Tennessee's Rick Barnes lands commitment from elite shooter in mold of Dalton Knecht, Chaz Lanier originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball are off to a strong start in the transfer portal after losing more than half their roster. The good news for Tennessee and head coach Rick Barnes is that the program is working with the most NIL money of his tenure.
“Tennessee basketball is on track to be among the elite in NIL spending next season. On3’s Pete Nakos on Thursday reported the Vols are one of a handful of teams set to spend $10 million or more in NIL for its roster next season,” VolQuest’s Grant Ramey wrote.
The Vols went all in on top guard transfer Terrence Hill Jr.. The VCU transfer had a breakout performance against North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and his recruitment came down to Tennessee and Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball.
“VCU transfer Terrence Hill Jr. will visit both Kansas and Tennessee this week, source tells 247 Sports. Hill will visit Kansas on Monday and Tennessee on Wednesday,” 247Sports’ Dushawn London posted.
On Sunday morning, Hill Jr. committed to Rocky Top over Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks. Barnes and his staff landed exactly what they lacked last season—a true perimeter shooter.
“Hill is an elite 3-point shooter and it’s arguably his greatest strength,” wrote 247Sports’ Michael Swain of the VCU transfer. “He shot 37% from 3 on incredibly high volume. He can both create his own shot from deep and knock down shots off the catch. Roughly 25% of his 3-point attempts were unassisted.”
Hill Jr.’s ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor—whether off the catch or off the dribble—adds a major weapon to Tennessee’s offense. He is expected to step into a role similar to former Vols standouts Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier.
This is a significant addition for Barnes and his staff, but they are far from finished. Hill Jr. brings valuable flexibility to the roster as Tennessee continues to build for next season.