Tennessee Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Volunteers

Key Reserves

Guard – Freddie Dilione V (Freshman)

Dilione joined the Volunteers back in January as a redshirt and will have his first action on the court this upcoming season. He looked great during Tennessee’s international exhibition over the summer and should find a way to make plays in the Volunteers’ backcourt, especially after starring at the high school level in North Carolina and during his brief stint with Overtime Elite.

Guard – Jordan Gainey (Junior)

Following two very productive seasons playing combo guard at USC Upstate, Gainey joins Tennessee for his junior season. He averaged 15.2 points per game last year with the Spartans and hit just over 40% of his 3-point attempts across those underclassman years. His ability to play multiple positions makes him a valuable asset off the Volunteers’ bench; we’ll see how his game transitions into the SEC.

Forward – Tobe Awaka (Sophomore)

Another player that Tennessee expects to take a big step forward, Awaka was used exclusively off the bench last season, averaging just 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. With those changes in the frontcourt, he has a chance to carve out a major role, especially if this very talented rebounder has a sophomore leap.

Forward – Cade Phillips (Freshman)

Another piece of the recruiting class, Phillips was a 3-star prospect in Alabama who has the potential to develop into an interesting prospect in the frontcourt. He was a great shooter and shot blocker, starring at one of the nation’s most successful high schools; his rim protection ability in particular could have fans excited in the years to come.

Forward – J. P. Estrella (Freshman)

He’s obviously a freshman and still a prospect, but Estrella stands tall at 6’11 and may have the skill and talent to grab serious minutes in the frontcourt this season. He’s a 4-star recruit, ranked among the Top 40 prospects in the nation, who really burst onto the scene in recent years. He’s already shown his potential during Tennessee’s overseas trip; we’ll just have to see how he’s utilized early on.

Guard – Jahmai Mashack (Junior)

Considered a fantastic defender by Barnes and this staff, Mashack stepped into a more important role last season as the reserve point guard. He averaged just 4.7 points per game, but started Tennessee’s last eleven games following Zeigler’s injury. This year, he’s expected to continue to be a menace defensively and should provide experience and relief off the bench for this backcourt.

Guard – Cameron Carr (Freshman)

A 4-star shooting guard from Kansas, Carr is yet another highly anticipated addition to the Volunteers’ rotation. He’s a talented young athlete who continues to grow, both physically and with his game. He’s athletic, has a solid shooting stroke, and is the son of former NBA guard Chris Carr. We’ll see how his game continues to grow as a sub with the Volunteers this year.

Guard – D. J. Jefferson (Freshman)

Jefferson is a 4-star recruit from Minnesota who joined the Volunteers last year before redshirting for this first season. After a year riding the bench, he’s hoping to carve out a solid role at Tennessee and showed his potential overseas with decent scoring outputs. At the high school level, he was a great prospect who would fill the stat sheets; we’ll see how that translates, especially on the defensive side.