Rick Barnes is building a strong roster for Tennessee basketball, focusing on 'coachable' high school talent. The team is currently ranked No. 18 in the 2026 recruiting class by USA TODAY.
Key points
Rick Barnes is building a strong roster for Tennessee basketball
Focus on 'coachable' high school talent
Tennessee is ranked No. 18 in the 2026 recruiting class
Notable addition is Juke Harris from Wake Forest
Team's success will be judged by 2027 NCAA Tournament performance
How Rick Barnes finds 'coachable' high school talent for Tennessee basketball
Rick Barnes is in the midst of building the best roster in Tennessee basketball history.
The Vols will ultimately be judged by what they do − or don't − accomplish in the 2027 Men's NCAA Tournament, but they've assembled an unprecedented level of talent, especially with the addition of Wake Forest guard Juke Harris.
While Tennessee was expected to add heavily through the transfer portal after its Elite Eight loss to Michigan, its also built one of the stronger high school classes in the country. The four players assembled by Barnes for 2026 has UT at No. 18 in USA TODAY's top 25 team rankings.
Years of recruiting experience has guided the 71-year-old coach to seek three vital traits from high school prospects.
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Q&A
What is Rick Barnes' approach to recruiting high school talent for Tennessee basketball?
Rick Barnes focuses on identifying 'coachable' players who can contribute to the team's success.
How is Tennessee basketball's 2026 recruiting class ranked?
Tennessee's 2026 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 18 in the USA TODAY top 25 team rankings.
Who is the notable addition to Tennessee basketball's roster?
The notable addition to Tennessee's roster is Wake Forest guard Juke Harris.
What are the expectations for Tennessee basketball in the 2027 Men's NCAA Tournament?
Tennessee basketball will be judged by their performance in the 2027 Men's NCAA Tournament, following their recent roster improvements.
Related Articles
Sports
'Rock bottom' Chelsea need manager with PL experience
Chelsea's poor form raises questions about managerial choices and experience.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Sports
Alex Pereira throws out first pitch at Yankees game, gets a strike
Yahoo Sports·
Cricket
Wait to name England selector ridiculous - Vaughan
Michael Vaughan criticizes England for delaying new selector appointment.
BBC Sport··1 min read
Sports·Preview
How to watch Dallas Wings in 2026: TV schedule for Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and company
Catch the Dallas Wings in 2026: TV schedule and key players!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Will Hardik Pandya play against RCB in IPL 2026? Latest injury update and availability for MI's next match
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
What is the Bucs nightmare scenario for the 2026 season?
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Tennessee forward DeWayne Brown II (6) moves towards the basket while guarded by Texas forward Camden Heide (5) in an NCAA college basketball game on January 6, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee guard Troy Henderson (24) dribbles past Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026.
Feb 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives to the basket as Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
Jan 2, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) looks to drive around Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Braeden Shrewsberry (11) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Belmont's Tyler Lundblade, right, lines up one of his three-pointers against Bradley in the second half of their MVC basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at Carver Arena. Lundblade dropped eight three-pointers and the Braves fell to the Bruins 80-77.
Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Loyola Chicago Ramblers center Miles Rubin (24) shoots the ball as VCU Rams forward Luke Bamgboye (9) defends in the first half in a semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
IMG's Ralph Scott blocks a dunk attempt at IMG Academy on Feb. 7, 2025.
1 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
1 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
2 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Tennessee forward DeWayne Brown II (6) moves towards the basket while guarded by Texas forward Camden Heide (5) in an NCAA college basketball game on January 6, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn.
3 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Tennessee guard Troy Henderson (24) dribbles past Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026.
4 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Feb 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives to the basket as Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
5 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Jan 2, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) looks to drive around Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Braeden Shrewsberry (11) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
6 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Belmont's Tyler Lundblade, right, lines up one of his three-pointers against Bradley in the second half of their MVC basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at Carver Arena. Lundblade dropped eight three-pointers and the Braves fell to the Bruins 80-77.
7 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Loyola Chicago Ramblers center Miles Rubin (24) shoots the ball as VCU Rams forward Luke Bamgboye (9) defends in the first half in a semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
8 / 8
Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additions
IMG's Ralph Scott blocks a dunk attempt at IMG Academy on Feb. 7, 2025.
"Little ego, low maintenance, and talented," he said at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Kingsport on April 30. "I think that when you put that together, that really tells you that they're coachable, that they want to be coached."
Tennessee has four signees. It brought in two top-75 recruits in four-star forwards Chris Washington Jr., the No. 1 player in Tennessee, and four-star forward Ralph Scott. The Vols also swayed three-star wing Manny Green and three-star guard Marquis Clark.
Washington was originally committed to Alabama before reopening his recruitment on Nov. 17. He led Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro to repeat TSSAA state championships in Division II-A and was named Mr. Basketball last season. The 6-foot-9 Washington averaged 18.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and a block.
Before Washington was signed, Scott was Tennessee's highest-rated high school recruit. The 6-8 Scott played at IMG Academy in Florida and is the No. 65 overall recruit in the country and No. 11 in the state. Barnes pointed to Scott's growing potential when he signed in November.
Green has been bumped down to a three-star ranking, but he averaged a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in his senior season. The 6-6 wing tallied over 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds at Cedar Grove High School in Georgia.
The 6-1 Clark, who averaged 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, broke former NBA player Quentin Richardson's scoring record at Whitney Young High School in Chicago with a 51-point performance.
"We're excited about them," Barnes said about the group. "We believe that some of those guys will help us in ways that we might not even know now. They're talented, otherwise they wouldn't be here. We love them as people. I know they're coming in here ready to compete."
Last season's group of freshmen played crucial roles for Tennessee. Nate Ament, a former five-star prospect and potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, always had high expectations, but some of his classmates found consistent playing time.
Freshman guard Amari Evans, who transferred to Texas, started in a couple games when Ament was injured. Freshman forward DeWayne Brown was the starter for several games in SEC play.
Barnes anticipates a similar impact from the 2026 class.
"We haven't gotten away from recruiting high school players," he said. "We were excited about our class last year and they helped us. DeWayne Brown came out of nowhere, Amari Evans played more than we thought. We always say every year, somebody is going to disappoint you, but someone is going to surprise you too."
