The Tennessee Vols are reportedly one of the programs that’s reached out to a transfer center who’s still available in the portal
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly one of the programs that’s reached out to a transfer center who is still available in the portal. The Vols could stand to add another big man to their roster.
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly one of the programs that have recently reached out to a transfer center who is still available in the portal.
According to The Athletic’s Tobias Bass, Tennessee is among the programs that have reached out to Arkansas State transfer center Aly Tounkara.
Tounkara, 7-foot/215 pounds from Conakry, Guinea, averaged 4.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game as a sophomore this past season. He’s shot 61.8 percent from the field during his first two collegiate seasons.
The transfer center started his college career at Lindenwood.
The Tennessee Vols could use another rim protector
Tennessee landed Loyola transfer center Miles Rubin, 6-foot-10/220 pounds, earlier this offseason.
But after losing center Felix Okpara (he exhausted his eligibility), the Vols could still use another inside presence.
When Tounkara joined Arkansas State, Red Wolves head coach Ryan Pannone described him as a “high-upside player” who can be a shot blocker and a rim protector.
“Aly is a 7-foot defensive presence, shot blocker, rim protector, and lob threat,” said Pannone. “We saw him as someone who could really be a big defensive force for us in the paint and help us protect the rim. He’s a player with high upside coming as a freshman out of Lindenwood, and we think he can really develop and grow.
“He didn’t get the opportunity to play senior year of high school, and we think through player development, more game reps, putting him in game-time decisions and small-sided games that we can continue to help him develop. We see his upside in his foot speed, ability to run the floor, play in our up-tempo pace and in our offensive system as a lob threat, pick-and-roll threat, screener, diver, offensive rebounder while continuing to develop his passing, decision-making and short roll decisions.”
Adding Tounkara would give Tennessee another important rim protector, but he’s receiving plenty of interest from other programs. At this point, it’s unclear if the Vols are seriously considering pursuing the Arkansas State transfer, but they’ve at least reached out.
Tounkara has two seasons of eligibility remaining.