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Tennessee basketball recruiting: Vols in top 3 for 4-star in-state 2020 SG

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Rick Barnes is shooting high for Tennessee basketball’s 2020 class. The Volunteers are in the top three for four-star Bell Buckle, Tenn. guard Keon Johnson.

As Tennessee basketball gets set to complete its 2019 recruiting class, the Vols are already making moves toward 2020. And they got some good news on that front from an elite in-state prospect Tuesday.

Middle Tennessee prospect Keon Johnson announced that UT is in his top three schools. Rocky Top is there along with the Virginia Cavaliers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Johnson added that he would announce his decision on Aug. 6.

Coming out of Webb High School just southeast of Nashville, Johnson is from a town called Bell Buckle, Tenn., which is in Bedford County and has a population of 500 people. He announced his top three schools and his decision on Twitter.

A four-star shooting guard on Rivals, Johnson is ranked a top 10 player at his position and the No. 33 player overall nationally. Already standing at 6’5″ 180 pounds, he is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 player in the state.

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Simply put, the guy would immediately bring great size to the program, and he also has dramatically improved his outside shooting, hitting 38 percent from three as a junior and nearly two three-pointers a game. He’d be a perfect addition for Tennessee basketball.

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And the news gets even better when you look at some of the other projections surrounding Johnson. Although the Virginia Cavaliers just won the national championship, it appears as if the Vols are the favorite to land him.

The Rivals FutureCasts and Fan Forecasts have UT at 100 percent and 73 percent to land him. Meanwhile, 100 percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have him going to Rocky Top. So UT is not just a favorite. They are a heavy favorite.

Johnson would join four-star forward Corey Walker, who committed back in March, as two elite members of the 2020 Tennessee basketball recruiting class if he did commit to the Vols. That would also set Rick Barnes up on the wing immediately for the next few years.

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With five-star Josiah James arriving this year, Barnes truly does have the program rolling. Even after what Tony Bennett just did with Virginia, you could easily see a player like Johnson wanting to be part of something special on Rocky Top and committing to the Vols. Given that he’s from within the state, it only makes more sense. So everything is looking good here for UT.

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