Tennessee Basketball: Analyzing the 2019 recruiting class

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 15: The Tennessee Volunteers cheer team holds up. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Drew Pember – Knoxville, TN

PF | 6-foot-9 | 190 lbs | No. 198 overall

Another slender forward, Drew Pember comes in with a more refined skill set and therefore a higher recruiting ranking. At 6-foot-9 with a pure jumper from mid and 3-point range, the expectation is that he could develop into a solid stretch forward in the near future. Although he will need to add some strength before he can consistently defend the power forward position, he brings an excellent motor and understands when to pick his spots as a scorer. He already passes the ball relatively well as a result of his above-average court vision for his size.

Of course, he will need to add muscle to his frame before taking the next steps. At under 200 pounds, he will likely struggle when placed in post situations on both ends of the floor. In addition, Pember may have a difficult time rebounding as other forwards will have a size advantage. Regardless, his polished game will make an intriguing down the road.

Similar to Gaines, Pember may use this coming season to redshirt to add more muscle to his frame. This makes a ton of sense both for the team, as he would be more prepared for big minutes with more strength, and for the individual, as he could struggle to find minutes at a crowded forward spot. Given his current skill set and potential to cover his weaknesses with muscle gains, Pember is a very exciting prospect for the future of Tennessee hoops.

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