What Rick Barnes said about Tennessee basketball signee Bishop Boswell

Bishop Boswell signed with Tennessee basketball on Wednesday as the lone member of UT's 2024 recruiting class, UT announced.

The four-star guard from North Carolina committed to UT in September.

"Bishop is a great young man who exhibits superb leadership qualities," coach Rick Barnes said in a school release. "He is a big, versatile guard who is comfortable both scoring and facilitating. We are also excited about his ability to defend multiple positions on the other end of the court. A former football player, Bishop will also bring a high level of toughness that meshes well with our program."

Boswell picked UT over Georgia, Missouri, Wake Forest and Xavier. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard is ranked the No. 69 player in the country by 247Sports Composite.

The Vols offered the Myers Park High School guard out of Charlotte a scholarship in July after his stout showing on the summer circuit.

Where Tennessee basketball's scholarship situation stands

Tennessee has three fifth-year seniors in guards Josiah-Jordan James, Dalton Knecht and Santiago Vescovi.

James and Vescovi opted to use the added year of eligibility afforded by the NCAA because of the COVID-10 pandemic. Vescovi announced his decision in April and James followed on May 31. Knecht transferred to UT from Northern Colorado for his final season.

The trio accounts for the expected three open spots.

With Boswell in the fold, Tennessee is looking to fill two more scholarships via recruiting or the transfer portal.

Tennessee has four juniors in forward Jonas Aidoo and guards Jordan Gainey, Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler. Forward Tobe Awaka is the lone sophomore. Guards Freddie Dilione and D.J. Jefferson are redshirt freshmen. Guard Cameron Carr and forwards J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips are freshmen.

How Tennessee basketball has recruited under Rick Barnes

Tennessee signed four straight top-25 classes from 2020-23, including three top-10 classes from 2020 to 2022, per the 247Sports Composite. The Vols signed 13 top-100 recruits in that four-year span, including five five-star prospects.

TRANSFERS: Overbooked flights and Rick Barnes FaceTime calls: How Tennessee basketball landed transfer class

James was the first five-star recruit to sign with Barnes' Vols. He did so in 2019, starting a run of five-stars that continued through the 2022 class. UT signed two in 2020 with guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer. It signed two more in 2021 in guard Kennedy Chandler and forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.

Tennessee's 2023 class ranked No. 21 nationally.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball recruiting: Rick Barnes on signee Bishop Boswell