Twin Backcourt coming to Rocky Top: Highly ranked Pauldo Twins commit to Tennessee

Mia Pauldo and Mya Pauldo, two top-50 recruits in the Class of 2025, announced their commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. 

The Pauldo Twins, both point guards from Morris Catholic in Denville, New Jersey, have made it clear since the beginning of their recruitment process that they’re a package deal and that playing together was their No. 1 priority. 

“We want to do everything together,” Mia told On3. “Our journey will always be together.” 

The Pauldo Twins’ top four schools were Illinois, Texas Tech, Penn State and Tennessee, but the twins are headed to Knoxville. The Pauldos were originally considering Mississippi State. Gabe Lazo, an assistant coach who joined Tennessee from Mississippi State this offseason, led their recruitment efforts for the Volunteers. 

“We trust him so much,” Mia said. “He’s a great guy and he put his trust in us. We were the first 2025 recruits that they really put their all into. We’re going to be the ones to set the tone.”

Mia and Mya never shied away from the fact that NIL would play a large role in their recruitment, as they were the youngest athletes to land a deal with Puma and already have a reality show with Overtime after wrapping up their junior year of high school. 

“Obviously us playing together was a special part,” Mya said. “But they also had a bigger platform than all the other colleges we were looking at. We thought it would be a better fit for our brand, because it will build our brand — and the numbers just fit.”

The Pauldo Twins took their time making a decision, but ultimately, feeling a strong family vibe was what they were seeking most – and they found that with Tennessee after visiting in late June. 

“It was the best fit possible,” Mia said.

And of course, they want to continue building their brand and furthering their knowledge on the business side of it all. The Twin Backcourt is about showing the world who the Pauldo Twins are and what they can do on the court. 

“We knew that the platform Tennessee has is huge and the fans are just very supportive,” Mya said. “We know they’re going to love our brand and that we’re going to be able to combine the Lady Vols and Twin Backcourt together and just make it a big thing. It’s Tennessee. They have such a big platform.”