Rocky Top Reload: A New Trio Lays The Foundation For The Future
- Ellie Williamson
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The transfer portal window has barely been open a week, and Rick Barnes has already made two of the most important moves of his Tennessee tenure.
Facing an almost complete roster overhaul, Rick Barnes went to work fast. The result is a trio of commitments that give Vol fans reason for optimism heading into the 2026-27 season: sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade. scoring guard Dai Dai Ames, and rim protector Miles Rubin.
Tyler Lundblade: The Shooter Earned His Stripes
Few players in college basketball have a more compelling backstory than Tyler Lundblade. The Dallas native began his career at SMU as a walk-on before transferring to TCU as a walk-on. From there, he transferred again, walking on at Belmont before eventually earning a scholarship.
The perseverance paid off in a big way. It is probably what attracts Barnes. After all, the HC entering his 12th year with the Vols has a culture to protect.
In the 2025-26 season, Lundblade earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 40.6% from three-point range and 93.4% from the free-throw line. The season before was arguably even more historic: he led the nation in three-point shooting percentage at 48.1%, setting the Belmont school record for made threes with 104.
The 6-foot-6, 207-pound guard spent the last two seasons at Belmont, averaging 14.0 points while shooting 43.9% from three-point range and 45.6% from the field over 80 games. For a Tennessee program desperately seeking perimeter shooting after losing Ja’Kobi Gillespie to graduation, Tyler Lundblade is exactly the type of proven, veteran presence Barnes covets.
Rick Barnes made his pitch directly. “This will be the hardest experience of your life, but I promise you what’s on the other side of it is so rewarding,” Barnes told Lundblade.
It is a fitting message for a player who has already proven he can overcome adversity.
Dai Dai Ames: The Scorer Tennessee Needed
If Lundblade’s story is one of perseverance, Dai Dai Ames’ is one of breakthrough. The Chicago native arrived in Knoxville as one of the most sought-after guards in the portal. Tennessee locked up his commitment during his official visit Saturday, before he could follow through on planned trips to Xavier, Ole Miss, and Kansas.
Ames graduated from Kenwood Academy in Chicago in 2023 as a four-star prospect, rated No. 13 among point guards nationally and the No. 2 overall recruit in Illinois. After steady but modest production at Kansas State and Virginia, he finally broke out at California. He averaged 16.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and two steals per game in his junior season, shooting 46.4% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range, and 85% from the foul line . This effort earned him Third Team All-ACC honors in the process.
Ames has been touted capable of playing a ecombo guard style. It is his biggest strength is his ability to score at all three levels. His 56 made three point shots last season demonstrated that his shooting is a genuine weapon, not just a footnote.
There’s also a Tennessee connection that runs deeper than the box score. Tennessee assistant coach Amorrow Morgan helped recruit Ames to Cal last offseason before landing in Knoxville. The two reunite one year later with the Vols.
Miles Rubin: The Rim Protector Rocky Top Desperately Needs
While the backcourt additions have generated plenty of excitement, perhaps no visit this offseason carries more urgency than that of Miles Rubin. Tennessee badly needs to add inside help after losing Felix Okpara to graduation and J.P. Estrella, Cade Phillips, and Jaylen Carey to the transfer portal. Rising sophomore DeWayne Brown is currently the only returning big man on the roster.
Enter Rubin. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound big man out of Loyola Chicago is one of the best shot blockers in college basketball, having swatted at least 75 shots in each of the last three seasons for a career total of 237. That kind of sustained rim protection at any level is rare. But, at the mid-major level, it’s dominant.
Rubin set Loyola’s single-season record with 76 blocks as a freshman, then broke it with 85 as a sophomore, and added 76 more as a junior. He effectively owns the program’s entire shot-blocking record book. His 9.4% block rate ranked 20th nationally last season.
The production goes beyond shot-blocking. Rubin averaged a team-leading 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a junior, adding 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 58.5% from the field. He also earned A-10 All-Academic Team honors, adding a strong character profile to go along with his on-court production.
What This Trio Means for Tennessee
Tyler Lundblade and Ames give Tennessee a pair of guards who can both knock down perimeter shots, while Rubin would solve the Vols’ most glaring void. It’s a physical presence protecting the paint.
Rick Barnes has made a habit of extracting maximum value from transfer guards, from Dalton Knecht to Chaz Lanier to Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Adding a bona fide shot-blocking anchor in Rubin alongside two proven perimeter scorers would signal that he has a plan to reload, and it is well underway.
The portal remains open through April 21. The rebuild is just getting started.
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