Tennessee Vols coach Cuonzo MartinKNOXVILLE - Jordan Cornish delivered the good news to Tennessee basketball coach Cuonzo Martin on Monday night.
The 6-foot-6 swingman from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans gave the Volunteers their first commitment for the 2014 recruiting class.
"He actually did [get excited]," Cornish said by phone, "because he really loves my game, and like he told me, 'I resemble him,' and he really, really likes me."
A consensus three-star prospect, Cornish is ranked in the top 150 players by both Rivals.com (131) and 247sports.com (128). He said he had scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Purdue, VCU, Houston, Texas A&M and Wake Forest. Martin and Tennessee have been recruiting Cornish since the summer following his freshman season, and he's made two visits to Knoxville.
"They've been on me the whole way, and they've been straightforward with me," Cornish said. "I just felt at home with those guys - with Coach Martin, Coach [Jon] Harris and the players - and the storied tradition the basketball program has, it was an easy decision for me.
"I just wanted to get that weight off my shoulders and be stress free. I already knew, and I told my parents I knew where I wanted to go. I just wanted to get it done with."
Cornish was named to the the Times-Picayune's all-city team following a strong junior season when he averaged 15.2 points per game. He's currently averaging 10.7 points per game with Nike Team Louisiana on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit and poured in 27 points in the Louisiana Rising Stars Showcase in Baton Rouge in March, according to the Times-Picayune.
"I'm a big guard that can attack the rim with vengeance, get other people involved and also knock down the 3-point shot consistently," he said. "On the other end, I play tough. I'm a knockdown defender and I'll guard your best player.
"I'm just a tough guy all the way around."