The Tennessee Volunteers are coming off their second straight Elite Eight appearance, falling short both times to teams that would go on to reach the national championship—and lose. Toward the end of the season, rumors began swirling that Rick Barnes might be stepping down and retiring. However, Barnes quickly shut those rumors down during the NCAA Tournament.
With his return confirmed, Barnes wasted no time attacking the transfer portal, as he’s done effectively in recent offseasons. Over the past two years, Barnes has targeted top shooters, turning Tennessee into a legitimate threat from beyond the arc.
This year was no different, as the Vols needed to reload after losing several key seniors. Barnes brought in new commits, and it’s safe to say they’re all in—especially portal addition Jaylen Carey.
“I’m all Vol now, man. Don’t care about no black-and-gold. I bleed orange now, man. I don’t care about what they’ve got to say,” Carey said.
Barnes has also shown a strong understanding of the evolving NIL landscape and hasn’t been shy about discussing it.
“There are guys that could play, but they choose to redshirt and stay in college another year to see if they can make more money, but those are tough situations,” Barnes told Paul Finebaum.
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One player to keep an eye on this upcoming season is junior Cade Phillips, who’s expected to take on an expanded role in the rotation. Other schools tried to lure him into the transfer portal, but Phillips chose to stay in Knoxville.
“Everything I want, all the goals I set out are all here,” Phillips said.
Phillips is a high-flying athlete for the Vols—a lob threat and rim protector. The rising junior is set to be a cornerstone of Barnes’ program. His decision to stay at Tennessee despite offers from other programs shows a rare level of loyalty in today’s college basketball landscape.