Tennessee basketball landed its third commit in the transfer portal on Tuesday when Louisiana Tech shooting guard Amaree Abram committed to the Vols.
Abram has bounced around in his college career, playing one season at Ole Miss, one season at Georgia Tech and last season at Louisiana Tech where he averaged 12.3 points on 37% shooting from three-point range and 4.4 rebounds per game.
What is Tennessee getting in Abram? Taking a look here.
More From RTI: Louisiana Tech Transfer Guard Amaree Abram Talks Fitting In ‘Perfectly’ With Tennessee Basketball
What Are Abram’s Strengths?
Abram is a bit of a jack of all trades. He does a lot of things well but doesn’t seem elite at anything. The shooting guard’s biggest strength is perhaps his defense. At 6-foot-4, Abram has good size and strong athleticism. Louisiana Tech tasked him with guarding opponents’ best guards last season and Abram largely excelled in that role.
On the offensive end, Abram gives Tennessee a player that can score in multiple ways. Most importantly, Abram is a good perimeter shooter. Abram hit 66 three-pointers at a 37% clip last season. Those are sharpshooter numbers but they are the numbers of a good shooter which is something Tennessee badly needs.
The left-handed guard also does a really nice job of working in the midrange and has a nice floater.
How Will Tennessee Use Abram?
This is an interesting one because what past schools have asked Abram to do is not very similar to what Tennessee typically asks its shooting guards to do.
Abram has rarely played off of off ball screens and pin downs. Tennessee will ask him to do that and it is a question about how effective he will be. But with Abram’s strong midrange jumper it’s hard not to be optimistic about his ability to score curling off screens.
Abram also has an ability to handle the basketball and play some point guard. How much Tennessee uses him that way will likely depend on how much they trust freshman point guard Troy Henderson.
Questions About Abram’s Game?
We’ve hit on a couple above when it comes to his fit in Tennessee’s offense. But what about his ability as a defender at the SEC level. Conference USA has some really good guards but it’s not the SEC. Abram will no doubt be a solid defender in the SEC, but how high is his ceiling?
Can Abram score at the rim in the SEC? He hasn’t done a ton of that in his career and has scored more playing off of two feet from five to 10 feet from the basket. I have questions about his ability to score at the rim and get to the foul line.
Then what about his shooting? Tennessee would sign up right now for 66 made triples at a 37% clip. But does he face some struggles shooting with a little bit smaller role in the offense? Or does it go the other way? Can Abram become a guy that can hit either more perimeter shots or just hit them at higher clip?
What Does Abram’s Commitment Mean For Tennessee Basketball?
It’s a huge get for Tennessee after the Vols missed out on three shooting guards earlier in the transfer season. Abram is not a guarantee to start for Tennessee but it seems likely at this point in time.
The Vols now have two scholarships to work with to get to the 13 scholarship limit. Tennessee will look to add at least one more shooting guard and they may add two more perimeter players with those two spots.
