Knoxville basketball star says he’ll be Moc

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball program picked up its first pledge for the 2019-20 season when Knoxville Grace’s Grant Ledford committed Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5 guard/forward — who went over the 1,000point mark as a sophomore — chose the Mocs over offers from Army, Presbyterian, Tennessee Tech and UT-Martin.

Ledford averaged 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a junior last season, earning district MVP and allstate honors. Ledford also led the Rams to the Division II-A state championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the state tournament in Nashville after compiling averages of 15 points and 7.5 rebounds in the semifinals and final.

He was clutch in the 46-44 championship win over Knoxville Webb, making six of eight free throws in the final 1:18 of the game. He also had a steal with seven seconds to go in what was a three-point game, and he hit a pair of free throws to seal the win.

The Mocs are expected to have one more scholarship to fill for the 2019 signing class. They only have one senior on their current roster, 7-foot University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate transfer Thomas Smallwood, and will add South Alabama transfer A.J. Caldwell to the active roster next season.

Caldwell, a 6-foot-4 guard, is sitting the upcoming season out per NCAA transfer rules. Injuries forced him to sit out last season, giving him the likelihood of four years of eligibility with the Mocs.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.