Phillip Jurick and Renaldo Woolridge have signed national letters of intent to play basketball at the University of Tennessee beginning with the 2008-09 season, head coach Bruce Pearl announced Wednesday.

“One thing that I am really pleased about is that we are able to continue to bring in players that can help us compete in the Southeastern Conference,” said Pearl, who is 47-19 in his third season at Tennessee. “Both Renaldo and Phillip are prospects whose best basketball is down the road.”

Jurick, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound center will give the Vols an added presence in the paint next season. Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks per game as a junior at East Ridge High School in Chattanooga last year. Also rated as a four-star prospect by Scout.com, Jurick led the Pioneers to a 27-5 record last season.

“I believe Phillip is one of the most underrated players in the country because he has not gotten a lot of national visibility,” Pearl said. “He can become a dominant big man defensively. He has a tremendous ability to block shots and rebound in traffic. Phillip could be a factor on defense right away. As his offensive skills and conditioning improve, he could really become a force in the paint.”

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