Rick Barnes finally has his first commitment in the 2017 recruiting class. And it’s a big one. Literally.
Zach Kent, a 6-foot-10, 228 pound power forward out of Middletown, Delaware, reportedly pledged his commitment to the Vols on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first commitment in Tennessee’s 2017 recruiting class. Kent is a top 200 overall player according to 247Sports, and he chose the Vols over Northwestern. He also holds offers from Clemson, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Maryland, Dayton, and others.
Zach Kent on decision to commit to Tennessee: pic.twitter.com/9ukbTnEzVB
— Pat Lawless (@PatLawless_) October 30, 2016
The Vols lack size on the roster this season, and getting a power forward/center was imperative in this 2017 class. Barnes went out and did just that by picking up the commitment from Kent. Right now the Vols only have one player listed as taller than 6-foot-7 on their roster, and that’s sophomore Kyle Alexander at 6-foot-10. But Alexander is listed as weighing only 218 pounds, meaning Kent, a high school senior, already has a bigger body than Alexander.
Tennessee needs all the big bodies they can get on the roster. It helps if those big players are talented too, and it appears as though Zach Kent is just that.
