Rick Barnes and Tennessee Vols score major committment from 4-star SF

With all of the excitement that's going on with Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers football program, some people may have forgotten that Tennessee basketball is getting ready to start the regular season. There are big expectations for Rick Barnes and Co.

Off the hardwood, though, Barnes and his staff, similar to Heupel, continue to crush it out on the recruiting trail. This was once again the case on Friday night, as 4-star small forward Amari Evans has announced his commitment to the Vols. This is a major get for Coach Barnes:

4-star SF Amari Evans has committed to Rick Barnes and Tennessee

The 6-5, 200-pounder was down to Tennessee, Xavier and Pitt, taking official visits to all three schools. In the end, however, the pitch from Barnes was far too much for the talented wing to pass up on. Evans is the No. 14 small forward in the country and No. 11 player overall for his class out of Georgia.

Evans is a superstar for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, picking up plenty of recruiting attention over the past year. If you ask 247Sports' Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein, the Vols have landed a true playmaker in Evans. Vols fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about this kid.

"Evans is powerful with a muscular build, very long arms (6-foot-10 wingspan), and big hands. In addition to his college ready body, he also has a mature approach. He was an early bloomer physically, who developed a big reputation as an underclassman, in large part because he was often able to overpower the opposition. Within the last year though, his approach and floor game have shown clear and impressive maturation."

- Adam Finkelstein wrote on Evans

Evans becomes the second verbal pledge for Barnes' 2025 haul. The Georgia product joins 4-star center DeWayne Brown, who committed to Tennessee back in April. Brown is 6-8, 255 pounds, and the No. 12 center in the nation.