Normally, Rick Barnes’ coaching staff are the ones who handle recruiting for Tennessee’s men’s basketball team. Most of the visits and talking with recruits happens with Barnes’ staff, but Barnes himself will still visit recruits or be the main coach in contact with a recruit. And that’s the case for one of the best shooting guards in the 2019 class.
According to Samad Hines, a national basketball analyst and evaluator for Prep Hoops, Barnes is one of three head coaches to visit four-star Marcus Watson this Sunday. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are expected to have their head coaches in to visit the Buford, Georgia standout this Sunday as well.
Tennessee, Georgia Tech, & Virginia Tech are all expected to complete an in home visit today for 2019 wing Marcus Watson (@BigTime_MW) of Buford (GA) @normparkerhoops.
— Samad H. (@CoachHines28) April 8, 2018
Watson is one of the top prep players in the state of Georgia and one of the highest-rated shooting guards in the 2019 class. He’s rated as the No. 87 overall player, No. 11 shooting guard, and No. 7 prospect in the state of Georgia per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The regular 247Sports rankings have him rated even higher. Those ratings have Watson listed as the 33rd overall player in the 2019 class, No. 3 shooting guard, and No. 3 player in the state of Georgia.
To go along with his offers from Tennessee, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, Watson also holds scholarship offers from Florida, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Memphis, Missouri, Georgia, and others.
Tennessee visited Watson back on January 15th, and Watson himself went on an unofficial visit to Tennessee back on June 27th of last year. Georgia Tech has been a major player in Watson’s recruitment too. He’s unofficially visited them a handful of times, and the Yellow Jackets have sent coaches to visit with him a couple times as well.
Watson, who measures in at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, can play both shooting guard and small forward. He’s shown off exceptional athleticism and smooth ball handling skills in high school so far, and he has the ability to score in a variety of ways.
The Vols currently have one player committed in their 2019 class, and that’s high three-star small forward Davonte Gaines. Tennessee hosted four-star center/forward D.J. Burns of the 2019 class this past week as well.
