The Tennessee Vols have been aggressive in their pursuit of transfer portal talent, as they’ve landed three commitments from three very good players: sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade, certified scorer Dai Dai Ames, and shot-blocking forward Miles Rubin.
Former Vol Jahmai Mashack proves the doubters wrong once again
Despite this hot start, Rick barnes ahs a long way to go. Tennesse still has roughly six or so spots available, so they need to keep stacking up talent. The good news is that Rick Barnes has remained aggressive in his pursuit of more elite players. The Vols are heavily involved with 7-foot-2 Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam, according to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman
In addition to St. John's, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam is also considering the following, per source:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 13, 2026
UConn
Gonzaga
Arkansas
Duke
Kansas
Michigan State
Texas A&M
Tennessee
UCF https://t.co/miMHbO4fD6
The downside to this? Tennessee has to battle UConn, Kansas, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan State, and many more. 247Sports has him rated as the No.13 overall player and the No. 3 center in the Transfer Portal. Don't get me wrong, it's great that good teams also want Thiam, but it will be a very expensive recruitment for Barnes to land him.
Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam would be a perfect add
The thing that makes Thiam so great is his defensive prowess. He was in the 99th percentile of adjusted defensive rating and in the 94th percentile in block percentage. Add this in with two years of eligibility, 12.8 points, and 7.1 rebounds, and you get the perfect fit for Barnes system.
Not to mention, Thiam can also shoot the ball from deep. While it's not his strength, he did shoot 28.8% from three last season. This isn't bad at all for a 7'2 center who can score very well at the basket. Plus, add his rim protection with Miles Rubin, and Tennesse instantly has an elite rim-protection combination similar to last year with Felix Okpara and JP Estrella.
Digging deeper, if Barnes can pull this off, the Vols might have the top-rated transfer portal class in the country. Right now, it’s ranked as the No. 3 class according to 247Sports, but passing Louisville may be difficult as they landed the No. 1 player in Flory Bidunga. This one will go down to the wire, but it's good to be in the mix.