University of Tennessee Athletics
Jackie Butler Signs With Tennessee
November 17, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2003
Tennessee basketball coach Buzz Peterson announced this afternoon that Jackie Butler has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Tennessee beginning with the 2004-05 season.
"I am extremely excited to have Jackie join our program" Peterson said. "He understands the game very well and is very athletic for being 6-foot-11. He will provide immediate help inside the paint for us."
A 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward/center from McComb, Miss., Butler is one of the highest-rated big men to sign with Tennessee in school history. A consensus top-25 player nationally, he was named to the 2003 McDonald's All-America Team. Last year at McComb High School Butler averaged 19.5 points, 17.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game as a senior. As a junior he nearly averaged a triple-double with 25 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks while leading McComb HS to a 25-game winning streak. He won Mississippi's "Mr. Basketball" as a junior and has been named to 10 different all-tournament teams.
Butler is the sixth McDonald's All-America to sign with the Vols and the first since Vincent Yarbrough in 1998. Other former Vols who were McDonald's All-Americas include Tony Harris (1997), Charles Hathaway (1996), Allan Houston (1989), Doug Roth (1985) and Yarbrough (1998).
He is the second signee for the Vols during the fall early signing period that began Nov. 12. On Saturday, 6-10 Damion Harris of Greenville, S.C., inked with Tennessee.
