The Portal Rat Race: Why Development Still Wins
Every year, coaches jump headfirst into the portal chasing names they were never built to land. Meanwhile, the ones who build — win. Stop chasing stars. Start developing them. Ask Larry Vickers. Championships came before the headlines. Auburn came after the grind. Real success isn’t found in the portal. It’s grown in the gym.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALLNCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALLLARRY VICKERSNORFOLK STATEAUBURN TIGERS
Prime
3/31/20251 min read
Let’s talk about these lower-level college coaches running wild in the portal, chasing names they were never gonna get in the first place. Year after year, they jump into the same rat race, hoping to land a star, only to end up with leftovers because they refuse to recruit within their range. It’s a losing strategy. How about this, hire people around you who can develop talent. Because let’s be real, nothing is long, term anymore. At any level, you’re lucky to have players for more than a year or two. Instead of banking on quick fixes, invest in building a system that actually produces hoopers. You do that, and guess what? Bigger schools start calling you. Look at Larry Vickers from Norfolk State. Yeah, getting Diamond Johnson was a blessing, but let’s not act like that’s why he leveled up. He won two conference championships before she even got there. Now? He’s the head coach at Auburn. That’s what happens when you put in the work and build something real. The portal will always be there. But if you want real, sustainable success, stop chasing and start developing.
