Tennessee basketball added to its roster for the 2025-26 season Wednesday afternoon, landing French shooting guard Clarence Massamba.
The shooting guard is a high school prospect who spent two seasons at The Rock School in Florida before returning home to play for the AC Monaco U21 team this past season. Massamba averaged 13 points and five rebounds in his final season at The Rock School before averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds for AC Monaco.
What are the Vols getting in Massamba and how does he fit? Taking a look here.
More From RTI: French Shooting Guard Clarence Massamba Commits To Tennessee Basketball
What Are Massamba’s Strengths?
Massamba is a high-level athlete with a long wingspan. Those two things make him an effective scorer in transition and also gives him a really high ceiling as a defender though he needs to add more strength to maximizing that potential.
The 6-foot-5 guard has a good shot but Tennessee hopes they can speed it up slightly so he can get it off faster against the better, longer athletes he will face in the SEC.
Massamba was really effective playing in ball screens in his two years at The Rock School. The Vols likely won’t
How Will Tennessee Use Massamba?
This one is a curiosity in Massamba’s freshman season. Tennessee likely won’t ask him to do much creating or handling of the basketball on the offensive end.
But there are real opportunities for Massamba to contribute on the offensive end with the Vols’ top two shooting guards being Louisiana Tech transfer Amaree Abram along with Bishop Boswell.
So what does Massamba making an impact for Tennessee look like next season? It will start on the defensive end and then potentially getting out and scoring in transition. In the half court offense, Massamba can make an impact by knocking down open shots and by making an impact on the offensive glass.
Questions About Massamba’s Game
There’s always a level of unknown when it comes to any high school recruit, let alone a one from France who played professional basketball (U21) in his final prep season.
Playing on AC Monaco is likely better competition then he in the United States but questions about his ability to adjust to the level of athleticism and physicality in the SEC remain fair. That’s all the more true because his athleticism is a strength of his game and it’s important that he can excel there for his chances of making an impact as a freshman.
How effectively he can shoot from the perimeter is also a legit question. Massamba shot 42% from three-point range in his junior season in the United State and 34% last year with AC Monaco. We know he’s a good shooter. The question is just how good.
What Does Massamba’s Commitment Mean For Tennessee Basketball?
Massamba becomes Tennessee basketball’s second shooting guard commitment in the last two days along with Louisiana Tech transfer Amaree Abram. The addition of Abram takes pressure off of Massamba as Tennessee doesn’t need him to come in and instantly make an impact.
Rick Barnes and his staff now have just one scholarship open as they look to complete their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season. How they use that is uncertain. Tennessee could look to add one more shooting guard because that’s the biggest question mark on the roster.
The Vols could also carry the scholarship into the summer and look to add a late flyer like they’ve done in the past, most notably with Zakai Zeigler.
