Jarnell Stokes, a 5* power forward currently classified in the class of 2012, announced that he is planning to commit to a school this Thursday via Twitter. Stokes is a winter graduate from Southwind High School in Memphis, where he was recently ruled athletically ineligible by the state.
As a result, Stokes decided to graduate early and start college in the spring of 2012, forgoing his spring semester of high school. Stokes would be immediately eligible to play after enrolling in college and receiving clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse. While it appears that he is targeting to suit up in spring 2012, it's possible that Stokes could attend school only academically during the spring semester, or choose to wait until the summer and/or fall semester to enroll. In the two latter scenarios, his eligibility wouldn't start until fall 2012.
If he chooses to play starting in the spring of 2012, he would provide an immediate frontcourt boost to whichever school he ends up choosing. Kentucky is amongst his list of finalists, but the Wildcats do not have any available scholarships remaining to offer this year. The rumor is that Stokes will be deciding between Tennessee, Florida, and Memphis, with the Volunteers currently the favorite. Tennessee has both (1) available scholarships and (2) the possibility of an immediate starting spot. Meanwhile, SEC title contenders Florida and Kentucky both have their starting frontcourts locked in, and Memphis, like Kentucky, has no available scholarships to give.
