The current Tennessee men’s basketball team appears to be NIT-bound at best this season, and the addition of 5-star freshman Jarnell Stokes is unlikely to alter that trajectory at this stage of the game.
Nevertheless, the theft of the 6-foot-8 Stokes from the backyard of the Memphis Tigers is a statement by Tennessee’s first year coach Cuonzo Martin. It was widely assumed that Stokes would sign with the Tigers. If he defected from his hometown then such perennial powerhouses as Kentucky and UConn were ready to catch the fallout. Coach Martin had earned some stripes just for getting into the mix for Stokes.
Stokes insists that he was following his father’s advice to think long-term when making his decision, rather than his chance to play early and make an immediate impact. However, he will undoubtedly play almost immediately for the Vols and is sure to make an impact for a team that struggles in the paint. Stokes graduated high school in December and is eligible to play once NCAA paperwork is completed. He is expected to see his first action for the Vols in mid-January. Coach Martin has stated that he will not rush his young star into action.
Tennessee faces a daunting schedule over the next couple of weeks:
1/4 At Memphis
1/7 Florida
1/12 At Mississippi State
1/14 Kentucky
1/18 At Georgia
Stokes will likely not play until the Georgia game at Athens.
The last time the Vols were able to snag the top player out of talent-rich Memphis was in 1997 when Class AAA Mr. Basketball, Tony Harris, agreed to sign with UT and former coach Jerry Greene. Harris enjoyed a solid career as a Vol and helped Tennessee earn an NCAA tournament berth in each of his four years.
Up-and-coming Memphis high schoolers will be watching to see how the Jarnell Stokes saga plays out. If he lives up to his billing then UT could quickly gain the reputation as a launching pad for the NBA. Not that a team of one-and-doners could work for anyone but John Calipari, but the increase in the talent level could only be beneficial for Martin’s Vols and for Tennessee fans who are desperately seeking some light at the end of a dark tunnel.
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