Roster Update: Jersey numbers, heights and weights for Tennessee basketball's newcomers
Two of Tennessee basketball’s three signees from the 2023 recruiting cycle arrived on campus this week, with freshmen forwards JP Estrella and Cade Phillips enrolling on campus in Knoxville. Cameron Carr, the four-star wing who signed with the Vols in the fall, is expected to arrive later this summer.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s updated roster for the 2023-24 season, including jersey numbers (Freddie Dilione IV switched from No. 10 to No. 1 after BJ Edwards transferred to SMU), heights and weights (including Estrella showing up weighing 233 pounds, a pleasant surprise for the Vols):
No. 0 — Jonas Aidoo, Junior
Jonas Aidoo, 6-11, 241: Averaged 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game as a sophomore, starting nine times and appearing in all 35 games. The former four-star center prospect averaged 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game as a freshman.
No. 1 — Freddie Dilione IV, Redshirt Freshman
Freddie Dilione IV, 6-5, 180: Enrolled early and joined the Vols in January, sitting out as a redshirt the second half of the season. Was a four-star prospect out of Word of God Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C., ranked No. 44 overall nationally. He was ranked No. 3 among shooting guards and No. 1 in the state of North Carolina.
No. 2 — Jordan Gainey, Junior
Jordan Gainey, 6-3 ,176: The USC Upstate transfer shooting guard averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from the 3-point line over the last two seasons at USC Upstate. He’s the son of Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey.
No. 3 — Dalton Knecht, Fifth Year
Dalton Knecht, 6-6, 204: The Northern Colorado transfer wing averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.3 minutes per game in 32 games last season, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from the 3-point line.
No. 4 — Chris Ledlum, Fifth Year
Chris Ledlum, 6-6, 242: The power forward transfer averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game at Harvard last season, shooting 47.3 percent from the floor.
No. 5 — Zakai Zeigler, Junior
Zakai Zeigler, 5-9, 171: Averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game, shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from the 3-point line. Tore ACL in February 28 win over Arkansas.
No. 11 — Tobe Awaka, Sophomore
Tobe Awaka, 6-8, 250: The freshman forward averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game off the bench. Grabbed 128 rebounds in 350 minutes played, including 59 offensive boards.
No. 12 — Cade Phillips, Freshman
Cade Phillips, 6-9, 197: A center prospect and another product of Link Academy in Missouri. The Rainbow City, Ala., native, was ranked No. 141 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 28 power forward in the 2023 class and the No. 1 overall player in Alabama. He’s the most likely redshirt candidate as a freshman next season.
No. 13 — JP Estrella, Freshman
JP Estrella, 6-11, 233: The big-bodied power forward was a four-star prospect out of South Portland, Maine. He was ranked No. 56 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 8 power forward and the No. 2 player in the state of New Hampshire, where he attended Brewster Academy.
No. 15 — Jahmai Mashack, Junior
Jahmai Mashack, 6-4, 201: Wing who averaged 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.1 minutes per game as a sophomore, making 13 starts in 36 games. Shot 42.0 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from the 3-point line.
No. 25 — Santiago Vescovi, Fifth Year
Santiago Vescovi, 6-3, 192: Announced his return for a fifth season with the Vols in April. Led Tennessee last season in both scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game, and minutes, playing 32.9 minutes per game. Shot 39.6 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from the 3-point line, going 91 of 246 from deep.
No. 30 — Josiah-Jordan James, Fifth Year
Josiah Jordan-James, 6-6, 224: Over four seasons at Tennessee, James has made 87 starts in 108 games, averaging 27.9 minutes per game. He scored 9.0 points per game for his career, shooting 38.0 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from the 3-point line. Also averaged 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
No. 44 — DJ Jefferson, Redshirt Freshman
DJ Jefferson, 6-5, 207: Sat out as a redshirt during his freshman season. The 6-foot-5, 207-pounder out of Richardson, Texas, was a consensus four-star prospect, ranked No. 51 overall in the 2022 class according to the On3 rankings. He was the No. 17 small forward in the country and the No. 1 player in Minnesota, where he attended Minnesota Prep Academy.
Walk-Ons
Tennessee has added two new walk-ons in Grant Hurst, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound redshirt sophomore out of Cleveland, Tenn., and Kaylan Makan, a 6-foot, 166-pound guard out of Little Rock, Ark. The Vols return walk-on Colin Coyne, the 6-foot-9, 239-pound senior forward. Josiah-Jordan James will also be a walk-on after returning for a fifth year while rejoining a roster that was already at the limit of 13 scholarships.
Hurst, who will wear jersey No. 23, transferred to Tennessee from UT Martin. As a redshirt freshman at Martin last season, he totaled 20 points, 22 rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals, playing over 230 minutes in 23 games as a backup point guard. He was a standout at Cleveland High School, scoring 1,469 points during his prep career. He averaged 18.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as a senior in 2020-21.
Makan, who will wear jersey No. 24, was a freshman at The Citadel last season, appearing in two games. He spent the 2021-22 season at Hargrave Military Academy. He attended Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, averaging 12.0 points and sooting 48.0 percent from the 3-point line.
