Jalen Washington’s attempt to gain eligibility will now move to the state of Indiana, where Washington is originally from. The former North Carolina Tar Heel and Vanderbilt Commodore committed to Tennessee back in the summer, but lost eligibility in August. He lost an appeal last month in the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Barnes confirmed what has been talked about for the last few weeks.
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“We understand they are going to move him to the Indiana case, which has already been resolved for now,” Barnes said on Vol Network after Tennessee’s win over Wofford. “That’s where he’s from. That’s his home state. I would like to think that they see he has got a chance to make some earnings and they will rule in his favor.”
The 6-10 power forward averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season for Vanderbilt. He’s seeking a fifth year of eligibility following the NCAA’s new five-for-five rule. Barnes has expressed a need for more depth in Tennessee’s frontcourt, and Washington clearly fits that bill.
“He changes our team,” Rick Barnes said in September. “He changed our team once he came on campus. Jalen gives us a real physical presence. He’s improved so many other things with our team. So, he is a difference maker. We had one scholarship left. We were not going to give it to a high school player because we were already into the summer.
“But now I think, in my honest opinion, if one (fifth-year) guy is eligible, they should all be eligible. And it won’t play out like that. Probably not.”
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Tennessee has played DeWayne Brown and Miles Rubin so far in the paint. Jalen Haralson has also gotten plenty of run as a hybrid-four. Braeden Lue is firmly in the rotation, while Christian Fermin provides some depth. It would be interesting to see that pecking order should Washington get cleared.
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