The questions that followed Tennessee's season-ending loss to Purdue in the NCAA Tournament two months ago in Detroit have given way to answers in regards to the Vols' prospects in 2024-25.
Following the close of the transfer portal and the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, Tennessee's roster for next season is complete and in potentially better shape than it was during a historic run that resulted in an SEC championship and second Elite Eight run in program history.
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The Vols lost two long-time starters in Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi, who both exhausted their eligibility after five seasons. Dalton Knecht, who transferred to Tennessee for his final year of college basketball and exited the program with a plethora of scoring and shooting records is bound for the NBA.
Tennessee had a couple of transfer portal subtractions, too, including starting forward Jonas Aidoo and contributor Tobe Awaka and freshmen Freddie Dilione V and D.J. Jefferson.
Rick Barnes more than made up for the losses, adding coveted guard Chaz Lanier, who averaged 19.7 points per game and shot 51% from the field and 44% from three-point range at North Florida last season and former Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar, who averaged 17.8 points.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee basketball's 2024-25 roster following commitment of Chaz Lanier
Lanier is expected to help pick up some of the production lost with Knecht gone while Charlotte transfer Igor Milicic Jr. and Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara should provide a strong combination in the paint following the transfers of Aidoo and Awaka.
Matching those new additions with what Tennessee is returning in starting guards Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack, the Vols won't only have a strong defensive team, their scoring production may not drop far, either.
It's why Tennessee is featured in the top 15 of most early rankings for next season, including ESPN, which recently released its post-portal Way-Too-Early Top 25 where the Vols were ranked No. 13, moving up seven spots in their initial early rankings release last month.
"Dalton Knecht is gone, and with him goes Rick Barnes' best offense in several years. But if the more up-tempo, 3-point-heavy offensive system remains in Knoxville, there should be plenty of optimism," ESPN staff writer Jeff Borzello wrote. "The Volunteers also landed another potential stud mid-major transfer in North Florida's Chaz Lanier...Barnes will surround high-level point guard Zakai Zeigler with a slew of shooters and Ohio State transfer Feliz Okpara will anchor the interior defensively."
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Impact Analysis: What the Vols are getting in UNF transfer Chaz Lanier
The early rankings have also been an indication of the toughness of the SEC next season.
The league, which got teams into the 2024 NCAA Tournament, has seven teams ranked by ESPN, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 20 Florida and No. 22 Ole Miss.
New-look Kentucky, heading into its first season under head coach Mark Pope and conference newcomer Texas were ranked just outside of the top 25 along with three other teams listed under "next in line."
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