Top prospects
- Dominic Cheek, 6-foot-5, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.): Rivals No. 11 overall, No. 4 shooting guard; Scout No. 11 overall, No. 3 shooting guard
- Avery Bradley, 6-3, Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.): Rivals No. 16 overall, No. 5 shooting guard; Scout No. 21 overall, No. 6 shooting guard
- Michael Snaer, 6-4, Rancho Verde (Moreno, Calif.): Rivals No. 47 overall, No. 11 shooting guard; Scout No. 20 overall, No. 5 shooting guard
- Roberto Nelson, 6-4, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Calif.): Rivals No. 71 overall, No. 14 shooting guard; Scout No. 69 overall, No. 14 shooting guard
- Tony Nixon, 6-4, Seton Academy (Chicago): Scout Three-Star rating
Two of the top Tennessee men's basketball targets in the Class of 2009 aren't shy about their desire to visit Knoxville.
Shooting guards Roberto Nelson of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Tony Nixon of Chicago have said they'll likely use an official visit to Tennessee this fall.
Forward Ryan Childress is UT's only senior, but it's a virtual certainty that junior forward Tyler Smith will turn pro after this season, and there's a good possibility Scotty Hopson will turn pro after his freshman season if projected in the top half of the first round of the NBA draft. Wayne Chism submitted paperwork to the NBA evaluation committee after last season, indicating he, too, is considering leaving after the upcoming season.
Kenny Hall, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Stone Mountain, Ga., (Rivals No. 49, Scout's No. 31) is UT's only commitment for the Class of 2009, so the recruiting door is swinging open once again.
The Vols' interest in Dominic Cheek, a 6-5 shooting guard from St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J., has been well-documented. Cheek is rated the No. 11 overall player in the nation by both Rivals and Scout.
But with the summer AAU circuit and evaluation period recently completed, new names have popped up on UT's radar.
Nixon, a 6-5, 190-pounder, is considered among the latest and greatest after winning MVP honors at an AAU tournament in Arizona in July.
Nixon, who will no doubt have his talent rating adjusted by the national recruiting services, averaged nearly 20 points per game and opened the eyes of many at the tournament.
This won't be the first time the Seton Academy guard from Chicago has heard from the Vols.
"Tennessee contacted me when I was playing football,'' said Nixon, a receiver. "But I quit playing football after my sophomore year, so that was about a year ago.''
Nixon is also being recruited by Michigan, Gonzaga, Fresno State and George Mason.
"I can knock down the three consistently, I can run the floor, I can rebound and I can pass,'' Nixon said. "I can do what needs to be done to win.''
Nixon also does what needs to be done in the classroom, carrying a 3.0 grade point average.
His basketball IQ is just as high; Nixon is already well-versed in pressure techniques.
"My team presses,'' he said. "We run a 1-2-2, a diamond press, a full-court man press and a 2-2-1 trap,'' Nixon said. "I like playing defense, and I'm always sticking a guard or one of the best players.''
Nixon said his recruiting priorities are, in order, "a good education, a degree, playing time as a freshman and a fun environment.''
Nelson, like Nixon, has been successful enough in football to garner attention.
While he was never recruited by the football Vols, the quarterback/cornerback/receiver said he's still hearing from schools like Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, USC, Duke and California.
"I'll probably go basketball,'' said Nelson, who averaged 25 points for Santa Barbara (Calif.) High School last season. "I want to be in a position where I can showcase my talents and go from there. I'd like to play right away.''
Nelson said he has a brother who lives in La Vergne, Tenn., and has an interest in living in the region.
"It's nice out there; the weather is different,'' he said, "and my brother is out there, and he makes me feel at home.''
Nelson said he hasn't done a lot of research on the Vols, but he knows enough to be interested.
"Tennessee basketball is always doing good it seems,'' he said. "They have a good team, everyone knows that, and they've got my favorite colors.''
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
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Comments » 39
mbradshaw1#655539 writes:
As long as BP is around we have a shot at good players.
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nola_vol writes:
"They have a good team, everyone knows that, and they've got my favorite colors.''
I do believe what the perceptive young Mr. Nelson is referring to is Orange & White (...not black). ;)
longtimefan writes:
Whats that you said Roberto? Your favorite colors are what? Orange and White? You mean the school you choose doesnt have to include black? My my! What a revelation! You must be old fashioned! Seems our fashion experts are behind the times!
MrBamSeydu writes:
nice article, even though it's almost football season.
kind of crazy how times have changed for UT sports.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
Can't wait to watch Pearl and the boys get back after it. Many more will be thinking basketball in about 2 months.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
nice article....however, i'm just not sold on a one and done player.... not good for the program (only good would be a ncaa championship and that is extremely hard to achieve) i believe coach Pearl will be cautious about offering a scholarship to these one and done players
miamiVOL writes:
with our brand new facilities, up-n-coming head coach, and positive media coverage of late, TN should continue to get the best of the best!!
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
Where was the hate volfan5521? I love and support everything that BP does. It's hard not to be positive about the b-ball team. Easy for the football team. Turn off Barney now and realize that it is alright to dislike someone.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
Interesting fact on records versus the top 25 the past 3 years:
Pearl 12-8
Fulmer 6-11
I thought this was a football school.
