On Wednesday, point guard Aaron Craft became Tennessee’s first commitment in the class of 2010. Craft, from Liberty Benton High School in Findlay, Ohio, is a three–star prospect according to Rivals and had offers from Bowling Green, Miami (OH), and Dayton. Michigan was showing some interest but had not yet offered a scholarship.
Despite averaging over 18 points per game as a sophomore, many in the VolNation are questioning Coach Pearl’s motivation on this one. It is intriguing to say the least, that he would take a commitment this early from a player that, based on the offers he has received, is under the radar.
One thing that appears evident — Craft is quite the athlete. Not only is he a solid contributor on the basketball floor, he’s also a two year starter on the football field. Reportedly, he threw for over 2500 yards, rushed for 1300 more, and had 35+ touchdowns last season.
The bucknuts forum offers more insight on Craft’s play.
I’m a big fan of how this kid plays. He makes good decisions, is fearless and has a knack for hitting big shots and coming up with key steals, charges, rebounds, etc. And you are absolutely right about his athleticism. It’s funny to watch him play for All–Ohio Red because his opponents always assume he can’t keep up with the frenetic pace and the truth is it just allows him more opportunity to make plays and surprise people with his quickness, ball handling and willingness to hustle all over the court. A very good player who is fun to watch. Is he Big Ten–worthy? I don’t know that he’s shown that yet, but there is still time.
Aside from being a great athlete, it’s apparent that Craft is also a winner. Both his high school team and his AAU team have impressive records and his football team made the playoffs the past two seasons.
Tennessee currently has two point guards on the roster, Bobby Maze and Daniel West. Maze, currently a junior, will be eligible to play through (you guessed it) the 2009 season.
1 response to “Vols get commit from 2010 PG Aaron Craft”
This kid is the real deal. I’m a sports reporter in Ohio and have covered Craft on a weekly basis since his freshman year. He is a first-team all-state quarterback and he’s even better on the basketball court.
He is the starting PG on an AAU team with some of the top recruits in the country. They have won back-to-back national titles and this past summer he scored 20 in the championship game.
He may have been under the radar before this summer but by the time his high school career is done, he will be ranked in the top 100 of all the “experts” rankings. Don’t doubt Bruce Pearl in this one… give him credit for jumping on the bandwagon before everyone else.