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Tennessee basketball set to lose Elite 8 starting lineup as transfer portal opens
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- Tennessee basketball set to lose Elite 8 starting lineup as transfer portal opens
It appears Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes will have a new starting lineup for the 2026-27 season than the one he stuck with in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
Redshirt sophomore forward J.P. Estrella and sophomore guard Bishop Boswell both announced plans to enter the portal on April 6.
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Senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and senior center Felix Okpara exhausted their collegiate eligibility. Boswell and Estrella will depart the Vols when the portal opens on April 7.
The lone possible returner is freshman Nate Ament. Tennessee would love to retain the All-SEC forward, but the 6-foot-10 Ament will likely declare for the 2026 NBA Draft as a potential lottery pick.
The starting group of Gillespie, Boswell, Ament, Estrella and Okpara was Barnes' preferred lineup. They started 10 games − more than any other combination − and posted an 8-2 record as Tennessee advanced to its third consecutive Elite Eight.
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Forward Cade Phillips and depth freshman guard Clarence Massamba are also planning to enter the portal.
The Vols have already started working on repairing the roster. They began with a splash by landing Belmont graduate transfer Tyler Lundblade.
Lundblade committed to Tennessee on April 1. One of the premier shooters in college basketball, the 6-5 guard averaged 15.6 points and has shot over 40% from 3-point range in his last two seasons.
What J.P. Estrella said about leaving Tennessee
The 6-11 Estrella averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds on 59.6% shooting this season. He battled injuries early, but Estrella became a consistent starter at the end of the regular season and into the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
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"After a lot of thought and conversations with my family, I have made the difficult decision to enter the transfer portal," he wrote on Instagram. "My time as a Vol over the past three years has meant more to me than I can put into words, and I will always cherish the memories and relationships I've built here.
"Thank you to my coaches, teammates, and Vol Nation for the constant love, support, and belief in me. While this decision wasn't easy, I'm excited and hopeful for what the next chapter holds."
The redshirt sophomore spent three seasons with the Vols and was an impact player almost immediately. He played in 25 games as a freshman and was poised for more action as a sophomore before a foot injury kept him out of the 2024-25 season.
What Bishop Boswell said about leaving Tennessee
Boswell averaged 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists and shot 42.7% from the floor this season as a sophomore. The 6-4 Boswell was the Vols' perimeter defensive ace, often guarding the opposing team's best player.
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"First I want to thank God for giving me his wonderful life," he wrote on Instagram. "This journey has been nothing short of amazing. The people I've met, the family I've gained, and the experiences I've been a part of have been unforgettable. Being able to spend these last two years as a Tennessee Volunteer is something I'll cherish forever.
"I would like to thank Coach Barnes and his staff for giving me a chance to chase my dream and play the game I love in a Tennessee uniform. At this time I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal. I hope that you can respect this decision as it was not an easy one. Tennessee will always hold a special place in my heart."
Boswell appeared in 28 games as a freshman, and started 33 of 34 games in his sophomore season.
Clarence Massamba only appeared in 12 games
Massamba, a 6-5 freshman appeared in 12 games for Tennessee this season and averaged 0.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 3.5 minutes per game. He played a career-high 14 minutes against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 21. Massamba also missed several games with a nagging hip injury.
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The Vols brought over Massamba from France. He played in the LNB Espoirs league for AS Monaco Basket from 2024-25.
He had previously played high school basketball in the United States at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida.
Who is left on the Tennessee basketball roster?
Tennessee's starting lineup is in flux, but the Vols flexed their depth in their run to the Elite Eight. They still have five returning impact players who have not yet announced plans to enter the portal.
Junior forward Jaylen Carey and freshman guard Amari Evans headline as Tennessee's top returning players. The 6-8 Carey averaged 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in his first season with the Vols. He started in eight games and played in all 37 contests.
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Amari Evans stepped up for Tennessee as a starter while Ament sat with injury. Evans played in 35 games and averaged 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
Freshman forward DeWayne Brown II is another impact returner. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 35 games played, and was briefly a staple in the starting lineup.
Sophomore guard Ethan Burg and freshman guard Troy Henderson are also still on the roster. Burg stuck in the rotation towards the back half of SEC play, while injuries limited Henderson's playing time.
Who is in Tennessee's 2027 recruiting class?
The Vols have three recruits signed for the 2027 class. 6-8 forward Ralph Scott and 6-6 guard Manny Green are both four-star recruits in the 247Sports Composite, which also lists Scott as the nation's No. 53 overall player.
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Marquis Clark, a 6-1 guard, is also coming to Tennessee as a three-star prospect.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rick Barnes, Tennessee basketball will need to replace starting lineup for 2026-27
