Tennessee's past two basketball seasons have shown the potential makings of an elite men's program, with 57 wins, a share of a Southeastern Conference regular-season title and a month spent at No. 1 in the country.
Most of that core is gone, however, with four starters departing from last season's 31-win team that fell in the NCAA Sweet 16, so replenishing the roster is pertinent.
This weekend the Volunteers have a chance to nab a player capable of helping maintain that high level.
Kerry Blackshear, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, is expected to visit Tennessee as he looks for a place to spend his final season. Widely regarded as the best available transfer, the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder from Orlando, Florida, scored 1,152 points and grabbed 616 rebounds in his three-year Hokies career, which included a redshirt in 2016-17 due to a knee injury.
Prior to visiting Tennessee this weekend, Blackshear is expected to visit Kentucky. He's already taken visits to Arkansas and Florida, and Gonzaga, Michigan and Georgia have shown interest as well.
According to a source, one of the most important things to Blackshear is being part of a program that has a legitimate chance at the Final Four. Virginia Tech fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2017-18 and lost to Duke in the Sweet 16 this past season.
In his final season with the Hokies, he averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game and shot 51 percent from the field. He scored in double figures in 28 games and grabbed at least 10 rebounds nine times.
In his final game, he had 18 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and two blocks against Duke.
The Vols currently have no scholarships available for 2019, as they already have gone through a roster flip this offseason. Guard Admiral Schofield and forward Kyle Alexander have graduated. Point guard Jordan Bone and forward Grant Williams have declared for the NBA draft. Junior forward Derrick Walker has transferred to Nebraska.
The Vols signed guard Josiah James, swingman Davonte Gaines and forward Drew Pember in November and added forward Olivier Robinson-Nwamhoua recently. In addition, former Hamilton Heights standout Uros Plavsic transferred in from Arizona State and former Oregon guard Victor Bailey has announced his intention to transfer to Tennessee, although the university hasn't confirmed his addition yet.
Tennessee is expected to appeal to get Plavsic eligible immediately.
Blackshear would have the opportunity to step right into Williams' vacant slot, providing immediate relief as the Vols look to replace the two-time SEC player of the year.
In addition to Blackshear, Tennessee has extended an offer to 2019 high school graduate Josaphat Bilau, a 6-10, 235-pound forward who also has offers from Kansas, Pittsburgh, Nevada, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.