Tennessee Vols morning report: Burns in transfer portal

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee Vols men’s basketball redshirt freshman forward DJ Burns entering the transfer portal leads our Volunteers news for Tuesday, July 2, 2019.

Early July means the heart of offseason news when it comes to college sports, and it’s no different for the Tennessee Vols. However, that doesn’t mean that things don’t happen, and there were certainly interesting developments on Monday.

Our morning update on Rocky Top is loaded with men’s basketball news. We start with one player entering the transfer portal, but another story involves two former UT players joining forces at the next level.

We also have contract news for a coach in another sport within the program, making for an interesting day overall. But we’ll begin with the basketball news that covered all of Vol Nation throughout Monday.

DJ Burns enters transfer portal – Grant Ramey, GoVols247

Tennessee Vols men’s basketball forward DJ Burns is entering the transfer portal. A 6’9″ 272-pound redshirt freshman, Burns was a four-star commitment in the 2018 recruiting class. With Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander leaving and Kerry Blackshear not transferring to UT, there were expectations for Burns to make a big impact this upcoming year.

"The offseason has already included transfer additions of 7-foot-1 Arizona State center Uros Plavsicand Oregon guard Victor Bailey Jr. Rick Barnes said last week that he expected to have a waiver approved for Plavsic’s immediate eligibility."

Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson team up in Philadelphia – Zack Rosenblatt, NJ.com

Former Tennessee Vols basketball players Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson are now teammates on the Philadelphia 76ers. Harris played for the Vols during the 2010-2011 season as a five-star recruit, Bruce Pearl’s last season, and then left for the NBA after one year. Then, in 2011, Richardson arrived as a three-star and became a four-year player for the Vols. Both players are the only players from UT to average double-figures in the NBA the past few years.

"Elton Brand hasn’t even been the Sixers’ general manager for a full year and he’s already completed two major roster overhauls. The latest came on the first day of NBA free agency, when Brand opened by re-signing Tobias Harris to the richest contract in team history ($180 million over five years), signing and trading Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat for Josh Richardson and adding All-Star center Al Horford on a significant four-year contract."

Women’s tennis coach receives contract extension – UTSports

Tennessee Lady Vols women’s tennis head coach Alison Ojeda has received a contract extension through 2024. UT athletic director Phillip Fulmer announced the extension Monday.

"As part of the agreement, Ojeda’s salary escalates from $150,000 in 2019-20 to $160,000 in the final year. Ojeda completed her third season at the helm of the program this past spring and was named 2019 Ohio Valley Region Head Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association."