Tennessee’s offseason makeover is getting real attention, and the Vols keep climbing in the conversation because of it.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein moved Tennessee up to No. 11 in his latest college basketball offseason rankings, one spot higher than where he had the Vols before. That bump came after St.
John’s dropped from No. 10 to No. 13.
Rothstein’s projected Tennessee lineup leans heavily on the transfer haul. He has Terrence Hill, Dai Dai Ames, Juke Harris and Jalen Haralson as the four guards, with Miles Rubin at center.
The bench picture is just as crowded. Rothstein’s reserve group includes freshman Marquis Clark, DeWayne Brown II, freshman Manny Green, freshman Chris Washington Jr., Tyler Lundblade, Braedan Lue, Christian Fermin, Troy Henderson and freshman Ralph Scott.
The SEC is well represented in Rothstein’s Top 25, too. Along with Tennessee at No. 11, the list includes No.
1 Florida, No. 10 Texas, No.
15 Arkansas, No. 16 Kentucky, No.
21 Vanderbilt, No. 22 Alabama and No.
24 Missouri.
Tennessee’s roster overhaul was built through the transfer portal, and the Vols landed ESPN’s top-ranked transfer class over the offseason. That group includes eight newcomers, with six of them landing inside the Top 100 of 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings: Juke Harris at No.
8, Terrence Hill Jr. at No. 19, Jalen Haralson at No.
25, Dai Dai Ames at No. 53, Tyler Lundblade at No. 59 and Miles Rubin at No.
The goal is obvious. After three straight Elite Eight runs without getting to a Final Four, Rick Barnes and his staff are betting this group can finally push through. Tennessee went after offense in a big way, too, with five of its eight newcomers having averaged at least 15.0 points per game at their previous schools.
ESPN’s offseason rankings also put Tennessee high on the board, slotting the Vols at No. 6 nationally. Jeff Borzello singled out Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris as the newcomer most likely to make the biggest impact.
“Tennessee landed a terrific transfer class, with Harris as the headliner,” Borzello writes. “He was one of the nation’s best scorers last season, averaging 21.4 points as a sophomore at Wake Forest.
He went for 38 points against Boston College and had 30-plus points three times. Coach Rick Barnes clearly wanted an offensive upgrade from the transfer portal after some of the Vols’ issues at that end of the court, and Harris probably will have every chance to be the go-to guy.”
VFL Mark Griffin also sees the depth as a major weapon for Tennessee.
“The one thing that’s hurt Coach Barnes’ teams in the past is that guy that, at the end of the game, your go-to guy, like a Dalton Knecht. And have another Dalton Knecht right there next to him,” Griffin said on The RTI Low-Down.
“Scouting reports? You can stop one shooter.
You can. You can limit one shooter.
You can’t limit three. And then you can’t limit two that come off the bench when the others are tired and you’re in foul trouble.
You can look down that bench and go, I got options.”
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