John Fulkerson
![]() Fulkerson with Tennessee in 2022 | |
Free Agent | |
---|---|
Position | Power forward |
Personal information | |
Born | (1997-04-29) April 29, 1997 (age 27) Kingsport, Tennessee |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 219 lb (99 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
|
College | Tennessee (2016–2022) |
NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
Playing career | 2022–present |
Career history | |
2022–2024 | Leuven Bears |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
John Michael Fulkerson (born April 29, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Leuven Bears of the BNXT League.
High school career
In his first two years of high school, Fulkerson played basketball for Dobyns-Bennett High School in his hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, before transferring to Christ School in Arden, North Carolina to gain more exposure.[1] As a junior, he averaged 10 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game, tying a school record with 93 blocks.[2] In his senior season, Fulkerson averaged 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.5 blocks per game, breaking Marshall Plumlee's school single-season blocks record with 112. He earned NCISAA 3-A All-State accolades and was named Carolinas Athletic Association Player of the Year.[3]
Recruiting
Fulkerson was considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. On November 6, 2015, he committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over 20 other NCAA Division I programs, including Georgia and Clemson.[4] He was drawn to the Volunteers because he had grown up supporting the team.[5]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Fulkerson PF | Kingsport, TN | Christ School (NC) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Nov 6, 2015 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: — 247Sports: 184 ESPN: — | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/John_Fulkerson.jpg/220px-John_Fulkerson.jpg)
On November 22, 2016, in his first season at Tennessee, Fulkerson recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a 69–65 overtime loss to 13th-ranked Oregon.[6] On December 15 against Lipscomb, he fractured his right wrist and dislocated his right elbow, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Fulkerson underwent surgery for the injury and was granted a medical redshirt. Before playing another game, he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder that required another surgery.[7] In his following season, as a redshirt freshman, Fulkerson averaged 9.3 minutes per game.[8] In his sophomore season, he served as Tennessee's primary frontcourt player off the bench.[9] On December 29, 2018, Fulkerson scored a season-high 15 points in a 96–53 win over Tennessee Tech.[10] As a sophomore, he averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.[9]
In his junior season, Fulkerson was placed in a more important role with the departures of Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander.[11] On February 15, 2020, Fulkerson posted 25 points in a 63–61 loss to South Carolina.[12] On March 3, he scored a career-high 27 points to help unranked Tennessee overcome a 17-point deficit and upset sixth-ranked Kentucky, 81–73.[13] Fulkerson finished the season averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and was named to the Second Team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) by the league's coaches.[14] He led his team in scoring, rebounding and steals, while shooting 61.2 percent from the field, which ranked second in the SEC and fourth in school history.[8]
Fulkerson suffered a concussion and facial fracture during Tennessee's 78–64 win over Florida in the 2021 SEC Tournament, forcing him to miss the remaining two games of the season.[15] As a senior, Fulkerson averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He decided to return for a sixth season in April, taking advantage of the NCAA's granting of an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fulkerson underwent wrist surgery in June 2021.[16]
Due to his East Tennessee upbringing, humble personality, the length of his college career, and his style of play, Fulkerson cemented himself as an all-time fan favorite among Volunteer fans. During his career, signs reading “The Incredible Fulk” would often be seen from the Tennessee student section.
Professional career
On July 29, 2022, he has signed with Leuven Bears of the BNXT League.[17]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016–17 | Tennessee | 10 | 6 | 16.0 | .567 | – | .650 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .9 | 4.7 |
2017–18 | Tennessee | 30 | 1 | 9.3 | .429 | – | .727 | 1.6 | .5 | .5 | .3 | 1.7 |
2018–19 | Tennessee | 36 | 0 | 12.0 | .583 | – | .644 | 2.6 | .7 | .5 | .7 | 3.1 |
2019–20 | Tennessee | 31 | 31 | 30.1 | .612 | .500 | .748 | 5.9 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .9 | 13.7 |
2020–21 | Tennessee | 25 | 24 | 26.4 | .527 | .000 | .747 | 5.5 | 1.7 | .5 | .6 | 9.5 |
Career | 132 | 62 | 18.7 | .567 | .200 | .726 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .7 | .6 | 6.6 |
See also
References
- ^ Birchfield, Jeff (December 19, 2016). "Fulkerson disappointed, not discouraged". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Vols recruit Fulkerson takes charge at Christ School". Asheville Citizen-Times. December 7, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (November 25, 2016). "Fulkerson already a starter for Tennessee". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Lewis, Daniel (November 6, 2015). "Vols Land 3-star Forward John Fulkerson". Rocky Top Insider. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Ramey, Grant (June 15, 2016). "Fulkerson grew up a fan of the Vols". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Rucker, Wes (December 5, 2016). "High-flying 'Fulky' already making mark for Vols". 247Sports. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Wilson, Mike (October 12, 2017). "John Fulkerson 'will add a dimension' in eventual return". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "John Fulkerson". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Wilson, Mike (April 28, 2019). "Breaking down Tennessee basketball's projected 2019-20 roster". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Wilson, Mike (December 30, 2018). "John Fulkerson shows why Vols 'need him'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Henley, Gene (October 23, 2019). "Basketball Vols need John Fulkerson to play bigger role again". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "Kotsar, South Carolina rally to beat Tennessee 63-61". ESPN. Associated Press. February 15, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "Fulkerson Scores 27, Tennessee Stuns No. 6 Kentucky". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. March 3, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Lambert, Terry A. (March 10, 2020). "John Fulkerson named to All-SEC second team". Rocky Top Talk. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "Tennessee's Fulkerson returning for sixth season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Mike (June 25, 2021). "Tennessee basketball's John Fulkerson has wrist surgery, expected to miss up to six weeks". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ "Nieuwe speler voor Leuven Bears". leuvenbears.be (in Dutch). July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
External links
- Tennessee Volunteers bio