Tennessee Volunteers

2023-24 Result: 27-9 (14-4 SEC), Elite 8 Appearance

Key Additions

Chaz Lanier (North Florida)

Igor Milicic Jr. (Charlotte)

Felix Okpara (Ohio State)

Darlinstone Dubar (Hofstra)

Bishop Boswell

Tennessee is going to look far different in the 2024 season. Jonas Aidoo left for Arkansas, while Vescovi, Knecht, and Josiah Jordan-James graduated. Coach Barnes did a good job in the portal, bringing in some guys from smaller schools in Chaz Lanier, Igor Milicic, and Darlinstone Dubar. He also got Felix Okpara from Ohio State to help reload the frontcourt after Ohio State did a complete makeover of their frontcourt. Bishop Boswell is another key addition as a 4-star, but it is unclear whether he will be able to make an impact early on. It looks like Barnes is not planning for him to have a huge role this season with the additions made through the portal, but you never know. It looks like another season of being at the top of the standings for the Volunteers.

Defensively, Rick Barnes’ teams are typically very sound, especially by the end of the season. Last year, they were in the top 6th in the country in rebounding, steals and blocks. While the roster is much different this year, Barnes led teams always compete on that end. Their defense will start with Zakai Zeigler in the backcourt, as he is always picking guards up and being a pest for 40 minutes. Expect him to be back to full strength this year, as he was coming off of a torn ACL last season. Jahmai Mashack will also be relied on on this end of the floor, as he is a physical guy, built like a linebacker. The addition of Okpara will help solidify the back end of their defense. Okpara averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season at Ohio State in just 23 minutes per game. Sophomore JP Estrella will also need to step up with the departure of JJJ and Aidoo. Estrella showed flashes of promise as a freshman, particularly in the NCAA Tournament against Purdue and at the Maui Invitational. If he was able to add some muscle this offseason, his ability to stretch the floor as a shooter, but also be a rim protector, could allow him to steal some minutes from Okpara. 

It’s clear that Rick Barnes wanted to add shooting to the roster for 2024. He went out and got 3 guys who all shot over 37% from three in 2023 in Milicic, Dubar, and Lanier. Lanier shot an astounding 44% on 7.5 3PA per game. Bringing them in will help to replace the shooting lost from Knecht and Vescovi. Zeigler is also a capable shooter and will be the leader and motor for this offense as their lead guard and creator. This offense will be much better than expected due to efficiency and the ability of Zeigler to get his teammates open shots. Okpara and Estrella will benefit from playing with these guys too because they are lob threats that will be more open due to over helping out to shooters. Tennessee’s offense is going to create problems for teams as long as they are able to maintain similar efficiency. The three aforementioned shooters all played at smaller schools, so they should expect the SEC defense to force them into tougher shots. They will likely see some regression, but at the end of the day, if you can shoot you can shoot. They should all benefit from each other being on the floor at the same time so if they play good offense and move the ball, someone will get an open shot. This offense should be fun to watch.

Tennessee will be right at the top of the country yet again in 2024-25. With Barnes at the helm and the strong class of transfers to go along with returning players in Zeigler, Mashack and Jordan Gainey. Tennessee’s ceiling is a national title and an SEC championship. Their floor is a top 25 team all season, as it would be shocking if the talent on this roster kept them from being there. The only things that could hinder them are injuries to the frontcourt forcing them to heavily rely on inexperience and the transfers not transitioning well to the SEC. This is rather unlikely given Barnes’ track record of getting the best out of low major transfers. Expect a great season in Knoxville yet again.