Florida wing headed to Tennessee
The commitments were flying fast and furious on Tuesday. So it's only fitting that the day end with one as Cuonzo Martin and Tennessee nabbed a member of the class of 2012.
Late Tuesday night, the near 6-foot-8 small forward Derek Reese from Orlando (Fla.) Olympia decided to commit, even though it wasn't what he'd planned at the start of the night.
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According to Reese, he had talked to Volunteers assistant Tracy Webster about moving his visit up from the middle of October. He then called Coach Martin to discuss and ended up getting the feeling he was looking for.
"I called Coach Martin tonight around eight or nine and it just hit me," Reese told Rivals.com. "I wanted that gut feeling and I thought going on a visit would tell me. But I got that gut feeling on the phone."
Before committing, though, Reese called his summer and high school coaches to make sure he wasn't jumping the gun. After seeking counsel, he still felt the same and called Martin back.
"Tennessee is the school I want to go to," said the three-star swingman. "This is the school that is going to get me ready. I feel like Coach Martin will be able to do that for me."
A big wing who is known for his ability to shoot from deep, Reese feels Tennessee was sold on his approach to the game.
"My versatility and how I look at the game," said Reese when asked what attracted Tennessee to him. "I don't play just with my athleticism. I know I'm not the most athletic person, I play smart.
"Being 6-foot-8 and being able to to shoot and playing smart. I think that's what they looked at and liked."
The first member of Tennessee's 2012 recruiting class, Reese will take his official visit to Knoxville this weekend. He also plans to keep working in order to prepare himself to play in the SEC.
"I want to work on everything," said Reese. "Especially my ball handling and I'm still working on my shot. Most importantly I'm working on getting in the weight room and getting bigger."