Lady Vols basketball secured a key in-state recruit with the commitment of Lauren Hurst on Monday.
The four-star prospect out of Cleveland High School is ranked No. 42 in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-2 wing joins the best high school recruiting class for the Lady Vols since 2017, picking Tennessee over Clemson and NC State in her final three.
Hurst, the top-ranked basketball player in the class in the state of Tennessee who also is a star volleyball player, was re-offered by first-year Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell in May and took an official visit in August. She chose Tennessee over Clemson and NC State in her final three, which all offered her the opportunity to play both basketball and volleyball.
She was also recruited by Virginia Tech, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Miami and a handful of other SEC schools.
Hurst is the fifth commit in the 2025 class for Caldwell and her staff. She joins twin point guards Mia and Mya Pauldo, who committed to Tennessee in July, five-star wing Deniya Prawl and four-star guard Jaida Civil.
Mia Pauldo is a five-star ranked No. 11 in the class and Mya Pauldo is a four-star ranked No. 56. Both twins are listed at 5-5 and play at Morris Catholic High School in New Jersey. Prawl, a Toronto native, is ranked No. 14 in the class. The 6-1 prospect plays for IMG Academy and the Canadian youth national teams. Civil is a 6-foot guard at Palm Bay Magnet High in Melbourne, Florida, and ranked No. 32.
Hurst averaged 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks last season at Cleveland. She shot 36% from 3-point range on 119 attempts as a junior and shot 44% overall from the field. She was one of 44 players selected to participate in the USA Women’s U17 national team trials in May, though she wasn’t selected for the final roster.
Hurst is a two-sport star at Cleveland, winning Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee in volleyball the past two seasons. She led Cleveland to two straight Class AAA state championships and finished her prep volleyball career with 2,607 kills and 1,227 digs.
Her older brother, Grant Hurst, is a walk-on for the Vols basketball team.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
