ESPN projects Tennessee basketball's next first-round pick in NBA Draft
Freddie Dilione V is Tennessee basketball’s next one-and-done prospect and its next first-round pick in the NBA Draft, according to ESPN. In an early projection for the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN had Dilione going at No. 24 overall to the Boston Celtics.
Julian Phillips on June 22 was picked at No. 35 overall in the NBA Draft, selected in the second round by the Chicago Bulls. He became the seventh Tennessee player to get drafted during the Rick Barnes era at Tennessee, following Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone in 2019, Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer in 2021 and Kennedy Chandler in 2022.
Dilione will make his on-court debut with Tennessee this season as a 6-foot-5, 180-pound redshirt freshman, after he enrolled early with the Vols in January and sat out as a redshirt after arriving in Knoxville.
Freddie Dilione: 4-Star SG, No. 44 On3 Industry Ranking, No. 3 SG, No. 1 NC
Dilione was a four-star prospect out of Word of God Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. He’s was No. 44 overall prospect nationally in the 2023 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was ranked No. 3 among shooting guards and No. 1 in the state of North Carolina.
But his prep days ended in January, when he left high school early to start his career at Tennessee.
“It helped me get so far ahead,” Dilione said. ‘G’ (Garrett Medenwald), the strength coach, got my body right. Coach (Rick) Barnes got my mental right, just learning the game of basketball. I think I’ll just be so far ahead.”
“I think it’s huge, I do,” Barnes said back in January when Dilione arrived on campus. “You look, (enrolling early has) been going on in football forever. The fact that he and his family decided they wanted to do it. I think it’s going to really help him a lot. Gives him a big head start on things.”
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‘I’m just a natural bucket-getter. Scoring comes easy to me.’
Dilione should be relied on heavily by Tennessee in the backcourt this season as a versatile piece for the Vols, with the ability to play both on the ball and off. He started playing point guard in 10th grade after growing up off the ball, but describes himself as being ready for either role.
“Very comfortable,” Dilione said. “As I got older, and bigger and stronger, my handles got better. I got way more comfortable.”
He’s ready to play wherever needed next season.
“Wherever Coach (Barnes) puts me at,” Dilione said. “I can handle the ball, I can play off the ball, too. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.”
Tennessee added six new players over the offseason during another round of roster overhaul. The Vols signed four-star forward JP Estrella, four-star wing Cameron Carr and three-star forward Cade Phillips.
They added Northern Colorado wing Dalton Knecht, Harvard forward Chris Ledlum and UNC Upstate shooting guard Jordan Gainey.
What Dilione said he’ll add is instant offense.
“I’m just a natural bucket-getter,” Dilione said back in March. “Scoring comes easy to me.”
