Michigan point guard ready to be a Vol

Kenny Hall

The Saginaw News

Sanginaw High's Daniel West, right, is expected to announce today he will sign with Tennessee on April 9 be ready to play next basketball season. Kentucky and Wake Forest were among the schools recruiting.

Tennessee is dipping into the Great Lakes State for another point guard.

Daniel West (6-foot-1, 175 pounds), of Saginaw, Mich., is expected to announce today that he'll sign with the Vols on April 9, the first day of the spring signing period, and be ready to suit up for UT next season.

West's announcement comes on the heels of Tennessee landing a commitment from the No. 28-ranked player (Rivals.com) in the class of 2009, 6-9 power forward Kenny Hall.

Hall, from Stone Mountain, Ga., told the News Sentinel on Sunday that he has made a verbal pledge to sign with the Vols in November.

"I liked the coaching staff from the start, and I like the way the team plays,'' said Hall, who averaged 24.6 points and 12.6 rebounds for Redan High School. "I loved the arena with everything new and the JumboTron; it's like an NBA arena.''

Hall, the No. 10 power forward, also has been recruited by Duke, UCLA, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Southern Cal, Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss.

"I think my strength is anything in the paint; I can hit the mid-range jumper and take people off the dribble or post them up,'' said Hall, who made his first unofficial visit the weekend of the UT-South Carolina football game and followed up with another unofficial visit for the Kentucky basketball game on Sunday.

"I think I need to work on my handle (dribbling) and my foot speed,'' he said. "I know I have to be in shape to play for Coach (Bruce) Pearl.''

West is already playing an up-tempo, full-court style for Saginaw High School, which is ranked No. 7 in the USA Today's Super 25.

"You have to make good decisions to play point guard at Tennessee,'' said Lou Dawkins, West's head coach at Saginaw. "Daniel is the best point guard in the Midwest, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his coach.

"People are just now finding out about him; North Carolina called here today.''

West also has heard from Kentucky, St. Johns, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Minnesota, even though he doesn't have the stars behind his name in the various Internet recruiting rankings.

"That's because we left him off the AAU circuit last summer so he could concentrate on his grades and make sure he was eligible,'' said Dawkins, who played his college basketball for current Minnesota coach Tubby Smith at Tulsa.

West is averaging 17 points, nine assists, seven steals and two turnovers per game this season, and he's hitting 82 percent of his free throws, 42 percent of his shots from the field and 36 percent of this 3-pointers, according to Dawkins.

"I dare teams to press us, because he's that good,'' Dawkins said. "If you take him away from us, we lose. It's as simple as that.

"Daniel doesn't back down from anyone. He doesn't care who's on the other side of the ball.''

West is expected to compete with UT sophomore Ramar Smith - a Michigan product from Mt. Clemens - for the starting point-guard duties.

The Vols' other point guard, Jordan Howell, is a senior.

West's commitment and anticipated signing gives UT three players in this class with another scholarship left to offer.

Tennessee signed 6-10 post Phillip Jurick of East Ridge High School and 6-8 wing Renaldo Woolridge of North Hollywood, Calif., in November.

The Vols have targeted Scotty Hopson, a 6-6 shooting guard from Hopkinsville, Ky., for their final scholarship in the Class of 2008.

Hopson has been selected to play in the prestigious McDonald's All-American All-Star game in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis., and is the No. 9 ranked player in the Class of 2008 according to Rivals.com.

Hopson also is considering Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky and Mississippi State.