The Tennessee men's basketball staff is catching its breath for the next week or so after a long, hot July month of evaluation.
"The Tennessee Vols' name recognition is out there big time, with us having been in a College GameDay event three consecutive years and making five straight NCAA tournament appearances,'' said UT associate head coach Tony Jones. "Our popularity with the kids is off the charts.
"Having said that, we're now having to compete against the likes of Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and UCLA for players.''
And that meant travel, from coast to coast, and overseas.
"We saw a lot of players and evaluated a lot of guys,'' said UT assistant Steve Forbes, who pairs with Jones at the forefront of the Vols' recruiting. "We added some players to our 2011 list and really strengthened our 2012 charts.
"We were all over the country and coach ( Bruce Pearl) went to Germany.''
Pearl's July trip to Hamburg, Germany, for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U17 World Championships made a statement about Tennessee's interest in the top-flight players selected to compete overseas.
"I try to put myself in early evaluation situations,'' Pearl said. "A lot of places, the assistant coaches will find the players and then ask the head coach to come watch.
"I like to spend more time evaluating and my assistants are included in that process as well.''
Tennessee has two players who have verbally committed to sign in the Class of 2011, guards Kevin Ware and Chris Jones.
Ware plays at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Ga.
Jones, originally from Memphis, is now at Oak Ridge Military Academy in North Carolina.
The Vols are expected to try to sign two more players in the Class of 2011, likely a post and a wing, based on needs.
Here's a list of 2011 players Tennessee is believed to be recruiting after the July month of evaluation, beginning with players added since the pre-July list:
Deuce Bello (6-5, 190), wing
West Chester Country Day, High Point, N.C.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 31; Scout, No. 10 small forward.
Offers: Clemson, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Baylor.
Trevor Lacey (6-3, 190) combo guard
Butler High, Huntsville, Ala.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 39; Scout, No. 16 shooting guard.
Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi State.
Dominique Pointer (6-6, 200), wing
Quality Education Academy, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Ratings: Rivals, no rating; Scout, no rating.
Interest: DePaul.
Jalen Reynolds (6-8, 210), post
Livonia Stevenson, Livonia, Mich.
Ratings: Rivals, no rating; Scout, no rating.
Offer: Xavier.
Jakarr Sampson (6-7, 190), wing/small forward
St. Vincent St. Mary, Akron, Ohio
Ratings: Rivals, No. 37; Scout, No. 5 small forward.
Offers: Baylor, Louisville, Ohio State, St. John's Xavier.
Kiel Turpin (6-10, 210), post
Lincoln College, Lincoln, Ill.
Ratings: MidStateHoops.com, No. 4 juco prospect.
Offers: Southern Cal, Florida State, Southern Illinois
Pre-summer list, still being recruited by UT:
Kentavious Caldwell (6-6, 185), shooting guard
Greenville, Ga.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 15; Scout, No. 13.
Offers: Committed to Georgia
Mike Chandler (6-10, 220) center
Lawrence North, Indianapolis
Ratings: Rivals, No. 52; Scout, No. 48
Offers: Louisville, Ohio State.
Ben McLemore (6-5, 185), wing
Eskridge, St. Louis, Mo.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 21; Scout, No. 38
Offers: Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Purdue, Southern Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri.
Johnny O'Bryant (6-9, 235), power forward
East Side, Cleveland, Miss.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 36; Scout, No. 18
Offers: All SEC schools except Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Kansas, Memphis, Texas, Southern Calofornia.
Adonis Thomas (6-6, 205), wing
Melrose, Memphis.
Ratings: Rivals, No. 18; Scout No. 10.
Offers: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Memphis, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 31
rclarkfork#639958 writes:
And the basketball train keeps on a rolling....great job to Bruce and his staff
Bigger_Al writes:
This Pearl guy could work out.
VolFanNC writes:
Kind of cool UT Basketball now competes for the top kids. I don't remember that happening regularly.
Can't wait to see them when they come to charlotte.
murrayvol writes:
He'll be back Doc. Your bones know this.
Slystone writes:
Of that list Adonis Thomas is the key guy, everyone else would be gravy. Getting Thomas out of Memphis is the real challenge for Pearl. Don't be surprise if he commits to Florida.
Slystone writes:
What, Lonnie McClanahan isn't on this list?
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
He will be whining as usual. Happy to know you will be here to keep "them" in line. Tell them LNK's says "Hi".....NOT! hehehe GBO!!!
Jediphysics writes:
Lonnie's a good player and all, but doesn't deserve your sarcasm...
rudy123 writes:
These potential U.T. players may lose interest when the NCAA starts to poop and snoop around campus more. This NCAA thing will give other colleges ammo against us. Even if nothing comes of the NCAA asking questions, it will still hurt us recruiting wise.
Chris4Vols22 writes:
I definitely agree with you in that Thomas's commitment could be crucial for Pearl. However, I wonder if he's more concerned about getting a GOOD, not decent, but an acceptional center. We'll be short-handed after Williams and Fields.
DandyVol writes:
Who's BOK and what's the scoop?
Couchdummy writes:
Who was BOK and what caused the ban?
Chris4Vols22 writes:
Noobs.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Two things to say about that list: 1) Despite what Jones said in the article, there were not many references to Duke, Carolina, UCLA, et.al., on the list of schools offering those guys, though there were a few references to UK and Louisville. 2) Since these guys are being recruited for 2011, their recruit ratings are likely to go up after their senior year, as will the interest of more high-profile schools.
