MEMPHIS, TN -- The Tigers got a "signee surprise" Saturday night about two hours after he touched down in Memphis. Jelan Kendrick, who is ranked eighth on Rivals.com and 24th on ESPNU 100 for the recruiting class of 2010, has already put it in writing that he will play for the U of M next season.
A large crowd of Tigers supporters were at The Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis to give Kendrick a warm welcome, and to let him know how excited they are to soon see him playing inside FedExForum.
Kendrick, who is a 6-5, 186 guard (Marietta, Georgia/Wheeler High School), flew into the Bluff City a day before a banquet to celebrate the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team which he played for this summer. Kendrick suited up for the Memphis Magic Elite - playing alongside Memphis high school standouts Joe Jackson (White Station), Chris Crawford (Sheffield) and Tarik Black (Ridgeway). All three players are ranked in the top 70 in the nation.
Jackson and Crawford have also already signed to play for Coach Josh Pastner next season. They join brothers Will and Antonio Barton (Baltimore, Maryland) along with 6-8 forward Hippolyte Tsafack who is originally from Cameroon (Crozet, Virginia/The Miller School).
Pastner said, “The city of Memphis will be excited to see Jelan wearing the Blue and Gray next year. Jelan fits in with the vision we have for the program on and off the court. At 6-foot-6, he adds tremendous size to our backcourt. Jelan is a very skilled, multi-dimensional guard who’s a very good passer and has a good feel for the game.”
Black remains undecided on where he will play in college, but his AAU teammates say they are going to do their best to make sure he ends up signing with Memphis too.
As of Friday the website Rivals.com listed the University of Memphis recruiting class for 2010 at third in the nation behind those from top-ranked Ohio State and North Carolina.
