Memphis Roar

In what has turned out to be a surprising turn of events, 2010 prospect Jelan Kendrick, ESPN.com’s number four shooting guard in the nation, has committed to play for the University of Memphis Tigers.  Kendrick, who made his announcement at a crowded Peabody hotel on Saturday night, is a huge pick-up for the Tigers and new head coach Josh Pastner.

Kendrick, a 6’6” and 186 lbs. product of Wheeler High School in Marietta, GA, is regarded by many as one of the best all-around prospects in the 2010 class. Capable of playing the 1-3 positions on the court, Kendrick possesses great size and the intangibles to make plays as a small forward, shooting guard, or even at the point guard position.

Many believed Kendrick would wait until the late signing period in the spring to commit, but Kendrick found his fit with the Tigers.  Kendrick’s commitment gives the Tigers their sixth commitment for the 2010 class. Kendrick joins Will Barton and Memphis native Joe Jackson as the third player in ESPNU’s 100 to commit to Memphis for 2010.

ESPN.com says the following about Kendrick:

“Due to his wiry frame and extraordinary long arms his game has a Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey Nets) feel to it. He is quite slick with the ball and he is a very smooth scorer. He has swift crossover to separate from defenders and he can finish with either hand around the basket or nail the pull-up. His jump shot is consistent out to the stripe and his release is feathery. The strength of his game is in the mid-range area. He has a deceptively quick 1st step to the basket and mid-range pull-up is high level. (For a full description, view Kendrick’s profile here: LINK).”

In addition, Brooks Hansen, the senior writer and contributor of Memphis Roar, discussed Kendrick in a recent Memphis Roar Mailbag article. Here is how Hansen described Kendrick:

“Make no mistake about it, Jelan Kendrick wants to play point guard on the next level. He sees himself as a big, playmaking, multi-positional guard who makes plays when he has the ball in his hands. Some may say that a Tyreke Evans comparison is fitting to what Kendrick wants to be. This summer with the Memphis Magic, Kendrick played all three guard positions and was willing to be a piece of the puzzle on a National Championship team.”

Kendrick is no stranger to the Memphis area.  While playing a majority of his summer with the Memphis Magic Elite AAU team, Kendrick has gotten to know a few of his fellow commits for 2010.  Kendrick watched the Ole Miss football game against the Tigers at the beginning of September on an unofficial visit, and he made an official visit to Memphis a few weeks ago during Memphis Madness.

If there was any question whether the Tigers have one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, Kendrick just put an end to the debate.  The Tigers have a legitimate top five class for 2010, and they are still pursuing a few big men to balance out the guard-heavy class.

Stay tuned to Memphis Roar as we try to bring you the most current and up to date information on Jelan Kendrick’s commitment to the University of Memphis.