The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball program immediately went to work in the college basketball transfer portal after losing in the Elite Eight to the Houston Cougars. After some mixed results in the market, the Volunteers are now predicted to land another top player.
Tennessee first set its sights on forward Isaac McKneely. The former Virginia sharpshooter was weighing opportunities with the Volunteers and the Louisville Cardinals before ultimately choosing Louisville. While head coach Rick Barnes missed out on his top target, he quickly found a new top option.
Tennessee is already off to a strong start in the transfer portal, even after just missing out on McKneely. The Volunteers landed former Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie – 6th overall in On3’s transfer portal rankings – and former Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jaylen Curry, who is ranked 88th nationally. Now, they could further strengthen their backcourt.
Pete Nakos of On3.com‘s latest college basketball transfer portal predictions has the Volunteers landing Maryland Terrapins guard Rodney Rice this offseason. It would be a reunion with Gillespie, who seems to be spearheading Tennessee’s recruitment of his former teammate.
- Rodney Rice stats (ESPN): 13.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG< 2.1 APG< 43.4% FG, 37.4% 3PT, 3.2 3PM per game
“Ever since Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie committed to Tennessee last week, he’s begun recruiting his former backcourt teammate to join him in Knoxville. Rodney Rice has also been in contact with Kentucky and Michigan, but Gillespie has made the shooting guard a top priority since committing to the Vols. A former Virginia Tech transfer, Rice averaged 13.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game this season. With Tennessee losing Chaz Lanier, Zakai Zeigler and Jordan Gainey, adding depth and talent to the backcourt has been Rick Barnes’ No. 1 priority this offseason.”
On3.com’s Pete Nakos on predictign Rodney Rice to commit to the Tennessee Volunteers
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Coming out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, Rice was rated as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports in 2022. After receiving limited laying time as a freshman, he opted out of the 2023-’24 season with Virginia Tech and then transferred to Maryland.
Playing alongside Gillespie, Rice delivered some outstanding performances this past season. He scored 20-plus points six times, including a 26-point performance in the tournament. He made a season-high 7 treys against Illinois on March 14 and had four games with at least four three-pointers made.
Listed at 6-foot-4, Rice would add another reliable combo guard to the Volunteers’ backcourt and he would immediately have chemistry with Gillespie. However, Tennessee still needs to address its lack of depth at the wing, which could bring additional reinforcements from the college basketball transfer portal.
