Tennessee basketball has signed seven players out of the transfer portal this offseason as Rick Barnes and his staff look to rebuild their roster after a third straight trip to the Elite Eight. The Vols were one of the most active and successful teams in the transfer portal this offseason and look poised for another deep March run.
The Vols will still look to add at least one more big man to their roster whether that’s via the transfer portal, JUCO or high school ranks. But their class is mostly set. Let’s hand out the superlatives for Tennessee’s transfer class.
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Most Valuable Transfer
There’s a reason Harris was one of the most sought out players in the transfer portal this offseason. The 6-foot-7 guard projected as a borderline first round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft after averaging 21.4 points in breakout sophomore season at Wake Forest.
Instead, Harris opted for another college season and chose Tennessee over Michigan, North Carolina and Louisville.
Biggest X-Factor
Rubin comes to Tennessee after blocking 237 shots in three seasons at Loyola (Chicago) and ranking in the top 20 nationally in block rate each season.
The Vols are banking on Rubin’s rim protection translating from the A10 to the SEC. If it does, Tennessee will have two solid big men they can lean on to go along with what projects to be a stout backcourt. If Rubin doesn’t fare well making the step up then Tennessee is putting an abundance of pressure on DeWayne Brown.
Most Underrated
Perhaps Lundblade is going under the radar because he committed to Tennessee as a grad transfer before the portal officially opened. The number of highly sought after guards the Vols have added since surely plays a part too.
But Lundblade is one of the best shooters in the country and has been effective playing without the ball in his hand. Despite winning MVC Player of the Year honors last season at Belmont, Lundblade had just a 17.6% usage rate which ranked eighth on the Bruins.
What does that tell me? Lundblade should remain an effective offensive player even surrounded by talented guards who will command shots and touches.
Most Curious Fit
I am fascinated to see how Jalen Haralson fits at Tennessee. An undoubtedly talented player, Haralson averaged 16.2 points as a freshman for the Fighting Irish last season. But Haralson also posted a 33.6% usage rate that ranked ninth nationally. He also made just five three-pointers. How effective will he be offensively when his usage rate likely plummets next season?
I love Haralson’s defensive potential. He’s 6-foot-7 with long arms and elite athleticism. The Indiana native is extremely versatile defensively and will be able to hold up at the four-spot defensively. My only concern about Haralson as a stretch-four is his lackluster defensive rebounding numbers last season.
Haralson has the talent and versatility to be a star in the SEC, but I’m really curious to see how he meshes on Tennessee’s roster.
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Biggest Portal Loss
I wanted to pick Cade Phillips here because he’s a better rim protector and Tennessee does not need Estrella’s offense as badly because of its talented backcourt.
But I just couldn’t pull the trigger on that hot take. Estrella has all-conference level potential, is an elite offensive rebounder and showed enough defensive improvement over the course of last season. Estrella will be a fascinating case point next season at Michigan, especially if he can stay healthy.
Having Estrella or Phillips on the roster would answer a lot of Tennessee’s front court questions, but Estrella’s ceiling makes him the choice here.
Biggest Portal Strength
Shooting
Rick Barnes said after the Vols’ Elite Eight loss against Michigan that Tennessee needed to add more shooting to their roster.
The Vols’ seven incoming players combined to make 367 three-pointers last season. Just two Tennessee players made over 50 three-pointers last season. Four of the Vols’ incoming transfers made 50-plus three-pointers including three who shot 37% or better from deep.
Biggest Portal Concern
Size
We’ll see what else Tennessee is able to add to its front court, but to it is a concern. Rubin is a solid pick up but not a sure-fire SEC starter. Kennesaw State power forward Braedan Lue is a solid defensive add but I’m not sure he has enough size to play center in the SEC.
If Rubin pans out and Brown breaks out as a sophomore, Tennessee will have enough front line production to make the Final Four. But there’s not much depth at the spot. If someone does not pan out or suffers an injury, this could prove to be a major weakness.
