Tennessee Basketball announces the signing of Ohio State transfer center Felix Okpara
Tennessee Basketball has signed Felix Okpara, the 6-foot-11 Ohio State sophomore transfer center who announced his commitment to the Thursday morning. He’s the second transfer signing this offseason, alongside Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar.
“We are thrilled to have Felix join us here on Rocky Top,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said in a press release. “He comes from a great family and is an exceptional teammate whose primary goal is to win.”
Okpara, the fourth official visitor Tennessee hosted out of the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, 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.
“Felix is an elite shot blocker,” Barnes said, “high-level defender and terrific rebounder. He possesses the ability to score in the low post, as well as play on the perimeter. A mobile athlete with excellent length who creates space offensively, Felix is a constant threat to get to the rim for a lob. We will do everything we can to help him further develop all aspects of his game.”
Felix Okpara was a four-star prospect in 2022 recruited heavily by Tennessee
Okpara was recruited heavily by Tennessee two years ago, as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He has family ties to Chattanooga, where he attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy during his prep career.
The Vols, with multiple scholarship spots to fill on the 2024-25 roster, hosted Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar and Belmont wing Cade Tyson visited on April 13 and Charlotte forward Igor Milicic visited on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tennessee is considered the favorite for Milicic, who also visited Nebraska and Baylor. The Vols are battling North Carolina for Tyson, the Charlotte, N.C., native.
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Dubar committed to the Vols on April 15 and signed three days later. He 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.
Dubar averaged 10.3 points per game last season and 11.7 two years ago, shooting a career-high 68.4% from the field in 2021-22 and 40.4% from the 3-point line in 2022-23.
Four Vols have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
Milicic 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.
Tyson, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound sophomore, 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.
Tennessee currently has five open scholarship spots after adding Dubar and four-star point guard Bishop Boswell, who signed with the Vols in November.
Four Tennessee players have entered the portal, with redshirt freshmen Freddie Dilione Vand DJ Jefferson alongside junior center Jonas Aidoo and sophomore forward Tobe Awaka. The Vols also lost three redshirt seniors in Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi.
