New Vols enrolled in classes; Maze to wait

Coaches like potential with weight room open

By Mike Griffith

Originally published 12:11 a.m., July 8, 2008
Updated 11:00 a.m., July 8, 2008

Five of Tennessee's six incoming men's basketball players are enrolled in classes while the other is expected to start school this fall.

Freshmen Phillip Jurick (post) and Renaldo Woolridge and Emmanuel Negedu (forwards) enrolled in the second term of summer school Monday, according to UT assistant coach Jason Shay.

Point guard Bobby Maze, a transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College is finishing up his junior college education and will join the team this fall, Vols' assistant Steve Forbes said.

Freshmen Scotty Hopson (shooting guard) and Daniel West (point guard) enrolled in the first term of summer school and have been attending classes.

Shay said the freshmen who started classes Monday passed the eyeball test.

"Renaldo has some muscle definition. Like (UT assistant) Tony Jones likes to say from time to time, 'He looks like a thoroughbred, not a loaf of bread,' " Shay said. "Renaldo has a frame that will enable him to put on more muscle mass. It will be interesting to see how he gets ready in the next four or five weeks."

Negedu, the last of the Vols to sign in this recruiting class, is the most physical of the bunch and has drawn favorable comparisons to former UT player Duke Crews.

"Emmanuel is already a physical specimen, but his explosiveness and athleticism will continue get even better once he's in an organized weight program," Shay said. "We're going to see how much higher he can jump, how much faster he can run the floor and how his lateral quickness will improve.

"Phillip has the frame to add weight and muscle mass. He probably has the furthest to go of the three as far as strength and conditioning.''

Maze, who came to the Knoxville area on his own in June to play in the Pilot Rocky Top League, is on pace, Forbes said.

"Bobby is just finishing up his junior college stuff," Forbes said. "We knew enrolling in the summer was never an option for him. He'll be here and ready in the fall term."

The Vols don't begin organized team workouts until August.

Tough Tyler: UT junior Tyler Smith is finishing up his stint at the LeBron James Skills Academy today in Akron, Ohio.

The camp, which features top returning collegiate players, started on Saturday. Former Vols' guard JaJuan Smith attended the camp last year.

Other players in attendance this year included Austin Daye (Gonzaga), Dajuan Summers (Georgetown), Derrick Brown (Xavier), Devon Downey (South Carolina), Hasheen Thabeet (UConn), Jarvis Varnado, (Mississippi State), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Kyle Singler (Duke), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Tyreke Evans (Memphis).

Assistants' Salaries: The proposed new salaries of UT associate head coach Tony Jones and assistants Steve Forbes and Jason Shay were sent to the school's Human Resources department for approval last week, said Tiffany Carpenter, the athletic department's director of public relations.