Just days after Canadian center Kyle Alexander committed to Rich Barnes and the Vols, Tennessee made his signing official for the 2015 class on Saturday, confirming that the 6-10, 200-pound has inked with the Vols.
“We are really excited about welcoming Kyle into our program, because he truly has incredible upside,” Barnes said. “He’s only been playing basketball for about two and a half years, but it’s clear the sky is the limit in terms of his potential. I love his demeanor on the court and the way he runs the floor.
“He’s is a great kid from a wonderful family, and my staff and I have been following his development for a while now.”
The bloodlines are favorable for Alexander. His older sister, Kayla, played at Syracuse and now is in the WNBA. His father, Joseph, played at Niagara from 1982-86.
The Canadian ties have worked out well for Barnes in the past as well. Though Alexander will be just the third native of Canada (also joining fellow signee Ray Kasongo this year) to play basketball at Tennessee, Barnes had a lot of success going that route while at Texas – helping develop three Canadians into professional players – Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo.
The Vols now have four signees in the 2015 class:
• F Ray Kasongo (6-9, 235)
• C Kyle Alexander (6-10, 200)
• G Shembari Phillips (6-4, 185)
• SF Admiral Schofield (6-5, 210)
Point guard LaMonte Turner (6-2, 180) is committed as well and expected to sign later this month. Barring more attrition, the Vols still have one open scholarship in this class and are a finalist for 6-10, 210-pound four-star forward Ebuka Izundu from Charlotte.
