Ex-Arizona signee Negedu verbally commits to Tennessee

Emmanuel Negedu has verbally committed to Tennessee.

"I'm going to the University of Tennessee," Negedu said by phone Tuesday in an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com. "Tennessee was one of the schools I considered before I (signed with) Arizona (last November), and when I visited there I liked the campus and I really got along with the players. It just seemed like a family. I love it. And I feel like I've known the coaches forever."

A 6-foot-7 forward, Negedu is the one-time Arizona signee who asked for a release from his national letter of intent last month, unhappy with the uncertainty surrounding Lute Olson and the Arizona program. When the release was granted the African import immediately became the central recruiting target for multiple elite level programs -- specifically Tennessee, Indiana, Memphis and Georgia Tech, all of which were searching for an impact frontcourt player to add to the 2008-09 roster.

Rivals.com ranks Negedu as the 40th-best prospect in his class while Scout.com has him at No. 71. Either way, he's an extremely athletic, explosive post presence who should immediately help the Vols as he competes for minutes with veterans Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith.

For Bruce Pearl, this is a huge development.

It not only solidifies Tennessee as a preseason top 10 team, but it's an example of Pearl -- aided by assistant Steve Forbes -- beating rival John Calipari and Memphis on a "national" recruit as the two programs continue to compete for supremacy in the state. Negedu's pledge also pushes Tennessee's recruiting class solidly into the top 10 considering he's the fourth Rivals.com top 70 prospect to commit to UT. The best of the group is McDonald's All-American Scotty Hopson, who will start in the backcourt beside junior college standout Bobby Maze for a team that should win the SEC and could advance to the Final Four.