2025 Target List

[pimo1]

So any HS signee would be an aspiring post as well.

I’m not dismissing Phillips or Estrella. They both flashed last year as true freshmen. The minutes weren’t there with Tobe, Aidoo, and even JJJ getting minutes at the 4.

I agree that they would all be prospects.. but you need bodies. JJJ played the 4 out of necessity period... We had plenty of minutes for actual post players we just had to play guards there instead. You named 3 guys for 80 minutes....there is plenty of space in there for more minutes. I mean can someone suck up 10 minutes so those guys can rest? Aidoo was our center and JJJ was the starting 4 and Awaka was the backup for both of them for all intents and purposes. You at like they were all fighting for minutes at one spot it was 2 spots and 3 people. I wish we were 3 deep at 4 or 5. We are not.

Right now as we speak we have 4.5 guys (if you count Dubar which we probably have to) to cover those 2 spots. Lets look at it another way. Right now we have 8 options to play minutes at the 3 if we needed it. 6 for the 2 and 3 for the point. Because as I said this team is and always has been crazy heavy at the wing. Even among the guys we have that will be in the rotation at poster only 2 are true post players. Estrella and Okpara.. you could argue Milicic but his best role is as a stretch 4 or 3. Philips is also at best a stretch 4. Its not just about their size its about skill set.

That being sad as entertaining as this is my real question is and has been are we in on any posts? Whether or not we can recruit 3 or 4 wings is the least of my worries as we do fine at that every year. We need some post-players and at least one true PG.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I agree that they would all be prospects.. but you need bodies. JJJ played the 4 out of necessity period... We had plenty of minutes for actual post players we just had to play guards there instead. You named 3 guys for 80 minutes....there is plenty of space in there for more minutes. I mean can someone suck up 10 minutes so those guys can rest? Aidoo was our center and JJJ was the starting 4 and Awaka was the backup for both of them for all intents and purposes. You at like they were all fighting for minutes at one spot it was 2 spots and 3 people. I wish we were 3 deep at 4 or 5. We are not.

Right now as we speak we have 4.5 guys (if you count Dubar which we probably have to) to cover those 2 spots. Lets look at it another way. Right now we have 8 options to play minutes at the 3 if we needed it. 6 for the 2 and 3 for the point. Because as I said this team is and always has been crazy heavy at the wing. Even among the guys we have that will be in the rotation at poster only 2 are true post players. Estrella and Okpara.. you could argue Milicic but his best role is as a stretch 4 or 3. Philips is also at best a stretch 4. Its not just about their size its about skill set.

That being sad as entertaining as this is my real question is and has been are we in on any posts? Whether or not we can recruit 3 or 4 wings is the least of my worries as we do fine at that every year. We need some post-players and at least one true PG.

I disagree that JJJ played the 4 out of necessity. It was a way to get him on the court since Santi, Gainey, and Knecht were getting the minutes at the wing spots. It’s also not typical that players less than a year out of high school are ever going to play a lot in the paint versus SEC competition.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I think that if Barnes didn’t believe that Estrella/Phillips were capable contributors he wouldn’t have let Uros walk.

 

[chuckiepoo]

True. Forgot about him. Super excited about him so that makes me feel more comfortable but the point is still there. They’re going to have to use both the portal and high school big time I’d imagine

Carr is seriously a threat to be drafted. Wouldn’t count on him in 25-26

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Carr is seriously a threat to be drafted. Wouldn’t count on him in 25-26

It’s a conundrum. We want Carr to have a great 2024-25 but if he has an excellent season it increases his odds of moving on. But with Igor, Dubar, Jahmai, and Chaz Lanier on the perimeter Carr might not be a draft lock until 2026.

 

[MinisterofDef#92]

Yeah, not just Tennessee...college basketball, in general. Only 11 high-major D1 programs have at least 2 commitments in the 2025 class, right now. I wonder how much the use of the portal has altered the recruiting calendar for these coaches? In the very recent past, you saw a flurry of commitments across the summer, especially with the introduction of junior year OVs. Not so much, anymore.

Coach White told a good friend of mine during an elite camp his son attended at UGA that he's not recruiting HS kids basically unless they are 5 stars because of the advantages the portal provides.

 

[cncchris33]

Coach White told a good friend of mine during an elite camp his son attended at UGA that he's not recruiting HS kids basically unless they are 5 stars because of the advantages the portal provides.

That's kind of what I wondered. The portal has basically brought recruiting to a screeching halt. Why take a flyer on a kid outside the top 75 when you can basically supplement your roster through what has effectively become the minor leagues (every conference outside the P6)?

