Tennessee basketball power forward DeWayne Brown is returning to Knoxville for his sophomore season, he announced on Instagram Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting , and I just want to say how grateful I am for everything this place has given me,” Brown said. “From the moment I got here, I’ve been surrounded by people who believe in me, push me and challenge me to grow not just as a player but as a person.
“This program, my teammates, the coaches, and the fans have all played a huge role in my journey. The support, the energy, ad the pride that comes with representing this school is something I don’t take lightly. It truly means more than people may realize.
“There’s still so much more I want to accomplish here. I’m motivated, I’m focused and I’m ready to keep building on what we’ve started. I’m excited for what’s ahead and to continue everything I’ve got to this team and community. Thank you for sticking with me. Let’s keep going. I’m back!”
Brown is coming off a freshman season in where he played in 35 games, started 10 games and averaged 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He shot an efficient 58.6% from the field and was a solid 66% from the foul line. Brown averaged 8.5 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament with his best game coming in the Elite Eight loss against Michigan when he totaled six points, two rebounds, one assist and one block in 12 minutes of action.
The 6-foot-8, 241-pound power forward scored in double figures five times in his freshman season including in SEC bouts against Texas, Florida, Auburn and Oklahoma.
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Tennessee retaining Brown is crucial for the Vols due to the prior events of the offseason. Felix Okpara is out of eligibility while J.P. Estrella, Cade Phillips and Jaylen Carey have all announced intentions to enter the transfer portal. That leaves Brown as the one lone returning front court player off last season’s Elite Eight team.
Brown was a low four-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class, choosing Tennessee over Mississippi State and other SEC foes. The Hoover native earned Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball honors in the state of Alabama in his senior season.
It’s been a turbulent start to the offseason for Tennessee with six players — Phillips, Estrella, Carey, Clarence Massamba, Bishop Boswell and Troy Henderson — all entering the portal. Star freshman wing Nate Ament will also likely enter the NBA Draft.
With Brown announcing his return, freshman wing Amari Evans and sophomore combo guard Ethan Burg are the only two players who have not announced their plans for next season. Burg told RTI following the Vols’ season-ending loss against Michigan that he wanted to return next season.
Tennessee currently has four incoming players including three prep signees and Belmont grad transfer sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade. Tennessee currently has seven scholarships to work with as its builds its roster for next season. They have 10 outgoing players and four incoming players. However, the Vols had just 14 scholarship players last season and were one under the scholarship limit.
One Response
Coach Caldwell, I am behind you 100% & hope you will find some players that want to play basketball & not be offended if they have to sit on the bench when they make a mistake. Starting out w/a new coach & new players will be an asset for you & others. I am eager to see players that want to play & not belly ache because they could not play the way they want to play. Good luck in 2026-2027.