After the Elite Eight run and losing to Michigan, pretty much the entire team that went there is gone. The Transfer Portal era creates plenty of chaos, and this is what Rick Barnes has experienced so far. Tennessee has already lost six players to the portal, and a seventh one is now on the way.
Tennessee basketball 2026 Transfer Portal tracker: Rick Barnes' Final Four push begins
Just moments after Tennessee fans thought they got some good news this offseason with DeWayne Brown II announcing his return to Tennessee the script immediately has flipped with another departure.Â
On3’s Joe Tipton has reported that Tennessee’s freshman Amari Evans is entering the transfer portal. Many expected the young standout winger to take on a much bigger role in his sophomore season, but unfortunately, it won’t be in Knoxville.Â
NEWS: Tennessee guard Amari Evans plans to enter the @TransferPortal, his agency @RocNationSports told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 7, 2026
The 6-5 freshman made a significant impact defensively and scored 24 points against Vanderbilt. Will draw plenty of high-level suitors. https://t.co/NIEwL8RvzM pic.twitter.com/2AUv3p1RYy
Amari Evans is out in the exodusÂ
From a purely basketball standpoint, Evans was one of the most coveted players that Tennessee had. He is a high-motor physical wing that is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. His ability to lock down opponents was highly coveted and will draw major interest from big programs. You can never have enough lockdown defenders on the perimeter, and while Evans isn't a polished offensive player, he has the potential to become more prolific on that end of the floor.
What stands out the most among all the departures is that Tennessee has to get a mix of all different kinds of skill sets. They lost two perimeter defenders in Evnas and Boswell. The Vols also lost two post scorers in Jaylen Carey and JP Estrella. Not to mention, Tennesse's top two scorers, Ja'Kobi Gillespie has run out of eligibility, and Nate Ament is probably leaving for the NBA Draft. Barnes will need to get creative during this roster overhaul, as Tennessee has just a few players on the team right now.
I'm not saying the sky is falling and by neo " means should Tennesse fans hit the panic button, but Barnes and the staff have a lot of portaling to do if they want to make a serious push for a Final Four.