It would be nice if there were more guardrails up against the portal that limited the number of transfers a school could accept in a year. That would help spread the wealth, even the playing field, and aid the fringe top-100 kids who are potentially seeing their recruitment suffer and their options become more limited because of the lack of focus placed upon them, anymore.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Maybe coaches aren’t thinking this way but I wouldn’t stop recruiting HS kids in favor of the portal, I would continue to utilize both. IMO bringing in 5+ transfers you’ve recruited for 2-3 weeks each year and trying to incorporate them and get a team to gem is both tough and ultra risky. Transfers also tend to cost more in NIL, so that’s another deterrent, at least imo.

Ideally I would try and have a roster where you’re adding 4-5 HS guys each class, and then 2-3 portal additions each off seasons as your own players depart to the portal. JMO

 

[pimo1]

I disagree that JJJ played the 4 out of necessity. It was a way to get him on the court since Santi, Gainey, and Knecht were getting the minutes at the wing spots. It’s also not typical that players less than a year out of high school are ever going to play a lot in the paint versus SEC competition.

If we had a legit body to play at the spot they would have found other ways to get JJJ on the court but flat out we didn't. if you start Aidoo at the 5 and Awaka at the 4 they are both fouled out by end of first half and we have no one to back them up. Those 3 were ALL we had period. Those 3 combined averaged 67 minutes a game leaving 13 guess where those other 13 went? Gainey, DK and Mashack, we went small(er) ball.....in the few games they actually played Estrella and Philips averaged 5 and 6 minutes respectively (90% garbage minutes). In our 8 regular season losses those 2 played a total of 29 minutes combined (almost all Estrella) that means over 80% of their minutes were played when we were smacking someone down. Also in those 8 losses they only actually played in 5 games (Phillips 2) Estrealla also got 15 mins in the tourney loss. In almost all those games either Awaka/Aidoo fouled out/were in foul trouble or in the case of UCN Awaka didn't even play and we played them both for a combined 15 mins and were rewarded with 4 rebounds and 4 fouls 0 points.

Trust me if lets say Uros was on the roster last season JJJ is not playing 30 mins a game at the 4... period. Those 2 were not ready, I'm pretty sure Estrealla will be quality depth this season Barnes and staff develop players good. it looks like Philips has put on some weight I think he came in at 197 or something? But even at 212 he is a bit light in the britches to be banging down low.

 

[BeAllEndAll]

From a players perspective, why come to a loaded school as a freshman and sit. Better off going somewhere and playing a lot more. More fun and a couple of years in, you are more valuable to a big school as a transfer than if you sat on the bench for a couple of years as a freshman recruit.

 

[pimo1]

I think that if Barnes didn’t believe that Estrella/Phillips were capable contributors he wouldn’t have let Uros walk.

Uhh what? I'm pretty sure it wasn't about letting him walk lol he was a 5th year senior not going to NBA he went home to play pro. I think he had a COVID year in the bank but... he is European (Balkan actually but close enough) and he was not high profile enough for NIL money to be anywhere near competitive with what he's gonna make in Europe. Him returning would be a bad business decision and keep him away from home another year. he could stay here get maybe 100k in deals or go play inEuro league or CBA or Liga and easily make high 6 figures on the bench. Average Euroleague salary is 4-800k American dollhairs Uros would be un upper middle talent wise there.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

If we had a legit body to play at the spot they would have found other ways to get JJJ on the court but flat out we didn't. if you start Aidoo at the 5 and Awaka at the 4 they are both fouled out by end of first half and we have no one to back them up. Those 3 were ALL we had period. Those 3 combined averaged 67 minutes a game leaving 13 guess where those other 13 went? Gainey, DK and Mashack, we went small(er) ball.....in the few games they actually played Estrella and Philips averaged 5 and 6 minutes respectively (90% garbage minutes). In our 8 regular season losses those 2 played a total of 29 minutes combined (almost all Estrella) that means over 80% of their minutes were played when we were smacking someone down. Also in those 8 losses they only actually played in 5 games (Phillips 2) Estrealla also got 15 mins in the tourney loss. In almost all those games either Awaka/Aidoo fouled out/were in foul trouble or in the case of UCN Awaka didn't even play and we played them both for a combined 15 mins and were rewarded with 4 rebounds and 4 fouls 0 points.

Trust me if lets say Uros was on the roster last season JJJ is not playing 30 mins a game at the 4... period. Those 2 were not ready, I'm pretty sure Estrealla will be quality depth this season Barnes and staff develop players good. it looks like Philips has put on some weight I think he came in at 197 or something? But even at 212 he is a bit light in the britches to be banging down low.

The minutes per game analysis is flawed for true freshmen that aren’t immediate impact players. The level of competition increased over the season. The Sisters of the Poor opponents were early on while the freshmen were too raw to see the court and those minutes were valuable to experiment with combinations and build the on-court chemistry of the expected regulars.

