One of Darian DeVries' Class of 2024 commitments at Drake University will likely be re-opening his recruitment, as he announced on social media platform X on Saturday that he has been granted a release from his National Letter of Intent.
The player in question is Emerson "KJ" Tenner, and he is certainly a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as DeVries looks to build his first roster as the new head coach at West Virginia.
☘️🩶☮️GODS PLAN LLM pic.twitter.com/qXCJ6FNnz0
— KJ (@emersontenner3) March 30, 2024
According to WV Sports Now, Tenner averaged 23 points per game this past season at Cordova High School (TN), and paced his hometown of Memphis, TN in scoring during his sophomore campaign with a head-turning 28 points per game. Tenner was also named Mr. Basketball in Tennessee's Class 4A his senior season.
Where Tenner lacks in comparison to prototypical Big 12 prospects is his size -- he's listed on recruiting sites as just 5'10 and 140 pounds, which is extremely undersized for the competition at the Power 5 level. However, Cordova coach Terrance Scales praised Tenner as someone who is ready for his moment to shine, no matter how big the stage.
The bigger the platform, the more locked in he’s going to be,” Scales said in an interview with Memphis Commercial Appeal.
It's also clear Tenner has faith in his own ability to be a superstar in the making. He was asked why he didn't leave Memphis for his senior season despite prep school offers in an interview for the aforementioned Commercial Appeal story, and had the following to say.
"I’ve always believed in myself and trusted the work I put in. I never once didn’t believe in myself."
As seen is this Instagram video, one of Tenner's biggest offensive assets is his ability to penetrate the lane and score with a deadly floater reminiscent of former Mountaineer Joe Toussaint.
Is it possible that Tenner may follow DeVries to Morgantown as he looks for a new collegiate home? A hint could lie in further activity by Tenner on his "X" account. His most recent liked tweet is Tucker DeVries' official announcement that he will be following his father to WVU for his senior season.