MARTIN, Tenn. - Jeverik Nelson, a 6-8 210-pound forward out of Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss., has signed a National Letter of Intent to join The University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball program, head coach Jason James has announced.

ESPN.com has Nelson ranked as the 76th best power forward prospect in the nation (fourth best in the state of Mississippi), mentioning "athletically, he could play anywhere in America." Known as one of the Mississippi's most electrifying leapers, national college basketball recruiting guru Clark Francis has Nelson rated at No. 262 on his Hoop Scoop's ranking of the top high school seniors.

As a senior at CHS, Nelson led the Chargers to a 23-11 record and final ranking of No. 5 in the state of Mississippi. Playing for head coach Wayne Brent, he was chosen to represent Mississippi in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game, scoring 10 points (on five dunks) and grabbing six rebounds in 18 minutes in a 112-88 victory. In that game, he played against fellow UT Martin Class of 2010 signee Terence Smith.

This season, Nelson averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game while leading CHS to a 34-32 victory over Provine in the Class 5A state championship game. In the semifinals of the Grand Slam tournament against Forest, he put up a line of 22 points and seven rebounds to lead CHS advance to its third Grand Slam championship appearance in his four years there (winning back-to-back Gold Ball state championship trophies).

Coach James on Nelson: "Jeverik is an exceptional basketball player. He can shoot the ball from the perimeter, and he can also drive it to score. He scores in the post and in transition and his athleticism allows him to be a great rebounder on both ends of the floor. He has all of the tools needed to be successful. Our offensive system requires guys who can play a number of different positions on the floor and Jeverik fits into this mold - he is very versatile. I think the thing that is most apparent with Jeverik is his effort - he plays hard every second he is on the floor. It is obvious that he wants to be a great player because he works hard at it. When you have someone with his physical gifts who has the desire to be good like he does, you have a special player. He has a chance to be a great player in this league."

Nelson on UT Martin: "I'm very excited about becoming a part of the Skyhawk family. I chose UT Martin because I really felt at home with the players and coaching staff. Their style of play fits my skill set and the way I like to play. UT Martin has great equipment and facilities and they measure up to my career choice academically."

Nelson joins a stellar 2010 signing class, as he is the seventh player to commit to the Skyhawk men's basketball program. Also signing earlier this month were Troy King (Gaithersburg, Md.), Chris Richardson (Birmingham, Ala.), Mike Liabo (Naples, Fla.), Omari Minor (Troy, Va.), Mopo Pierre (Pearl, Miss.) and Smith (Russellville, Ala.).

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