How D.J. Burns' transfer affects Vols roster

Tennessee basketball needed a scholarship opening as it pursued Virginia Tech graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear despite a full roster in June.

The Vols got it on the first day of July when redshirt freshman D.J. Burns entered the NCAA transfer portal. But Blackshear committed to Florida five days prior, leaving the Vols without both the coveted senior big man and a former four-star recruit.

As the roster currently stands, Tennessee will enter the 2019-20 season with John Fulkerson as the lone big man with any significant experience. 

Behind the junior from Kingsport, the Vols have a handful of players with zero college minutes — although junior Yves Pons could play at the four to add a dose of experience in a smaller lineup.

UT's frontcourt turnover began when Kyle Alexander graduated. It continued when Derrick Walker transferred at the start of May and Grant Williams headed for the NBA. Burns rounded out the departures when he entered the transfer portal.

UT returns Fulkerson and sophomore Zach Kent, who played 13 minutes in 2017-18 and missed last season after an injury in the preseason.

Fulkerson has spent his career as a rotational player. He averaged 11.5 minutes per game in his first three seasons in Knoxville, playing in 76 games while battling injuries. His role figures to be a major one for Tennessee, which looks backcourt-heavy heading into next season.

UT added four players to its frontcourt this summer to join Fulkerson and Kent.

The Vols signed prep forwards Davonte Gaines, Olivier Nkamhoua and Drew Pember. They also added Arizona State transfer Uros Plavsic, who committed to UT in mid-May.

With Burns on the way out, Tennessee's pursuit of a waiver for Plavsic gains more importance.

Vols coach Rick Barnes said on June 27 that he believes Plavsic's case for a waiver for immediate eligibility is a good one.

"If there’s anybody that’s ever deserved a chance to have an appeal and play, it’s him,” Barnes said . “Once they review it, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t get to play.”

Plavsic’s case for a waiver is tied, in part, to former Arizona State assistant Drazen Zlovaric, who was not retained after last season. Zlovaric is also from Serbia. 

Plavsic initially committed to Cleveland State, where Zlovaric was an assistant. Zlovaric took a job on Bobby Hurley’s staff at Arizona State and Plavsic signed with the Sun Devils. 

He is the lone frontcourt addition with any experience on a college roster after he redshirted at ASU last season.

Tennessee signed Gaines and Pember, who is from Bearden, in November. It added Nkamhoua in early May to fill Walker's spot. The late-rising senior prospect is the highest-rated of the bunch, checking in as the No. 113 prospect in the 247Sports Composite.

Burns was the No. 108 recruit in the 2018 class, which he reclassified to and enrolled at UT a year early. He spent his freshman season working on his conditioning and physique to contribute in the 2019-20 season.

Instead, he is looking for a new home after entering the transfer portal.

Entering the portal does not mean a player is definitely transferring, but it is a first step that allows other coaches to contact the player. The transfer portal went into effect last fall.

Source: Knoxnews.com

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