John Fulkerson

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John Fulkerson
Fulkerson with Tennessee in 2022
No. 9 – Leuven Bears
PositionPower forward
LeagueBNXT League
Personal information
Born (1997-04-29) April 29, 1997 (age 27)
Kingsport, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight219 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeTennessee (2016–2022)
NBA draft2022: undrafted
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–PresentLeuven Bears
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-SEC – Coaches (2020)

John Michael Fulkerson (born April 29, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Leuven Bears of the BNXT League.

High school career[edit]

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[edit]

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]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
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: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: —  247Sports: 184  ESPN: —
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Tennessee 2016 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  • "2016 Tennessee Volunteers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

College career[edit]

Fulkerson in January 2019

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[edit]

On July 29, 2022, he has signed with Leuven Bears of the BNXT League.[17]

Career statistics[edit]

Legend
  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[edit]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Birchfield, Jeff (December 19, 2016). "Fulkerson disappointed, not discouraged". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Vols recruit Fulkerson takes charge at Christ School". Asheville Citizen-Times. December 7, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Pearson, Andrew (November 25, 2016). "Fulkerson already a starter for Tennessee". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Lewis, Daniel (November 6, 2015). "Vols Land 3-star Forward John Fulkerson". Rocky Top Insider. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Ramey, Grant (June 15, 2016). "Fulkerson grew up a fan of the Vols". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Rucker, Wes (December 5, 2016). "High-flying 'Fulky' already making mark for Vols". 247Sports. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Wilson, Mike (October 12, 2017). "John Fulkerson 'will add a dimension' in eventual return". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "John Fulkerson". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Mike (April 28, 2019). "Breaking down Tennessee basketball's projected 2019-20 roster". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  10. ^ Wilson, Mike (December 30, 2018). "John Fulkerson shows why Vols 'need him'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  11. ^ Henley, Gene (October 23, 2019). "Basketball Vols need John Fulkerson to play bigger role again". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  12. ^ "Kotsar, South Carolina rally to beat Tennessee 63-61". ESPN. Associated Press. February 15, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  13. ^ "Fulkerson Scores 27, Tennessee Stuns No. 6 Kentucky". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. March 3, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. ^ Lambert, Terry A. (March 10, 2020). "John Fulkerson named to All-SEC second team". Rocky Top Talk. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  15. ^ "Tennessee's Fulkerson returning for sixth season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "Nieuwe speler voor Leuven Bears". leuvenbears.be (in Dutch). July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.

External links[edit]

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