2025 Transfer Portal Thread

[vol94]

Goodness... soooo TN... we think and we're trending and it makes sense for us to get Rice and Freeman, and just like that, they are trending elsewhere... WTF happened!?
If we whiff on them, only get Ament, we better be getting ZZ and Gainey back or we're looking at taking a major step back...

Who is reporting they are trending elsewhere?

 

[Just a VolinTears]

Really hope we can pull Rice out.

Hopefully JG can convince him.

For sure. Add Rice and Ament to what we've already got with hopefully another shooter on the way and we're a top 10 team!

 

[walkenvol]

It’s not surprising when we’re making lower offers and all the other teams in the mix are fine with “overpaying.”

If the kid is not from here, why would they take way less money? I don’t know why we ever thought the four guys we are pursuing (including JG) would all take less money. Maybe a couple of them will, but not all of them.

Is it possible we’re on these guys early and our offers are their calculated value? Then, all the others start making higher offers and we have to either sit pat or join in the bidding going higher than what we consider their value to be?

 

[joevols89]

Live streamed himself playing 2v2 for $1k.

Allegedly

 

[TrippieRedd]

For sure. Add Rice and Ament to what we've already got with hopefully another shooter on the way and we're a top 10 team!

Part of me thinks we land him. I don’t know why.

I just keep going back to the article that came out when JG committed. He specifically said he was gonna recruit Ament and Rice to come with him. I know that’s stupid as hell.

He never mentioned Freeman in it, so maybe Freeman was always a cherry on top

 

[cncchris33]

Sounds like something Chad Baker Mazara would do. He’ll fit in well at Auburn.

There were no reports of flagrant fouls or flopping fwiw

 

[Legion of Doom]

Allegedly

Nothing is done here. Wait and see what happens. 400K is nothing. Living in Knoxville vs Dump of Auburn, AL worth a million dollars.

 

[walkenvol]

Let's hope $400K doesn't cost us Freeman

That’s a lot of $. Not reasonable to expect us to match the highest offer on every player we’re recruiting. The whole NIL has become a runaway train but we aren’t required to hitch our car to that locomotive.

 

[nateernst]

Taking Inspiration from the great @TrippieRedd:
Pg: Gil
Sg: Rice
Sf: Ament
Pf: Carey
C: Okpara

Bench: Estrella, Phillips, Evans, (hopefully transfer guard), Henderson, Brown.

Team is ridiculously good. In the coping of potentially losing freeman I am weirdly becoming optimistic about Carey being a 10+ ppg guy next year.

 

[Legion of Doom]

That’s a lot of $. Not reasonable to expect us to match the highest offer on every player we’re recruiting. The whole NIL has become a runaway train but we aren’t required to hitch our car to that locomotive.

That is nothing for them to match. If they want kid they can easily match that.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Careful...honest and balanced acknowledgement of this is a touchy subject for a few.

Nuance is illegal in Appalachia.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

It’s the recurring theme with nearly every guy and that’s what is beyond frustrating. It happened with Chaz last year with BYU and Kentucky. Both had higher offers but thankfully for us he was from Tennessee and wanted to be here so he took less. Same deal with Jakobi getting offered nearly double from Nova. I’m not sure if our staff is surprised when this happens? Idk it’s a simple solution, you either pay up or we miss on our top targets and then act convince ourself we’re fine

You should let Barnes know how to run the program.

I’m sure he’d appreciate your insight.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Taking Inspiration from the great @TrippieRedd:
Pg: Gil
Sg: Rice
Sf: Ament
Pf: Carey
C: Okpara

Bench: Estrella, Phillips, Evans, (hopefully transfer guard), Henderson, Brown.

Team is ridiculously good. In the coping of potentially losing freeman I am weirdly becoming optimistic about Carey being a 10+ ppg guy next year.

Yessssirrrr

Having Gill, Rice and Ament on the floor will open up everything and will give Carey plenty of opportunities.

Only worry about Carey is his conditioning. That’s the only reason I’ve said come off the bench. If he can get that right, then I’m all for him starting…he’s a bulldog

 

[walkenvol]

Also, don’t care if i’m being “negative” We haven’t had much other traction with other quality players. Can’t invest the time and resources into Rice and Freeman and let them go because of a 400k offer more than ours. Basilio was saying Barnes is all in for a final 4 run based on what he heard. Well it’s time to get real serious about that

Maybe Barnes should contribute that last $400K then?

 

[TrapVol]

Just got word that while Freeman isn’t an ignoramoose, his peg game score was “just plain dumb“. This might explain why Tennessee is reluctant to pony up another 400K.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Maybe Barnes should contribute that last $400K then?

I was close the other night.

Some mf named Matt Mervis couldn’t get a hit for me.

Was just a random 25 leg parlay that I made up. Literally missed it by that one.

 

[Legion of Doom]

Maybe Barnes should contribute that last $400K then?

That could work lol. He has some extra money for sure probably with bonuses could cover it.

 

[TrippieRedd]

I want Freeman, but if he goes to Auburn….its gonna be fun watching Ament stuff him in a locker

 

[CamVol8]

Maybe Barnes should contribute that last $400K then?

If he is as serious about a final 4 as he claims to be then yeah

 

[Jimmy Football]

Just got word that while Freeman isn’t an ignoramoose, his peg game score was “just plain dumb“. This might explain why Tennessee is reluctant to pony up another 400K.

If you can’t at least get to “purty smart,” you won’t play for Rick Barnes, that’s for sure.

 

[VolFan_stuck_in_the_901]

If he is as serious about a final 4 as he claims to be then yeah

... I have no words

 

[walkenvol]

That is nothing for them to match. If they want kid they can easily match that.

From reading this board, $400K was close to what Knecht received 2 seasons back. These numbers have escalated by stupid proportions. Paying a division 2 player $1.5-2 million hoping his skills translate to the SEC is insane and unsustainable. Sometimes you have to walk away from a bad deal even though you desire the item for sale.

 

[Vol49er]

Can someone fill me in why Freeman playing 2 v 2 for money is a bad thing or reflects poorly on his character?

 

[bleedingTNorange]

These aren’t related, just presenting a hypothetical for conversation, would you rather…

Option A: Nate Ament, Zakai Zeigler, Jordan Gainey & Alex Chaikin

Option B: Rodney Rice, Elyjah Freeman, Alex Chaikin, Rakease Passmore

 

[Col_Cathcart]

The key (for him) is that they aren’t transfers. If you could launder them through another school it would be more exciting somehow

It’s like how the food tastes better when you eat it off your little brother’s plate. I get it.