There have been more than a few broken hearts in Knoxville lately with how close these Volunteers have come to program-changing success. Tennessee has never advanced to the Final Four in program history but nearly sniffed that breakthrough once again last season. This program has seen their season end in the Elite Eight for three straight years but hopes remain high that this breakthrough is coming.
Rick Barnes has done a fantastic job turning Tennessee into a perennial contender in the SEC, with his Volunteers finishing Top 4 in the conference for a sixth straight year. Their 25-12 record last year was actually their worst since the pandemic began, but upset wins over Virginia and Iowa State proved their talent. Another late postseason push overshadowed some earlier issues even as the Volunteers ran into a buzz saw in Michigan just shy of that Final Four.
Things are different in Knoxville
If you’re expecting Tennessee to continue where they left off, the truth is that things will look very different this season. Their three top players in Nate Ament, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Felix Okpara all got selected in the NBA Draft, while a few other pieces have left town. Fortunately, Barnes and his evolving coaching staff have made a knack out of finding talented new pieces and getting the best out of some underrated transfer additions.
In what’s suddenly year 12 for Barnes, Tennessee is once again hoping for a breakthrough, but at what point is that going to come? We’ll dive right into the players that are hoping to make that happen, though it’s a lot of new faces and it may take time for this new roster to gel and figure things out.
Projected Starters
Guard – Terrence Hill Jr. (Junior)
Last season was a fantastic breakthrough for Hill at VCU, becoming the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year and a real leader in another great season for the Rams. Hill put up 15.0 points and 2.8 assists per game, was A-10 Tournament MVP, and is hoping to be an equally productive leader in Tennessee’s starting lineup. He also shot 37% from beyond the arc and has potentially to affect the game on multiple levels.
Guard – Dai Dai Ames (Senior)
This will be four schools in four years for Ames, but the former Top 75 prospect from Chicago is hoping for major success after a solid showing at Cal last season. The former Kansas State and Virginia guard really shined in his junior year, averaging 16.9 points and 2.2 assists while knocking down 38% of his 3-pointers with the Golden Bears. We’ll have to see how he transitions into yet another new system, but he can certainly put up similar numbers in his first year in the SEC.
Guard – Juke Harris (Junior)
A brilliant sophomore season really put Harris on the map and he’s another new transfer in this lineup after that great work in the ACC at Wake Forest. After decent strides off the bench as a freshman, he exploded with 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds a game with the Demon Deacons, becoming not just the Most Improved Player in that league but one of the nation’s top scorers. On a more talented Volunteers squad, he might not have those same numbers but he’s probably the most important offseason addition.
Guard – Jalen Haralson (Sophomore)
Another impressive addition for this staff, Haralson comes to Tennessee fresh off a pretty solid freshman showing at Notre Dame. A former Top 20 prospect and Indiana native, Haralson put up 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 27 games last season. Notre Dame as a team didn’t have a great showing but Haralson was a bright spot and now has a chance to take another step forward in this Volunteers’ lineup.
Forward – DeWayne Brown (Sophomore)
A rare returning player in this new-look lineup, Brown is back after showing strides in his freshman season with the Volunteers and likely becomes the clear starter at the 5. He had a handful of starts last season while averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds a game. He’s surrounded by a whole new lineup, but we’ll see if Brown’s game can take that expected step forward into his sophomore year.
Key Reserves
Forward – Braedan Lue (Junior)
Fresh off two straight seasons averaging double-figures at Kennesaw State, Lue joins the Volunteers and should get decent minutes off the bench. His sophomore season saw him average 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Owls while earning a spot on the CUSA All-Defense team. It’s that kind of grit and defensive intensity that’ll earn him plenty of opportunities in Barnes’ system.
Guard – Tyler Lundblade (Senior)
The reigning MVC Player of the Year, Lundblade was fantastic at Belmont over the last two seasons and was one of the best pure shooters in the transfer portal. He has every opportunity to earn one of those spots in the starting lineup, especially after putting up 15.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last year with the Bruins. Lundblade made 48% of his 3-pointers just two years ago and gives the Volunteers a much-needed sharpshooter.