BP = Overachiever
Fulmer = Underachiever
vol1994 writes:
haven't you guys learned that the slim one is NOT a UT Fan but a gator fan or bama fan?
Don't let him get under your skin guys.
ZR writes:
Fulmer's losing players to basketball, wow.
volroadwarrior writes:
volfan5521. People like "Pleaseget......" really want that football team to lose because of their hate of Fulmer. Their weak little minds think that a messiah coach will suddenly appear and bring them to the promised land. Just ignore them and enjoy the season. They wouldn't even be happy with a National Championship as long as Fulmer is coach, so lighten up and let them enjoy their free speech privileges as idiotic as it is.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
Gang,
I suggest that you read my previous posts to figure out that I am a Tennessee football team in remission. I love Pearl though. He is everything you want in a coach. And by the way, don't use the phrase "If they were to win a NTL Championship....." because you all know that isn't going to happen agian until a new coach comes to Kville
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
nice guys.... just tossin' it out there
VOLS85 writes:
If you're in remission then don't take interest in it, go away...we don't want you here
TopTenn writes:
Bruce will win a National Championship at Tennessee.
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
On the One and Dones, as their leaving teams start to impact Schollys I think the Top 25 teams are going to quit taking them.
I do think you will see more and more of them go to Europe and make that $250K or more for a year.
I guess we just have to trust CBP on them. My biggest concern is if we are recuiting the number one or number two player in his position and we also have the number 10 player on the hook, do we pass on the number ten? That tenth rank player in each position you will probably keep three years, maybe four. Especially when we are talking about Point Guards.
NBA made a mess with their one year rule. And you can't blame the kids for leaving, that is serious coin they can make in the NBA, or Europe for that matter. We all know that the worst of injuries can destroy a players shot at teh NBA, or at best cost them a great deal of money if they aren't sound and healthy leaving College.
It is a mess, and teh NBA has more or less forced a significant life Choice on highly talented youth, IMO it would be very hard to at their age to not take teh money.
newtonrail writes:
Slimy on the banned list.
Hunter writes:
"Tennessee basketball is always doing good it seems,'' he said. "They have a good team, everyone knows that, and they've got my favorite colors.''
Every once in a while, I feel like I'm living in an alternate universe and will snap back to a Wade Houston-like reality anytime now.
Bruce Pearl is not a god (there's only one), but he is a "heckuva" ball coach.
nola_vol writes:
As for "one-and-done" recruits... I remember CPS saying the secret to a national championship is having a Candace Parker on your (otherwise, only very good) team.
In the men's game, I think that translates into having that one player who presents all sorts of matchup problems, can create his own shots, and/or score at-will. Such a player would probably be NBA-ready when he arrived, but might be the key addition to an already good team that would take them to the Final Four.
If that's the case, we're fortunate that CBP has shown plenty of evidence that he's a "team chemistry" guy who won't tolerate a prima donna in exchange for a one time shot at glory.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
newtonrail is on the underachiever list
WVVOLFAN writes:
85 days until it's BB time in Tennesseeeeeeee!
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
NOLA Vol you make my point. Lady Vols didn't make the Final FOur Candace's first season playing.
Candace has already played in more losing games in teh WNBA than her entire three years at Tennessee.
To paraphrase many "experts and pundits", Tennessee would not have won back to back titles without Candace, and Candace would not have won titles without the Lady Vols.
To further illustrate that point the WNBA LA Sparks changed teh starters to include Bobbitt and Spencer, along with Parker to turn around some very poor performances. Parker owns the title of Superstar, but you must have a great supporting cast with that, and they must have time to learn each others moves and thought processes.
WVVOLFAN writes:
itsme: take a look at this-
02/23/08 at Memphis 66-62 (W) highlight AT MEMPHIS
NC runner up = 1st loser
Deal with it.
TopTenn writes:
Memphis off season begins August 30th. So Bitesme relax and watch some UT football. You can also root for the Vols. Since most tiger fans enjoy Tennessee football.
cjraney writes:
PLEASEGETRID says "I am a Tennessee football team in remission."
Translation: I are a idiot Bammer fan on the wrong internets site.
Jamey1210 writes:
Knoxville News- Please get rid of (pleasegetridofnotsoslimone) I am sick and tired of him living his life on this web site but yet says he is a vol fan in remission. Yes getridof we are all tired of you. We do not care about your opinion. Go somewhere else. Not one person on this site would even care if you never came back. AGAIN NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR DUMB A__ OPINION.
WVVOLFAN writes:
itsme: take a look at this-
02/23/08 at Memphis 66-62 (W) highlight AT MEMPHIS
NC runner up = 1st loser
Deal with it.
back2backchamps writes:
Actually WVVOLFAN, the NC runnerup would be the "last loser".
Believe it!!!
Colliervol writes:
"Vol fan in remission?" That's just fanspeak for being a bandwagon fan. Only interested when we win championships. Anything less is just grounds for whining---24/7. My advice for "fans" like you: Don't let the door hit you in the remission on your way out of the Big Orange House. Nobody will miss you. Trust me.