I'm glad the UT name seems to be getting around among the better prospects. I will be even gladder when some of these guys actually sign.
Colliervol writes:
Hashbrown flipper at the Morristown Waffle House. He got run because he couldn't post a coherent thought in over a year. Surprisingly enough there is a price to be paid for stupidity. There are some others that need it too.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
He is a guy who posted most recently under the screen name "BigOrangeKoolaid". He claimed to be some kind of program insider, though he hardly ever had anything positive to say about the program. In fact, he was unfailingly contemptuous of Pearl as a coach though he claimed to like him as a person. All I can say about that is that NO ONE needs "friends" like that. He made all kinds of predictions about recruiting, lineups, game and season results, NCAA trouble for the program, etc., etc., very little of which ever panned out. He was also notorious for calling anyone who disagreed with him--and some who did--idiots and worse.
I'm not sure what finally led to his latest ban, but most of us were glad to see him go. Unfortunately, I am sure he will resurface sometime this fall under another screen name. Just look out for a guy who calls everybody else idiots and morons, claims inside knowledge, and uses a lot of all-caps in his posts, though that may not narrow down the field very much(;-P)!
Colliervol writes:
I have to believe BP is smart enough not to put the program in jeopardy. He is at the age where, if he ran afoul of the NCAA, he wouldn't be getting another chance.
The target of this probe is Lane Kiffin. The NCAA has its eyes on him from his involvement in USC's issue and he tweaked their noses more than once during his brief stay in Knoxville. Lame is on a short leash and he needs to realize it now more than ever.
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
That is a very accurate description of him.
Chris4Vols22 writes:
Hahahahaha. The truth can be funny sometimes.
BubbaJ writes:
Disagree Rudy. The NCAA probe has nothing to do with UTBB or Pearl for that mattter. This is for Kiffins wrongdoings.
Pearl has paid his dues and is respected by the NCAA, to the point of being on the rules commitee.
The UT basketball program is now very visible on a national scope, due to Pearl. The guy is a coach and a salesman, very important. See Pitino. It's very exciting to see UT mentioned on many highly rated kids short lists.
Razzle writes:
Your use of the words us and we are comical.
Pompey writes:
...this SC Vol wants to see them in Columbia killing that chicken......bock bock bock!
oskie_score writes:
Hey, wait a minute...aren't we a FOOTBALL school???
Congrats to CBP & Staff! Well done!
HtownVol writes:
I love that UT-basketball recruits pretty much all top 100 rated recruits. Bruce Pearl is the face of the University of Tennessee right now. He has done the best turn around over the past 6 years of any team in the country. UT is consistantly a top 20 team now. And the best part is Bruce is HERE TO STAY!! UT will be the best (consistant) team in the SEC. UK..Crapalotti will be gone within 3 years (likely less), and Bruce is at UT for 10-15 more years no doubt. And imagine a full team of top 100 recruits (which UT will have soon). Bruce wins with average players, when he gets top players UT will have a National Champinship. It may be next year, it may be in 5 years. It will happen.
THANK YOU BRUCE PEARL!
I wish the football team recruited more top 150 recruits. I do believe that our 3 star commits will move up, but I am really wanting to see more highly rated commitments
GO VOLS
CoverOrange writes:
There was quite a bit of supposition that BOK was a KNS employee, and specifically a reporter. Yeah, his predictions of things yet to happen were always off, but his prediction of things that had already happened but were not yet known to the general public were often valid, lending credibility to the belief he had a media pass, and his beat was UTBB. That he is gone at near the same time a certain KNS reporter has disappeared makes you wonder of the coincidence.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
Couldn't resist could you, BOK?
VolunteerLifer writes:
Why is Adonis the key? I'm sure if we get him we will be better for it, but will be noticeably weaker if we don't? Are there no other wing players on our list that can do well? I would think getting a quality big man is more important than a wing for next year. Williams and Fields will be gone leaving us only Hall. But we will have a number of of wings coming back after next season.
JohnsonCity_George writes:
Funny this guy disappeared about the same time as Dave Hooker. No way, you don't think...it couldn't have been a KNS staffer. John Adams would never allow that kind of behavior. No way. I must have lost my mind for a moment to have such a thought.
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
whatever happened to Hooker?
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
You know it is hard to think about basketball in August with football less than 4 weeks away, but by the 4th game, we all might be thinking more about the hardwood Vols....
VolAlum2003 (Inactive) writes:
What?! Stars mean NOTHING! People who evaluate high school talent are idiots and they just want your money. Any kid with more than three stars lacks "character" (unless he signs with us). We're a class act football program now and the sky's the limit. We'll win the SEC championship next year, the BCS championship in 2013 and we'll produce four Rhodes Scholars and at least one Nobel Peace Prize winner. Dooley will never bolt for Georgia and Mike Hamilton will finally grow a pair and stop being used like a worn-out puppet by the big money boosters. Oh...and our repeat BCS victory in 2014 will accomplish two things: 1) a Div. I college football playoff and 2) peace in Afghanistan.
Of course, you'll probably continue to complain that our recruits aren't in the top 150. You're a loser. You're obviously a Florida/Bama/UGA fan. You aren't a coach. You don't know. The fact that you are interested in UT football shames my love of the University, etc. etc.
(Btw, most of that was sarcasm. If UT does win back to back BCS championships...we'll have a playoff in no time because you know that the PAC-10(12) and Big-10(12) can't have that.
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