Tennessee Basketball hit the court on Tuesday afternoon in Knoxville as the new-look Volunteers continue their summer practice schedule. The players are clad in new uniforms after the Adidas deal went through last week, and there are certainly new players all over the court. Tennessee had four incoming high school players and eight new transfer portal additions during the offseason.
But while there are new players handling the ball on the court for the Vols, it’s the same practice intensity that we’re used to in the Rick Barnes program.
Check out some of the practice highlights from Tuesday afternoon below:
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The Vols revamped their team through the transfer portal, adding ESPN’s top-ranked transfer class during the offseason. This eight-man class included six players in the Top 100 of 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings, including Juke Harris (No. 8), Terrence Hill Jr. (No. 19), Jalen Haralson (No. 25), Dai Dai Ames (No. 53), Tyler Lundblade (No. 59), and Miles Rubin (No. 95).
After three straight trips to the Elite Eight without a Final Four appearance, Rick Barnes and his staff are hoping that this newly assembled roster can be the one to break through the glass ceiling. The Vols clearly targeted offensive production in the portal this season, with five of its eight newcomers having averaged 15.0 points or more per game for their previous schools.
ESPN released an offseason basketball rankings last week, with Jeff Borzello tagging Tennessee as the No. 6 team in the country. Borzello picked out Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris as the Vols’ most impactful newcomer to the roster.
“Tennessee landed a terrific transfer class, with Harris as the headliner,” Borzello writes. “He was one of the nation’s best scorers last season, averaging 21.4 points as a sophomore at Wake Forest. He went for 38 points against Boston College and had 30-plus points three times. Coach Rick Barnes clearly wanted an offensive upgrade from the transfer portal after some of the Vols’ issues at that end of the court, and Harris probably will have every chance to be the go-to guy.”
