Tobias Harris sat in upper deck during UT game

How does a 6-foot-8 high school All-American attend at Tennessee men’s basketball game incognito?

“I just bought my own ticket, and sat in the upper deck,’’ said Tobias Harris, Rivals’ No. 5-rated player in the nation in the Class of 2010 and the Vols’ No. 1 recruiting target. “I was trying to keep it low key.’’

Harris, from Glen Head, N.Y., managed to do just that. He said he was impressed with UT’s record-breaking performance in their 124-49 victory over UNC Asheville on Tuesday.

“They played real good, and they smacked that team down,’’ Harris said. “But I still haven’t decided. I’m still looking at all seven schools.’’

The list includes Tennessee, Maryland, Syracuse, West Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky and Georgia Tech.

“I had just visited Georgia Tech, and our flight didn’t leave until the next morning,’’ Harris said. “So we figured we’d drive up.’’

Harris said he will sign in the early signing period, which ended Wednesday.

Harris will make it official when he announces his choice Thursday on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m.

Harris, who is looking for a school where he can play point forward — much like UT’s Tyler Smith — said only one fan recognized him at the UT basketball game.

While the No.10 Vols put on a great show for Harris’ surprise visit, the UT fanbase disappointed.

The Vols had one of their smallest crowds of the Bruce Pearl Era (announced at 17,085, but a couple of thousand short of that in actual attendance), and only about 5,000 stayed for the entire game.

The Vols have also been recruiting JayVaughn Pinkston, a 6-6 forward from Brooklyn, N.Y. The New York Daily News reported Tuesday Pinkston was ready to sign with UT, but his AAU coach said Wednesday that Pinkston will wait until the spring.

“JayVaughn and his family have decided that he will not make his college choice decision today,” New Heights athletic director Kimani Young told Adam Zagoria of zagblogs.com. “He’s not 100 percent sure where he wants to go to school so rather than make a rush decision he’ll just wait until the spring.”

Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Marquette are also possible destinations for Pinkston.

“He’s going to go to the best situation for him,” Young told zagblogs.com.

UT has two signees in the fold. Trae Golden, a 6-1 guard from McEachern High in Powder Springs, Ga., signed Tuesday, joining 6-6 shooting guard Jordan McRae of Liberty County, Ga.

The Vols have as many as five scholarships to offer in the Class of 2010, though it is believed UT will only sign four.

Mike Strange and Phil Kaplan contributed to this report.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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