Tennessee’s path toward a first-ever Final Four bid is being built around a transfer class that has plenty of buzz and no shortage of production.
The Volunteers are set to get their first exhibition looks at a roster that looks almost entirely rebuilt from the portal. ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello has already ranked Tennessee’s eight-man transfer class as the best in the country, and that group now becomes the centerpiece of a team with only two players who logged significant minutes last season returning: sophomores DeWayne Brown and Troy Henderson.
The headliner is Juke Harris, the Wake Forest guard who arrives after a huge sophomore season. Harris earned Second Team All-ACC honors and the ACC Most Improved Player award, then landed on the media’s Preseason All-SEC First Team this week. He put up 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the Demon Deacons, while also setting Wake Forest’s single-season record for minutes played.
Jalen Haralson brings another high-end scoring option after a freshman year at Notre Dame that put him among the most productive first-year players in the sport. A former McDonald’s All-American, Haralson was an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection and was one of only eight freshmen in Division I to average at least 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He topped 20 points eight times, including three times in Notre Dame’s final four games, and picked Tennessee over North Carolina and Ohio State.
Tennessee also added Terrence Hill Jr. from VCU, a 6-foot-2 guard who piled up recognition across the Atlantic 10. Hill was named First Team All-A-10, A-10 Most Improved Player, A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Performer and A-10 Sixth Man of the Year after a standout sophomore campaign. He became the only Division I player in the last 15 seasons to total 500-plus points and 100-plus assists while starting fewer than nine games in a season.
Braeden Lue arrives from Kennesaw State with a reputation as a defensive presence. The forward earned a spot on the CUSA All-Defensive Team, finished with the second-most blocked shots in the conference and led the Owls in total rebounding. He started 34 of 35 games and helped Kennesaw State reach its second NCAA Tournament in the school’s Division I era.
Tyler Lundblade gives Tennessee a major shooting threat from Belmont. He led the nation in 3-point shooting for the 2024-2025 season and posted the country’s best free-throw percentage last year, becoming the first Division I male player to win single-season individual statistical titles in both categories.
Dai Dai Ames was the most reliable presence for California, starting every game for the Golden Bears while leading the team in scoring, minutes played and made field goals. He averaged 16.9 points per game, shot 46.4% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range, and earned Third Team All-ACC honors.
In the frontcourt, Miles Rubin brings size and rim protection from Loyola Chicago. The 6-foot-10 center broke the school’s career blocks record in just three seasons, finishing 61 ahead of the previous mark, and also set the program record for field-goal percentage at 64.7%.
Christian Fermin is another VCU import with length and shotblocking ability. He started all 38 games as a sophomore, a run that ranked fourth in school history for starts in a single season and trailed only three players from VCU’s 2011 Final Four team.
In Other News...
Vols Grind Out Road Win As One Arkansas Moment Steals Attention
Tennessees trip to Fayetteville ended with a 24-17 win over Arkansas, a result that steadied the Volunteers after a road battle that never really let either side get comfortable. The victory pushed Tennessee to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, while Arkansas slipped to 2-4 and 0-3 in conference action, leaving the Razorbacks searching for answers after another tough league loss.
The football itself had plenty to discuss, but one camera shot from the afternoon quickly took on a life of its own and became part of the conversation around the game. For Tennessee, the bigger takeaway is that a hard-fought road win can travel well in October, especially in a league where every possession seems to matter and where the Volunteers are still trying to sort out who they are as the season moves deeper into SEC play. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Could Catch A Huge Break Against Alabama
Alabamas offensive line picture has become a little murkier heading into the Tennessee matchup after center Racin Delgatty went down with a lower-body injury in a recent game. His status for Saturday is still uncertain, and that matters for a Volunteers defense looking to keep pressure on a Crimson Tide front that may have to adjust on the fly.
If Delgatty is sidelined, Alabama would likely turn to backup Mal Waldrep in the middle, a spot Tennessee will be watching closely. Xavier Gilliam has been one of the Vols more reliable defensive players this season, and any instability up front could give him and the rest of the defense a better chance to win key snaps in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Alabama Just Got Even Bigger In Knoxville
The buildup around Tennessees showdown with Alabama just picked up another layer, with SEC Nation set to spend Saturday morning in Knoxville before the Vols and Crimson Tide kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The pregame show will air from 9 a.m. to noon on SEC Network, giving the campus a full-day spotlight ahead of one of the seasons biggest SEC matchups.
The setting should feel as big as the stakes, with Neyland Stadium already sold out and fans expected to pour in early for a rare chance to make a long Saturday of it. Tennessee is also sweetening the game-day experience with half-price concessions for the first hour after gates open, which figures to help fuel the kind of atmosphere the Vols hope to ride once the broadcast lights move from campus to the stadium. [Read more 🡒]