Tennessee basketball entered May already with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country. Coach Rick Barnes wanted to improve the offense, and the Vols found high-end scoring at every position.
USA TODAY ranked the Vols’ portal haul at No. 2 behind Indiana. That was before they added one of the best players available when Wake Forest guard Juke Harris announced his commitment on May 4.
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Adding Harris rocketed Tennessee to the No. 1 spot and and more buzz about being a Final Four contender in the Men’s NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee has 13 scholarship players on its roster with seven portal signees, four high school recruits, and two returning players from last season’s Elite Eight squad. It can add two more to meet the Division I roster limit of 15 players.
Barnes and his staff have done well to cover any glaring needs through the portal. With space still available, though, Tennessee is expected to continue adding depth. Ask North Carolina and Louisville, two teams who lost their superstar freshmen to injury, about the importance of roster depth, especially in the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s roster, and what positions it could address with the final two roster spots.
Tennessee basketball roster outlook
Barnes prefers to divide his roster positions into guards, wings and forwards as the more traditional positions phase out of modern basketball. The Vols currently have five guards, five wings and three forwards.
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Tennessee lost its top six scorers from last season. Guard Bishop Boswell (Maryland), forward J.P. Estrella (Michigan) and forward Jaylen Carey (Missouri) all transferred. Seniors Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara depleted their college eligibility and will turn to professional careers along with freshman forward Nate Ament, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Guards Amari Evans (Texas) and Clarence Massamba (UC Davis) and forward Cade Phillips (Texas A&M) also transferred. The Vols’ seven portal additions bring a combined 85.9 points, 23.8 rebounds and 12.9 assists per game through 322 career starts.
Here’s a glimpse at the depth chart for the 2026-27 season.
Guards
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Dai Dai Ames, 6-foot-2 Cal transfer, one year eligibility
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Marquis Clark, 6-1 high school signee, four years eligibility
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Troy Henderson, 6-1 Tennessee returner, three years eligibility
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Terrence Hill Jr., 6-3 VCU transfer, two years eligibility
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Tyler Lundblade, 6-5 Belmont grad transfer, one year eligibility
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Wings
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Manny Green, 6-6 high school signee, four years eligibility
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Jalen Haralson, 6-7 Notre Dame transfer, three years eligibility
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Juke Harris, 6-7 Wake Forest transfer, two years eligibility
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Ralph Scott, 6-8 high school signee, four years eligibility
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Chris Washington Jr., 6-9 high school signee, four years eligibility
Forwards
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DeWayne Brown II, 6-8 Tennessee returner, three years eligibility
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Braedan Lue, 6-9 Kennesaw State transfer, two years eligibility
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Miles Rubin, 6-10 Loyola (Chicago) transfer, one year eligibility
Remaining needs for Tennessee basketball
The current roster displays a lack of depth in the frontcourt rotation. Tennessee had five forwards entering last season, though it was cut down to four after Phillips’ season-ending shoulder injury.
The Vols fared well with injuries to Estrella and Okpara because of their forward depth. In its current state, an injury would force them to play small by moving Haralson or one of the freshman wings into the post. Tennessee recently hosted high school recruit Favour Ibe, a 7-1 center from Maryland, per media reports. The four-star recruit and No. 5 player in the state could help fortify the frontcourt room.
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Another facilitating, pass-first point guard could also prove useful for the Vols. Hill is slotted in that role now as a potential starter, though both Ames and Henderson will likely be asked to handle playmaking responsibilities. Ames has never averaged more than 2.2 assists per game in his career, and Henderson’s freshman season was stunted by injury. Another ballhandling guard could relieve pressure in the backcourt.
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 roster needs for 2026-27 season includes forward, guard depth
