By Logan Starkey
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the first time since 2021, Tennessee will start a point guard not named Zakai Zeigler.
Zeigler, 5’9 and 171 pounds, became the heart and soul of Rick Barnes’ identity. Tough, hard-nosed defense and a team-first mentality. Zeigler led the SEC in assists each of the last three seasons, made the SEC all-defensive team in each of his four seasons in Knoxville, and was named SEC defensive player of the year in his final two campaigns.
Zeigler wasn’t Tennessee’s only loss this offseason. Transfer portal star Chaz Lanier used his last year of eligibility, so the Volunteers lose their leading scorer (18.0 PPG) and most efficient three-point shooter (39.5%).The team also lost fellow SEC all-defensive team member Jahmai Mashack and sparkplug scorer Jordan Gainey (11.6 PPG, 3rd on team). The team’s leading rebounder, Igor Millicic Jr. (6.7 RPG), also used his last year of eligibility.
Yet, when the preseason AP poll released on Oct. 13, Tennessee was ranked 18th. But why?
Losing so many players meant Tennessee had to be aggressive this offseason to replace them. There is a herd of new faces joining the program, and still some important returning players.
Here’s everything, and everyone, you need to know.
The Portal Additions
The headline transfer portal addition for Tennessee was Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
Gillespie, from just an hour away in Greenville, TN, is coming off a strong season at Maryland. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as the Terrapins made it to the sweet 16, where they fell to the eventual champion Florida Gators.
“We’re excited Ja’kobi has come in,” Barnes said in his SEC media day press conference. “His durability, he never wants to take himself out. He wants to go every rep in practice. We’re lucky to have him.”
Perhaps most importantly for Tennessee, Gillespie is an efficient 3-point shooter. He shot 40.7% on 5.9 attempts behind the arc per game last season. Since the start of the 2022 season, Tennessee has struggled to find consistency from behind the three-point line. The team has shot 33.7% from three in the last three seasons combined. On top of being the engine of the offense and solid defensively, they’ll look towards Gillespie as a premier threat as a shooter from downtown this season.
Gillespie was not the only veteran addition to Barnes’ team. Louisiana Tech’s Amaree Abram and Vanderbilt big man Jaylen Carey also made their way to Rocky Top via the portal.
Abram is a pure shooter. Over half of his shooting attempts last season came beyond the arc. He shot 37.3% from deep last season, a career-high so far. He also averaged a career high in rebounds at 4.4, mostly due to some high-intensity loose-ball chasing in his 6’3 frame.
Carey should be a familiar name to Vols fans; he posted a career-high 18 points in an 81-76 loss to the Volunteers last season and a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 76-75 upset of Barnes’ team in Nashville. Carey is a depth piece in a loaded Tennessee front court, and should provide needed rebounding and interior scoring in his minutes.
The Freshmen
Perhaps even more so than Gillespie, Big Orange Country is excited for the arrival of Ament. Ament is the No. 4 overall high school recruit from this offseason. Ament, 6’10, is a forward who averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a high school senior. Ament is the third top-five recruit in Tennessee history, and the first of the Rick Barnes era.
Barnes was strong in his stance on the star freshman’s role during SEC media day.
“We’ve kept him exclusively on the outside,” Barnes said. “He’s learning to do things at a level that he’s never had to.”
Ament isn’t the only freshman set to debut in Knoxville this season. Four other freshmen from the 2025 class committed to Barnes’ squad this season. Tennessee also added guards Troy Henderson, Amari Evans, and Clarence Massamba, as well as big man DeWayne Brown II. Evans, Massamba, and Brown II are all four-star recruits.
All four of those players averaged at least 1.4 steals a game playing basketball last season. Evans was tied for the most in the Overtime Elite basketball with 2.5. Henderson averaged the second most at 1.5, but had multiple seasons averaging over two in high school. Brown II, as a center, averaged 1.4 with a unique ability to guard on-ball and jump passing lanes for a big man. Massamba also averaged 1.4 steals for international club Espoirs Monaco. Barnes certainly had a goal with this group, one that fits into the classic Barnes identity: defensive hustle.
Barnes was complimentary of Brown II at SEC media day, noting that he figures to be a big part of a frontcourt the team believes is strong.
