KNOXVILLE – Jarnell Stokes never reached the state tournament in his three years at Central High School in Memphis, though Tennessee’s freshman forward played on at least one big stage before arriving in Knoxville.
Memphis YOMCA, Stokes’ hometown AAU team, reached the championship game of the Peach Jam last summer before losing to a team from Boston in a game televised on ESPNU.
“I loved the Peach Jam,” Stokes said of the annual event in North Augusta, S.C., that serves as one of the premier events on the AAU circuit. “It was a big tournament.”
None of those games are bigger than the ones Stokes and his teammates could play this week. The Volunteers visit LSU tonight and host Vanderbilt on Saturday with a lot at stake. Sweeping the two games could give the Vols a first-round SEC tournament bye and sustain their postseason chances.
“I definitely realize how important they are,” said the 6-foot-8 Stokes, who’s averaging 8.3 points and seven rebounds per game since joining the Vols in January. “I definitely want to win. I definitely want to finish this season strong.