Tennessee basketball’s new-look roster on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena
Tennessee basketball is already back on the floor preparing for the 2023-24 season. The Vols earlier this week published photos of their new-look roster practicing at Thompson-Boling Arena, including transfers Jordan Gainey, Dalton Knecht and Chris Ledlum and freshman forward JP Estrella.
Freshman Cade Phillips is also on campus and going through the offseason workout program. Four-star wing Cameron Carr has not enrolled yet but is expected to arrive later this summer.
Here are the photos, sights and sounds from the initial summer workouts:
shenanigans with a side of practice pic.twitter.com/pm62fKAlGk
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) June 14, 2023
Jordan Gainey
Tennessee transfer shooting guard Justin Gainey (Tennessee Athletics)
Jordan Gainey, 6-3 ,176: The USC Upstate transfer shooting guard averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from the 3-point line over the last two seasons at USC Upstate. He’s the son of Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey.
Rick Barnes on Gainey: “We obviously know and love Jordan’s family, but his ability as a player stands on its own merit. He plays with a high basketball IQ and is a guy who makes his teammates better. We love his offensive versatility and his ability to shoot and score the ball in a variety of ways. In addition to giving us another shot-maker, he also competes on the defensive end and led (the Big South) in steals last year.”
Dalton Knecht
Tennessee transfer wing Dalton Knecht (Tennessee Athletics)
Dalton Knecht, 6-6, 204: The Northern Colorado transfer wing averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.3 minutes per game in 32 games last season, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from the 3-point line.
Rick Barnes on Knecht: “Dalton is just a terrific story of a guy whose hard work has enabled him to steadily improve his game. He’s grown nearly a foot since he started playing high school ball. And as he’s grown, he’s expanded his skill set as well. He’s a proven scorer and was one of the top offensive producers in the portal, so he immediately gives our team a boost in offensive firepower.”
Chris Ledlum
Tennessee transfer forward Chris Ledlum (Tennessee Athletics)
Chris Ledlum, 6-6, 242: The power forward transfer averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game at Harvard last season, shooting 47.3 percent from the floor.
Rick Barnes on Ledlum: “Chris has many of the characteristics we value in our program. He has a tremendous work ethic and plays with grit, toughness and a bit of swagger. We’ve seen similar traits in other Vols from New York, and we expect Chris to build on that history. He comes from a wonderful family and had a tremendous career at Harvard playing for a great coach in Tommy Amaker, so he’s coming in with a strong foundation. He’ll give us an inside-outside scoring presence. And his versatility—scoring, rebounding and playmaking—extends our ability to create mismatches.”
JP Estrella
Tennessee freshman forward JP Estrella (Tennessee Athletics)
JP Estrella, 6-11, 233: The big-bodied power forward was a four-star prospect out of South Portland, Maine. He was ranked No. 56 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 8 power forward and the No. 2 player in the state of New Hampshire, where he attended Brewster Academy.
Rick Barnes on Estrella: “J.P. is a guy we initially fell in love with due to his versatility,” Barnes said. “We love his entire family, really. On the court, his ability to handle, pass and shoot the basketball at his size made him a priority for us in this recruiting class. He was 6-2 as a high school freshman, and that guard skill-set—now that he’s grown to 6-11—has remained intact despite his massive growth spurt. He’s still just scratching the surface of realizing the player he will become, but his rise from being an under-the-radar prospect to one of the best big men in the country has been fun to watch. We believe J.P. can develop into a force for us in the SEC.”
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