The college basketball transfer portal is closed and Tennessee basketball has all but finalized its roster for the 2023-24 season.
You never-say-never with college basketball roster movement, but Tennessee has 13 players on scholarship. Barring any unforeseen surprises, the Vols’ roster is set for this coming season with six newcomers joining and five contributors from last season departing.
Let’s take a look at Tennessee’s roster for the 2023-24 season.
More From RTI: What Rick Barnes Said About Tennessee Basketball’s Incoming Transfers
Returning Contributors
Santiago Vescovi
The biggest win of Tennessee’s offseason was Santiago Vescovi returning to Knoxville for his super senior season. A two-time All-SEC selection, Vescovi averaged 12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals last season. The Montevideo, Uruguay native is one of the best shooters in program history and enters his final season with a 38% career three-point shooting percentage.
Zakai Zeigler
Zeigler has been one of the most important pieces on Tennessee’s roster in his first two seasons in Knoxville. The Long Island, New York native was starting to turn the corner as a point guard as a sophomore, averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game before a torn ACL ended his season. Getting back to full health is the key for Zeigler this offseason.
Jahmai Mashack
Mashack broke out in the second half of his sophomore season at Tennessee. The elite defensive guard averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds last season but his offense really came to life the final month of the season. Tennessee expects big things out of Mashack this coming season and another leap forward could make the shooting guard an All-SEC caliber player.
Jonas Aidoo
Aidoo started nine games for Tennessee as a sophomore and was in the thick of the post rotation all season. The 6-foot-11 power forward’s ceiling is extremely high, especially on the defensive end. After averaging 5.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks as a sophomore, Aidoo is looking for a breakout junior season.
Tobe Awaka
An unheralded recruit, Rick Barnes and his staff went back to New York to land Awaka ahead of the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-8 power forward was earned opportunities as a freshman due to his elite rebounding, averaging 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game as a freshman. With Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic gone, Awaka will step into a bigger role this season.
Returners Looking For Larger Role
DJ Jefferson
Jefferson redshirted his freshman season in Knoxville but Barnes provided an abundance of compliments for Jefferson’s work and improvement in his freshman season. The 6-foot-5 wing is an elite athlete and is looking to make a jump into the rotation as a redshirt freshman.
Freddie Dilione
Dilione was originally the most highly touted signee in Tennessee’s 2023 signing class before he early enrolled in January and redshirted while getting his feet wet in college basketball. The combo guard is an extremely talented scorer and is poised to have a major role in his redshirt freshman season in Knoxville.
Incoming Transfers
Dalton Knecht
One of the top scorers in the transfer portal, Knecht averaged 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his senior season at Northern Colorado. The Vols beat out Oregon and Indiana for the elite scorer who shot 38% from three-point range.
Chris Ledlum
A 6-foot-6 Harvard transfer who primarily played power forward but also can play on the wing in his four seasons in Boston, Ledlum committed to Tennessee over Indiana and St. Johns. Ledlum averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds a season ago. The question for Ledlum is how effective he can play in the interior in the SEC.
Jordan Gainey
The son of Tennessee associate coach Justin Gainey, Jordan brings strong spot up shooting to Knoxville. The shooting guard averaged 15.2 points on 35% shooting from three-point range as a sophomore at USC Upstate.
Incoming Freshmen
JP Estrella
Tennessee beat out Duke and Iowa for the four-star center from Maine. A 6-foot-11, 210 pound big man ranks as the No. 59 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. Estrella will have opportunities to play early in Knoxville but it’s no guarantee.
Cameron Carr
A talented shooter, Carr played his final prep season at the Link Academy in Missouri— the same school Julian Phillips attended. The shooting guard ranks as the No. 54 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings but enters a deep backcourt that will make early playing time difficult to come by.
Cade Phillips
A power forward from a family full of Alabama athletes, the Jacksonville, Alabama native committed to Tennessee over the Crimson Tide, Georgia and Georgia Tech. Phillips played his senior high school season at Link Academy and ranks as the No. 138 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings.
