Tennessee Lands A Big Recruiting Chance For Its Backcourt Future

As top prospect Antonio Pemberton kicks off his official visits, Tennessee basketball looks to make a lasting impression.

Tennessee basketball is set to host one of the top point guards in the 2027 class this weekend, as four-star Antonio Pemberton gets his official visit underway in Knoxville.

League Rdy’s Sam Kayser first reported the trip, and a source confirmed it to RTI on Tuesday. For Pemberton, this will be the first stop on a busy fall schedule that includes seven official visits.

The 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard plans to keep moving after Tennessee. Kansas is up the final weekend of August, followed by visits to Creighton, Michigan State, Ohio State and Boston College in September. He’ll finish his tour with UCLA in late October.

Pemberton, a Lawrence, Massachusetts native, released his top eight last month. That group included the seven schools on his official-visit itinerary, along with Marquette.

The recruiting services have him pegged as one of the better guards in the country. 247Sports’ composite rankings list him as the No. 38 player overall and the No. 8 point guard in the 2027 cycle. Rivals has him at No. 46 nationally and No. 12 among point guards.

Pemberton will play his senior season at Masters Academy International in Hanover, Maryland, after spending his junior year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Brewster also produced former Tennessee center J.P. Estrella.

Tennessee still doesn’t have a commitment in the 2027 class, but the Vols have started putting together a strong list of official visitors this fall.

Four-star shooting guard Justin Wise and four-star center Chris Brown are both set to visit the weekend of Sept. 19, when Tennessee football hosts Kennesaw State. Five-star wing Malachi Jordan and three-star forward Davis Cochran are lined up for the weekend Tennessee football plays Texas at Neyland Stadium.

Another name to watch is four-star point guard J’Lon Lyons, who reportedly has an October official visit scheduled with Tennessee, though RTI has not been able to confirm that report.

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