St. Louis point guard Yuri Collins entered the transfer portal on Monday just shy of two weeks after declaring for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent.
— Yuri Collins (@smoovYC1) April 18, 2022
Tennessee is in need of adding another point guard to its roster after Kennedy Chandler hired an agent and declared for the NBA Draft earlier this month. According to one St. Louis reporter, Rick Barnes and the Vols are in a good spot to land the transfer point guard
St. Louis Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson wrote a piece discussing the challenges St. Louis University and the University of Missouri face in the new-NIL age of college athletics following Collins announcement that he’s headed for the transfer portal.
While referencing Collins’ entering the transfer portal, Frederickson noted that “all signs point to Tennessee” for the point guard’s future home. Frederickson also referenced Tennessee assistant Rod Clark as a reason the Vols are a major player for the point guard.
Collins is a St. Louis native and Clark spent time as an assistant coach at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas not far from Collins’ hometown.
The 6-foot point guard has played three collegiate seasons and has two years of remaining eligibility due to NCAA COVID-19 eligibility relief. Collins is one of the best players in the transfer portal and would be a huge piece to the 2022-23 Vols.
The nation’s assist leader last season, Collins ranks as a five-star transfer and the nation’s No. 5 player in the transfer portal according to EvanMiya.
Collins averaged 11.1 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 turnovers per game last season while shooting 45% from the field and 36% from the three-point line.
The point guard had a handful of massive games including a 35 point, 13 assist performance against George Mason, a 24 point, eight rebound and six assist performance against Richmond and a 13 point, 12 assist performance against Auburn.
Tennessee currently just has one point guard on its roster in Freshman All-SEC Team selection Zakai Zeigler. B.J. Edwards is an incoming four-star point guard from Knoxville Catholic but Rick Barnes discussed his ability to play off ball as well as on ball following the end of the 2021-22 season.
Indiana State transfer Tyreke Key is set to be on Tennessee’s campus this week for a visit.
