It was a bittersweet 24 hours on the recruiting trail for Rick Barnes and Tennessee basketball. Honestly, the bad probably outweighed the good, but at least the Vols are still in the running for some elite 2022 prospects going forward.
Things started late Monday night. The Vols made the top eight for Denton, Texas forward KyeRon Lindsay. A three-star on 247Sports out of Guyer High School who is not yet rated on Rivals or ESPN recruiting, Lindsay is a fast rising star, standing at 6’8″ and weighing 205 pounds.
Joining Tennessee basketball on Lindsay’s list are the Texas A&M Aggies, TCU Horned Frogs, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Georgia Bulldogs and UNLV Rebels. He announced the schools on Twitter.
🚨🚨Top 8
— KyeRon (@KyeronLindsay21) August 24, 2021
#AGTG, I would like to say thank you all the College programs and coaches that have offered me an opportunity to be a part of their culture. Thank you for your time, attention and patience thru my recruiting progress. Thank you all from me and my family!!
@rtpgfx pic.twitter.com/qvvY2H5jjc
While that news was exciting, the following Tuesday, the Vols got hit with a gut-wrenching loss. Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 6’5″ four-star combo guard across the board out of Florida, announced his commitment to the Indiana Hoosiers on Instagram.
Hood-Schifino had included UT in his top five two weeks ago, which we wrote about here. There was a great chance the Vols would land him. As a result, his decision to commit elsewhere is a bit devastating for the program.
On the heels of the greatest recruiting class in history, UT’s only commit for 2022 so far is four-star guard B.J. Edwards. The Vols are in the running for plenty of other elite prospects, but Hood-Schifino would have been a huge pickup.
Still, look for Lindsay to start rising in the recruiting rankings. He is a guy who could play on the wing or in the post, and if he begins to get more noticed, you could see lots of other teams vying for his services next year.
There are no projections for Lindsay yet on the Rivals Future Cast or 247Sports Crystal Ball. The Texas Tech Red Raiders were the majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, but they didn’t make the cut. As a result, Tennessee basketball is likely very much in play. Keep an eye out for what comes of that.