Tennessee Basketball Should Consider Targeting This College Transfer

Tennessee basketball should consider targeting this college basketball transfer from inside the SEC.

Mar 11, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Eli Ellis (15) reacts after a made three point basket against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Tennessee has a big game this Friday when they take on the Iowa State Cyclones. This is a game that will be one of the more anticipated Sweet Sixteen matchups.

Away from their current season, it is never too early to start preparing for the next. The best way of doing so is by looking at the transfer portal, which is weeks away from opening. There are many talented players in the portal, but one player catches the attention immediately.

Tennessee Should Target Eli Ellis

Mar 11, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Eli Ellis (15) reacts after a made three point basket against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Eli Ellis is one of the better players when it comes to being a young star in the SEC. While he didn't have as big a season as some of his peers at South Carolina, he was easily one of the players with the most upside. He is a great player with one of the better jump shots in the country when he is open, but he still didn't finish with a great shooting percentage.

Ellis has all the talent one could want when it comes to scoring, but he will need to clean up some things. This is something that can be done when he is granted more play time and when he is on a better team that can work with him more. The Tennessee Volunteers would be a great fit for the guard, as he is a great scorer, and when he develops his defensive stats and stance more, he will be dangerous.

He is already familiar with one of the players at Tennessee, as he was a long-time rival of Amari Evans, as both players played in the same league. They both played in OTE, which is the best basketball league possible when it comes to high school basketball. Evans played for the City Reapers while Ellis played for the YNG Dreamerz. These two gave each other all they had when it came to the finals, but ultimately Ellis and the Dreamerz won the championship.

In their college matchup, Evans was the one who stood tall, as the Vols were victorious, and Ellis had a mediocre game, but everyone knows that the young guard is better than how he played. He will be one of the more targeted players when it comes to the transfer portal, and with the pieces that teh Vols will be losing, adding a guard who can shoot from anywhere on the court will be huge. While no contact has been made, it is notable that this would be a huge deal if they were to go after the talented South Carolina prospect.