Chris Clarke to Tennessee: Volunteers Land 4-Star SG Prospect

The Tennessee Volunteers got a boost to their 2015 recruiting class, as guard prospect Chris Clarke has committed to the school.

Matthew Hatfield of VirginiaPreps.com has the report:

The 6'5", 170-pound shooting guard is considered a 4-star recruit by 247Sports. The recruiting site has him listed as the No. 1 recruit from the state of Virginia, the No. 17 shooting guard in the nation and the No. 60 recruit overall. 

Jeff Goodman of ESPN offered the following scouting report on Clarke:

Added Jeff Borzello of ESPN:

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Tennessee landed the guard. In early October, Clarke revealed to KnoxBlogs.com that the Vols were seriously committed to landing him:

"

'I’m a guy they really need, a great addition to their team. Tennessee loves me.' Clarke said Thursday, recalling UT’s pitch.

UT’s four in-home visits with Clarke outnumbered that of any school.

'It shows a lot,' he said 'It shows they really care, that they genuinely think I will be able to be a part of their team.'

"

The fit seems natural. Clarke will help to bolster a Vols team that finished 24-13 last season and reached the Sweet 16, where it lost to Michigan. However, the team's two best players, Jarnell Stokes and Jordan McRae, both entered the NBA draft, so a strong recruiting class to supplement those losses was needed. 

Thus, Clarke was certainly an excellent addition to the Vols. A player who has really risen up recruiting boards in the past year, Clarke is going to give Tennessee instant energy, versatility and the ability to score at the rim. He has the chance to grow into something special with the Vols, and his energetic style of play should earn him instant minutes with the team. 

New coach Donnie Tyndall needed to hit the ground running. He signed eight players for the 2014-15 season, and now he has the top recruit from Virginia to add to the roster next year. This season may be a transition year for the Vols, but the future looks bright for the program.