Lady Vols Ink No. 8 Signing Class

Lady Vols signees / Credit: UT Athletics

Lady Vols Ink No. 8 Signing Class

Posted on November 14, 2018
Lady Vols signees / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Holly Warlick announced Wednesday that three student-athletes, including the No. 2-ranked player in the country, have inked National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to join the Lady Vol program for the 2019-20 season.

Returning paperwork on the first day of the early signing period was the nation’s consensus No. 1 guard and No. 2 overall player, 6-foot-1 Jordan Horston (Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Africentric Early College), as well as 6-5 center Tamari Key (Cary, N.C. / Cary H.S.) and 6-5 F/C Emily Saunders (Mullens, W.Va./Wyoming East H.S.). Like Horston, Key is a five-star recruit, according to espnW HoopGurlz, while Saunders is a four-star prospect, as rated by ProspectsNation.com.

The Lady Vols’ three-player class currently is ranked at No. 8 overall and No. 2 in the SEC by espnW HoopGurlz. It follows Tennessee’s No. 1-ranked class in 2017 and a No. 4-rated group in 2018.

“I am very excited to welcome these young ladies to the Lady Vol family and believe they will really complement the players expected to return next season,” Warlick said. “I thought we needed a multi-faceted perimeter player, and we got one. We needed to add an inside presence that was both athletic and physical, and we got that as well. We addressed all of the needs we felt we had with this class.”

MEET THE LADY VOL SIGNING CLASS

Jordan Horston | 6-1 | G | Columbus, Ohio | Africentric Early College

  • No. 2 overall player, No. 1 guard, five-star recruit by espnW HoopGurlz
  • No. 2 overall player, No. 1 guard, five-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • No. 2 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • Member of USA U17 National Team and MVP of FIBA U17 World Cup in 2018
  • USA Today First-Team Ohio in 2018
  • Division III Ohio Co-Player-of-the-Year and DIII All-State First Team in 2018
  • Member of USA U16 National Team in 2017
  • AP Second-Team Division III All-State in 2016, 2017
  • 2018 MaxPreps High School All-America Honorable Mention
  • 2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Divisions II, III and IV Top 10
  • 2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year
  • 2016, 2017 and 2018 All-Columbus City League First Team
  • 2017 and 2018 Columbus Dispatch All-Metro Team
  • As a junior in 2017-18, started in all 30 games and averaged 18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 5.1 steals and 1.7 blocks to help her team to a 27-3 record, the City League title and a state championship

WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Jordan is just an exceptional all-around player. She can play multiple positions and score at the rim, at mid-range and beyond the arc. She’s a team player and great kid, and I am excited for her to bring her experience and maturity at such a young age to our team.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF HORSTON: Ultra-athletic guard with versatility; explosive leaper attacks the basket, rises over defenders with soft touch in mid-range game; a mismatch nightmare, exploits smaller defenders; defends, traps in pressure; evolving perimeter game, impacts on the national stage.

Tamari Key | 6-5 | C | Cary, N.C. | Cary H.S.

  • No. 45 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • No. 46 overall player, No. 9 post player, five-star recruit by espnW HoopGurlz
  • No. 50 overall player, No. 7 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • Averaged 13.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.5 blocks as a junior
  • Averaged 15.0 points, 12.3 and 5.8 blocks as a sophomore

 WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Tamari is going to be a great shot blocker for us and provide a great inside presence at 6-5. She has outstanding size and is extremely mobile and athletic. I look forward to watching her grow and develop as a college player.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF KEY: “Low-post performer with imposing size, length, shot blocking ability; defends the paint, rebounds and starts the fast break; gains respect in the block with continuing emergence of back-to-basket game; a stock-riser in the class of 2019.”

Emily Saunders | 6-5 | F/C | Mullens, W.Va. | East Wyoming H.S.

  • No. 88 overall player, No. 18 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • No. 187 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • WVSWA 1st-team AA All-State in 2017, 2018
  • Averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.1 blocks per game as a junior

WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Emily provides a big inside presence, and I’m excited for her to join us. Emily uses her size well, protects the basket, works hard and is excited about continuing her development as a player. We look forward to getting her on campus and preparing her to play at this level.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF SAUNDERS: “Left-handed low-post prospect with shot blocking presence; rebounds and initiates the fast break; mobile in transition; emerging back-to-basket game; potential.”

