Chris Clarke Decommits From Vols

Just a week after committing to Tennessee, four-star shooting guard Chris Clarke has decommitted from the Vols and decided he will instead play college basketball at Virginia Tech.

The news that Clarke had decommitted from Tennessee came mere hours after Bleacher Report broke a story that alleges Southern Mississippi is under an NCAA investigation for rules violations that happened during new Vols coach Donnie Tyndall’s time there.

Clarke’s father told Go Vols Xtra that his son’s decision had nothing to do with the allegations surrounding Tyndall.

Clarke’s decommitment is certainly bad for the Vols. He was going to be the crown jewel of Tyndall’s 2015 class. But the underlying news could be much more damaging.

The Volunteers’ basketball program looked like it was finally on solid ground with Tyndall at the helm. But now, with little facts to go on at the moment, the status of the program is up in the air.

Tyndall ran into some trouble while at Morehead State, but Tennessee released a statement on Thursday saying they vetted the situation with the NCAA.

Tennessee’s program should be clear of any NCAA violations, since they obviously had no knowledge of what allegedly went on at Southern Mississippi.

Tyndall, however, could be a completely different case. If it turns out he’s guilty of major violations, well that’s a road Vol fans have traveled before and they already know how that story ends.

It’s still very early, so it’s important not to jump to conclusions. However, this is all very, very concerning if you’re a fan of Tennessee basketball.