Transfer portal recruiting extended deep into the summer for Tennessee basketball. Most of the roster has already been assembled and is working towards the start of the 2026-27 season. Now a new teammate, former Vanderbilt center Jalen Washington, will be joining them soon.
The Vols' newest addition to the frontcourt committed to Tennessee on Aug. after landing an additional year of eligibility via the court system.
Washington, who started his career at North Carolina in 2022, filed a lawsuit in Tennessee state court on July 6 in response to the NCAA's "5 in 5" rule, allowing every athlete to play five seasons from the date of their college enrollment or 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
Along with 16 other college basketball players from Tennessee
to join the suit, Washington was granted a temporary injunction on July 31 and is now allowed to play this coming season. The order states the NCAA must permit the players to enter the transfer portal between August 3 and 10.
After an initial transfer haul of eight players, the Vols went into the summer with only 14 scholarship players on the roster and had the capacity to add one more later in the calendar.
"We have a spot available and if we find the right guy, we can (add to the roster)," coach Rick Barnes said in June.
Turns out Washington was that right guy to round out the Vols roster.
Washington averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game across 93 appearances (16 starts) in three years as a Tar Heel. He transferred to Vanderbilt last spring and played some of his best basketball, averaging career-bests in points (8.9), rebounds (5.6) and blocks (1.3) per game while shooting 61.8% from inside the arc.
The Vols initially invested heavily in guards and wings when recruiting the transfer portal this offseason. Juke Harris, Terrance Hill Jr., Dai Dai Ames and Jalen Haralson headlined a transfer class ranked second nationally by 247Sports.
Months later, Barnes has added some experience, and a potential starting center, to the frontcourt with Washington now in the fold. Transfers Christian Fermin and Myles Rubin round out the Vols' center rotation.
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: Tennessee basketball lands Vanderbilt transfer center Jalen Washington
