2025 four-star Alabama center Dewayne Brown commits to Tennessee Basketball
Tennessee basketball on Saturday picked up its first commitment in the class of 2025, with four-star Alabama center Dewayne Brown picking the Vols over Mississippi State during an announcement on social media.
“I chose Tennessee because I trust the coaching staff and I feel like with my end goal, they can get me to where I want to be,” Brown told On3’s Joe Tipton. “I believe they have some of the best player development in the country and I want to be a part of it.”
Brown, listed at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds out of Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., is ranked No. 109 overall in the On3 ratings. He’s the No. 16 center nationally and the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama.
“I would describe my game as a traditional big with a nice face-up game,” Brown said, “with good hands, quick feet, can run the floor and also can stretch the floor and protect the rim.”
Four-star North Carolina point guard Bishop Boswell is currently the only signee in Tennessee’s 2024 class but on Thursday was joined by Hofstra transfer wing Darlinstone Dubar, who signed with the Vols out of the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Boswell, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound prospect who singed in November, is ranked No. 71 overall in the 2024 class. He’s the No. 11 point guard in the class and the No. 8 overall player in the state of North Carolina.
Dubar averaged a career-high 17.8 points per game in 33 games this season, shooting 53.9% from the floor and 39.9% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game.
Dubar averaged 10.3 points per game last season and 11.7 two years ago, shooting a career-high 68.4% from the field in 2021-22 and 40.4% from the 3-point line in 2022-23.
Dewayne Brown took official visits to Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State
Brown took an official visit to Tennessee in February and visits to Mississippi State in January (unofficial) and March (unofficial).
“Something that stood out was the way (Tennessee coaches) communicate with their players,” Brown told On3 after the visit. “They all have good relationships. They aren’t selfish on the court and you can just tell they are a family over there.”
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Alabama, LSU and Auburn also hosted Brown on official visits. Tennessee’s style of play under Rick Barnes is something that has his attention while being recruited by the Vols.
“He’s great,” Brown said. “He plays inside-out. He has a lot of experience with a lot of different types of players. (Coach Barnes) is a Hall-of-Fame coach and he is really straightforward. He will tell you how it is and not sugar coat it.”
Dewayne Brown: 4-star Center, No. 109 overall, No. 1 in Alabama
Brown told On3 earlier in this recruitment that he was looking for three things in the program that he would ultimately choose.
“A good relationship with the coaches,” Brown said. “Somewhere I can go and get on the floor early and have a good education.”
Tennessee will continue to emphasize the NCAA Transfer Portal while filling out future rosters alongside prep recruiting.
The Vols, coming off a 27-win season and the trip the Elite Eight, has five open scholarship spots to fill on the 2024-25 roster after losing three fifth-year seniors (Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi) and four players in the NCAA Transfer Portal (Jonas Aidoo, Tobe Awaka, DJ Jefferson and Freddie Dilione V).
