Watch: Tennessee Basketball transfer center Felix Okpara arrives in Knoxville
Felix Okpara has arrived in Knoxville to officially begin his career with Tennessee Basketball. The 6-foot-11 transfer center committed to and signed with the Vols on April 25, becoming the second of what so far is a three-player transfer class.
“I just touched down in Knoxville,” Okpara said in a video posted on social media showing his arrival, “and I’m ready to go to work. Go Vols!”
Okpara, who averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks at Ohio State last season, is the second transfer to arrive on campus, following Charlotte transfer forward Igor Milicic, who got to campus on Tuesday.
Okpara started 34 times in 35 games last season, averaging 23.5 minutes per game, after starting 11 times in 34 games as a freshman, averaging 15.5 minutes. Okpara shot 58.6% from the field in his 70 games with the Buckeyes.
big man on campus@Felixokpara24 has arrived pic.twitter.com/GmnKxn4HOH
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) May 16, 2024
Felix Okpara was a four-star prospect in 2022 recruited heavily by Tennessee
Okpara was recruited heavily by Tennessee two years ago, as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He has family ties to Chattanooga, where he attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy during his prep career.
The Vols, with three scholarship spots left to fill on the 2024-25 roster, have signed three transfers, with Okpara and Milicic joining Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar.
Dubar committed to the Vols on April 15 and signed three days later. He averaged a career-high 17.8 points per game in 33 games this season, shooting 53.9% from the floor and 39.9% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game.
Dubar averaged 10.3 points per game last season and 11.7 two years ago, shooting a career-high 68.4% from the field in 2021-22 and 40.4% from the 3-point line in 2022-23.
Four Vols have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
Milicic averaged 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds this season with the 49ers, shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from the 3-point line. He started his career at Virginia before transferring to Charlotte after the 2021-22 season. He entered the transfer portal on March 25.
Tennessee will also add four-star point guard Bishop Boswell to next season’s roster after he signed with the Vols in November.
Four Tennessee players have entered the portal, with redshirt freshmen Freddie Dilione V and DJ Jefferson alongside junior center Jonas Aidoo and sophomore forward Tobe Awaka. The Vols also lost three redshirt seniors in Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi.
Aidoo transferred to Arkansas and Awaka ended up at Arizona. Dilione signed with Penn State and Jefferson transferred to Longwood.
