Resetting Tennessee basketball's NCAA Transfer Portal recruiting with an early focus on forwards
Tennessee Basketball’s focus early on in the NCAA Transfer Portal cycle is on the front court. The Vols, after both junior center Jonas Aidoo and sophomore forward Tobe Awaka entered the portal, are looking to restock the paint.
So far Tennessee has hosted two forwards on visits, in Charlotte’s Igor Milicic and Belmont’s Cade Tyson. The Vols also have interest in Ohio State center Felix Okpara, who reportedly entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Sunday.
Both Milicic and Tyson took official visits to Tennessee last week. Tyson was on a visit to North Carolina over the weekend while Milicic was at Baylor. Milicic has also visited Nebraska.
North Carolina is seemingly the favorite for the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Tyson, a Charlotte, N.C. native, who averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 31.6 minutes per game at Belmont this season, starting all 31 games. He’s the No. 23 overall player in the NCAA Transfer Portal according to the On3 Industry Rankings.
Tennessee has hosted three portal prospects on official visits
The 6-foot-10, 224-pound Milicic, ranked No. 72 overall in the portal, would give the Vols more size at the four with the ability to step out and shoot.
He averaged 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds this season at Charlotte, shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from the 3-point line. He started his career at Virginia before transferring to Charlotte after the 2021-22 season. He entered the transfer portal on March 25.
Okpara has ties to the state of Tennessee after attending Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga before finishing his prep career at Link Academy in Missouri. He was a four-star prospect ranked No. 69 overall in the class of 2022, targeted heavily by the Vols at the time. He was ranked No. 9 among centers and No. 4 overall in the state of Missouri.
Okpara averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks this season and averaged 5.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last two years.
He started 34 times in 35 games this season, averaging 23.5 minutes per game, after starting 11 times in 34 games as a freshman, averaging 15.5 minutes. Okpara shot 58.6% from the field in his 70 games with the Buckeyes.
Vols currently have five open scholarship spots on 2024-25 roster
Tennessee also had interest in Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who committed to Michigan on Monday. The Vols will need to add another guard to the 2024-25 roster, but seem to be more willing to wait to fill that slot.
Next season’s Tennessee roster currently has five open scholarship spots after adding four-star point guard Bishop Boswell, who signed in November, and Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar, who signed out of the transfer portal last Thursday.
Seven players departed from this season’s roster. The Vols lost three redshirt seniors in Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi and four players entered the portal, with redshirt freshmen Freddie Dilione V and DJ Jefferson alongside Aidoo and Awaka.