Forward – Jalen Washington (Senior)
Another transfer addition with potential, Washington was a Top 50 prospect that spent three years playing a minor role at North Carolina before spending last year with rival Vanderbilt. His work has been decent in recent years, averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds largely off the bench with the Commodores. That SEC experience is valuable and he becomes a very important depth piece for these Volunteers if he's ruled eligibility for this fifth season.
Forward – Christian Fermin (Senior)
After four years at VCU, Fermin gets a fresh start with the Volunteers though it’s been a bumpy ride. He stepped away from the Rams after just four games last season, though he did average 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds as a full-time starter back in 2024. Whether or not he can realize his potential remains to be seen, though he’s spent the summer dealing with a hand injury and isn’t exactly the first frontcourt option off the bench.
Forward – Ralph Scott (Freshman)
A prominent freshman addition, Scott is a Top 75 recruit who committed to the Volunteers last summer. He’s a wing who’s a versatile defender and possesses great potential on both sides of the ball. We know Tennessee stresses defense and while he may not get a ton of chances, they’ll love the intensity and potential here.
Center – Miles Rubin (Senior)
Another intriguing A-10 addition for this frontcourt, Rubin arrives after three years as Loyola-Chicago’s starting center. Rubin was one of that league’s best interior scorers, earned a pair of All-Defense nods, and averaged 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds last season. Rubin has gotten a little better with each season and has a very real chance to play meaningful minutes for the Volunteers, especially in rotating with Brown at the 5.
Forward – Chris Washington Jr. (Freshman)
Considered by some a Top 50 prospect in the recruiting class, Washington arrives in Knoxville as the top ranked player from the state of Tennessee and is eager to make his mark on the college game. He’s a relatively raw prospect who’s still building strength and realizing his true potential, but he’s still explosive around the rim and could really hit his stride as the season progresses.
Schedule Outlook
After some highly anticipated exhibition matchups, Tennessee’s regular season begins at home against Wofford on November 3rd. An early five-game homestand kicks off the season, most notably hosting Michigan State on November 17th.
Less than a week later the Volunteers head to the Players Era Festival for what should be a very illuminating weekend for this new-look squad. Tennessee plays Maryland, then either Iowa State or San Diego State, and then a third game during that busy week in Las Vegas.
December does provide a few more notable matchups, starting by hosting Florida State as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge on the first of the month. Five days later they host NC State before a true road test at Purdue on December 11th. Three more home games follow around the Christmas holidays before league play begins in January.
Life in the SEC isn’t easy, though Tennessee avoids a few tough tests, avoiding road trips to Alabama and Florida among others. They get two looks at Kentucky and will finish the regular season on the road against rival Vanderbilt two months after their conference schedule begins against those same Commodores.
Season Outlook
Is a fourth straight trip to the Elite Eight really in the cards for a team with so many new pieces? We obviously won’t be able to answer that question until late March, but we can look at some of the facts in place. Tennessee landed an immense haul in the transfer portal to fill a great number of holes and this lineup will in fact be full of talent even if it’s very different than last year.
The backcourt is filled with players hoping to follow in the footsteps of recent transfer superstars like Dalton Knecht and Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Last season saw Hill become a star with VCU, Ames take a major step forward with Cal, and Lundblade put together his most complete season as the MVC’s top player. Which one of those three is going to lead the charge for the Volunteers this season?
There are a few more questions in the frontcourt, but it’s hard to be disappointed with the rotation. Landing Harris was a major win for this coaching staff and there’s certainly the potential that he’s an even better scorer than those three guards. The rotation at the center spot will be interesting to watch, as we’ll see if it’s Brown or Rubin who establish themselves as the season progresses.
A Tennessee team that has lived and died by defense in recent memory has every chance to be a great offensive program once again. The emergence of these offensive stars in recent years has allowed the Volunteers to nearly get over the hump. This time around, Barnes and company are hoping they have the right mix for a historic season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google