Entering the 2024-2025 season, there are many fresh faces for Rick Barnes and Tennessee basketball. The Volunteers lost Josiah Jordan-James, Dalton Knecht, and Santiago Vescovi as they ran out of eligibility as well as Jonas Aidoo, Tobe Awaka, D.J. Jefferson and Freddie Dilione left to enter the transfer portal.
Leading up to Tennessee basketball’s tipoff against Gardner Webb on Monday, Rocky Top Insider will look at each newcomer, detailing their path to wearing the orange and white, their style of play, and how they may contribute for the Volunteers.
6-foot-6 Darlinstone Dubar comes to Tennessee via the transfer portal after stops at Iowa State and Hofstra. Before signing with Iowa State, the Charlotte, North Carolina native played for former Tennessee guard Bobby Maze’s AAU program, B-Maze Elite.
Dubar played one season at Iowa State. Dubar was a part of the rotation for the Cyclones, participating in 16 of 24 games in a shortened season due to the pandemic. In those 16 games, Dubar averaged 14.5 minutes per game, 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Following the completion of his freshman season, he decided to transfer to Hofstra. He would be a top player for Hofstra for the next three seasons.
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In his sophomore season with the Pride, Dubar started in 31 games and averaged nearly 30 minutes per contest. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, one rebound, and one steal. He shot over 50% from the field, but 33.9% from three.
Dubar improved his three-point efficiency in his junior season, making a near seven percentage mark jump from 33.9% to 40.4%. His points slightly dropped from the previous season, but he was still in double figures as he averaged 10.3 points per game.
The biggest jump in production came for Dubar in his senior season.
In his third and final season with Hofstra, Dubar averaged nearly 18 points per game while starting in all 33 games for the Pride. Dubar had an impressive performance when Hofstra traveled to Duke. He poured in 24 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 8/13 from the field and 7/11 from three.
Newest Tennessee Vol Darlinstone Dubar dropped 24 points and 8 rebounds against Duke in Cameron Indoor this past season 👀
Dubar was 7/11 from 3PT range 😳 pic.twitter.com/SU8KVJPWim
— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) April 16, 2024
He had many other productive performances in games against:
Buffalo: 30 points (12-16 FG, 5-9 3PT), two rebounds, five assists.
Hampton: 27 points (7-12 FG, 3-8 3PT, 10-12 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists.
Stony Brook: 30 points (11-14 FG, 4-7 3PT, 4-7 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists.
UNC Wilmington: 28 points (11-13 FG, 2-3 3PT, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds, one assist.
He earned Second Team All-CAA following the season’s completion.
This is another addition for Rick Barnes and the Volunteers that provides positional versatility, as Dubar can play many different positions on the perimeter but is also a good rebounder. The Hofstra transfer can do a little bit of everything and will be asked to do so. Dubar’s role on the floor could be similar to that of a utility position player in baseball, being asked to do different things in different positions, filling in any holes for Tennessee.
Dubar adds this value on top of being a very efficient three-point shooter. Over the past two seasons, he made 115 threes on 287 attempts. Dubar likely will not be a starter, as he did not start in Tennessee’s exhibition against Indiana, but should have the opportunity to play his way into more minutes.
Against Indiana, Dubar played six minutes. He finished the day 0-1 from the field with one steal and two fouls.
In Tennessee’s practice open to the media on Tuesday, Dubar did not practice due to a personal matter.
The Volunteers host Gardner Webb at the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center to start their season on Monday, Nov. 4th.
