KNOXVILLE - Twenty-four hours after a big win on the hardwood, the Tennessee men's basketball program picked up a huge victory off it.
Junior forward Corey Walker from Bishop Snyder High School in Jacksonville, Florida, who is listed as a five-star prospect by 247Sports.com, became the first player in the 2020 signing class to commit to the Volunteers. Walker's nonbinding pledge, reported Sunday afternoon by 247Sports, came on the heels of seventh-ranked Tennessee's 71-52 dispatching of fourth-ranked Kentucky in front of a packed house at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound Walker is ranked as the No. 23 player in the country and the sixth-best small forward, according to 247Sports. He visited Tennessee's campus Feb. 9 for the Vols' win over Florida and returned Saturday. It's the second consecutive season Tennessee has brought in a five-star prospect, with 6-7 point guard Josiah James signing this past November.
Walker was one of a handful of highly rated prospects who were on hand to see the Vols rout the Wildcats and improve to 26-3 overall and 13-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
"I feel like when I was in high school, I wanted to be part of a winning program," Tennessee point guard Jordan Bone said after Saturday's win. "Just seeing the crowd today and seeing how the game went, I hope all the recruits take that into consideration that we have built something. We are changing the culture around here. That is something we have wanted since day one. It has been a process.
"As a recruit, I feel like this is a great time to really be here. It's only going to get better. It has been a process, and the guys here, we have done a great job. I know the guys that are going to be here in the future are going to keep this going."
The Vols are expected to lose four players - Bone and fellow guards Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner plus forward Grant Williams - after the 2019-20 season, provided each returns for his final year of eligibility.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.