Tennessee recruits not dumping Vols yet

MORE TENNESSEE: Ask the Experts | Recruits looking elsewhere

When Tennessee fired Bruce Pearl, it lost its recruiting class, but not completely. Both Chris Jones and Kevin Ware are still open to playing for the Volunteers and new coach Cuonzo Martin next year.

Although Ware, a 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Conyers, Ga., has been released from his National Letter of Intent, Tennessee is still on his school list. According to Ware's father, Wesley Junior, that list also includes UCLA, Louisville, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, UCF, Georgetown and Virginia.

"Right now we are just going to wait and see," Junior said. "Tennessee is one of the options. We are just waiting for the open period after Kevin's spring break to sit down with Coach Martin and the other coaches recruiting Kevin.

"Until that time, Kevin is studying the rosters of these schools, looking at who the incoming freshmen are and the history of much playing time the freshmen typically get on these teams. Kevin doesn't want to be in a situation where he outperforms an upperclassman, but the coach's philosophy is to stick with upperclassmen over freshmen."

Jones, a 5-foot-10 scoring point guard out of Memphis, is actually still signed with the Volunteers. By the end of the week Jones will have a better idea if he is going to stick with Tennessee. According to his former coach, Jermaine Johnson of Melrose High School, Jones will meet with Martin on Thursday.

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