We're still in the spring, but people are even more fired up for Tennessee basketball to get back on the hardwood next season. That will happen when Rick Barnes goes out and lands the highest-rate commit in program history.
We're of course talking about 5-star power forward Nate Ament, who announced for UT on Sunday night. Bad news for Duke, Louisville and Kentucky, but incredible news for the Vols. Adding Ament is MASSIVE, but you better believe that Rick Barnes isn't done cooking for next season's roster.
At shooting guard, there's still major help needed. This team needs a reliable scorer to take the hardwood to help with the loss of Chaz Lanier to the NBA. Might that end up being Rodney Rice? The Maryland transfer is yet to make a decision, but Tennessee is a finalist. After landing Ament, Barnes must shift his focus and go all-in to get Rice to town too.
Maryland transfer Rodney Rice has cut his list to the following programs, per his IG page.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 10, 2025
Maryland
Villanova
Tennessee
Auburn
USC
Gonzaga
Tennessee remains in the hunt to land star Maryland SG transfer Rodney Rice
Last season for the Terps, the 6-4, 195-pounder averaged 13.8 points and 2.2 rebounds a game. He also shot 37.4 percent from 3-point land, which would be an added bonus for the Vols. It sure helps that point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie is also doing his part in recruiting Rice.
Tennessee also needs a new small forward, which is something Barnes surely has in mind as well. However, the lineup is really starting to take shape, while depth is pretty darn strong too. Still, can you imagine if Barnes is able to win another recruiting battle and sign Rice?
That's not going to be easy, as Tennessee, Villanova, USC, Gonzaga, Maryland and Auburn are all in the hunt. The Vols were also in on Elyjah Freeman, but he ended up committing to play for Bruce Pearl and the Tigers. A decision from Rice is coming soon and it's not going to be an easy call for him. Tennessee is already considered strong for next season, but after winning out on Ament, adding Rice will only help this team in trying to make the Final Four for the first time next April.