Tobias Harris signs with Tennessee

In what could be considered the biggest recruiting pickup in the history of Tennessee Basketball, 6'8" power forward Tobias Harris - Rivals' #1 power forward and #5 overall player in the 2010 class - has signed with Bruce Pearl and the Vols.  Harris revealed his choice tonight on ESPNU.

Harris, a native of Glen Head, New York, was also considering Syracuse, Maryland, Louisville and our friends at Kentucky, among others.  This is a huge get for Pearl and the Vols, and Tennessee's ability to go up to New York and get the fifth best player in the country is the most recent example of the difference Pearl has made in changing the basketball culture in Knoxville.

Harris joins 2010 signees Trae Golden (Rivals overall #55) and Jordan McRae (Rivals overall #42), both guards from Georgia.  Fellow big man Jayvaughn Pinkston has elected to wait until the spring to sign, though the Vols were thought to be among the leaders.  And the saga of Josh Selby also continues, as the former Vol commit continues to test the waters.  But regardless of Pinkston's or Selby's decision, the presence of Harris ensures a great recruiting class for the Vols in a year where Rivals already had Tennessee ranked 18th on just Golden and McRae alone.BruceBall may lose four senior starters this year, but Pearl is working hard to ensure that the Vols will no longer be rebuilding, but reloading.  Harris looks to be the biggest piece of the 2010 puzzle, and continued evidence that Bruce Pearl is getting it done.