Tennessee Basketball: Vols land historic recruit in five-star Kennedy Chandler
Five-star guard Kennedy Chandler has decided to play for Rick Barnes and Tennessee Basketball, making his the second-highest rated commit ever for the Vols.
When Kennedy Chandler originally started his recruitment process, Tennessee Basketball always figured to be right in the mix. Although the point guard currently plays his high school basketball in Kansas for Sunrise Christian Prep, he hails from Memphis, Tennessee, and has built relationships with the coaching staff for the Vols early on.
But being part of the conversation and actually having a real chance to land a five-star talent is completely different. Along with Tennessee, Memphis and Penny Hardaway were also in the mix, along with perennial blue bloods Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. In fact, it looked as if the Blue Devils would ultimately end up with Chandler.
In the end though, it was the Vols who made out as winners.
Kennedy Chandler, the No. 1 point guard in 2021, has committed to Tennessee.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) August 14, 2020
Chandler to @PaulBiancardi: “I was looking for a program that could help me develop and have a strong family atmosphere, and a coach I could relate to. Tennessee and Rick Barnes made me feel that way.”
Chandler is the first commit for Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class, the first of potentially multiple five-star commits. Top-5 overall forward Paolo Banchero has the Vols among his final six options, while five-star forward Jabari Smith is another player the program is targeting. It’s hard to imagine the Vols doing even better than the most recent 2020 class, finishing No. 4 overall after landing a pair of five-star off-guards in Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer.
Chandler is more of a pure point guard and ball-handler, something the team will need if Springer goes pro after one year. He’s a dynamic athlete and scorer, while still being the type of passer and facilitator that can make those around him better. The 6’1 guard would absolutely start had he gone somewhere like Duke or Kentucky, so Tennessee landing someone of his caliber is attention-worthy on a national level.
According to 247sportsComposite, only forward Tobias Harris from a decade ago is rated higher among those who have committed to Tennessee Basketball. Johnson, Springer and sophomore guard Josiah Jordan-James are among the top seven in program history, showing how big a leap the team has taken on the recruiting trail.
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With four players classified as “five-star” committing to the program in the last three years alone, it’s time to put Rick Barnes and Tennessee right up there with Kentucky as the class of the SEC. With programs such as Arkansas, Alabama and Florida also landing top-tier talent, the arms race in that conference will only get more intense. With Kennedy Chandler now officially joining, the Vols are more than ready to compete with the juggernauts… both on and off the court.