Tennessee Basketball Targets Four Transfer Portal Players

Coach Rick Barnes looks to add top talent to the Volunteers' roster for a national title run next season.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 5:50pm

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a college basketball game, with the ball as the central focal point amidst the abstracted, angular shapes of the players and court.An abstract, cubist interpretation of the intense action and competition of college basketball as Tennessee looks to add top transfer talent.Athens Today

With the NCAA transfer portal opening on April 7th, Tennessee men's basketball coach Rick Barnes and his staff are targeting several top players who have entered the portal, including Kansas' Flory Bidunga, Georgia's Somto Cyril, Wake Forest's Juke Harris, and Troy's Thomas Dowd. These players would provide immediate impact on both ends of the floor as the Volunteers aim to win their first-ever national championship.

Why it matters

Tennessee is looking to build on its success from last season and take the next step to win a national title. Adding high-impact transfer talent like Bidunga, Cyril, Harris, and Dowd would give the Volunteers a major boost in their quest for a championship.

The details

Flory Bidunga was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Big 12 selection at Kansas last season, averaging a double-double with 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Somto Cyril led the SEC in blocks per game at Georgia, while Juke Harris was the ACC's Most Improved Player after averaging 21.4 points per game for Wake Forest. Thomas Dowd put up a double-double for Troy and has drawn interest from several ACC and SEC schools.

  • The NCAA transfer portal opens on April 7th, 2026.
  • Tennessee is looking to add these players ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The players

Flory Bidunga

A former standout big man for the Kansas Jayhawks, Bidunga was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Big 12 selection last season.

Somto Cyril

The Georgia Bulldogs center led the SEC in blocks per game last season and has a connection with current Tennessee guard Amari Evans from their time in the Overtime Elite league.

Juke Harris

The guard from Wake Forest was the ACC's Most Improved Player last season after averaging 21.4 points per game, and could provide a scoring boost similar to what Ja'Kobi Gillespie did for Tennessee.

Thomas Dowd

The Troy Trojans forward put up a double-double last season and has drawn interest from several ACC and SEC schools, including Tennessee.

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What’s next

Tennessee will look to officially add these transfer portal targets once the portal opens on April 7th, as they aim to build a championship-caliber roster for the 2026-27 season.

The takeaway

Tennessee is being aggressive in the transfer portal, targeting several high-impact players who could help the Volunteers take the next step and win their first national championship. Adding this level of talent would make them an immediate contender next season.