First off a small housekeeping note. We mentioned on the podcast this week that 2024 wing Kanon Catchings, who just received his release from Purdue, might be someone to keep an eye on. While there was some dialogue between Catchings, the No. 39 overall player in the nation, and Tennessee last week we don’t believe anything is going to materialize there.
Catchings had expressed some interest in making an official visit to Knoxville. However, based on what we’ve heard, it just didn’t seem like a good fit after what Tennessee added in the transfer portal. The buzz we’ve picked up is that Catchings is ideally looking for a program where he could showcase himself with the hopes of being ‘one-and-done’. With the veterans that Tennessee added on the perimeter in Chaz Lanier and Darlinstone Dubar Knoxville didn’t feel like that kind of place.
Elsewhere on the recruiting front the staff was on the road this week for the always loaded NBAPA Top-100 Camp in Orlando. 2025 commitment Dewayne Brown was an invited participant at the camp and was someone the staff kept tabs on.
Other 2025 prospects who received some attention from the Tennessee staff in Orlando this week were point guard Isaiah Denis from Concord, N.C., power forward Tylis Jordan from Snellville, Ga., shooting guard Simon Walker from Huntsville, Ala. and big man Chris Cenac from New Orleans. Five-star forward Caleb Wilson from Atlanta, the No. 4 overall player in 2025, sits on top of Tennessee’s wish list in the upcoming class, but he didn’t participate in the Orlando event.
The current team (minus Igor Milicic who is with his national team) is now assembled and summer workouts began in earnest this week. Incorporating new guys into the program is always pivotal, but when those new guys are expected to be instant contributors, building continuity and chemistry in the summer becomes even more crucial.
