Scotty Hopson, SG/SF
Overall ranking: 7th
Position ranking: 2nd
Signing class: 2008
Hopson signed with the Vols as UT’s first-ever five-star prospect according to the 247Sports rankings. He came in with extremely high expectations, and while he put together a very solid career at Tennessee, he never quite lived up to what fans hoped.
The McDonald’s All-American came in and earned SEC All-Freshman honors for his first year at Tennessee in 2008-09 thanks to his three-point shooting and ability to snag rebounds with his 6-foot-7 frame. Hopson averaged 9.2 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman in 34 games (including 30 starts), and he shot 35.7 percent from three.
Hopson didn’t take the leap as a sophomore many hoped, but he was still a very productive member of the Vols’ 2009-10 squad, the team that made it to the Elite Eight. Hopson averaged the most minutes per game of anyone on the roster that season (27.7) and was second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game. He led the team in three-point field goal makes and attempts.
In his junior season, Hopson finally blossomed more into the type of player he was capable of being. In the 2010-11 season, Hopson led the Vols in scoring with 17.0 points per game and finished fifth in the SEC in scoring. As a junior, he shot 37.6 percent from three, averaged 3.2 rebounds a game, and started all 32 games he played. He earned First-Team All-SEC honors for his performance.
After his junior season, Hopson declared for the NBA Draft, though he ended up going undrafted. He’s played overseas and has played sparingly in the NBA, appearing in three games and totaling two points in 15 combined minutes in the league.
As a Vol, Hopson totaled 1,305 career points and now ranks just outside the top 25 all-time scorers in UT history thanks to Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield passing him last season. Hopson sits at No. 26 all-time in points scored in Tennessee history. He also holds the school record for most made three-pointers by a three-year player (151).
