Tennessee wound up landing the best basketball player the NCAA transfer portal had to offer last year when Northern Colorado's Dalton Knecht committed to the Volunteers and eventually became a consensus All-American.
This year, the Volunteers have reeled in the best name.
Darlinstone Dubar, a 33-game starter at Hofstra this past season, announced on social media Monday afternoon that he had committed to Tennessee. The Vols have lost two guards and two forwards since their recent run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, but the impressive 6-foot-8, 211-pounder from Charlotte, North Carolina, addresses needs in each of those areas.
Dubar (pronounced dew-BAR) averaged 17.8 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds for the Pride, who went 20-13. He shot 53.9% from the floor and 39.9% from 3-point range.
After beginning his career at Iowa State during the 2020-21 season, Dubar has played the past three years for Hofstra, so he will have one season of eligibility with the Vols. He was a Pride teammate for two years with guard Aaron Estrada, who was a 37-game starter this past season at Alabama and averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists for a Crimson Tide program that earned a Final Four berth for the first time.
Tennessee has lost guards Freddie Dilione V and D.J. Jefferson and forwards Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka to the portal. Dubar is the first portal acquisition for the Vols this offseason and obviously won't be the last.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.