What’s Next for Tennessee Men’s Basketball in 2026?

The Tennessee Volunteers suffered a demoralizing loss to the Michigan Wolverines, 95-62. Before this Elite Eight loss, the Volunteers were going on a bit of a Cinderella run. They entered the tournament as the sixth seed in the Midwest region, beat the third-seeded Virginia Cavaliers in the Round of 32, and then beat the second-seeded Iowa State in the Sweet 16. Entering the Elite Eight, Tennessee had all the momentum they could ask for, so suffering a 33-point loss shows they were more outmatched than initially thought. This means it is back to the drawing board for the Volunteers, who have been busy in the transfer portal, securing six players.

Braeden Lue is transferring from Kennesaw State to Tennessee. The sophomore is coming off a solid season, averaging 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. While he is a well-rounded player, he lacks efficiency. The six-foot-eight forward shot 45% from the field, 26% from three, and 69% from the free throw line. While his overall shooting splits leave a lot to be desired, he is a good two-point shooter, making a little over half of his attempts with 51%. Another aspect that the Volunteers need to keep an eye on is Lue’s fouling. He averaged three a game last season, which would limit his minutes and leave the Owls without an above-average defender. 

Tennessee landed a four-star guard in Terrence Hill Jr. The six-foot-three sophomore is transferring from VCU and is coming off a wonderful season. He averaged 15 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while also shooting 46% from the field, 37% from behind the arc, and 84% from the free-throw line. Hill adds great guard depth for the Volunteers, and while he lacks playmaking abilities for a guard, he is coming off a much-improved season from his freshman year. Hill had an almost 20-minute jump that he played per game, which allowed him to go from three points to 15. Now transferring to a March Madness regular will give him the tools he needs to make another jump in his collegiate career. 

Jalen Haralson is a star freshman who is transferring from Notre Dame. The six-foot-seven guard had a great first year, where he averaged 16.2 points, four rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The oversized guard is becoming more common in today’s basketball world, so the Volunteers' landing one can lead to a whole new playbook centered around this unique build. Going into his sophomore year also means there is plenty of time to improve on the skills that Haralson lacks, which happens to be his shooting. The Indiana native shot a good 51% from the field, but an awful 20% from three and 67% from the line. Haralson is still a very good addition to Tennessee’s roster and could very well see a starting role very early into the season. 

Miles Rubin will be entering his senior year and is transferring from Loyola Chicago. The four-star center is coming off his best season, where he averaged 11.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Rubin is a very traditional center who is a great rim scorer and protector. He shot 58% from the field and tallied two blocks per game. The downside to his offensive game is that he struggles heavily from the line, shooting 54%. But the six-foot-ten transfer could be looking like a very good rotational piece that anchors the defense. 

Another four-star player who is moving to Tennessee is Dai Dai Ames, who is transferring from California. The six-foot-one guard will be entering his senior year and is also coming off his best season. Ames averaged 16.9 points, 2.2 assists, and two rebounds per game. He also has very similar shooting splits to Hill, shooting 46% from the field, 37% from behind the arc, and 85% from the free throw line. The Illinois native also lacks playmaking abilities, so it would be a risky move to rely on him for that, considering that skill has not improved since his freshman year. However, Ames still adds great depth to the guard position, who is a consistent scorer and adds leadership to the roster.

Tyler Lundblade is the last piece to the Volunteers' roster. He will be entering his fifth college year and is transferring from Belmont. The guard is coming off a spectacular scoring season where he put up 15.6 points and shot an outstanding 40% from the three-point line and 93% from the free-throw line. The downgrade to his scoring abilities is that he relies heavily on his three-point shooting. Lundblade only shot two two-pointers a game, which can turn him into a one-trick pony. Yet still, he is a massive offensive threat, which will help open the playbook for Tennessee.