2026 Vols Transfer Portal Thread

[sami]

I agree, but he can, I think of Haralson as a Cade Cunningham kind of player. His shot is going to come and he is already a great passer. Not saying he is a PG like Cade. They both finish at the rim, almost any time they want to. Just their style of play and Cade had to develop his shot. In other words, I think Haralson has mad potential, especially if he develops his shooting. Plus, he's my new favorite Vol since Amari left

To be a rotation level NBA player, Haralson will have to be at the very least a competent 3-pt. shooter, at the 33-34% area. The G-league and overseas leagues are full of athletic tweeners who can get to the rim but can't shoot.

In college, completely different story. He should be a factor this year, and if he stays could be next year's stud. I could see him in a point-forward kind of role.

 

[Lefteye]

Think he's in the bag. Just giving Juke his moment.

Ibe Por Favour?

 

[i2amavol]

The 6-10 guy started, if we are talking about the 2005-6 vols. And the 6-7 guy started also about half the time.

It was

CJ
Lofton
Dane
Patterson (6-7)
Wingate (6-10)

Or

CJ
Lofton
Asumnu
Dane (6-4)
Wingate (6-10)

And they won a lot of games, but their kryptonite was height. Tall rosters gave them a really hard time for the most part. They got dog-walked by LSU and Memphis. Of course, they went on to upgrade the roster and etc, but that 06 team was fun but definitely needed more height

Bradshaw was not half the offensive player, after he injured his wrist (I think). They didn't talk much about it, but it made a huge difference.

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

Because Brown isn’t the rim protector Rubin is, he’s not an alternative? That makes no sense. Of course he’s an alternative. They have different skill sets. Just like Felix and JP had different skill sets. The alternatives at the 5 are Rubin, Lue (who is also a good rim protector, averaging 1.4 bpg last season) and Brown. That’s not “zero alternatives.” That’s 3 different dudes with 3 different skill sets. And we’ll likely add a 4th.

It’s funny because Ron Slay has said the same thing. We need another rim protector at the 5. We have plenty of guys that can play the 4. I don’t see Brown or Lue being an effective 5…especially against taller teams.

 

[StepCross]

The Lofton teams’ kryptonite wasn’t tall front lines. It was tall Guards. That’s why we lost to Louisville in 2008 in the S16 with what was probably Pearl’s greatest team.

Those LSU and Memphis losses…same problem…big Guards/Wings.

That was later. The 08 team lost to Louisville and by then we had chism and crews and Childress and Brian williams. Even JP prince as a big wing. Not to mention Tyler smith, who was only 6-7 but much stronger than Patterson had been. (We also suspended or dismissed our starting PG right before that Louisville game, which didn’t help)

But the 06 team had wingate and then uh oh, if someone went double big (which lsu and Memphis did, and we could not guard the second big).

 

[Tall_Vol]

But the 06 team had wingate and then uh oh, if someone went double big (which lsu and Memphis did, and we could not guard the second big).

The revisionist history on this board is hysterical.

 

[NighthawkVol]

That was later. The 08 team lost to Louisville and by then we had chism and crews and Childress and Brian williams. Even JP prince as a big wing. Not to mention Tyler smith, who was only 6-7 but much stronger than Patterson had been. (We also suspended or dismissed our starting PG right before that Louisville game, which didn’t help)

But the 06 team had wingate and then uh oh, if someone went double big (which lsu and Memphis did, and we could not guard the second big).

Yes, 08 was later. But UT was still small at Guard (both teams had Lofton and JaJuan Smith at Guard/Wing). LSU and Memphis beat us with big Guards in 06, just like Louisville did in 08. After losing back to back games to LSU & Memphis in 06, Tennessee beat Florida (1st of 2 wins over Florida that year) in spite of the fact Florida dwarfed our front line.

So my point remains…our size disadvantage on the front line wasn’t our kryptonite because it didn’t get us beat. Our size disadvantage at Guard was what got us beat.

 

[NighthawkVol]

The revisionist history on this board is hysterical.

I’m not sure he understands that Horford and Noah were the “double bigs”…and they were on Florida’s team.

 

[TrippieRedd]

How many teams can we realistically say have a better starting 5?

Florida, I’ll give you that.
Illinois, maybe

Other than that….I’m not seeing it.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

How many teams can we realistically say have a better starting 5?

Florida, I’ll give you that.
Illinois, maybe

Other than that….I’m not seeing it.

Duke, Arizona, Louisville, Texas & Illinois all come to mind as potentially…without Aberdeen I actually don’t think Florida does.

 

[StepCross]

The revisionist history on this board is hysterical.

Not revisionist history. I loved that team. Went to multiple games, and I did not live in Knoxville. It was one of my favorite seasons ever. I was there for the famous pregame speech outside TBA (“this is your basketball team, I’m your basketball coach, and we will kick Florida’s ass”)

But if a team went double big, you had either Dane or Patterson on a big, and that’s not a good matchup. We hid it well. But it’s the truth.

