A big get!
Tennessee has made another splash in the transfer portal, this time landing Charlotte forward Igor Milicic. The Volunteers have been the favorite here for a week or so, and following Cade Tyson’s commitment to North Carolina on Sunday, they officially land Milicic this morning.
Charlotte transfer Igor Milicic tells me that he has committed to Tennessee.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 29, 2024
Baylor and Nebraska were also in the mix for Milicic.
The 6-10, 225 pound forward plays more like a wing, with a legitimate ability to run the floor get to the rim. He also shot 37.6 percent from three-point range, scoring 12.8 points per game for the 49ers last season. Milicic also used his 6-10 frame to pull down 8.5 rebounds per game.
Milicic initially started his career at Virginia before transferring to Charlotte. I asked our resident basketball expert Nick Carner for his take below.
“I think he’s gonna play some 4 but he’s really a wing shooter at heart. So however Rick needs to adjust the offense to make that work… he’s a good rebounder for what he is, but it’s not necessarily his strength, especially in the SEC.
“I think he and dubar will kinda both play the 3/4 and it gives us a lot of interesting lineup options. Lots of length.”
With Tobe Awaka committing to Arizona today, it would seem like Milicic is going to play some sort of a hybrid-4 role. He and Darlinstone Dubar are similar players, both bringing shooting and a ton of length to the floor. With Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara coming in, Tennessee’s starting five appears to be set for the time being (Zeigler-Mashack-Dubar-Milicic-Okpara). Jordan Gainey, Cameron Carr, JP Estrella and Cade Phillips will likely be in the rotation.
Tennessee still has three open roster spots to fill. North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier, who scored 19+ points per game last season, is another option to monitor.