Estrella and Phillips aren’t chumps. We’re talking about the 2025-26 roster and newcomers and I believe that UT is thinner at the perimeter right now.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Uhh what? I'm pretty sure it wasn't about letting him walk lol he was a 5th year senior not going to NBA he went home to play pro. I think he had a COVID year in the bank but... he is European (Balkan actually but close enough) and he was not high profile enough for NIL money to be anywhere near competitive with what he's gonna make in Europe. Him returning would be a bad business decision and keep him away from home another year. he could stay here get maybe 100k in deals or go play inEuro league or CBA or Liga and easily make high 6 figures on the bench. Average Euroleague salary is 4-800k American dollhairs Uros would be un upper middle talent wise there.

Uhh, Uros was eligible to return for another year.

 

[pimo1]

From a players perspective, why come to a loaded school as a freshman and sit. Better off going somewhere and playing a lot more. More fun and a couple of years in, you are more valuable to a big school as a transfer than if you sat on the bench for a couple of years as a freshman recruit.

Thats the point, if you are a post or a point guard we are not loaded. If you are a wing or combo guard we got them all over the place.

But, the more serious answer is this. Barnes and staff have a record of developing players. Grant, Admiral, ZZ they will even get credit for DK though I think a good amount of that was just him being him. There are also unheralded guys like Plasvic, Santi, JJJ, Fuly, and Pons where you saw the steady improvement and guys that left like ORN but developed here. They have a strong resume to sell kids on that front.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

@pimo1
We had Awaka, Aidoo, Uros and nkahmoua on the roster and JJJ was still playing the 4, there’s a reason the staff didn’t pursue posts in the portal last year, they wanted and realized JJJ was best for the team at the 4 along with adopting a more modern small ball style.

 

[pimo1]

Uhh, Uros was eligible to return for another year.

100% sure I mentioned that he had his covid year. Uros was here 4 years (19,20,21,22) he redshirted at Arizona(2018 season)... 5th year senior. Its not like he left early or something. He had already earned his undergrad and graduate degrees. Staying would have been a terrible business decision and that's what college is. NBA was not on his radar bro is 25 he is playing at HOME for KK Crvena zvezda one of the top teams in Serbia and Euroleague.

 

[cncchris33]

@pimo1
We had Awaka, Aidoo, Uros and nkahmoua on the roster and JJJ was still playing the 4, there’s a reason the staff didn’t pursue posts in the portal last year, they wanted and realized JJJ was best for the team at the 4 along with adopting a more modern small ball style.

To be fair, we did pursue, and landed a post (Ledlum). And no one really foresaw JJJ returning last year prior to the portal window closing, did they? I think the staff even went on record as saying they were surprised when he notified them of his intentions. In fact, it was speculated that his return was a contributing factor into Ledlum re-entering the portal.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

To be fair, we did pursue, and landed a post (Ledlum). And no one really foresaw JJJ returning last year prior to the portal window closing, did they? I think the staff even went on record as saying they were surprised when he notified them of his intentions. In fact, it was speculated that his return was a contributing factor into Ledlum re-entering the portal.

Right…2 years ago JJJ was getting minutes at the 4 with plenty of other post options. When he elected to return the staff wanted to continue the small ball movement which played a role in Ledlum seeing his minutes going out the window, if Ledlum was going to be a 4 and JJJ a 3 then there was plenty of minutes, but he quickly realized the staff liked JJJ and small ball option more. That movement is continuing again as you’ll likely see Milicic and Dubar (similar size to JJJ) holding down the bulk of minutes at the 4, with Okpara/Estrella/Phillips getting the minutes at the 5.

IMO at least

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

100% sure I mentioned that he had his covid year. Uros was here 4 years (19,20,21,22) he redshirted at Arizona(2018 season)... 5th year senior. Its not like he left early or something. He had already earned his undergrad and graduate degrees. Staying would have been a terrible business decision and that's what college is. NBA was not on his radar bro is 25 he is playing at HOME for KK Crvena zvezda one of the top teams in Serbia and Euroleague.

So you know for a fact that Uros didn’t want to play another year at UT?

At the post Barnes had Aidoo, Tobe, JJJ (who wasn’t going to be brought back), and the 2 true freshmen (Phillips snd Estrella) that you are discounting as mediocre. If Barnes didn’t have confidence in Phillips and Estrella he would have had Utos on the roster.

 

[pimo1]

So you know for a fact that Uros didn’t want to play another year at UT?

At the post Barnes had Aidoo, Tobe, JJJ (who wasn’t going to be brought back), and the 2 true freshmen (Phillips snd Estrella) that you are discounting as mediocre. If Barnes didn’t have confidence in Phillips and Estrella he would have had Utos on the roster.

