Freshman Freddie Dilione V, a basketball transfer from Tennessee, was the first Vol to use the transfer portal and the first Vol to locate a new residence.
Freshman Freddie Dilione V, a basketball transfer from Tennessee, was the first Vol to use the transfer portal and the first Vol to locate a new residence. The rookie combo guard is headed to Pennsylvania’s State College.
On Wednesday morning, Dilione posted a lion emoji on Instagram to announce his intention to sign with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The four-star recruit gave head coach Mike Rhoades credit for motivating him to transfer to Penn State.
“Mike Rhoades and his staff have been recruiting me a long time ever since they were at VCU,” Dilione stated. “I just thought it was great how they embraced me and showed me their play style. They seem like family, which is why I truly enjoy having them around. Mike Rhoades is a top-tier coach who has experience winning. All I want is to work with a coach that has faith in me, his players, and his staff.”
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard struggled to establish himself in the Tennessee starting lineup during the previous season due to the large number of veterans making a comeback to Rocky Top. This past season, Dilione was behind guards Zakai Zeigler, Santiago Vescovi, Dalton Knecht, Jordan Gainey, and Jahmai Mashack in the depth chart.
Dilione’s hitting the portal during the 2023–24 season was probably mostly due to his meager 5.2 minutes of action over 18 games. He can be an offensive spark plug for any club due to his high ceiling. In addition, he offers Penn State three years of eligibility, giving him plenty of opportunity over the next several seasons to improve his game.
In addition to a four-star transfer and a four-star high school center, Dilione is the highest-rated player in Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class. He was the second-best-rated player in Tennessee’s 2022 recruiting class.
To make up for some of the Vols’ productivity that is being lost due to graduation and the portal, Rick Barnes and team have been working on the recruiting trail and transfer portal. Darlinstone Dubar became a Vol last week, the team’s lone commit via the portal.
