MURFREESBORO - In a season filled with so many positives for Fulton High School boys' basketball star Jalen Steele, the 6-foot-2 Auburn signee was delivered some bad news Friday.
Auburn coach Jeff Lebo was fired after six seasons with the Tigers.
Fulton coach Jody Wright was contacted by someone from the Auburn program early Friday afternoon with the news, Wright said by text message. He added that it's too early to tell if Steele would open his recruitment, that he would sit down with Steele - a Class AA Mr. Basketball finalist - after practice today to discuss the future.
Word of Lebo's ouster couldn't have come at a worse time for Steele. Fulton (29-2) has a 22-game winning streak and is preparing for a run at its third consecutive Class AA state championship next week.
And while no teams continued recruiting Steele after he signed with Auburn, Wright is concerned it possibly "get crazy again."
Steele committed to Auburn after a visit in early September. At that time, he was also receiving interest from Southern Cal and Alabama. He had offers from Marshall and Western Kentucky among others.
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Comments » 26
BigBadVol writes:
You have to be kidding?
OwensboroVol writes:
And why is this important to us if We had not been recruiting him and had not offered him a Ship? Bruce Pearl must not believe that he is ready for the level he is trying to establish and keep at UT. I'm not saying this isn't interesting to the general reading audience of the KNS I just don't think in belongs on govolsxtra.
newportvol writes:
You might find it interesting that last week The sports animal reported that Maze Hopson Kenny Hall and i beleive SwiperBoy all went to Steels HS basketball game.
1vavolfan writes:
If it is so unimportant then dont read it and dont comment on it. Steele is a local player that is going to an SEC school, so don't speak for the rest of us that actually want to read about SEC basketball.
TommyJack writes:
Says he SIGNED...what's the issue?
BubbaJ writes:
Jalen has signed on the dotted, so to speak. By rule, Auburn may or may not grant a release. Most likely, if they did, it wouldn't be to SEC schools. Either way, Jalen will lose at least one year unless he transfers down a level, unlikely. He's a good player, but Pearl has the Vols loaded at his position for the near future, and that said, Jalen just didn't quite make the cut. Don't be suprised if Josh Selby doesn't end up wearing Orange next year. What a class it could be.
SuckTheseVols98 writes:
who gives a $hit about auburn!! do you idiots not realize that we just beat ole miss?? Let me fill you in WE play Kentucky tomorrow, is there really nothing to write about Tennessee basketball?? you guys suck i dont know why i have an account on site! GO VOLS!!!!!!
SGTSpurge writes:
King, no offense bud, but the rest of us are wondering why you have an account here, as well... . Thanks for your wonderful reminder, but we all know UT plays Kentucky tomorrow. It is the Semi-final round of the SEC Touney and the third meeting between the schools, this year. Huge implications here. If Tennessee gets into the Championship game, they may secure as high as a #3 seed, especially if they then win said championship game. Yeh. Good. We all got it. Writers have been putting that phooey out all week. It's nice to read about something else, as a little tourney breather... .
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
you have an account here cause its free-------take your free acct somewhere else if you think every article has to be cleared thru you----they wont miss your free acct
VolAlum2003 (Inactive) writes:
Reading about basketball is fine, but this article is out of place. If UT was recruiting Steele or had done so in the past, I could see why it would be relevant, but this is GoVOLSextra.com, not GoMiddleTennesseeExtra.com.
chrisw2967 writes:
It wasnt to out of place , you read it then made a comment about it.
Halls3 writes:
Piss off everyone who doesn't like the article. This is a local talent who is better than some of the players on UT's team right now (i.e. Skylar wannabe McThree). Plus, not recruiting him has been compared to that of Cobb going to Kentucky. This may be a mistake Pearl regrets if he lands in the SEC. Of course, I said the reason he never got recruited was b/c he could actually hit free throws at a high percentage. Plus, this site does have an SEC News section & this is SEC News. Sorry to all of those to ignorant to understand that.
nola_vol writes:
I think this is one of those "heads up" articles--the first domino that's teetering.
There are always repercussions with a coaching change (how can we forget!), and sometimes that creates a domino effect. If Steele goes elsewhere, Auburn has an unexpected need to fill. Maybe they start recruiting someone we thought we had.
This article IS relevant because of the stories that MIGHT follow. If nothing does happen, only a wee bit of bandwidth was sacrificed to bring you this story.
halloffamebowler writes:
Y ou can cancel the same way you became a member.No one holding you down except yourself.
VOLsince68 writes:
I don't think you have to tell anyone on this site what the situation is or what's at stake. I'm sure most will agree:
"don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya......on your way out".............
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
I think that's the spin GVX wants to exploit..I think UT has a shot at Selby again..We will see..GBO!!
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
Completely forgot about Abraham Moses, you are correct..UT would have the 2nd best class to UM..Keeping my fingers crossed..GBO!!!!!
joeaubie writes:
What will happen to Steele with Lebo firing? Hopefully the same thing that happened to UT's early enrollees when lil Lane bolted.
easleychuck writes:
Ditto...is he planning to de-commit from Auburn...he would need at a minimum a release, right?...sorry this happened to a local kid...but it seems that coach's do get fired or leave for other jobs...hopefully, Steele was smart and committed to the school and not the "coach".
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
I'm not sure if there is a scholarship avail. to Selby or Steele unless one is pulled from someone else or there is a defection.
ball5034 writes:
Lester is a good athletic player around east tennessee. If we recruit him and offer him expect to be getting a player similar to what stanley Asumnu was for UT. Except Stanley is a true 6 foot 5 and is a little more athletic.
ball5034 writes:
yes UT has five scholarships to give next year. Harris, Macrae, and Golden have three of them. We need a big man in this class and they ll take Selby if they can get him but if not they ll probably save that scholarship for the next class.
Fulton_Vol writes:
Your joking right? Wilson had 11 and 12 points when he played against Fulton in the regular season. Someone on the Fulton team shut him down, can't say for sure which player did the job since I am looking at stats and didn't attend the games. Steele, on the other hand, appears to have had a good night in games against Carter. Steele played well in last summer's Rocky Top League and I don't remember a great deal being said about Wilson or even if he played. I find it odd that you promote Wilson as the only player in the area worth UT's consideration when he and Steele are in different classes, because according to Prep Extra Wilson is a junior and Steele is a senior. What's wrong with both becoming Vols if Auburn cuts Steele loose? I remember a time when three area players combined to form one of the best teams UT has ever known. Their names were Bill Justus, Ron Widby, and Jimmy England.
DandyVol writes:
Do you have more information about Josh Selby? I've seen that UT was removed from his interested schools, but I also heard that Bruce made a trip to watch one of Selby's games. I hope we're still trying to get Selby back. He would give us at least two freshmem starters next year. As for this year we must hope that the good UT team shows up for the tournament, not the one we've seen in the last 3 games.
osbymartin#581730 writes:
UT is back on Selby's interest list
GBO33 writes:
LET'S GET IT DONE TODAY,WE ARE SO UNDERRATED,BRUCE,AS ALWAYS YOU AND YOUR STAFF BRING YOUR A GAME,WAYNE,J.P. AND BOBBY WE WANT TO SEE YOU ON THE FLOOR IN INDY,JUST READ A GOOD ARTICLE ON TYLER SMITH,HES SAYS HE COMING BACK TO FINISH HIS EDUCATION AND HE STILL A VOL,HE SAID THAT HE STILL TALKS TO THE GUYS ON THE TEAM,GO VOLSSSSSSSSSSSS
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