Two Tennessee basketball signees have been released from their Letters of Intent. Point guard Larry Austin (3-star) and shooting guard Jordan Cornish (3-star) have both asked for and received their releases from Donnie Tyndall, according to reports. Power forward C.J. Turman (3-star) will also request a release according to Rob Lewis of Volquest. Tennessee had four players signed in the current class under Cuonzo Marin but only 3-star power forward Phil Cofer remains at this point. It’s expected that Tyndall will reach out to some other prospects in an attempt to add to the roster during the spring period. With the departure of Austin, Cornish and Turnman, Tennessee has five available scholarships.
Tyndall had the following to say about the departures on 104.5 The Zone this afternoon (transcribed by Patrick Brown):
“The four guys that were signed by Coach Martin in the early period are all very good players, and they seem to be fine young men. But if guys don’t want to be here, for whatever reason, whether is’s no familiarity with me or the new coaching staff, or they just want to explore their options — I’m OK with that. I don’t want guys to feel like they have to be at Tennessee. It’s a privilege to be at Tennessee, and no one’s more privileged than I am. … It’s just simply the nature of our business. When I recruit a young man, they basically come because of myself and our staff. That’s just the reality of it. These young men weren’t recruited by me. Everyone’s got to make decisions best for them and their career, and that’s what they’ve decided to do.”