Ralph Scott hadn’t spoken to Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes before arriving in Knoxville for his official visit in mid September. His expectations for Barnes revolved around the fiery coach he saw on the sidelines. Instead, Scott found a personable coach that he quickly, and a bit surprisingly, hit it off with.
“I hadn’t spoken to Coach Barnes until on the visit,” Scott told RTI. “So I didn’t really know what to expect. But being there, I felt very comfortable around him. He seemed like he really wanted me there. He knew his stuff about me, about my game. He seemed like he really wanted me to be at Tennessee.”
Scott committed to Tennessee basketball Tuesday afternoon, choosing the Vols over a strong top group that included Houston, Purdue and Texas A&M. Credit assistant coach Gregg Polinsky for setting Tennessee up in a strong spot and Barnes for helping the Vols get to the finish line.
The 6-foot-8 wing’s comfort level with Tennessee’s coaches was crucial in the Vols beating out two of the nation’s best programs and another SEC foe to land his commitment.
“On the visit I just felt a really good environment,” Scott told RTI before his commitment Tuesday. “I really enjoyed being there. Obviously, the coaching staff is amazing. Coach Barnes, he’s a great coach and I just felt a real connection with him when I got there.”
Scott ranks as a four-star recruit and the No. 37 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. The Bermuda native who plays his prep basketball at IMG Academy also ranks as the No. 17 small forward in his class.
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Tennessee sold Scott on the success Rick Barnes has had developing wings both in his career as a whole and in recent years with Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier earning All-American honors each of the last two seasons. As a strong shooter with athleticism to get to the basket, Tennessee can use Scott in the same ways they used Knecht and to a lesser extent Lanier.
“It’s definitely really impressive,” Scott said of the wing success at Tennessee. “I really took that into account when I was making my decision. I feel like, just being able to learn from someone that’s had that much success with players at my position and putting them in the next level— it would be crazy not to pick the guy who has the most accomplishments.”
“I’ve learned over the last year the value in defense more-and-more,” Scott said. “It’s, to me, the most important. Everyone loves to score but if you’re having a bad day you have to hang your hat on something. Defense is one of the best and easiest things to do to help the team win.”
Scott talks about defense and being able to win with it when shots aren’t falling the same way Barnes does increasing the belief that the top 40 recruit is a great fit with the Volunteer program.