So this is the game we are playing? Seriously? Barnes is not a new coach at UT he's been here a while we know he is loyal to guys that buy in. For one second if Plasvic say 'coach I wanna come back' Barnes is gonna say yes... even if he wasn't that he would look at the roster and see we only have 2 rotation players over 6-6 and 2 projects coming in (one a beanpole). There is no universe where Barnes says 'Nah Uros we good'. Also, Aidoo was halfway out the door last offseason...you think Barnes was unaware that was going down?

We don't have to play these silly games. They would have spoke to Gainey on the side and said hey man walk on this season we got you covered. It would have happened. Imagine last years team with Uros on it... then stop playing. JP Estrella is from freaking Maine a state so sorry he had to go to New Hampshire to play competitive basketball.. if this was a lobstering team or we were playing for a chance to enter a clam chowder contest he's your guy. Philips? He was 197 pounds....But you think for one second we didn't want Uros to come back. I know common sense is not at all common, its actually an oxymoron, but dang bro. I had to give you a like for the audacity alone. You must a got ahold of some of that delta F-17 (that's 8+9 with some F dust mixed in)

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

So this is the game we are playing? Seriously? Barnes is not a new coach at UT he's been here a while we know he is loyal to guys that buy in. For one second if Plasvic say 'coach I wanna come back' Barnes is gonna say yes... even if he wasn't that he would look at the roster and see we only have 2 rotation players over 6-6 and 2 projects coming in (one a beanpole). There is no universe where Barnes says 'Nah Uros we good'. Also, Aidoo was halfway out the door last offseason...you think Barnes was unaware that was going down?

We don't have to play these silly games. They would have spoke to Gainey on the side and said hey man walk on this season we got you covered. It would have happened. Imagine last years team with Uros on it... then stop playing. JP Estrella is from freaking Maine a state so sorry he had to go to New Hampshire to play competitive basketball.. if this was a lobstering team or we were playing for a chance to enter a clam chowder contest he's your guy. Philips? He was 197 pounds....But you think for one second we didn't want Uros to come back. I know common sense is not at all common, its actually an oxymoron, but dang bro. I had to give you a like for the audacity alone. You must a got ahold of some of that delta F-17 (that's 8+9 with some F dust mixed in)

As I said in my first comment - I’m not as concerned about the posts in 2 seasons when 3 of the 5 that can return are post players. You’re criticizing a couple of kids that were only a few months out of high school and ignoring that in the 2025-26 season they’ll be juniors.

Fulkerson was a thin guy. He worked out very well. Kyle Alexander was skinny as well.

You don’t have to write an essay. You can just cut through the chase and say that you think Phillips and Estrella suck.

 

[CNeagleVolFan]

How are our chances with O’Neal?

 

[bleedingTNorange]

#108

Dante Allen - Montverde Academy - Shooting Guard

Explore Dante Allen's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.

www.on3.com

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Commits:
#110 Dewayne Brown-COMMITTED


Priority Targets:
#11 Tounde Yessoufou-OV SCHEDULED 9/14
#24 Darius Adams-OV SCHEDULED 9/13 & UOV
#35 Braylon Mullins-OV SCHEDULED 10/19
#48 Chance Mallory-OV SCHEDULED 10/11 & UOV
#92 Isaiah Denis-OV SCHEDULED 10/11 & UOV
#108 Dante Allen-OV SCHEDULED 8/23
#129 Amari Evans-OV SCHEDULED 8/30 & UOV
#135 Josiah Sanders-OV SCHEDULED 9/14


#3 Nate Ament-OV PLANNED
#6 Caleb Wilson-OV PLANNED & UOV
#39 Shon Abaev- OV TAKEN
#55 Acaden Lewis-OV PLANNED
#62 Matt Gilhool-OV PLANNED
#69 Christian Jeffrey-OV PLANNED
#NR Jackson Keith-OV PLANNED & UOV
#NR Jermaine O’Neal Jr.-OV TAKEN



Other offers:
#5 Chris Cenac
#7 Meleek Thomas
#9 Koa Peat
#12 Brayden Burries
#13 Kingston Flemings
#15 Mikel Brown Jr.
#28 Trey McKenney
#30 Kiyan Anthony
#33 Eric Reibe
#34 Nikolas Khamenia
#43 John Clark
#50 JJ Mandaquit
#59 Jerry Easter
#72 Sebastian Williams-Adams
#73 Nyk Lewis
#85 A’mare Bynum
#88 Amari Allen-UOV
#102 Zymicah Wilkins
#106 Gevonte Ware
#114 Keyshuan Tillery
#139 Deondrea Lindsey
#143 Nicholas Randall
#146 Jaylen Cross-UOV
#63 Cam Ward
NR BJ Davis-Ray
NR Aleks Alston-UOV
NR JR Leonard-UOV
NR Simon Walker-UOV
NR Silas Barksdale
NR Shane Cherry

 

[Newman]