“Probably the biggest surprise is DeWayne Brown,” Barnes said. “He had to go up, pretty much everyday, with Felix [Okapara]. It helped him grow. There’s no doubt he’ll be a big part of that [frontcourt] rotation.”
Brown II averaged 2.9 blocks and 10.5 rebounds a game while shooting 68.9% from the field. Evans averaged 7.3 rebounds in OTE, a high mark given his 6’5 height. Both Brown II and Evans play much taller than their height suggests, and neither is afraid to get their hands dirty to get the ball.
Massamba and Henderson add even more shooting. Henderson shot 40% from three last season. Massamba shot 34.1% from beyond that same line. These two provide clear shooting versatility as the Vols search to fix recent years’ shooting woes.
The Familiar Faces
Even with all the roster turnover, there are quite a few names returning to the Tennessee roster from last season.
Tennessee’s front court is filled with veteran players. In addition to noted portal addition Carey, the team retained Felix Okpara, Cade Phillips, and JP Estrella. The lone returning backcourt player who received significant playing time is Bishop Boswell.
Okapra is the only consistent starter returning to the team. A lob threat, Okapra averaged 7.1 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. His biggest impact is defensively, where he blocked 1.7 shots per game last year.
Phillips plays very similarly to Okpara. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in just under 15 minutes a game last season. He also averaged 0.9 blocks per game. Despite not making a start last season, it is possible Phillips leaps into the starting lineup.
Estrella averaged 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in about 11 minutes of action per game. His season was cut short after just three games, but he’s likely to see an expanded role as a bench big. Estrella became a fan favorite after a strong defensive effort against Wooden Award winner Zach Edey in Tennessee’s Elite 8 loss to Purdue in 2024.
Bishop Boswell received just four minutes per game last season, an indication he may see some increased time with all the roster turnover. The stats don’t jump off the seat because of the limited time, but Boswell showed intense, physical defense on top of an ability to be a playmaker in that time.
So, What Can You Expect?
Frontcourt Versatility.
Barnes and his staff have spent the majority of the offseason stressing the versatility of this team. This is largely due to what the team believes is a strong front-court presence. With so many big men returning, Barnes zoned in on defensive versatility as important during his media day appearance.
“The versatility is that Cade [Phillips] can swing out and play some perimeter too,” Barnes said. “Getting JP [Estrella] back, Felix [Okpara] has improved. I think his confidence, his leadership, he has taken that to a different level.”
Starters.
This team should be competitive, but it is largely dependent on a few incoming freshmen.
Fans won’t know who will be playing what roles in the rotations until the season starts. The only starters guaranteed are Gillespie, Ament, and Okapra. That leaves the SG and another forward position wide open. Veteran Amaree Abram’s ability beyond the arc certainly gives him a leg up as far as the SG race is concerned.
Ament’s versatility and height mean the team has options. He’s athletic enough to play the three and has a tall, physical frame that would allow him to play the four. Phillips, Brown, Evans, and Massamba could all slide into the lineup.
Mistakes.
There will be mistakes. With so many freshmen expected to see some action, the team will make mistakes uncharacteristic of recent Tennessee teams. Veterans will do their best to minimize those mistakes, but this team has gone from loaded with vets to youth-heavy in one offseason.
Shooting Improvement.
It would be ambitious to imagine this team leading the SEC in three-point efficiency, but improvement should be expected. Five of eight new volunteers shot 34% or better from three last season. Though Nate Ament’s three-point percentage wasn’t tracked (meaning he isn’t included in those five), he made two or more threes in multiple games as a senior.
Expect Abram and Gillespie to have high volume from beyond the three-point line, meaning percentages may dip, but it’s due to aggressiveness rather than regression
Defense, Defense, Defense.
Barnes is still the head coach. Every recruit and portal addition is an aggressive defensive player who likes being active with their hands. Brown II, Phillips, and Okpara are fantastic players under the rim.
Gillespie and Abram are good two-way players who can more than hold their own on the defensive end of the floor. Ament uses his length well and is quick enough to stick to guards if any switches happen.
This team should still be elite defensively on both the perimeter and interior, yet again.