Meet Tennessee basketball's 13 new players for the 2026-27 season

The start of the 2026-27 season is just around the corner for Tennessee basketball, which will take the court against Xavier on Oct. 15 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Food City Center for an exhibition game.

The Vols' two preseason games against the Musketeers and Duke will be critical for getting an almost entirely new roster on the same page before the regular season begins at home vs. Wofford on Nov. 3.

Before the Vols begin the new season, Meet the 13 new players who are part of UT's roster.

Dai Dai Ames, guard

Dai Dai Ames, a 6-foot-2, 199-pound senior, is one of the four guards who headlined Tennessee's strong transfer class. He earned All-ACC third-team honors after averaging 16.9 points and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range during the 2025-26 season at Cal. UT is the fourth stop of Ames' career after stints at Kansas State and Virginia, and he's still seeking his first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Marquis Clark, guard

Marquis Clark, a 6-2, 211-pound three-star freshman out of Whitney M. Young High School in Chicago, picked the Vols over TCU, Illinois and Cal, among others. He scored 1,983 points during his high school career, shattering the program scoring record set by former NBA player Quentin Richardson in 1998. He's a smart, opportunistic defender but minutes will be hard to come by for young players in an experienced Vols backcourt.

Christian Fermin, center

Christian Fermin's 2025-26 season at VCU ended abruptly when he left the team midseason to deal with a personal matter. But he gets a fresh start at UT, which could use his experience and shot-blocking ability. A 6-10, 234-pound center, Fermin has averaged 1.4 blocks while playing only 20.1 minutes per game in his past three seasons.

Manny Green, guard

Another four-star prospect from Tennessee's last prep recruiting class, freshman Manny Green scored 2,101 points for Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia, breaking the school scoring record that was held by former Vols forward Reggie Johnson. The 6-6, 212-pound wing chose UT over offers from Georgia Tech, Cal and USF, among others and could be an immediate contributor after playing well in summer practices.

Jalen Haralson, power forward

Jalen Haralson, a 6-7, 222-pounder from Anderson, Indiana, was one of the ACC's many outstanding freshmen during the 2025-26 season. An All-ACC honorable mention for Notre Dame, he averaged 16.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. While star guard Markus Burton was limited to 10 games because of an injury, Haralson attempted 29.4% of Notre Dame's shots. UT hopes a lower volume can help raise Haralson's shooting efficiency.

Juke Harris, small forward

Juke Harris, a 6-7, 205-pound junior, was named the ACC's Most Improved Player for the 2025-26 season after finishing third in the league in scoring at 21.4 points per game, an increase of 15.3 points from his freshman year. The Vols recruited Harris when he was a four-star recruit coming out of Salisbury High School in North Carolina and missed, but were finally successful the second time around.

Harris is the safest bet to be UT's leading scorer this season, but the coaching staff is challenging him to rebound, defend and facilitate offense for his teammates at a high level as well.

Terrence Hill Jr., guard

Terrence Hill Jr. was another prized transfer portal pickup for the Vols in April. The 6-2, 186-pound junior enjoyed a breakout season at VCU as a sophomore. He earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors after averaging 15.0 points and 2.8 assists to 1.1 turnovers per game and shooting 37% from 3-point range.

Hill is a tough shot-maker who averaged 17.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists across two NCAA Tournament games vs. North Carolina and Illinois in March 2026.

Braedan Lue, power forward

Braedan Lue, a 6-8, 243-pound junior, brings defensive versatility to UT after transferring from Kennesaw State, where he was an All-Conference USA defensive team selection last season. With Lue anchoring the defense, the Owls made the NCAA Tournament. He's physical and experienced, having started 66 of 68 games played in college.

Tyler Lundblade, guard

Lundblade, a 6-5, 216-pound sharpshooter, was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year last season after averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 40.6% from 3-point range at Belmont. For his career, he is a 40.6% shooter from 3-point range. UT will be patiently waiting for his return to full health after he underwent back surgery in August.

Miles Rubin, center

Miles Rubin, a 6-10, 224-pound center, started 100 of 103 games for Loyola-Chicago. He averaged 2.3 blocks per game and made 65.3% of his total 2-point shots. He will not blow anyone away with his athletic ability or individual offensive skills, but he's an extremely solid defender and capable of converting shots around the rim at a high rate.

Ralph Scott, small forward

Ralph Scott, a 6-8, 211-pound freshman, was born in Connecticut, moved to Bermuda, and played most of his high school ball for prep schools in Florida. He was a coveted four-star prospect by the time he committed to the Vols on Sept. 30, 2025 over offers from Houston, Kansas, Purdue, Texas and Texas A&M. Scott was in line to compete for minutes on the wing during summer workouts and preseason practices, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in September and underwent surgery.

Jalen Washington, center

Jalen Washington is the biggest X-factor on the Tennessee roster. The 6-10, 244-pound fifth-year player was one of the better defensive centers in the SEC during the 2025-26 season at Vanderbilt. If he's eligible, he considerably raises the ceiling for this UT team as it tries to break through to the Final Four.

Washington was able to transfer to UT only because of a temporary injunction issued by a federal court, but the state court of appeals issued a stay of the injunction in August. Now his eligibility hinges on the result of his lawsuit against the NCAA, and there's no timeline for a decision.

Chris Washington Jr., power forward

Murfreesboro native Chris Washington Jr., a 6-9, 214-pound freshman, is the highest-rated member of UT's 2026 recruiting class and the No. 1 player in Tennessee, according to 247Sports. Because of the experienced players brought in from the portal, he should be ready to learn from the bench and work on adding weight during his freshman season.

Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Meet Tennessee basketball's 13 new players for the 2026-27 season