Volquest Answers Your Tennessee Baseball, Football & Recruiting Questions In The July 4 Mailbag
Tennessee Basketball’s new-look roster for the 2024-25 season has the Vols ranked 13th in ESPN’s updated way-too-early top 25 for next season. The Vols were one of nine SEC teams ranked and the fourth-highest ranked team in the league.
Kansas is ranked No. 1, ahead of No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 Houston and No. 5 Gonzaga. A run of SEC teams starts with No. 11 Auburn, then No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 13 Tennessee and No. 14 Arkansas. Ole Miss is No. 20, ahead of No. 21 Florida, No. 22 Texas and No. 23 Kentucky.
“Dalton Knecht is gone, and with him goes Rick Barnes‘ best offense in several years,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote. “But if the more up-tempo, 3-point-heavy offensive system remains in Knoxville, there should be plenty of optimism.
“The Volunteers also landed another potential stud mid-major transfer in North Florida’s Chaz Lanier, who averaged 19.7 points and shot 44% from 3. Barnes will surround high-level point guard Zakai Zeigler with a slew of shooters and Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara will anchor the interior defensively.”
Tennessee lost not only Knecht and two other fifth-year seniors in Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi, but four other players left via the NCAA Transfer Portal: Junior center Jonas Aidoo, sophomore forward Tobe Awaka and redshirt freshmen Freddie Dilione V and DJ Jefferson.
The incoming transfer class included Lanier and Okpara along with Charlotte forward Igor Milicic Jr. and Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar.
Tennessee will host Syracuse in the second edition of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The game is set for December 3 at the Food City Center in Knoxville and will be televised by one of the ESPN networks.
The Vols could play as many as four ACC teams this season. Tennessee is starting a home-and-home series with Louisville beginning at Louisville this November. The Cardinal makes the return trip to Knoxville in December 2025.
Tennessee will play Miami in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York in December and the Vols are part of a four-team field in the Baha Mar Hoops Tournament in the Bahamas that also includes Virginia, St. John’s and Baylor. The Vols will play two of the three other teams in the Bahamas Feast Week tournament.
A home-and-home with Illinois will be finished on the road in December.
The SEC On May 13 announced conference opponents for next season, with dates to be announced later in the year.
Tennessee will play home-and-homes with Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt. The Vols will also host Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri and South Carolina at Food City Center next season.
They’ll play road games at Texas, Oklahoma, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, along with Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt.
