Vols Basketball: 4 Players to Watch in Recruiting

Mar 27, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Derek Reese (left) stretches with center Rawane Ndiaye (right) during practice for the midwest regional of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ian Chiles

With Darius Thompson requesting a release from his scholarship, the Vols are left without a true point guard on the roster. Guards Brandon Lopez and Armani Moore have played at the point in their careers, but Vol fans would be leery of either player starting the whole season at the position.

Much like last offseason, the Vols may have to turn to a graduate transfer to fill their point guard void. IUPUI guard Ian Chiles declared in late March he intended to transfer elsewhere, and he may be the solution the Vols are looking for.

Chiles played three seasons at IUPUI, and due to the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule, he would have immediate eligibility to play his remaining season wherever he transfers. The 6-1 guard averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this past season with IUPUI (per ESPN). NBC’s College Basketball Talk has Chiles listed as the third best transfer player this offseason.

Chiles is slated to visit both Tennessee and Maryland in the upcoming week, and both schools are desperate for guards for the upcoming season.

Adding Chiles would temporarily fill a vacancy for the Vols, allowing them to find a more permanent solution for the future in the next recruiting cycle. But as Vol fans saw this previous season, a transfer point guard may not be the perfect plug-and-play solution many fans hope for. Regardless, Chiles is UT’s best option at this point, and he will be worth keeping an eye on.