Tennessee basketball is going to be without one of its incoming transfer forwards, Christian Fermin, for the remainder of summer practice, a source confirmed to RTI. After suffering an injury on Monday, a fractured left hand will keep the VCU transfer out for an expected 4-6 weeks.
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound center spent the first four years of his college career with the Rams before entering the transfer portal. Fermin produced in both his sophomore and junior seasons before taking a leave of absence for all but four games of his senior season.
As a junior, Fermin averaged 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 19.4 minutes of action per game. The Pennsylvania native’s best statistical season came as a sophomore, in which he averaged 5.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. Fermin started all 38 games for VCU that season.
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“I’d say it’s been hard,” Fermin said last week about joining Tennessee. “I feel like there’s a standard here of just like how much work you’re going to put in every day, and I feel like it’s definitely like far beyond like where my college experience so far, like as far as just the amount of work we’re putting in and just the intensity in it. So I’ll say it’s just full of work, just hard work.”
While Fermin is working to add to his offensive game, he joins the program with elite defensive tools already in place. He posted a 7.7% block rate as a junior and a 7.9% block rate as a sophomore. Those marks ranked 50th and 46th nationally, respectively.
Tennessee loaded up in the transfer portal to add to its frontcourt depth this offseason. Along with Fermin, UT added Braedan Lue from Kennesaw State and Miles Rubin from Loyola (Chicago) to join returning DeWayne Brown II. Each of those four options is capable of playing center or sliding in as a four in a big lineup.
