Tennessee basketball began summer practices Tuesday as the vast majority of the Vols’ team is on campus and ready to work.
The only scholarship player that isn’t in Knoxville for the first session of summer school is freshman shooting guard Cameron Carr. Carr is expected to join the team later this summer according to a Tennessee spokesperson.
With newcomers on campus, we now know the numbers of Tennessee’s players. Let’s start with the transfers. Guard Justin Gainey is No. 2, winger Dalton Knecht is No. 3 and forward Chris Ledlum is No. 4. Freshman center J.P. Estrella is No. 14 while freshman power forward Cade Phillips is No. 13.
Freddie Dilione isn’t a newcomer at Tennessee after he enrolled early in January and redshirted last season. But we now know Dilione will wear No. 1 for Tennessee basketball.
Here’s everything to know about Tennessee basketball’s newcomers.
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Jordan Gainey
Former school: USC-Upstate
Number: 2
Position: Shooting guard
Measurable’s: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
2022-23 stats: 15.2 PPG, 39%/35%/78% shooting, 2.5 RBG, 2.3 APG
247sports ranking: Not ranked
What Barnes said about him: “We obviously know and love Jordan’s family, but his ability as a player stands on its own merit. He plays with a high basketball IQ and is a guy who makes his teammates better. We love his offensive versatility and his ability to shoot and score the ball in a variety of ways. In addition to giving us another shot-maker, he also competes on the defensive end and led (the Big South) in steals last year.”
Chris Ledlum
Former school: Harvard
Number: 4
Position: Small forward/Power forward
Measurable’s: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
2022-23 stats: 18.8 PPG, 47%/29%/63% shooting, 8.5 RPG, 1.6 APG
247sports ranking: Four-star. No. 53 overall transfer, No. 10 small forward
What Barnes said about him: “Chris has many of the characteristics we value in our program. He has a tremendous work ethic and plays with grit, toughness and a bit of swagger. We’ve seen similar traits in other Vols from New York, and we expect Chris to build on that history.
“He comes from a wonderful family and had a tremendous career at Harvard playing for a great coach in Tommy Amaker, so he’s coming in with a strong foundation. He’ll give us an inside-outside scoring presence. And his versatility—scoring, rebounding and playmaking—extends our ability to create mismatches.”
Dalton Knecht
Former school: Northern Colorado
Number: 3
Position: Small forward
Measurable’s: 6-foot-6, 200 pounds
2022-23 stats: 20.2 PPG, 48%/38%/77% shooting, 7.2 RPG, 1.8 APG
247sports ranking: Four-star. No. 12 overall transfer, No. 1 small forward
What Barnes said about him: “Dalton is just a terrific story of a guy whose hard work has enabled him to steadily improve his game. He’s grown nearly a foot since he started playing high school ball. And as he’s grown, he’s expanded his skill set as well. He’s a proven scorer and was one of the top offensive producers in the portal, so he immediately gives our team a boost in offensive firepower.
“Beyond being a high-level shooter, his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack downhill with athleticism really drew our attention. He’s another guy who comes from a great family, and we’re excited to welcome them into our Volunteer family.”
JP Estrella
Number: 13
247sports ranking: Four-star, No. 61 player and No. 8 center
What to know: A 6-foot-11, 210 pound center from Maine, Estrella committed to Tennessee in early September over Iowa and Syracuse. Duke tried to get Estrella to Durham for a visit but Estrella ended up cancelling the trip.
The center was a late bloomer in the recruiting cycle with his recruitment blowing up in its final six months. Tennessee was one of the first teams to offer Estrella and that helped them win out as an abundance of suitors came calling.
Estrella has a strong back-to-the-basket game and is athletic enough to protect the rim and play away from the basket. The center hit a major growth spurt during high school
