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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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Nov 27, 2020; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Justin Powell (24) makes a three point basket over Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) during the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2020; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Justin Powell (24) makes a three point basket over Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) during the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Auburn Tigers transfer Justin Powell commits

While all the losses Tennessee basketball suffered in the transfer portal were a bit more notable, the Vols did add one key player in the portal. Rick Barnes was able to steal a guy away from former UT head coach Bruce Pearl, bringing more versatility to his backcourt and more shooting, which was crucial given some of the struggles this past year.

Auburn Tigers transfer Justin Powell, a 6’6″ 205-pound combo guard, can play the one, two or three. He appeared in 10 games last year before suffering an injury, but in those 10 games, he averaged 11.7 points, over six rebounds and over four and a half assists. He also shot 44.2 percent from the three-point line, hitting nearly two a game.

Taking all that into account, the Vols added a great player to boost their backcourt. His decision to head to UT happened on April 5, over a week after the Vols lost their top scorer to the NBA Draft, which we’ll get to later in this post. Simply put, though, Powell is a guy they could use.

The biggest reason we have Powell’s arrival down here and not higher on the list is due to his injury. It’s not clear just how great he’ll be starting off next year. Combine that with the guys we already mentioned, Santiago Vescovi and Victor Bailey Jr., and he didn’t address the biggest need.

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