Rick Barnes and Tennessee land veteran guard in latest portal move

After missing out on top transfer target Rodney Rice, the Tennessee Vols made recruiting Amaree Abram a top priority. Thankfully for the Vols, some big news has come in that he has officially committed to the program and Rick Barnes.

Abram was in Knoxville on Monday according to reporter Mike Wilson, with Barnes clearly working overtime to sign him. Last season for Louisiana Tech, the newest Vols pledge averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Prior to suiting up for LA Tech, the lefty suited up for both Ole Miss and Georgia Tech. Now, he’ll be making plays for his fourth program in the last four years.

Veteran guard Amaree Abram has committed to the Tennessee basketball program

As soon as Rice signed with the USC Trojans, Barnes had to move to Plan B and Abram was the kind of sharpshooter he prioritized. Rice had high interest in the Vols, as it would have provided him the opportunity to play with former Maryland teammate Ja’Kobi Gillespie.

Gillespie, who helped the Vols land Nate Ament, took his visit with Rice, but at the end of the day, USC put a reported $3 million worth of NIL money on the table, something Tennessee was never going to touch. Despite missing out on Rice, the Abram addition is an exciting one for Tennessee.

Not long ago, Barnes told the media that he was still putting the finishing touches on the roster for 2025-26 and that more pieces would be on the way. Abram is one, but some more depth is needed for Vols supporters to feel a bit more confident before next campaign arrives.

With that said, Abram is a veteran scorer and he’ll surely be motivated to impress with Tennessee after his previous stops with Power 4 programs didn’t work out for him the way he wanted them to.