University of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl has denied a story that appeared in Wednesday's Journal Sentinel that contended that he and Tennessee were involved in the recruitment of 6-foot-5 wing player Kaylan Anderson of Birmingham (Ala.) Central Park Christian High School.
Anderson, originally from Toronto, Ont., has signed a national letter of intent to play next season at UW-Milwaukee, where Pearl last coached. Anderson claimed that Tennessee was UWM's main competition for his services.
"I don't know who this kid is, I've never even heard his name," Pearl said Wednesday from Knoxville, Tenn. "I can tell you that we never offered him a scholarship or even offered to bring him on campus.
"Where's he from anyhow? I don't even know where he is from. I'm happy UWM got a nice recruit, but he wasn't someone we were recruiting."
Anderson, however, tells a different story.
"I talked to Coach Pearl a few times, but it was mostly his assistants that I talked to."
Anderson's coach at Central Park Christian, Levan Parker, backed his player's story that he was recruited by Tennessee.
"I don't know if they offered him a scholarship or not, but I know they wanted him to visit (Tennessee)," Parker said. "(Tennessee assistant) Scott Edgar was in our gym watching him play, I know that much."
New UWM coach Rob Jeter declined further comment on the story, but stood by his quote in Wednesday's story.
"Tennessee wanted him to visit their campus but we were lucky to get in on him early," Jeter said in the story. "Pearl and some of the other guys got in on him later."
