Rick Barnes was a busy man on the recruiting trail this weekend. On Sunday night, he visited a top 100 overall player in the 2019 class. And before he traveled there, he and his whole coaching staff paid a visit to a four-star point guard in Alabama.
Kira Lewis is a four-star point guard out of Hazel Green, Alabama who is one of the most sought-after point guards in the 2019 class. And on Sunday afternoon, he hosted Rick Barnes and the Vols’ entire coaching staff for a visit.
It was a pleasure hosting the University of Tennessee MBB staff in our home to recruit our son Kira Lewis Jr… Thanks
Head Coach Rick Barnes, Coach Rob Lanier, Coach Mike Schwartz, and Coach Desmond Oliver. @Mr_Lewis3 pic.twitter.com/mxhoYCmGGh— MzNat_3 (@terrifictd33) April 8, 2018
Lewis, who measures in at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, is rated as the No. 14 point guard and No. 121 overall player in the 2019 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The regular 247Sports rankings have him listed as the No. 82 overall player and 10th-best point guard in the class.
Right now, Alabama appears to be the favorite to pick up a commitment from Lewis, but there are tons of teams in play for the talented point guard. He holds offers from Auburn, LSU, Baylor, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Providence, Dayton, and others. He’s also gotten interest from Virginia and UConn. Tom Crean and Georgia saw Lewis in action over the weekend and extended an offer to him then.
The Vols have visited Lewis before, and he’s visited Tennessee. Vol coaches visited Lewis in September of last year, and Lewis visited UT’s campus later that same month. Tennessee offered him a scholarship back in mid-July of last year.
Lewis is a superb athlete, and he’s a scoring machine at the point guard position. But he can also pass the ball efficiently and set up his teammates. Lewis has a variety of ways he can score, and he doesn’t lack confidence shooting. He’s a pesky defender who swipes passes regularly as well. It’s easy to see why so many teams are trying to land him in their 2019 class.
According to Prep Circuit, Lewis averaged 27.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.7 steals this past high school season.
Tennessee has one player committed in their 2019 class, and that’s high three-star small forward Davonte Gaines. The Vols are pursuing a number of highly-rated players in the 2019 cycle right now, and Lewis is just one of those prospects.
The Vols’ 2019 class could end up being a very solid group if they can land some of these players they’re pursuing. And Lewis would be a big addition if Tennessee can get him to pull the trigger eventually.
