Tennessee transfer target Cade Tyson commits to North Carolina

Tennessee Basketball transfer target Cade Tyson has committed to North Carolina, with the Belmont wing picking his home state school over the Vols.

Tyson, the 6-foot-7 Charlotte, N.C., native, averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 31.6 minutes per game at Belmont this season, starting all 31 games. He’s the No. 23 overall player in the NCAA Transfer Portal according to the On3 Industry Rankings. 

Tyson visited Tennessee the weekend of April 13 alongside Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar.

Dubar was Tennessee’s first commitment and signing out of the portal, followed by Ohio State center Felix Okpara, who committed and signed on Thursday. The Vols are still considered by many to be the leader for Charlotte forward Igor Milicic Jr., who has also been recruited by Baylor and Nebraska.

Milicic, the 6-foot-10, 225-pound junior took an official visit to Tennessee the weekend of April 13 and was at Baylor last weekend. He previously visited Nebraska. 

He averaged 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds this season with the 49ers, shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from the 3-point line. He started his career at Virginia before transferring to Charlotte after the 2021-22 season. He entered the transfer portal on March 25.  

Tennessee has added two players from Transfer Portal so far

Dubar spent the last three seasons at Hofstra after playing his first season at Iowa State. Dubar averaged a career-high 17.8 points per game in 33 games this season, shooting 53.9% from the floor and 39.9% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game.

Okpara averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks this season and averaged 5.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last two years.

He started 34 times in 35 games this season, averaging 23.5 minutes per game, after starting 11 times in 34 games as a freshman, averaging 15.5 minutes. Okpara shot 58.6% from the field in his 70 games with the Buckeyes.

Tennessee currently has four open scholarship spots after adding Dubar, Okpara and four-star point guard Bishop Boswell, who signed in November.

Four Vols entered the NCAA Transfer Portal

Tennessee has seen four players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal since the season ended: Junior center Jonas Aidoo, sophomore forward Tobe Awaka and redshirt freshmen Freddie Dilione and DJ Jefferson. The roster also lost three redshirt seniors in Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi.

The Vols are currently scheduled to return six scholarship players: Juniors Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey and freshmen JP Estrella, Cam Carr and Cade Phillips.

Tennessee left the door open for Awaka to return after entering the portal, after Aidoo announced his portal plans the day after Awaka did so. But the signing of Okpara, the 6-foot-11 forward, makes Awaka’s return seem unlikely.