Y'all don't be too hard on itsme. If you had to watch Memphis football on a consistent basis, you'd visit here to talk basketball too. Surely he didn't just compare playing in CUSA (and attaining the mighty Motor City and New Orleans Bowls) with playing in the SEC and what we have to get through just to play in a bowl. Memphis can win six against competition somewhere akin to Byhalia High School and get to a bowl game. Lord, try to bring something better than that in here when you visit.
Of course, if I was subjected to a steady diet of CUSA football, I might not be able to recognize a real conference or schedule when I saw one either. Please regale us with your list of opponents and compare them to a lineup of UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, Miss. State, and South Carolina and let me know how it stacks up.
overatedvols writes:
Collier, itsme is just using the same logic that vol basketball fans use when they speak of the Tigers on here. It's like itsme says.. number of national championships in the last 9 years ... Vols 0 Tigers 0 Number of BSC bowls in the last 5 years Vols 0 Tigers 0. Also unless you win a national championship nothing else matters. This would mean the vols have had only one successful season in their modern history. Using Vol logic the vol football team is not any more successful than the tigers. I'm not saying any of it's true. I'm just putting it down like the vol basketball fans do to the Tigers.
Robvols for president
WVVOLFAN writes:
back2back, not according to DE#3. "second place is just the 1st loser".
take your shoes off and do the math.
Colliervol writes:
Oh trust me overrated, none of us are pleased that we haven't been to a BCS bowl lately. The difference is that we have the chance to get back to one. (Came close last year but, again, close doesn't count. Either you do it or you don't.)
The main point is that while we can argue about comparisons between the basketball teams, it's a worthless exercise to put the football programs in the same sentence as your friend did. They are light years apart. In history, tradition, support or anything else you want to name. In basketball, I'll readily admit that Memphis' history is richer than ours and you'll never see me denigrate that because I've lived in this area for 30 years and have seen it. But head-to-head games and general performance would indicate that the programs aren't very far apart now in basketball. I'll give Memphis all the credit in the world in basketball but to ignore the progress that Pearl and UT have made is to simply have your head in the sand. We're making progress and coming fast.
Volumnus writes:
Rivals # ?, How did the colleges recruit before rivals? Does Rivals rate their academic ability? Of the top 50 rivals how many at the end of 4 years are still in school and graduate? How many are one and done? Was Dane Bradshaw a rivals top 100? How about some recruits in the Bradshaw mould that are smart and will stay 4 years and gel into a team with continuity and provide selfless leadership? One and dones have their place, but when you count the impact upon scholarships and future reruiting are we mortgaging the future? As schools in D 1 are losing scholarships on a regular basis, the handwriting appears to be fairly clear and visible.
THE_VOL writes:
Collier: "we have the chance to get back to one." Are you freaking serious??? Give up that blunt dude! Or are you referring to 2015 when a certain overweight fella is no longer around?
As for one and done guys ya'll worry too much about em. If we (or any program for that matter) gets one or two - it's great. And NO coach is going to turn them down barring serious character issues. Fact is though there are typically only about 5-10 in any given year so they're not even an issue in most programs. If you stop and use what little brains you have, you will recall that EVERY year BP has been here there has been talk about one and done's. HOW MANY HAVE THERE ACTUALLY BEEN? ZERO!!! Unless you count Marques Johnson. Hell he was a half and done! Point is that everybody gets all excited about HIGH SCHOOL kids when in fact more than half of them have already had the best days they'll ever have!
LadyVols: "On the One and Dones, as their leaving teams start to impact Schollys I think the Top 25 teams are going to quit taking them." Yeah right. Stick to what you know - like cooking maybe!
mike#208050 writes:
Where did this wish list come from? Avery Bradley, Michael Snaer, & Roberto Nelson don't even have UT on their current list of schools they are considering, according to Rivals.com. Tony Nixon is not even listed as a top 150 player. And before everyone gets too giddy over Dominic Cheek, there are 14 schools he is still considering, including the likes of Kansas, N.Carolina & UConn. Wish you luck though!
robvol.. fyi there are 8 Rival.com 5 star players still considering Memphis.
As for those who wonder if the "one and dones" will eventually hurt on the scholarships, yes unless you get them to come back and get a degree after their NBA days are done, such as Penny Hardaway did at Memphis. Calipari has convenienced the University to get former players back and get degrees. Yes, it's a gamble to go after 5 star players but as these sure bet NBA stars quickly learn, there is a life after basketball and an education comes in pretty handy no matter how rich you get.
TIGRFAN in knoxville
mike#208050 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
TopTenn writes:
Mike I understand your jealousy of the UT program. If I were a tiger fan I too would be in awe. But to post demeaning comments on every topic is a bit extreme. You should join your brothers at memphistigers.bs.com. Your long tirades are just stupid for a UT board. As far as recruiting goes, recruits don't always list a school they are considering, some are silent commits. The Vols have a solid chance to be national contenders by 2010 in football, basketball and lady basketball. So I understand your hate for the Vols.
niufan99 writes:
Nixon verbaled to NIU this weekend
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