The Tennessee Vols’ final roster addition won’t be the player that everyone thought it was going to be
Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers missed on one of their final recruiting targets on Saturday. The Vols, however, have still had an incredibly fruitful offseason so far.
Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Vols’ final roster addition this offseason won’t be the player that a lot of folks thought it would be.
Tennessee would like to add another big man to the roster, and there were some who thought four-star center Favour Ibe, 7-foot-1 out of Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland, would be the Vols’ final addition after he recently visited Knoxville.
Ibe, though, committed to the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday.
“I chose Virginia because it just felt right for me,” said Ibe to Rivals of his decision. “The coaches believed in me from the start and I could really see myself growing there on and off the court. I also felt like the program fits the kind of player I am and the player I’m trying to become.”
There are still some options available in the transfer portal as the Vols look for another rim protector.
Seattle transfer Austin Maurer, 7-foot/235 pounds from Medford, OR, is ranked by 247Sports as the top available center in the portal.
“Austin Maurer is the top-ranked center still available in the transfer portal, and his phone is expected to be ringing off the hook as programs scramble to fill frontcourt holes,” wrote 247Sports’ Grant Hughes this week. “Maurer remains a developmental project. The 7-footer saw limited minutes as a true freshman at Grand Canyon in 2024-25 before breaking out at Seattle last season, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting an efficient 52.2% from the field.”
It’s unclear if Tennessee holds any interest in Maurer, but he’s an example of the type of centers that are still available in the portal at this stage of the offseason.