Tennessee’s men’s basketball program is in the thick of things with a number of elite prospects in the 2021 class after signing one of the top classes in the 2020 cycle. The Vols are finalists for two five-star prospects already, and on Monday night they found out they’re one of the top teams for yet another five-star.
Harrison Ingram, the top prospect in the state of Texas in the 2021 cycle, tweeted out a graphic featuring his top 10 teams in his recruitment, and the Vols were included along with several blue bloods. Tennessee made the cut with Kansas, North Carolina, Michigan, Louisville, Memphis, Baylor, Stanford, Texas A&M, and Arkansas.
Top 10?? pic.twitter.com/irsRgmz7xI
— Harrison Ingram (@Harrisoniingram) May 11, 2020
Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Ingram is the No. 17 overall prospect, No. 6 small forward, and No. 1 recruit in Texas in the 2021 class. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound small forward — who plays for St. Mark’s in Dallas — holds over two dozen scholarship offers but will focus on those ten schools moving forward.
Tennessee extended an offer to Ingram back on May 9th of last year. Louisville offered him on Monday, the same day he released his top 10. The Cardinals made the cut despite the very late offer in his recruitment.
The Vols have made Ingram a priority, and UT’s coaches have visited him a few times in this cycle. Ingram has also been to Tennessee’s campus before.
Ingram isn’t the first five-star to have the Vols high up on his list in the 2021 class. Tennessee is a finalist for Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 power forward in the 2021 cycle, and five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler. The Vols are also involved with other five-stars such as Jabari Smith, Moussa Cisse, and Charles Bediako.
The dynamic forward can do just about everything on the court. He plays like a point forward and is a capable ball handler. Ingram is a very smart player who has the ideal build for the small forward position. He can cover a number of positions on defense and is a solid rebounder despite not being the tallest player on the court.
As a junior this past season, Ingram averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists per game. He helped lead St. Mark’s to a 29-4 record and a state title.
The Vols don’t currently have any prospects committed to them in their 2021 class, but Tennessee just signed a top-5 class in the 2020 cycle that included two five-stars and a four-star. Rick Barnes has signed three five-star prospects over the last two recruiting cycles, and the Vols look poised to get at least one five-star in 2021 as well.
