Rick Barnes and the Vols stayed hot on the recruiting trail last night, landing what could be their biggest commitment yet. Tennessee picked up Jalen Haralson from Notre Dame, a 6-foot-7 wing with three years of eligibility left. He put up 16.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a freshman while shooting over 50% from the field.
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Looking closer, in the 247Sports Transfer Portal rankings, Jalen Haralson sits as the No. 24 overall player in the portal and the No. 3 combo guard. That’s a huge pickup for Tennessee and shows they’re all-in on making a Final Four push next season.
How Jalen Haralson's game fits Tennessee
For a player his size, Jalen Haralson is a really solid ball handler who can make sharp passes. That’s huge in a motion offense like Barnes runs, where there’s constant movement off the ball. You need guards who can read everything quickly, and Haralson has shown he can handle that. Another massive plus is that he can get downhill and score at the basket. It's where he basically scored all of his points last year at Notre Dame.
Obviously, Tennessee relies heavily on the pick-and-roll, which is a staple of Rick Barnes’ offense. Jalen Haralson is a perfect fit, as he can get downhill and finish at the rim at a high clip. On top of that, he ranked in the 88th percentile in free-throw rate, showing that even when he doesn’t convert at the rim, he’s drawing fouls.
While Haralson isn't perfect, he still has a developing jump shot (only 20% from three last year), but he does a lot of little things well. He can score efficiently, make good passes, and rebound very well for his position. Plus, he's not a defensive liability. Overall, this is a big add, as Tennessee finally has a wing who can go create his own shot, which is something they were missing at times last year. Rick Barnes has made a major emphasis this offseason on getting players who have the ability to get a bucket on their own. Dai Dai Ames can, and while Tyler Lundblade isn't a pure off-the-dribble scorer, he has an elite jump shot and put up 15 a night at Belmont last year. The future is bright in Knoxville.
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