Could he be one and done?
Tennessee saw another NBA Draft pick come through the pipeline in 2023 — will they have another in 2024. According to ESPN, that answer would be yes. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo gave us an early look at the 2024 draft, and Tennessee guard Freddie Dilione made an appearance.
Dilione went 24th overall to the Boston Celtics.
The freshman guard joined Tennessee mid-season last year, but took a redshirt and didn’t appear in any games. The move allowed him to get acclimated to the program looking ahead to 2023-24. With uncertainty surrounding Zakai Zeigler’s early season availability, Dilione could see a large roll right off the bat.
The 6-5, 180 pound shooting guard was a highly ranked four-star prospect in the 2023 cycle. He reclassified to the class of 2022, where he was ranked 46th overall. Dilione was the seventh ranked combo guard in the class and the top ranked player in the state of North Carolina. Dilione attended Word of God Academy in Raleigh.
Dilione’s 6-5 frame and ability to finish at the rim make him an obvious NBA prospect. He averaged over 25 points per game in his final year of high school ball, adding 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists. He’ll go to work on the defensive end with Rick Barnes this year, where he’ll join one of the best defensive units in the country.
Tennessee returns Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James, Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler. On top of that, 6-6 guard Dalton Knect joins the backcourt after coming over from Northern Colorado. Where Dilione fits into that picture remains to be seen.