Tennessee reportedly hosting 6-foot-10 rim protector, former teammate of Terrence Hill Jr. originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to round out their highly successful recruiting class for the upcoming season. Head coach Rick Barnes has already added multiple offensive weapons to the roster through the portal.
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However, Tennessee is still searching for one final center to complete the roster. The Vols recently missed out on seven-footer Favour Ibe.
“7-foot-1 center Favour Ibe has committed to Virginia, he told Rivals The four-star big man is the No. 82 overall recruit in the 2026 class, per Rivals. He also made visits to Tennessee, Alabama, and Villanova,” On3’s Joe Tipton posted.
After Tennessee lost out on Ibe, it became increasingly clear that the Vols may have to settle for a more developmental piece at center, especially as quality options continue to come off the board.
“Given the amount of scoring that Tennessee has added via the portal, I think it’s safe to assume that Barnes will be looking for a defense-first type of big man. Seattle transfer Austin Maurer, 7-foot/235 pounds from Medford, OR, was ranked by 247Sports as the top available center in the portal, but he signed with Stanford on Monday, so quality options are dwindling,” A To Z Sports’ Zach Ragan wrote.
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On Wednesday, the Vols hosted what they hope will be their final addition of the offseason. Christian Fermin, a transfer from VCU, visited Tennessee’s campus.
“Tennessee Basketball is hosting VCU transfer forward Christian Fermin on-campus on Wednesday, first reported by Ryan Schumpert. The six-foot-10, 225 pound forward appeared in just four games this season due to taking a leave of absence during the season. The Tobyhanna, PA native boasts career averages of 4.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 55.3% shooting from the field. Fermin was teammates with Tennessee portal signee Terrence Hill Jr. at VCU over the last two seasons,” Fox Sports Knoxville posted.
There is not a ton of recent film to evaluate, as Fermin appeared in only four games last season. However, averaging over a block per game is exactly the type of defensive production Barnes values from a center.
Terrence Hill Jr. already has experience playing alongside Fermin, so that familiarity could help Tennessee’s interest level. Barnes has also built a reputation for developing frontcourt players, and Fermin could become a strong interior presence with the right development and coaching.
