Vols hoops NBA, COVID, recruiting chatter

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss several Tennessee basketball topics.The first segment of this episode is focused on Tennessee’s current roster. Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons still hasn’t decided whether to return to school for his senior season, and it’s not clear when he plans to do that, but he’s currently working out with the team and there’s plenty to discuss on that front.As for the rest of the team, everyone but sophomore guard Santiago Vescovi (who’s still at home in Uruguay) is back on campus for workouts, which means the two unnamed players who tested positive for COVID-19 have cleared quarantine and been approved for action. Some discussion on the virus and its impact on college basketball scheduling rounds out the first segment.Recruiting takes center stage in the second segment of this episode. And there’s plenty to discuss there, with Tennessee trending in a big way for five-star point guard prospect Kennedy Chandler — a Memphis native who plans to spend his senior season at powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. Chandler has been at the top of Tennessee’s 2021 board for years, and adding him could create a serious ripple effect for the other top targets — including multiple five-star prospects — on the Vols’ board.Some 2022 recruiting targets to watch are discussed in the second segment, as well.The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.