When Donnie Tyndall took over the Tennessee men's basketball program, he had to stitch up a roster that would be competitive in 2014-2015. The Vols built a team in the final hour that will certainly over achieve this season.

The key, however, to rebuilding was landing national prospects and convincing them to be a foundation piece in Knoxville.

That vision was realized on Thursday when Virginia wing Chris Clarke verbally committed to the SEC program. Clarke announced his pick at a press conference at his Virginia Beach (Va.) Cape Henry Collegiate school.

Clarke also considered Connecticut, Virginia Tech and Creighton.

The national pundits raved about Clarke's Peach Jam performance. He was outstanding in Augusta, averaging 15 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.6 steals a game.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com polled college coaches after the summer recruiting period about the most competitive player in the country. Clarke won the poll by a large margin.

“Chris is a ferocious defender, always playing with a relentless motor,” one high major coach said. “He impacts the game in so many ways. He is a team guy who just cares about winning and plays with a blue collar mentality each and every possession."

 

 

“I loved Chris Clarke's competitiveness because he seemed to be shot out of a cannon compared to the rest of the players,” another college coach said. “I saw him at a 9 a.m. game at Peach Jam and you could just tell that everyone else was sleep walking but it mattered to him. He was a beast. The coaches never had to run one play for him and he was the best player on the court on both ends.”