Jarnell Stokes. Photo by Patrick Brown.KNOXVILLE — Jarnell Stokes announced early Friday afternoon that he will forego his senior season at Tennessee and instead enter the NBA draft.
As a junior, the 6-foot-8 forward earned All-SEC honors by averaging 15.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the Volunteers, who turned a disappointing regular season into a NCAA tournament berth and a run to the Sweet 16.
Stokes flirted with entering the NBA draft following his sophomore season, and he said during a media availability at Pratt Pavilion he always felt like he was ready to play at the next level.
“I want to thank Tennessee for making these last three years so special,” he said. “I feel like I definitely grew up and became a man here. I’ll always be a Vol for Life.”
Stokes joined the Vols midway through the 2011-12 season after graduating from high school a semester early since he was ineligible to play basketball after transferring following his junior year.