Tennessee must go all-in for 5-star in-state SF who has Vols among his finalists

He may have just turned 71 years old last week, but Rick Barnes has no plans to retire soon - he's still got the passion and energy of a coach in his 40s. This offseason, Barnes was able to prove he still knows how to recruit, with 5-star Nate Ament committing to the Vols.

It was a historic get for the program and Barnes. Could another monster recruiting win be on the way for him for the 2026 cycle? That's what plenty of Tennessee basketball fans are hoping for when it comes to in-state playmaker Christopher Washington Jr.

A superstar talent for Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro (a little under three hours from Knoxville), the 6-7, 175-pounder is one of the top small forwards in the country and he's starting to trim down his offers list. Recently, Washington revealed his finalists and UT made the cut:

5-star SF Chris Washington Jr. has Tennessee basketball among his finalists

It's not going to be easy for Barnes and his staff to land Washington, as Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Villanova and others also remain in the hunt. Despite that, Tennessee could have the advantage as it's the home-state program.

Should the Vols end up landing his verbal, it'd be a monster get. Washington is ranked five stars, the No. 10 SF in the country, No. 1 player from Tennessee, and No. 23 prospect overall nationally according to the 247Sports Composite. Throughout his recruitment, he has picked up 20 offers.

After putting together a strong 2025 class both via the high school level and the transfer portal, Barnes will be ready to cook up more of the same for '26. Retirement speculation continues to arrive, but Barnes indeed has shot things down and let everyone know he's not planning on hanging up his whistle in the near future. This will surely play a role in Washington's decision when he eventually decides to shut his recruitment down.