It’s official.
Tennessee made another splash in the transfer portal last week, grabbing a commitment from forward Igor Milicic. On Thursday, the former Charlotte 49er signed with the Volunteers to make things official.
The 6-10 sharpshooter turned down offers from Nebraska and Baylor in favor of Tennessee. Before moving to Charlotte, Milicic started his collegiate career at Virginia. In his final season there, he averaged 12.8 points per game.
“We are thrilled that Igor has chosen to join the Volunteers,” a statement from Rick Barnes said. “He is a gifted player who has had outstanding coaching throughout his career, both in Europe and in college. He also learned from one of the best in the industry, Igor Sr.,” the player’s father.
Although Milicic stands in at 6-10, 225 pounds, he’s not your typical big man. Milicic is a capable offensive player, complete with ball-handling ability and shooting skills. He holds a 35 percent mark from three-point range for his career, and he made 37.6% of his long-range attempts last season.
That duration and shooting will assist Tennessee in partially filling Dalton Knecht’s output void.
Barnes went on, “Igor is a versatile competitor with an impressive, unique, and polished skill set that we think will translate well to the SEC.” He has a lot of potential and is a fantastic defensive rebounder and 3-point shooter. With the Polish National Team, Igor has gained priceless international experience, and as a college student, he has gotten better every year. We think he’ll blend right in at Tennessee, on and off the court.
Even though Milicic isn’t a real “big,” he will assist fill some of the void left by Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka’s departure. He will add a distinct taste to the mix, akin to what Tennessee will receive from 6-8 Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar. In his starting five, Rick Barnes is expected to shoot a lot, and it will be intriguing to watch how these players work together.
Three scholarships are still available in Tennessee. They are actively pursuing North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier because they need another guard. That is the next domino to fall; it is unclear if he will ultimately wind up in Knoxville.
