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Tennessee basketball: Ranking all 15 offseason roster changes by impact in 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 23, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) and forward John Fulkerson (10) during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) and forward John Fulkerson (10) during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee forward Drew Pember (3) runs from the locker room during a game between Tennessee and Wisconsin at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019.Kns Vols Wisconsin
Tennessee forward Drew Pember (3) runs from the locker room during a game between Tennessee and Wisconsin at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019.Kns Vols Wisconsin /

12. Drew Pember enters transfer portal

Last year, with Yves Pons playing the four and wrapping up his senior season, it was clear that Tennessee basketball needed to beef up its postgame heading into the 2021-2022 season. That was blatantly clear with John Fulkerson out, as it exposed the Vols’ lack of depth. The hope was that one of their backups could develop.

A commitment in UT’s 2019 class, Pember was expected to always be a development project alongside Uros Plavsic. You can’t teach 6’10”, even if he did only weigh 190 pounds. This past year, though, his production actually decreased, as he went from five and a half minutes a game in 22 games to under three minutes a game in 10 games.

As a result, it wasn’t much of a shock when Pember entered the transfer portal on March 26, but as a post player, it was a bigger deal. After all, Barnes’ scheme can’t work unless he runs the proper inside-out with two true bigs. There was a chance that Pember could help with that.

Pember ended up joining the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. Former Vol Bobby Maze, who coached Pember in AAU ball when he was in high school, is high on the guy’s potential, but given his production in Knoxville, his transfer had the least impact of any of the forwards leaving.

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