was named National College Player of the Year by 2 orgs. she led her Purdue team to a NC. Took the Fever to the Finals. And everyone knows about Ralph & Garrick.

[VandyJim]

Mike, Go Vandy,
I asked a former Boston University assistant about that very scenario: What happens when offers exceed scholarships available? He told me that there is a continuous dialogue with players and that essentially whoever accepts the offer first, gets the scholarship. He also said that in some cases, the offer has time limits and that once those limits expire, there is no guarantee the scholarship will be there. This allows the coaching staff to move in another direction with a player they feel will accept an offer if given.

[MikeADore]

Mike, Go Vandy,
I asked a former Boston University assistant about that very scenario: What happens when offers exceed scholarships available? He told me that there is a continuous dialogue with players and that essentially whoever accepts the offer first, gets the scholarship. He also said that in some cases, the offer has time limits and that once those limits expire, there is no guarantee the scholarship will be there. This allows the coaching staff to move in another direction with a player they feel will accept an offer if given.

Makes perfect sense. I can only imagine this is a nerve-racking but exciting time for the staff.

Assuming we can only take two, I could be perfectly happy with any combination as long as Blakes is part of it. Seriously, I would feel good with Lester and Gormley, but I do think Blakes is a cut above. For that reason, and considering her offers, it's also going to be very hard to land her. I saw someone predict she was going to Stanford the other day. He was probably just guessing, but maybe not.

[MikeADore]

Mike, thanks so much. I really appreciate you keeping up with the team, and especially, letting us know! I am SO ready for this team to have a good season. Regardless of what happened later, these last 3 hires have had something to recommend them. I don't know if everyone knew Pat Summitt recommended Melanie because the Lady Vols had lost to Balcomb's Cincinnati team. White was named National College Player of the Year by 2 orgs. she led her Purdue team to a NC. Took the Fever to the Finals. And everyone knows about Ralph & Garrick.

White is back in the WNBA as coach of the Connecticut Suns. She has them at 23-11 and firmly in third place in her first year. It's obvious she's a good pro coach. She just needs to avoid college kids. I thought Balcomb did some outstanding work here until the recruiting got away from her after a few years. I always felt it was ironic that her final class, the one that came in for White's first year, was her strongest in a while. Unfortunately, coach White took the square-peg-in-a-round-hole approach with that group and tried to play a sped-up, WNBA style they were not at all suited to play. Not only were they not successful, most of them, understandably, abandoned ship.

I do think there were factors beyond playing style that made kids want to get away from coach White. While her public persona was impressive, there were, and still are, persistent rumors that she was not nearly as pleasant to deal with behind the scenes. I'm glad she has found success again in the WNBA, and before that, I thought she was outstanding as a TV analyst for women's college games.

Still, I think it's fair to point out the obvious: She left this program in dire condition.

[VandyJim]

I'd totally love to have Lester. Her crossover is ridiculous. Imagine if we got both Blakes and Lester. How sweet would that be?

Coach White ... boy, I'm not a fan. I see her coach a lot up here because I go to Sun games and see her on TV. Putting aside the personal stuff -- I have no knowledge about it -- I just think she can only coach talented players. And when her talented players compete against slightly better talented players, they lose. I've always thought that good coaches can adapt to what they have on their roster and compete against most teams, not all, but most. Ralph was not going to compete against South Carolina last season. The talent gap was too great. But Ralph competes against most teams. She adapts based on her her talent. White cannot adapt. No matter whom they play, it's the same stuff night after night.

White at Vandy was a disaster. Her team didn't even resemble a "team." They looked unprepared, tentative, outmatched, and when adversity set in, they crumbled. Even against teams that were slightly better, White simply could not adjust and help those kids pull through.

Ralph is the opposite. The first five minutes I saw her team play, I called my dad and said Vandy women's basketball is back. The Vandy women looked like a "team" again. And this year Ralph has brought in 7 good players, several of whom were highly rated and recruited out of high school. The talent gap in the SEC has closed considerably for Ralph. We won't beat LSU or South Carolina, but we will compete against almost everyone else. That's why I'm so sure we will go 16-15 or 17-14 or something like that. That's tremendous progress. And if we land a Blakes or a Lester to accompany this group of recruits, then we will take one more step to being in the top third of the SEC. The future is so bright here. Finally. Vandy women's basketball culture has changed -- and that is due to Ralph. And that is a sign of a good coach.

[MikeADore]