ESPN ranks Tennessee basketball’s transfer portal commitments

Tennessee basketball added three top-70 players out of the NCAA Transfer Portal according to ESPN. College basketball analyst Jeff Borzello ranked the Vols’ additions Dalton Knecht at No. 26, Chris Ledlum at No. 63 and shooting guard Jordan Gainey at No. 68.

Rick Barnes and his staff added the three commitments over a span of four days in late April. Gainey, the USC Upstate shooting guard and son of Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey, was the first to announce his pledge to the Vols. Ledlum, the Harvard forward, announced the next day and Knecht, the Northern Colorado wing, followed two days after.

The On3 rankings of the top college basketball players in the transfer portal has Knecht at No. 18 overall, Ledlum at No. 46 and Gainey No. 12 among shooting guards.

Tennessee added three commitments from transfer portal over four days

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Knecht averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.3 minutes per game in 32 games at Northern Colorado last season, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from the 3-point line.

“An All-Big Sky selection this past season,” Borzello wrote for ESPN, “Knecht brings size and high-level scoring ability to the perimeter. Averaged 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, shooting better than 38% from 3.”

Ledlum, the 6-foot-6 forward, 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.

“Ledlum has been one of the most productive players at the mid-major level the past two seasons,” Borzello wrote, “averaging 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds this season and 16.7 points and 9.3 boards last season.

Gainey 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.

“One of the best shooters in the portal,” Borzello wrote, “Gainey was lights-out from the perimeter as a freshman, going better than 49% from 3. His numbers took a dip as a sophomore, but he still averaged 15.2 points.”

Vols made jump in ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25 after transfer additions

After the three additions, Tennessee climbed from No. 17 to No. 7 in ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25 for the 2023-24 season. The Vols also moved up in Joe Lunardi’s latest ESPN offseason bracketology update, going from a No. 4 seed to a No. 2 seed.

Along with Knecht, Ledlum and Gainey, Tennessee also gets shooting guard Santiago Vescovi back for his fifth season with the Vols. Vescovi announced his return on a few hours after Gainey announced his commitment. 

Vescovi led Tennessee this season in both scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game, and minutes, playing 32.9 minutes per game. He shot 39.6 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from the 3-point line, going 91 of 246 from deep.

“Tennessee is certainly one of the biggest portal winners of the offseason thus far,” Borzello wrote, “landing Jordan Gainey (South…