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The forgotten man of Tennessee’s 2017 basketball recruiting class turned out to be Zach Kent. The 6-10, 225 pound Delaware native appeared in just two games for the Vols last season.
Kent tallied four points and two rebounds in ten minutes against Presbyterian early in the 2017-18 season. He appeared in the Vols’ win against High Point, but that finished his action for the year.
Because of that limited action, Kent was awarded a redshirt.
#Vols big man Zach Kent — a fascinating kid from Delaware who carries his gym stuff in a leather satchel — awarded a redshirt after playing in just two games last season: https://t.co/k1wor8uY6Q pic.twitter.com/Je8dsjW3QF
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) June 1, 2018
The move was made official on Tennessee’s official website.
Tennessee returns SEC player of the year Grant Williams, Kyle Alexander, John Fulkerson and Derrick Walker down low. Barnes’ plan for Kent is longterm, similar to how he and his staff handled Kyle Alexander.
Kent was three-star prospect in 2017 who landed just outside of 247 Sports’ top 200 prospects. Tennessee had some able bodies in front of Kent last year who were more ready to play. With another offseason to develop and get stronger, Kent could challenge for a spot in the rotation as early as this year.