Tennessee only has one scholarship to give out in the 2018 recruiting cycle. But if they can’t find a freshman to give that scholarship to, they may look to a transfer to join the program and use up that scholarship.
According to ESPN basketball insider Jeff Goodman, the Vols are among a handful of teams who have expressed interest in Utah State transfer point guard Koby McEwen. Tennessee, Ohio State, Marquette, and others have all reached out to McEwen per Goodman.
Utah State transfer Koby McEwen has heard from Creighton, Ohio State, Marquette, Oregon, Iowa State, Tennessee, Grand Canyon, Arizona State and Akron thus far. Averaged 15.6 points as a sophomore.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 31, 2018
McEwen just completed his sophomore season with Utah State this past year, and it’s likely he’ll have to sit out a year wherever he transfers because he’s not graduated with a degree yet. He’s a regular transfer player as opposed to a grad transfer. He would have two years of eligibility wherever he ends up.
The 6-foot-4, 195 pound point guard was second on the team in scoring this year for the Aggies, and he led the team in both assists and rebounds. As a sophomore, McEwen averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from the floor. In his two years at Utah State, he averaged 15 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per contest.
McEwen is transferring after Utah State elected to make a coaching change this year. He was the Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West Conference in 2017 and was a third-team all-conference selection this past season.
Unless someone off Tennessee’s roster elects to transfer this offseason, the Vols will only have one scholarship to hand out for this upcoming season. Right now, Tennessee only appears to be pursuing three-star point guard Tyler Harris and four-star point guard James Akinjo in the 2018 class. The Vols don’t stand great chances of landing either of those recruits, however, and McEwen could serve as a backup plan for the Vols’ 2019-20 roster.
As far as backup plans go, McEwen would be a great one. He’s proven to be a solid player for Utah State and has played against teams like Purdue, Texas Tech, San Diego State, and Nevada. He provides a scoring threat, solid passing, and a big body at the point guard position.
