Four players Tennessee basketball could target next in transfer portal

Tennessee basketball got started in the transfer portal by adding former Belmont guard Tyler Lundblade.

The Vols (25-12) did well landing the elite shooter and scorer, who announced his move April 1, but they still have more work to do to assemble a national title contender.

Tennessee has three incoming freshmen in the 2027 class. None have the profile that five-star recruit Nate Ament had last season that would make them a day one starter.

Here’s what else Tennessee could be looking for in the transfer portal after adding Lundblade, and four players who could fit those needs.

What does Tennessee basketball need in the transfer portal?

Tennessee are losing starting seniors Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara, and Ament, a freshman, could enter the 2026 NBA Draft.

The No. 6 seed Vols had a surprising run to the Elite Eight, given that they entered the Men’s NCAA Tournament 2-4 in their last six games and had their lowest seed in coach Rick Barnes’ tenure.

But once it faced a national championship contender, Tennessee’s postseason crashed. Michigan’s offense cruised to 95 points — a season-worst for the Vols’ defense — while Tennessee’s offense mustered 62 points on 32% shooting.

Barnes put it plainly after the loss.

“Offensively, we needed to make some shots,” he said. “We’ve got to score. At some point in time you’ve got to score the ball, too.”

Along with the volume scoring, Tennessee will need to fill the defensive void left by Okpara. The 6-foot-11 senior was the team’s leading shot blocker and was elite at guarding on the perimeter as a center. He was also a premier lob threat with a wingspan that could catch nearly everything thrown toward the rim.

But the Vols also need to be careful in who they bring in. They got great contributions from their younger players, including sophomore Bishop Boswell and freshmen Amari Evans and DeWayne Brown II. Adding too many transfers in those roles could stunt their development because of diminished playing time.

Four more players Tennessee could target in the portal

Brant Byers, Miami (Ohio)

Byers is another elite shooter to pair alongside Lundblade on the wing. Tennessee already has some familiarity with the 6-8 sophomore after holding him to just nine points in the Vols’ 78-56 NCAA Tournament-opening win against the RedHawks.

Byers averaged 14.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 34 games. He shot 39% from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game, and was 47.8% from the field. He had 19 points and knocked down four 3’s in Miami’s First Four victory over SMU.

Dedan Thomas Jr., LSU

Tennessee never saw Thomas, who dealt with a season-ending foot injury in January. The 6-1 guard and former UNLV transfer was LSU’s best player through 16 games, averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 assists.

Thomas isn’t quite the perfect Gillespie replacement, largely because of his 30.2% output from 3-point range, but the junior could command the offense and set up his teammates much like the former All-SEC guard.

Somto Cyril, Georgia

Okpara’s defensive presence will be tough for Tennessee to replace, but it could try with Georgia center Cyril. The 6-11 sophomore, also from Nigeria, averaged 2.2 blocks per game, which was more than Okpara (1.3). He had three blocks in Georgia’s overtime loss against Tennessee in January, and had a season-high eight blocks in a win over Arkansas.

Cyril’s rebounding sticks out as an area of growth. He averaged 5.3 rebounds per game and had 10 games with at least five rebounds in SEC play. Okpara had five or more rebounds in his final 10 games alone.

Mouhamed Sylla, Georgia Tech

If the Vols want a younger, potentially cheaper option than Cyril, Sylla could be the pick. The 6-10, 240-pound freshman averaged 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks for Georgia Tech.

Sylla played in just 16 games for the Yellow Jackets. He suffered an ankle injury early in ACC play that kept him out for the rest of the season.

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball transfer portal targets after adding Tyler Lundblade

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