Fortunately not many teams played true double big even then. LSU did, and they hurt us.

Florida had two big guys but one was Joakim Noah, who was not really a post-up player. Also Florida relied on the ball screen and we were fast and aggressive and bothered them a good bit.

I don’t really know why we are arguing. I don’t mind small ball. The best defenses ever assembled at Tennessee featured JJJ at the 4. I think we will be fine this year.

 

[cncchris33]

How many teams can we realistically say have a better starting 5?

Florida, I’ll give you that.
Illinois, maybe

Other than that….I’m not seeing it.

Arkansas maybe has a right to be in the discussion if Meleek Thomas returns to join Billy Richmond, Jeremiah Wilkinson, Cooper Bowser, and the #1 incoming freshmen class in the country. They'd actually be built very similar to us in terms of size and team strength.

Duke and Louisville will be there in the discussion.

 

[wtmvol]

I don’t even know what the rosters will look like for Michigan or UCONN and I’m putting them in the top 10 somewhere.

 

[cncchris33]

Speaking of rosters, this can't be right can't it?
Not a single returning player, no incoming freshmen, and only one portal addition?

 

[Jimmy Football]

Speaking of rosters, this can't be right can't it?View attachment 830616
Not a single returning player, no incoming freshmen, and only one portal addition?

I think they got Santos from Israel, also.

 

[VolGee4]

Speaking of rosters, this can't be right can't it?View attachment 830616
Not a single returning player, no incoming freshmen, and only one portal addition?

I heard a guy who writes for SI on radio this afternoon say that they are going to bring in a bunch of international players. Supposedly, Stansbury has been working the overseas pool for weeks now. Imagine Wade and Stansbury together- they would be passing out envelopes left and right in the old days.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Speaking of rosters, this can't be right can't it?View attachment 830616
Not a single returning player, no incoming freshmen, and only one portal addition?

Year 1 is going to be a disaster for Wade unless he does arguably the best coaching job of his career. He’s probably praying for some senior to win a lawsuit against the NCAA for additional eligibility. I think players have started to recognize how much of a scumbag he is and that every other program can pay them legally now so why play for him?

 

[allvolrecruiting]

this team gives me 2020-2021 baylor vibes

Imo more so the Bama team the F4 with Mark Sears and Grant Nelson (just using teams that made F4). Baylor had stud guards but they had a couple bruisers down low, something we don't

 

[TrapVol]

Imo more so the Bama team the F4 with Mark Sears and Grant Nelson (just using teams that made F4). Baylor had stud guards but they had a couple bruisers down low, something we don't

The F4 Bama team had crossed my mind as well. I do hope they play better defense than that Bama team.

 

[adam.vol]

I heard a guy who writes for SI on radio this afternoon say that they are going to bring in a bunch of international players. Supposedly, Stansbury has been working the overseas pool for weeks now. Imagine Wade and Stansbury together- they would be passing out envelopes left and right in the old days.

I touched on this a bit in another thread. If LSU is looking to spend around $15m+ (heard that number from SportTalk J), it will be interesting to see what type of talent they may attract from pro leagues in other countries. Kentucky and LSU are going to have to buy some Euro talent if they want to field a competitive team this coming year.

 

[Chemvol]

Speaking of rosters, this can't be right can't it?View attachment 830616
Not a single returning player, no incoming freshmen, and only one portal addition?

Couldn’t happen to a better coach

 

[iVolSoHard]

The Lofton teams’ kryptonite wasn’t tall front lines. It was tall Guards. That’s why we lost to Louisville in 2008 in the S16 with what was probably Pearl’s greatest team.

Those LSU and Memphis losses…same problem…big Guards/Wings.

Aaaah, Garrett Temple. I definitely didn't expect that guy to have a long NBA career. Even crazier, he's still active in the NBA after being undrafted out of college.

 

[Bigorangefan 98]

Aaaah, Garrett Temple. I definitely didn't expect that guy to have a long NBA career. Even crazier, he's still active in the NBA after being undrafted out of college.

Pearls best team was 2010

 

[walkenvol]

Year 1 is going to be a disaster for Wade unless he does arguably the best coaching job of his career. He’s probably praying for some senior to win a lawsuit against the NCAA for additional eligibility. I think players have started to recognize how much of a scumbag he is and that every other program can pay them legally now so why play for him?

Based on his track record, don’t think praying is on his to do list.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I heard a guy who writes for SI on radio this afternoon say that they are going to bring in a bunch of international players. Supposedly, Stansbury has been working the overseas pool for weeks now. Imagine Wade and Stansbury together- they would be passing out envelopes left and right in the old days.

Yea, I would unfortunately pump the breaks on their demise, supposedly they’re gonna kill it internationally. Rumors they’re gonna get Montero which would be the equivalent to adding the clear #1 player in the portal, All-American type. Also thought to be a frontrunner for Suigo, a projected first round 7’3” Aday Mara clone. They’re looking to add like 7-8 from overseas, essentially Illinois Jr. route.