NCAA Basketball: Auburn, Vols, LSU, and UNC in play for 5-star F Jabari Smith
Tennessee Volunteers
If Georgia Tech doesn’t have great timing in this recruitment, I argue that the Vols have nearly perfect timing. That’s because all three of its top frontcourt players (Yves Pons, John Fulkerson, and EJ Anosike) all are seniors and will be leaving after next season.
It also helps that the program is having its best recruiting run in school history. After landing five-star freshman guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, the Vols recently got five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler this Summer. Top-100 wing Jahmai Mashack also committed to fill out every future need on the perimeter.
But now the frontcourt needs to be addressed as well. The good news is that Tennessee is involved with class of 2022 forwards Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and De’Ante Green, who each could reclassify to join next season’s roster. But only Smith is confirmed to be part of the 2021 class, which is why the program has gone all out to try and land him.
While the Vols don’t have the proximity advantage, they have just about everything else. Not only do they have plenty of playing time inside for Smith but Tennessee also has quality guards to surround him with. And not only can Smith play as much as he wants, but he’d also be playing for a contender. Between Smith, Chandler, and one of the other five-star guards on the current roster, the Vols can remain Final Four contender good.
dark. Next. Early class of 2021 recruiting takeaways
The other five programs involved have their strengths in the recruitment of Jabari Smith. However, each of them has its flaws as well. Only Tennessee can make the argument that they can offer him whatever he wants on the court, without any clear issues to deal with. Barring his heart being fixed on one of the others, the Vols should be in great shape to land another five-star prospect this weekend.