Tracking Tennessee basketball's NCAA Transfer Portal departures, offseason roster movement

Three Tennessee basketball players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal over the last five days, opening up five of the 13 scholarship spots on the 2024-25 roster. First was redshirt freshman guard Freddie Dilione V, followed by redshirt freshman wing DJ Jefferson and sophomore forward Tobe Awaka.

Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi have all exhausted their eligibility, leaving juniors Zakai Zeigler, Jonas Aidoo, Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey and freshmen JP Estrella, Cam Carr and Cade Phillips as the only players scheduled to return next season.

Here’s a closer look at the updated roster breakdown, with five players out and only one player — incoming freshman guard Bishop Boswell — currently set to be added for next season:

Departures

Dalton Knecht: Consensus First Team All-American. SEC Player of the Year. First Team All-SEC. The SEC’s highest scorer in league play over the last 22 seasons, averaging 25.5 points per conference game. Finished second in Tennessee single-season scoring with 780 points, behind the 806 Allan Houston scored in 1990-91. Knecht averaged 21.7 points per game, scoring 39 or more points in three games, 35 or more six times, 30 or more in eight games and 25 or more 13 times.

Josiah-Jordan James: Started 123 times in 144 career games at Tennessee. Averaged 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, giving the Vols a versatile player on both ends of the floor the last five seasons.

Santiago Vescovi: Started 144 times in his 149 career games at Tennessee, averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per game. He made 102 3-point field goals during a career year in 2021-22, joining Chris Lofton as the only other player in program history to hit 100-plus threes in a season.

In the NCAA Transfer Portal

Tobe Awaka (Sophomore): Entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on April 9. Continued to progress as a sophomore, averaging 5.1 points, 4.6 rebound and 0.6 blocks in 12.9 minutes per game, coming off the bench in 33 games this season. Averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game as a freshman.

Freddie Dilione V (Redshirt Freshman): Entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on April 4. The former four-star shooting guard in the 2022 recruiting class was never able to consistently crack the rotation this season. He enrolled at Tennessee in January 2023, sitting out as a redshirt for the second half of last season, but rarely saw the floor during his redshirt freshman season. Dilione, a Fayetteville, N.C., native, was ranked No. 44 overall as a recruit. He was the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina in 2022. 

DJ Jefferson (Redshirt Freshman): Entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on April 8. Another four-star prospect in the 2022 class that has not yet got off the ground at Tennessee. His only appearance this season was in the season-opening win over Tennessee Tech. The Richardson, Texas, native was ranked No. 89 overall, No. 25 among small forwards and No. 1 in the state of Minnesota, out of Minnesota Preparatory Academy.

Scheduled to return

Jonas Aidoo (Junior): Arguably Tennessee’s most improved player this season. He started every game, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game. Aidoo will likely go through the NBA Draft process, receiving feedback from NBA personnel, but needs to return to college for his senior season. 

Zakai Zeigler (Junior): All he did this season was come back from a torn ACL and have a career year. His 11.8 points, 6.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 31.5 minutes per game, shooting 39.3% from the field and 34.4% from the 3-point line, all career-best numbers.

Jordan Gainey (Junior): His production was up and down in his first season at Tennessee, after transferring from USC Upstate. He averaged 6.9 points in 18.5 minutes per game, coming off the bench in all 34 games.

Jahmai Mashack (Junior): Averaged 4.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.7 minutes per game, starting six times in 34 games. An important piece on the defensive end as Tennessee’s best perimeter defender and one of the best in college basketball. 

JP Estrella (Freshman): The big man of the future for Tennessee. Appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 5.0 minutes per game, with 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11, 241-pound native of South Portland, Maine, was the No. 60 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

Cade Phillips (Freshman): Appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game. Impressed Tennessee coaches this summer, playing his way out of the redshirt conversation.

Cam Carr (Freshman): An uber athletic wing, listed at 6-foot-5, 175 pounds. Appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 1.5 points and 0.6 rebounds in 4.2 minutes per game. Tennessee’s coaching staff believes he could have legit NBA upside down the road.

Incoming Freshman

Bishop Boswell: The four-star point guard committed to Tennessee in September and signed with the Vols in November. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder out of Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., was ranked No. 71 overall in the 2024 class. He’s the No. 11 point guard and the No. 8 prospect in the state of North Carolina. So far he’s the lone player in Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class.