Tennessee’s men’s basketball program continues to pursue some of the top talent in the country in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The Vols are already targeting a number of five-stars in the class, and UT’s coaches have their eyes on several four-star prospects as well.
This week, yet another top-100 recruit added an offer from the Vols in the 2021 class.
Jahmai Mashack is a four-star guard who plays for Etiwanda in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He’s added several offers over the last few months, and according to Corey Evans of Rivals, Tennessee became the latest school to offer him this week.
Tennessee just offered top-50 junior Jahmai Mashack@Volquest_Rob https://t.co/i0Vn2raCyE
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) June 30, 2020
According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard is the No. 66 overall prospect and No. 14 shooting guard in the 2021 cycle. He’s ranked 99th overall and No. 23 among shooting guards in the composite.
Mashack suffered an injury last summer that slowed down his recruitment temporarily. But now that he’s healthy again, teams have taken notice and have started to make him a priority on the recruiting trail.
Since April, Mashack has added offers from Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisville, and Texas among others.
All this interest comes even though Mashack has missed the last two AAU seasons. Last year it was because of a fractured foot, and this year it’s because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But he earned Cal-Hi Second Team All-State honors in the highest division of high school basketball as a junior last year, showing off ability as a slashing scorer and really shining on the defensive end of the floor.
In an interview with Jacob Polacheck of Zagsblog.com back in April, Mashack mentioned that playing time and programs that have an emphasis on player development are two of the biggest factors he’s looking for in a school.
“It’s not the most important thing in the world, but that is something that I will want in a school,” Mashack told Polacheck about being able to play as a freshman at a school. “I want a school that wants to play defense and is tough.
“Also, I love schools that focus on player development. Player development is definitely one thing that I strongly consider in a college, being able to work on my game and improve during the season to become the best player I can be.”
Defensively, Mashack has the foot quickness to stay in front of guards and the length and physicality to play against forwards as well. His strength is definitely in his defense, and he could be one of the top defenders regardless of position in the entire 2021 class. Offensively, Mashack has some tools to work with and is capable of slashing inside and hitting outside jumpers both. His defense can lead to offense, too.
Tennessee does not currently have any prospects committed to them in the 2021 cycle, but UT is targeting a handful of the top recruits in the class. Five-stars Kennedy Chandler, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, Harrison Ingram, and Charles Bediako are all interested in the Vols, and four-stars such as Mac Etienne and international prospect Adama Bal are also on UT’s radar.
