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What Tennessee Basketball's new coaches have seen from Vols' new-look roster

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•06/20/25•

GrantRamey

Felix Okpara
Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

It didn’t take Amorrow Morgan long to learn about Tennessee Basketball’s new-look basketball roster. The newly hired assistant coach saw it all — on the floor and off — in just a matter of days. 

“Just seeing some of the guys, getting in the gym and sitting in our first team meeting,” Morgan said in May, “I was really impressed just with the leadership, from the continuity that we do have, the returners, just some of the things that they’ve said about their time here. 

“Some of those guys have played elsewhere and you can just see the love that they have for this place and the love that they have for the staff.” 

Tennessee returns four scholarship players next season

Tennessee’s 2025-26 roster returns just four scholarship players after losing six seniors and undergoing another massive offseason roster overhaul. 

Coming back are senior center Felix Okpara, redshirt sophomore forward JP Estrella, junior forward Cade Phillips and sophomore guard Bishop Boswell.

Tennessee added three players from the NCAA Transfer Portal: Maryland point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Louisiana Tech guard Amaree Abram and Vanderbilt power forward Jaylen Carey.

Five-star small forward Nate Ament, the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 class, headlined a five-player recruiting class. 

“Just getting in here and knowing the returning guys,” new assistant coach Steve McClain said last month, “knowing the recruits, It’s a very talented roster. It’s a roster that’s built to play the way coach plays and in the world we’re living in today, you replace and you get ready for another championship run. 

“There is no, ‘Well, we’re waiting for a year.’ No, you’re losing great players, which there’s no question we did. And yet you’re plugging in and getting ready for guys that fit right into the culture.” 

Both Morgan and McClain were added to Tennessee’s coaching staff in May, with Morgan hired away from Florida State and McClain coming from Texas. 

‘The foundation that was laid before them … they know it’s a hard act to follow’

They’re both trying to help the Vols continue a run of two straight Elite Eight appearances and four straight seasons with 25 or more wins. 

The players are already planning how to do just that. Their new assistant coaches have heard all about it.

“Just hearing them talk about what we need to do in order for us to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” Morgan said, “which is making a Final Four run, winning a national championship. So just for one, hearing their mentalities, I’ve been very, very impressed with.”

“They’re all hungry,” Morgan added. “They all know what the guys, the foundation that was laid before them, and they know it’s a hard act to follow. So they’re coming in with the right mindset, ready to go. I’ve been really, really impressed with their work ethic. And I’ve also been impressed with their mentality.”

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