If anyone hears "Rocky Top" playing on the McEachern campus, there's a good reason why.

It's because the Indians' top basketball player is heading to Tennessee as point guard Trae Golden gave his verbal commitment to play for the Volunteers on Wednesday night.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Golden, who was ranked by Rivals as the nation's 12th-ranked point guard, averaged 25 points, four rebounds and four assists per game as a junior for the Indians in the 2008-09 season.

He will take his explosive play and enter Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl's run-and-execute style of offense for the 2010-11 season, something McEachern coach Mike Thompson said will be a good fit.

"From a style of play, the question was always, 'Well, is he a 1 or a 2 (guard)?" Thompson said. "Pearl wanted him as a point guard. And their style of play and the fact there was no hesitation (in wanting Golden as a point guard) went a long way to choosing them."

Golden told the Knoxville News-Sentinel that he felt the Vols would be a good fit for him, too.

"This is a great situation for me," he said. "I felt very at home on my visit to Tennessee."

Golden had committed to Ohio State during his sophomore year at McEachern, but changed his mind as a junior. When he reopened his recruiting process, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and South Florida soon became the front-runners for his services.

But it was Pearl, who made the first - and biggest - impression.

"The first day coaches could get out and visit prospects, he was on (our) campus," Thompson said.

According to Thompson, Pearl and his staff were in Powder Springs on Wednesday to hear the good news.

The Volunteers will be losing five seniors once the 2009-10 season is over, including starting point guard Bobby Maze and last season's backup, Josh Tabb.

Golden will officially be able to sign his scholarship in November when the NCAA's early signing period begins.