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Looking at Tennessee basketball's first-year players for the 2023-24 season

DJ Jefferson showed off his bounce in pregame warmups last year.
DJ Jefferson showed off his bounce in pregame warmups last year. (Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Between players who redshirted a year ago and incoming freshmen, there will be no shortage of talent making their college debuts for Tennessee next season.

This includes three players that are a part of the 2023 class, which is ranked 17th best in the country.

Here is a deeper look into each of the young athletes.


Redshirt Freshmen

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Headlining the group of newcomers is Freddie Dilione.

He joined the team in January of last season with the intention to redshirt. While not appearing in a single game, he practiced with the team and sat on the bench during matches.

Prior to his reclassification, Dilione earned four stars and the No. 33 national ranking in his class. He held offers from schools such as Alabama, UConn, Houston, Texas and Virginia but ultimately decided to play under Rick Barnes.

Dilione will likely see an ample amount of playtime and will have an opportunity to earn a starting role as a redshirt freshman.

Along with Dilione, DJ Jefferson also decided to use his freshman year as an opportunity to practice with the team but not appear in games.

Jefferson earned four stars and the No. 127 national ranking while in high school. Initially, he committed to play for Tulsa but reopened his recruitment following a coaching change.

While averaging 16.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.0 steals per game as a senior, Jefferson ultimately landed at Tennessee.

While redshirting, he became known for his pregame dunks. Jefferson has supreme athleticism that made him a constant participant in the Vols' 'One Fly We All Fly' tradition.

He will likely be a wing piece off the bench who has an extremely high upside as a defender.

True freshmen

Headlining Tennessee's 2023 class is JP Estrella.

The 6-foot-11 center is ranked as the No. 44 player in his class and the fourth-best center. Estrella was recruited by the likes of Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Syracuse but ultimately chose the Vols over the Hawkeyes.

Out of New Hampshire, Estrella shines as a shooter and passer. He has displayed an ability to stretch the floor despite spending the majority of the time in the paint. He also has shown off his strength of finding open teammates.

Estrella will play behind talented big men to begin his Tennessee career but he very well may find a large role on the team by the end of next season.

The other four-star player committed to Tennessee is Cameron Carr.

Carr is a natural shooting guard who has shown flashes of being a prolific scorer. He is a terrific shooter who will fit in well with Tennessee's offense.

Out of Missouri, Carr held offers from Kansas State and Virginia but decided to join Tennessee in November.

With Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler locking down jobs in the starting backcourt and other guards filling out the roster, Carr may not see immediate playtime as a freshman.

However, his skill set makes for a great piece going forward.

The final newcomer is Cade Phillips.

Phillips is a power forward who uses his strength and athleticism around the paint. Like Tobe Awaka, he is a great rebounder who profits on second-chance opportunities.

Out of Alabama, Phillips attracted a myriad of impressive offers despite his three-star rating. Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Stanford and Virginia Tech all attempted to land him before he signed with the Vols.

Similar to Estrella, Phillips will be behind an ample amount of talent at the forward position. However, if he picks up the defense and gains strength, he could play a similar role as to what Awaka did last year.

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