2025 Transfer Portal Thread

#8,878
#8,878
A-RodWiLks said:
The lifeguard at the west side Y is an upgrade from Igor
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He averaged 9 points 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 58% true shooting. I think that would be a pretty good return from Carey next season and would still result in a bunch of people like you on this board calling him a bum, but that’s the way it goes
 
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#8,879
#8,879
Vol49er said:
Maybe. I’m not as down on Milicic as most are, though he definitely tailed off down the stretch. Perhaps this is moving the goalposts, but even if our 3 and 4 can match last years, that might not be enough if Ament isn’t ready to carry an offensive load like Lanier did. And I can’t imagine we’ll be better on defense without Zakai and Jahmai. I just see us slipping a bit this year, which is fine, we’ve just had maybe the two best years in program history so regression would not be something to be mad at. But if Ament really is capable of being a number one option and one of Abram or Carey surprises me, who knows. I’m also a huge fan of Estrella but not counting on anything from him till we have some clarity on his foot
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My basic thought is this…
Last years 5: 54.1ppg

Next years potential 5 (Gillespie, Abram, Carey, Okpara): 42.1ppg


So if Ament gives you 12ppg that matches, and that would be a really low number as I’ve laid out statistical history of like players, 15ppg seems like a much more realistic floor. That’s also not counting for increased minutes for Carey but using his same PPG from just 20mpg last year, and also not giving any boost to Okpara potentially being any better.

There’s no way to know and we’ll have all offseason to argue it, but I think there’s a reason why Barttorvik projects that as a Top 10 offense.
 
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#8,880
#8,880
bleedingTNorange said:
My basic thought is this…
Last years 5: 54.1ppg

Next years potential 5 (Gillespie, Abram, Carey, Okpara): 42.1ppg


So if Ament gives you 12ppg that matches, and that would be a really low number as I’ve laid out statistical history of like players, 15ppg seems like a much more realistic floor. That’s also not counting for increased minutes for Carey but using his same PPG from just 20mpg last year, and also not giving any boost to Okpara potentially being any better.

There’s no way to know and we’ll have all offseason to argue it, but I think there’s a reason why Barttorvik projects that as a Top 10 offense.
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Yeah it doesn’t account for development of Carey and Okpara, but it also doesn’t account for the very large jump in competition for Abram from a weak AAC. Also, unless CA really is a freshman phenom, we’ve got nobody on the bench that can score like Gainey. Now, there is a plausible scenario where we improve on offense. 1. Abram handles the step up in comp well. 2. Ament lives up to the hype. 3. Carey thrives with added minutes. 4. JP stays healthy and is able to practice enough in the offseason to develop. 5. Gainey is able to return. This is of course very imprecise, but, roughly, I think if 3/5 of those things happen, we will improve on offense. But for reasons I discussed before, I’m pessimistic about 1. I’m generally less willing to rely on freshman than others on the board, so I don’t feel great about 2. And I really have no idea about 3-5. Just feels like a lot of uncertainty, which is normal for our offense going into each season, but this time it feels like we don’t have as high a floor (or ceiling) on the other end of the floor to balance that out. I think Ament’s development will be the most important aspect of whether our offense levels up, with JP as a dark horse. Gillespie I have no worries about and am super excited to have
 
#8,881
#8,881
Vol49er said:
Yeah it doesn’t account for development of Carey and Okpara, but it also doesn’t account for the very large jump in competition for Abram from a weak AAC. Also, unless CA really is a freshman phenom, we’ve got nobody on the bench that can score like Gainey. Now, there is a plausible scenario where we improve on offense. 1. Abram handles the step up in comp well. 2. Ament lives up to the hype. 3. Carey thrives with added minutes. 4. JP stays healthy and is able to practice enough in the offseason to develop. 5. Gainey is able to return. This is of course very imprecise, but, roughly, I think if 3/5 of those things happen, we will improve on offense. But for reasons I discussed before, I’m pessimistic about 1. I’m generally less willing to rely on freshman than others on the board, so I don’t feel great about 2. And I really have no idea about 3-5. Just feels like a lot of uncertainty, which is normal for our offense going into each season, but this time it feels like we don’t have as high a floor (or ceiling) on the other end of the floor to balance that out. I think Ament’s development will be the most important aspect of whether our offense levels up, with JP as a dark horse. Gillespie I have no worries about and am super excited to have
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My thought was not adding in development for those 2 probably evens with increased comp for Abram, so just left as is. As for bench, last year we had Gainey & Phillips, a combined 16ppg. On the above roster we’d have Estrella, Phillips, Evans, Massamba, Boswell, Henderson & Brown. Obviously all 7 wouldn’t play, but I feel confident that with that much competition and options Barnes can find 2-3 guys off the bench who can combine for 16ppg. I think the offensive ceiling is absolutely higher than last years squad, I’m not sure that’s even debatable, as for a floor, at one point I think we were in the 40’s offensively efficiency, I struggle to see this squad falling to that.

