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The Tennessee Volunteers are set for a busy offseason following their successful 2023-24 NCAA season. They topped the SEC regular season and made it through to the Elite Eight where they lost to Purdue by six points.
For the 2024-25 season, Tennessee will have five open spots to fill due to the departures of All-American guard Dalton Knecht, veterans Santiago Vescovi and Josiah Jordan-James and reserves DJ Jefferson and Freddie Dilione.
Head coach Rick Barnes and his coaching staff will have at least six months to reinforce their roster with quality players that could help the Volunteers make another run at the NCAA Tournament next season.
One way that Tennessee could gain some roster boost is to acquire players from the transfer portal as there are still a lot of quality cagers available.
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Here are some quality off-the-radar and sleeper picks that the Volunteers should target to beef up their lineup for the 2024-25 season.
5 potential sleeper transfer picks that Tennessee should target
#1. Pop Isaacs
The third-team All-Big 12 selection out of Texas Tech is still looking for a team since entering the transfer portal. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound point guard is an incoming junior who averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his second season with the Red Raiders.
Isaacs can act as a playmaker and a scorer that the Volunteers need especially since Knecht has left the team due to graduation. He scored 20 points or more nine times in the 2023-24 season, including 32 and 22 points against BYU in the regular season and the Big 12 quarterfinals, respectively.
#2. Aidan Mahaney
The two-time, first-team All-West Coast Conference awardee has made himself available after two seasons with Saint Mary's. The 6-foot-3 incoming junior averaged 13.9 ppg each season.
Mahaney improved on his free throw shooting in his sophomore year with an 81.3% clip from the foul line. He had a slight dip on his field goal and 3-point shooting percentages but he is still a major contributor in offense with a low turnover rate.
#3. Dillon Mitchell
The 6-foot-8 Mitchell stepped up in his sophomore year with Texas in the just-concluded season. He tallied 9.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg per game in 34 games last season and shot 58.5% from the field.
He is a can't-miss, transfer portal frontcourt prospect who has the length and athleticism to defend and score in the paint. Coach Barnes would be glad to fully utilize him next season if Mitchell decides to transfer to Tennessee.
#4. Vladislav Goldin
Goldin turned heads in his junior year at Florida Atlantic, averaging 15.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 1.6 bpg in 34 games. He also shot an astounding 67.3% from the field.
The 7-foot-1 Russian center was coming off a great sophomore season where he played 39 games and tallied 10.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 1.2 bpg. The big man was in "beast mode" in his last 11 games with Florida Atlantic as he produced 19.5 markers and 7.2 boards.
His efforts were good enough to earn him a second-team American Athletic Conference honors. Tennessee would need another big man to dominate the division and Goldin has the frame and physicality to fend off rivals in the SEC if the Volunteers get him from the portal.
#5. Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Mashburn Jr. was a former first-team Mountain West selection and once led the conference in scoring. He was one of New Mexico's top producers last season despite taking a significant in the scoring department.
Mashburn tallied 14.1 ppg on 36.0% shooting from the field, 2.1 rpg and 1.5 apg in 28 games for the Lobos. That was a far cry from his 2022-23 season averages of 19.1 ppg on 42.8% shooting, 3.2 rpg and 2.1 apg in 34 games.
The 6-foot-2 senior will look to bounce back from his bad year and he could get a chance in Tennessee if Rick Barnes picks him up from the transfer portal.
Is Tennessee picking one of these sleeper picks to boost their lineup in the 2024-25 season? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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