:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64043965/1138047843.jpg.0.jpg)
The chase for Kerry Blackshear Jr. continues. Tennessee has been heavily involved with the top grad-transfer option on the market for the past few weeks. Rick Barnes and his staff got him on campus for a visit last Friday, giving the 6-10 rising senior a firsthand look at Knoxville.
This week, Blackshear’s focus shifted to the Kentucky Wildcats. John Calipari has positioned his Wildcats as the perceived leader for Blackshear since the start. This week, he got the former Virginia Tech Hokie on campus.
Rumors suggested that Blackshear might go ahead and commit during said visit, but according to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, that didn’t happen.
Kerry Blackshear did not commit to Kentucky during his visit
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) June 20, 2019
Source tells KSR the visit went well and UK feels good about its position....but there is no indication on timeline of decision or certainty on any future visits
Kyle Tucker, who covers Kentucky for The Athletic, notes that he believes Blackshear will take a visit to Texas A&M before making a final decision.
FWIW: If you’ve been constantly refreshing your Twitter search for a Blackshear decision since he started his UK visit (which was quick and ended early yesterday), it’s probably safe to take a breather. Believe he’ll visit A&M before any decision/announcement. https://t.co/PWAH9YPEHH
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) June 20, 2019
Blackshear averaged nearly 15 points per game for Virginia Tech last season, pulling down 7.5 rebound per contest. Tennessee saw Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander walk out the door this offseason, leaving a couple of question marks in the post for the 2019-20 season.
Adding Blackshear into the mix would shift Tennessee from rebuild mode right back into win now mode.