As for defense, we’ve all been saying how we want Barnes to recruit offense and teach defense, this seems like a roster that will at least push that theory a little bit. You’ve got some athletic pieces that can probably defend, but most of these guys are scorers/offense first, will be Rick’s job to get them there defensively and I have faith that’ll likely happen. Maybe they aren’t Top 3 defensively, but if you’ve got a Top 10-15 offense they don’t need to be.
 
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#8,882
#8,882
nateernst said:
Could Massamba genuinely be a 5-Star kind of prospect?? He absolutely has 5-Star athleticism but I just don’t wanna get my hopes too high that he pushes for like
8.5-12 ppg off the jump.
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He’s very underrated in a lot of these posts. If he was a high school senior and been in the AAU circuit,leagues etc he’d be rated a five star.
 
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#8,883
#8,883
bleedingTNorange said:
My thought was not adding in development for those 2 probably evens with increased comp for Abram, so just left as is. As for bench, last year we had Gainey & Phillips, a combined 16ppg. On the above roster we’d have Estrella, Phillips, Evans, Massamba, Boswell, Henderson & Brown. Obviously all 7 wouldn’t play, but I feel confident that with that much competition and options Barnes can find 2-3 guys off the bench who can combine for 16ppg. I think the offensive ceiling is absolutely higher than last years squad, I’m not sure that’s even debatable, as for a floor, at one point I think we were in the 40’s offensively efficiency, I struggle to see this squad falling to that.

As for defense, we’ve all been saying how we want Barnes to recruit offense and teach defense, this seems like a roster that will at least push that theory a little bit. You’ve got some athletic pieces that can probably defend, but most of these guys are scorers/offense first, will be Rick’s job to get them there defensively and I have faith that’ll likely happen. Maybe they aren’t Top 3 defensively, but if you’ve got a Top 10-15 offense they don’t need to be.
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I agree with you that the ceiling is higher on offense, just not sure the floor isn’t lower. Even when things were mucked up the last two years, we could just turn into “Let Dalton/Chaz (to a lesser extent) take over” as a last resort. Not sure if we have that guy this year, which is why Ament being able to be an alpha right away is so important. Especially when we don’t have anybody really adept at getting cheap points at the free throw line like Zakai. Now the obvious retort is that we didn’t know Dalton and Chaz were those guys before the season, but I feel better betting on seniors than freshman. And the point about a lack of opportunities at the line still scares me.

I’ve never been one of those guys who wanted to trade defense for offense. His approach has gotten us to several of our best seasons in program history, and the odds just haven’t broken our way to break through to a final four. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have or wouldn’t have, so I don’t see a great need to make a big departure in roster building philosophy. Not that I think that’s what Barnes is doing, I think it’s a subtle shift. And it could work. But it introduces a wider range of outcomes; more volatility, potentially. And as a life long Vols fan, when there is a wider range of outcomes, I assume the worst one will result
 
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#8,884
#8,884
Vol49er said:
I agree with you that the ceiling is higher on offense, just not sure the floor isn’t lower. Even when things were mucked up the last two years, we could just turn into “Let Dalton/Chaz (to a lesser extent) take over” as a last resort. Not sure if we have that guy this year, which is why Ament being able to be an alpha right away is so important. Especially when we don’t have anybody really adept at getting cheap points at the free throw line like Zakai. Now the obvious retort is that we didn’t know Dalton and Chaz were those guys before the season, but I feel better betting on seniors than freshman. And the point about a lack of opportunities at the line still scares me.

