Sara Puckett
Sara Puckett, the No. 21 ranked prospect in the 2021 class according to ProspectsNation.com, gave her verbal commitment to Tennessee over the Memorial Day Weekend. The 6-foot-2-inch small forward is from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Karoline Striplin (L) and Sara Puckett (R) at the
2019 BCS National Academy. *Photo by Chris Hansen.Kellie Harper and her staff offered Puckett a scholarship last summer. Harper then travelled to Alabama to watch Puckett play just before Thanksgiving. In return, Puckett visited the Knoxville campus in December. From there, Harper’s program was firmly on the radar as a potential destination and arguably the school to beat in the process.
“I chose Tennessee because I can just see myself playing there,” Puckett said. “I have a great relationship with all their staff and I want to play for Coach Harper. She has a blueprint for the program and I very much want to be a part of that. I just know it is where I am supposed to be.”
SEC faithful will get a Maci Morris (Kentucky grad) like feel from Puckett when she arrives next summer. Puckett is a prospect who could potentially help any program in the country without exception, a realization we saw first hand working with her last fall at the Coach Hemi Showcase. Her rise over the past 18 months compares to Morris’ ascent at the tail end of her high school career. Right now, Puckett is a more consistent shooter, playmaker and defender than Morris was at the same stage. That said, Puckett is a unique combo type at the forward position long term.
Puckett will join her Alabama Southern Starz club program teammate Karolina Striplin in Knoxville. Striplin is a 6-2 interior player from Hartford Alabama who is ranked No. 35 in class. That Southern Starz duo joins Nasvhille native Kaiya Wynn, a 5-10 guard who is a four-star ELITE 100 Watch List prospect.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@prospectsnation.com.
