Tennessee men's basketball freshman Skylar McBee stood on the sidelines watching Grainger High School fall decisively in a football game against Gibbs last Friday night.
"Man, that was hard,'' said McBee, who played quarterback and safety last season for the Grizzlies. "Me and my dad just stood there and watched. It made me want to get back out there on the field.
"Seeing my teammates and coaches just made me kind of miss it.''
McBee could be on a football field right now at Middle Tennessee State University had he chosen to go that route.
"I actually talked to MTSU about playing football and basketball,'' McBee said. "I had the (scholarship) offer in basketball, but they said I could play football, too. Their quarterbacks coach came and saw me a lot.''
McBee, 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, said he gave the MTSU offer some thought before deciding his future was in basketball.
"I've always worked on basketball more; it's been more of a year-around thing for me,'' McBee said. "The football coaches told me if I'd just work that hard on football ...''
Instead, McBee is hitting the gym hard each day of practice with hopes of earning a scholarship with the Vols after his freshman season.
McBee's current status is as a walk-on, but he's competing to earn some immediate playing time as a shooting guard.
"Skylar is a guy that I watched play several times his senior year, and I saw a terrific competitor that had a chance to be a great shooter,'' UT coach Bruce Pearl said. "He can really extend defenses with his shooting, and I knew he would bring a work and commitment and work ethic that would be refreshing.
"He's bonded with his teammates and he's really fit in nicely.''
McBee, who also turned down basketball scholarship offers from Santa Clara and Marshall, said he considers it a privilege to wear Tennessee's orange.
"I really like this, and all of the guys have been really nice to me,'' McBee said. "It's an honor to be out there and work beside them and be a part of this team.''
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
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Comments » 32
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
maybe he can turn into a Dane Bradshaw clone.
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
I think he could take on a Lee Humphrey-type role for the Vols. He needs to focus on his outside shot and fill a niche as a dead-eye gunner!
LiveFaith writes:
Yeah, I think it may be more like a "canyon" as a dead eye gunner, after watching our outside shooting last year. This guy could really have a shot due to that ability alone.
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
Hahaha. He also has a legendary name. Some unreal nickname will arise out of "Skylar McBee" and his ability to shoot the three. I know, it rhymes. But, there's got to be something better than that. Any suggestions out there?
veinsoforange writes:
In due time, we'll hear a lot of "McBee from three"!
FWBVol writes:
IMO, unless a kid under 6-5 or 6-6 has a Chris Lofton like shot from 3-point land or is a lightning quick point guard they should give football a harder look than basketball. A 6-3 basketball player is considered short. A 6-3 quarterback or wide receiver is considered to have nice size.
tennezz writes:
A threebe from Bee Bee!
justingh1 writes:
Skylar McThree
CoverOrange writes:
Whatever it takes to keep Bert from yelling "money" like a little girl.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I agree. I'm glad we have him and I hope he gets a real shot at significant playing time if he's good enough. Like Lofton, he could be a valuable college player but not have much of a shot at the higher pro levels. I wonder just what he meant by saying he had more of a future in basketball.
GhostofRobertNeyland writes:
I, for one, enjoy the "money". IMO, I think Bob and Bert do an excellent job as BBall announcers. Bob, not so well on the gridiron.
murrayvol writes:
A football mentality never hurts whether you're playing roundball or ping pong. Hope he can contribute.
CoverOrange writes:
If he would just drop a couple of octaves I would like it more. Compare, in your mind's ear, John Ward gravely voice saying "Bottom!" and Bert's high pitched voice saying "Money!"
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I don't mind Bert's "Money!" call, but when you compare it to Ward's "Bottom!", I see your point!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Right. If he pans out, he was a steal. If he doesn't, at least he didn't cost us a scholarship. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do.
volfan2002 writes:
I hope this kid has a very successful career at UT and wins a scholarship. He turned down scholarships to play here and I hear he can really shoot it so hope he does well.
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
Nice! So far, you win!
oldsmokey67 writes:
I agree with plasticman 100%.I would rather have a kid like him that has a great attitude than a 5* kid that brings the team down.Kid's like him that want to wear the Orange will bust their butt and give a 100% effort to win a game.I bet he will earn that scholarship.GO VOLS.
Healeystyle writes:
"That's a McBee Sting"
beavbullvol writes:
Steve Kerr.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good one!
flashbone writes:
the kid went to a small high school with little ,if any at all press coverage. hes the real deal. but maybe your right and we can get kelly washington to come play basketball. think hes got any eligibility left?
kb7398#233189 writes:
TRUE DAT!
UTahVOL writes:
skylar mcbee is all good with me. skylar mcbee can drain those threes
chestnutglade writes:
Why not?
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
do not speak ill of bert bertelkamp, who is next level.
oldsmokey67 writes:
voice of reason will be eating his words if he can shoot as good as they say he can.that is what killed us last year.we could'nt hit the three's consistantly.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Your heart is in the right place, Plaz, but don't you know that VOR is NEVER wrong? Just ask him. Not only that, but anybody who doesn't agree with his every word is just an idiot. He'll tell you.
As you and I both know, it doesn't matter where you start in life or what you start with. It matters where you are trying to get to, what you are willing to do to get there, and where you are at the end. Let's let the kid show us what he can do before we declare him either an All-American or a total bust.
On the other hand, let's just take VOR's word for it. He knows all and sees all, and we had better not forget it. 'Cause he'll tell us!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Right. Some of us geezers remember a guy named A.W. Davis who played at a small school out in the boondocks. He did OK. More recently there was some hick from Indiana, Larry something-or-other, who I hear was pretty good even though he played at small schools in HS AND college. There may even be a few more. Maybe Skylar will be one of them.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
It's "Skylar" not "Tyler" in this case. Easy slip to make, talking Vol hoops!
stroker writes:
My take, CBP'S style is not agreeable with HS stars who become prima donnas. He needs to stay or go back to what brung him to the big dance.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Okay, I'll grant you I exaggerated a bit in reference to Larry Bird. He WAS from a small HS and IU was about the ONLY big-time program that offered him. And even then it was in part because he was an Indiana kid, because nobody was sure he was going to be a big-time star.
As I said, NO ONE knows how Skylar is going to do here, but as a walk-on it doesn't really matter if he doesn't pan out. If he does, he was a steal. He doesn't have to be an all-around great player to be a big asset off the bench to loosen up a zone, kinda like Lee Humphrey for the Gators a few years ago. If Skylar turns out to be a Terence Oglesby-type head case, we've still lost nothing by giving him a shot.
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