I’ve never been one of those guys who wanted to trade defense for offense. His approach has gotten us to several of our best seasons in program history, and the odds just haven’t broken our way to break through to a final four. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have or wouldn’t have, so I don’t see a great need to make a big departure in roster building philosophy. Not that I think that’s what Barnes is doing, I think it’s a subtle shift. And it could work. But it introduces a wider range of outcomes; more volatility, potentially. And as a life long Vols fan, when there is a wider range of outcomes, I assume the worst one will result
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All fair takes
 
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#8,886
#8,886
VolOnthePlains said:
He averaged 9 points 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 58% true shooting. I think that would be a pretty good return from Carey next season and would still result in a bunch of people like you on this board calling him a bum, but that’s the way it goes
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All that plus being the best screener. Solid defender. The scout on him was threat from deep, which opened up offense when we set him up high. Etc..

The Igor hate is silly. But some people always need someone to blame.
 
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#8,887
#8,887
omghulkhands said:
All that plus being the best screener. Solid defender. The scout on him was threat from deep, which opened up offense when we set him up high. Etc..

The Igor hate is silly. But some people always need someone to blame.
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I loved Igor, not hating, and think he brought a lot…he had a really bad close to the year but was great in spurts, felt like there was always another gear and potential to go off. With that said inconsistency is the toughest thing for coaches to handle, they want to know what they’re going to get and you never did with Igor. Not sure what Carey will bring but being just a sophomore and posting comparable numbers in the same league is a nice start, the coaches said he was the best screener they saw all year so guessing they like how that’ll translate also, if nothing else it feels like a guy that will defend and rebound every single night.
 
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#8,888
#8,888
bleedingTNorange said:
I loved Igor, not hating, and think he brought a lot…he had a really bad close to the year but was great in spurts, felt like there was always another gear and potential to go off. With that said inconsistency is the toughest thing for coaches to handle, they want to know what they’re going to get and you never did with Igor. Not sure what Carey will bring but being just a sophomore and posting comparable numbers in the same league is a nice start, the coaches said he was the best screener they saw all year so guessing they like how that’ll translate also, if nothing else it feels like a guy that will defend and rebound every single night.
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Well for one, Carey played in the best conference as a younger player. That matters.
 
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#8,894
#8,894
bleedingTNorange said:
Question now is what are they gonna do with that 3rd spot…
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I’d leave it open, just in case, for Gainey. But not sure that 5th year thing happens. I’d say either Kennedy or someone similar as a developmental upside guy. Passmore would be exciting, but not sure if that’ll pick up steam or not.
 
#8,897
#8,897
ToddKirk87 said:
I’d leave it open, just in case, for Gainey. But not sure that 5th year thing happens. I’d say either Kennedy or someone similar as a developmental upside guy. Passmore would be exciting, but not sure if that’ll pick up steam or not.
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This makes sense, feel like team has enough with 12 not to rock the boat.
 
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#8,898
#8,898
bleedingTNorange said:
I loved Igor, not hating, and think he brought a lot…he had a really bad close to the year but was great in spurts, felt like there was always another gear and potential to go off. With that said inconsistency is the toughest thing for coaches to handle, they want to know what they’re going to get and you never did with Igor. Not sure what Carey will bring but being just a sophomore and posting comparable numbers in the same league is a nice start, the coaches said he was the best screener they saw all year so guessing they like how that’ll translate also, if nothing else it feels like a guy that will defend and rebound every single night.
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That's where I'm at with Igor. You've heard about ascending players breaking thru the glass ceiling...it felt like Igor broke thru the glass floor as the season wore on. He got worse and worse (read that as less effective and impactful) with each passing month to the point he was playing his worst basketball at the end of the year. Part of the negative perception was that he ended on such a whimper when the offseason reports had him potentially being our best and most versatile offensive weapon. Another case of overinflated gush reports in the offseason, or a case of a guy who struggled to be the man when called upon, you be the judge.
 
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#8,899
#8,899
ToddKirk87 said:
I’d leave it open, just in case, for Gainey. But not sure that 5th year thing happens. I’d say either Kennedy or someone similar as a developmental upside guy. Passmore would be exciting, but not sure if that’ll pick up steam or not.
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They’ll probably have to overpay a bit if they want a guy like Passmore, Perry or Chaikin to take that last spot…clearly there’s a lot of competition and so it would have to be someone willing to A. Compete but also B. Willing to be patient and wait a year potentially, other places probably have a more open depth chart, but that’s where overpaying may help. I don’t think we had to break the bank of AA or CM so I do think there are funds to get that done if we wanted to, we’ll see.

My understanding on Gainey is that if that happens the 15 thing has happened already, so he’ll have a spot not dependent on the 13 regardless.
 
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