Rick Barnes and the Tennessee basketball staff have done a great job in the Transfer Portal, but there’s still one glaring hole that’s holding the Vols back right now. Tennessee lost JP Estrella to Michigan, Jaylen Carey to Missouri, Cade Phillips to Texas A&M, and starting center Felix Okapra is out of eligibility. Therefore, the Vols need to replace some of these frontcourt players with other bodies, but Barnes hasn't done that yet.
Rick Barnes essentially signals the end of Nate Ament’s Tennessee chapter
Tennessee does have one frontcourt commit so far. The Vols quickly landed Miles Rubin when the portal opened, and he’s a good pickup, but behind him, the depth isn't just thin, it's empty. DeWayne Brown II returns, but he’s more of a power forward than a true center.
At this point, all of the elite big men are gone unless Tennessee is getting back into the Moustapha Thiam sweepstakes, but that doesn't seem likely. Rubin is a good start, as he's an elite defender, so that's good. Tennessee had Kennesaw State forward Braeden Lue for a visit on Tuesday, and things look good there.
The good news for Tennessee
On the bright side, if the Vols can land Lue and one more big man, they would be in a strong position in the low post. Jonah Munch from Oregon State is visiting on Friday, and he would be a significant addition. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds last season. Tennessee would then have a rotation of Miles Rubin, Lue, and Munch at center, with DeWayne Brown II and Christopher Washington at the four, giving them the ability to play big lineups. One of the centers could aslo slide down to the four, which Barnes has been known to do, and they could run with a big lineup as well.
All in all, it's not time to panic, but Barnes does need to have some urgency in getting some extra frontcourt options soon, as time is running out for the Vols. If they can add a couple of more quality backups, the Vols' season could have Final Four written all over it.
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