Terrence Hill Jr. may not be the loudest name in Tennessee’s transfer haul, but the VCU guard is starting to sound like one of the Vols’ most valuable pieces.
Hill arrived in Knoxville after two seasons at VCU, bringing Rick Barnes a 6-foot-3 scorer who can operate at the top of the key and give Tennessee another threat in the backcourt. Last season, he appeared in 36 games for the Rams and put up 15.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
His biggest stage came late, when he lit up North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. Against the 5-seed Tar Heels, Hill poured in 34 points on 56.5% shooting, hit seven of 10 from deep and logged all 40 minutes in VCU’s overtime upset win.
“I can say, (Hill is) probably the craftiest player I’ve played with in my college career so far, and I’ve played with a lot of great players, but he’s definitely your most offensively gifted one I’ve been with,” Tennessee transfer and fellow former VCU teammate Christian Fermin told RTI in May. “He’s a pace player.
He doesn’t let anybody speed up. He’s going to get to his spot wherever he wants to at most times for the most part.”
ESPN analyst Paul Biancardi saw that performance up close, and he came away convinced. Speaking with Vince Ferrara and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal’s SportsTalk radio show, Biancardi said Hill left a lasting impression.
“One guy who really impressed me a lot - in the NCAA Tournament, of course, but all year long - was the transfer from VCU, Terrence Hill Jr.,” Biancardi said. “I can’t get out of my mind what he did to North Carolina in the tournament!
I mean, guys, I was sitting courtside. And I’m going, ‘Okay, alright, okay, this guy’s a killer.’
And when I say someone’s a killer, that’s the utmost respect I have for a player. That means I don’t want to coach against them, and I want him on my team.”
Hill entered the portal as a four-star prospect, with 247Sports ranking him No. 19 overall and No. 5 among point guards. After the 2025-2026 season, he was named the Atlantic 10’s Most Improved Player and the league’s 6th Man of the Year.
Tennessee’s staff has surrounded him with more perimeter help, including Dai Dai Ames and Tyler Lundblade, while Juke Harris and Jalen Haralson add more size and skill on the wings and in the paint. Barnes has leaned heavily on his point guard in both his Texas and Tennessee stops, and Hill has the tools to carry that load.
That was already on display in practice. RTI’s Ryan Schumpert, who watched UT’s workout last Thursday morning, said Hill and Harris traded blows for best player on the floor during 5-on-5 action.
“Hill showed himself to be a three-level scorer who made a handful of plays that stood out,” Schumpert wrote. “The VCU transfer hit a deep top of the key three-pointer in transition after a defender went under a ball screen.
He also had a crafty up and under finish with his left hand in the half court. Hill also showed some toughness too, taking a hit to the face that caused his nose to bleed.
The combo guard came back in and finished practice with his nose clogged to stop the bleeding. Hill is certainly a natural combo guard at this point and still has a ways to go in running the offense as a true point guard.
But it is June 25 so that isn’t all that surprising.”
There’s plenty for Tennessee fans to watch in this new roster, but Hill is clearly near the top of the list.
In Other News...
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Tennessee Suddenly Has One Defender Carrying Huge Pressure Up Front
Tennessees defensive line depth chart has taken on a different look heading into the fall, with the Vols needing to patch together a rotation after an offseason roster change up front. Tulane transfer Jordan Norman is part of that answer, and there are also younger linemen like Christian Gass, Kedric Golston and Carter Gooden who now figure to be pushed into more meaningful depth roles as Tennessee reshapes the front.
The most important name in that mix may be Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam, who coaches have already singled out for the way he handled spring practices. With the interior of the line suddenly carrying more pressure, Tennessee is counting on Gilliam to become a steady presence in the middle and help stabilize a group that no longer has much margin for error. [Read more 🡒]