Tennessee Secures Five-Star Center Bentley Lusakueno
Tennessee basketball has extended a scholarship offer to five-star center Bentley Lusakueno, a coveted prospect from Georgia who is slated to enter the 2028 signing class. The announcement, first reported by 247Sports, underscores the Volunteers’ aggressive pursuit of top talent as they look to bolster a roster that has already secured four commitments for the 2026 cycle.
Lusakueno, currently ranked as the No. 3 center nationwide and the No. 2 player in Georgia, honed his game at Pace Academy in Atlanta before transferring to Woodward Academy in College Park. His rise has been accompanied by a steady stream of offers, with Georgia Tech earning the distinction of being the first program to extend a scholarship on September 6, 2024.
A Recruiting Landscape in Flux
Since that initial overture, the list of suitors has expanded to include Georgia, Missouri, Miami, Rice, Oregon, Florida State, Iowa, USC, Kansas State, Georgia State and Tulane. Each program brings a different set of incentives, but Tennessee’s early engagement appears to have positioned it prominently in the recruit’s considerations.
While the 2028 class remains a future horizon, the Volunteers are already busy shaping their present. In the 2026 recruiting window, Tennessee has secured verbal pledges from Ralph Scott, Manny Green, Marquis Clark and Chris Washington Jr., a quartet that could form the core of the next generation of Volunteers.
The convergence of elite prospects and established programs illustrates how recruiting dynamics continue to shift, with traditional powerhouses and emerging contenders alike vying for the same talent pools. For Lusakueno, the decision will hinge on fit, coaching relationships and the promise of playing time, factors that will unfold over the coming months.