-UT Athletics

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Lady Vols Ink No. 8 Signing Class

Lady Vols signees / Credit: UT Athletics

Lady Vols Ink No. 8 Signing Class

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Vince Ferrara • 0 Comments
Lady Vols signees / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Holly Warlick announced Wednesday that three student-athletes, including the No. 2-ranked player in the country, have inked National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to join the Lady Vol program for the 2019-20 season.

Returning paperwork on the first day of the early signing period was the nation’s consensus No. 1 guard and No. 2 overall player, 6-foot-1 Jordan Horston (Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Africentric Early College), as well as 6-5 center Tamari Key (Cary, N.C. / Cary H.S.) and 6-5 F/C Emily Saunders (Mullens, W.Va./Wyoming East H.S.). Like Horston, Key is a five-star recruit, according to espnW HoopGurlz, while Saunders is a four-star prospect, as rated by ProspectsNation.com.

The Lady Vols’ three-player class currently is ranked at No. 8 overall and No. 2 in the SEC by espnW HoopGurlz. It follows Tennessee’s No. 1-ranked class in 2017 and a No. 4-rated group in 2018.

“I am very excited to welcome these young ladies to the Lady Vol family and believe they will really complement the players expected to return next season,” Warlick said. “I thought we needed a multi-faceted perimeter player, and we got one. We needed to add an inside presence that was both athletic and physical, and we got that as well. We addressed all of the needs we felt we had with this class.”

MEET THE LADY VOL SIGNING CLASS

Jordan Horston | 6-1 | G | Columbus, Ohio | Africentric Early College

  • No. 2 overall player, No. 1 guard, five-star recruit by espnW HoopGurlz
  • No. 2 overall player, No. 1 guard, five-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • No. 2 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • Member of USA U17 National Team and MVP of FIBA U17 World Cup in 2018
  • USA Today First-Team Ohio in 2018
  • Division III Ohio Co-Player-of-the-Year and DIII All-State First Team in 2018
  • Member of USA U16 National Team in 2017
  • AP Second-Team Division III All-State in 2016, 2017
  • 2018 MaxPreps High School All-America Honorable Mention
  • 2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Divisions II, III and IV Top 10
  • 2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year
  • 2016, 2017 and 2018 All-Columbus City League First Team
  • 2017 and 2018 Columbus Dispatch All-Metro Team
  • As a junior in 2017-18, started in all 30 games and averaged 18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 5.1 steals and 1.7 blocks to help her team to a 27-3 record, the City League title and a state championship

WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Jordan is just an exceptional all-around player. She can play multiple positions and score at the rim, at mid-range and beyond the arc. She’s a team player and great kid, and I am excited for her to bring her experience and maturity at such a young age to our team.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF HORSTON: Ultra-athletic guard with versatility; explosive leaper attacks the basket, rises over defenders with soft touch in mid-range game; a mismatch nightmare, exploits smaller defenders; defends, traps in pressure; evolving perimeter game, impacts on the national stage.

Tamari Key | 6-5 | C | Cary, N.C. | Cary H.S.

  • No. 45 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • No. 46 overall player, No. 9 post player, five-star recruit by espnW HoopGurlz
  • No. 50 overall player, No. 7 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • Averaged 13.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.5 blocks as a junior
  • Averaged 15.0 points, 12.3 and 5.8 blocks as a sophomore

 WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Tamari is going to be a great shot blocker for us and provide a great inside presence at 6-5. She has outstanding size and is extremely mobile and athletic. I look forward to watching her grow and develop as a college player.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF KEY: “Low-post performer with imposing size, length, shot blocking ability; defends the paint, rebounds and starts the fast break; gains respect in the block with continuing emergence of back-to-basket game; a stock-riser in the class of 2019.”

Emily Saunders | 6-5 | F/C | Mullens, W.Va. | East Wyoming H.S.

  • No. 88 overall player, No. 18 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
  • No. 187 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
  • WVSWA 1st-team AA All-State in 2017, 2018
  • Averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.1 blocks per game as a junior

WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Emily provides a big inside presence, and I’m excited for her to join us. Emily uses her size well, protects the basket, works hard and is excited about continuing her development as a player. We look forward to getting her on campus and preparing her to play at this level.”

ESPN EVALUATION OF SAUNDERS: “Left-handed low-post prospect with shot blocking presence; rebounds and initiates the fast break; mobile in transition; emerging back-to-basket game; potential.”

-UT Athletics