Why Kellie Harper doesn't have a 2023 recruiting class yet and what it means for the Lady Vols

One by one, top prospects in the 2023 class inked their commitments to women's basketball programs during the early signing period.

The Tennessee Lady Vols didn't sign any.

Tennessee coach Kellie Harper and her staff pursued many 2023 prospects, intending to sign three or four. But Aalyah Del Rosario and Angelica Velez went to LSU, Madison Booker chose Texas, and S'Mya Nichols committed to Kansas.

Here are four questions about how recruiting impacts Tennessee's future:

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Why did Tennessee narrow its targets so much?

There were eight 2023 prospects on Tennessee's radar at the beginning of June. After the summer, that number was four.

Tennessee was selective in who it ultimately decided to target, but it had the flexibility to do so. Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key are eligible to enter the 2023 WNBA Draft. They also have an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 that would allow any or all to return for a fifth season.

The Lady Vols' recruiting needs tie into those decisions. Harper can still add to the 2023 class before next season, but she also can afford to wait on the decisions of three game-changers currently on the roster.

So, the list was intentionally pared down to four final 2023 targets, whether Tennessee got them or not.

Horston, Jackson and Key may still leave and Harper would be scrambling to round out the roster via recruiting or the transfer portal. But that was a calculated gamble.

Can Tennessee's sophomore class be the core until the 2024 class?

If Horston, Jackson and Key all declare for the draft, the 2023-24 roster gets thin. Tennessee will have returning starters Jasmine Powell and Tess Darby, six juniors and two sophomores – one of whom is a walk-on.

The Lady Vols' current sophomore class has six players after Marta Suárez redshirted last season due to injury and Jillian Hollingshead transferred from Georgia this summer.

The original four in the 2021 class were key in establishing the culture Harper wants. But Sara Puckett is the lone proven scorer at the college level between them. Brooklynn Miles is an elite defender, a great ball handler and she makes good decisions at point guard – but she doesn't score consistently.

Hollingshead, a 6-foot-5 forward, could grow into one of the best players to come through the program by her senior year. But she and Suárez have a lot of room to improve.

None of the sophomores are playing significant minutes. Hollingshead has played the most at 10.3 minutes per game, but Karoline Striplin hasn't played yet this season.

If that trend continues, the portal could hold some appeal for players. Or they may not be prepared for starting roles next season if the senior trio of starters leaves.

Can Lady Vols keep up with SEC full of strong recruiting classes?

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley built an incredible 2023 class. Every player isn't ranked in the top 11 like the 2019 class, but the Gamecocks' 2023 class could be just as good and impactful. Staley has commitments from No. 13 Milaysia Fulwiley, No. 17 Chloe Kitts, No. 25 Tessa Johnson and No. 40 Sahnya Jah.

South Carolina, Texas A&M, Texas, LSU, Auburn and Kentucky had top-25 2022 recruiting classes, according to ESPN. LSU and South Carolina have the two best 2023 recruiting classes in ESPN's most recent rankings – Texas, Alabama, Arkansas Texas A&M and Mississippi State all made the top 25.

Stanford and UConn, Tennessee's recurring nonconference foes, also have top-10 recruiting classes for 2022 and 2023. If Tennessee can't fill the gaps from the portal after this season, it's going to fall behind, even with a solid 2024 class.

What's the plan if senior trio declares for WNBA draft?

The Lady Vols could lose up to six players, not counting anyone entering the portal.

Jasmine Franklin and Jordan Walker are graduates who have exhausted eligibility after this season and Jessie Rennie is a senior.

Senior Jasmine Powell already said she's playing two seasons. Securing a point guard – like Jaloni Cambridge, the top-ranked 2024 prospect – is critical for the 2024 class. Miles will be in her senior season in 2024-25 and someone needs to be there learning to take the reins.

If Horston and Jackson both declare for the draft, Tennessee loses its most dynamic scorers. Harper has to look to the portal to replace them, which she proved she is capable of doing.

But that method hasn't been proven to be successful yet. Tennessee gained the top transfer class in the nation, but the team is struggling to mesh early in the season. Only time will tell how the portal-built Lady Vols will perform this season, but it may be the plan for next season, too, if they don't get fifth years out of Horston, Jackson and Key.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Kellie Harper doesn't have 2023 class, what it means for Lady Vols