Episode 175: The portal door swings both ways

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to break down a newsy, early-offseason week for Rick Barnes and the Tennessee basketball program.Three Vols — senior wing Admiral Schofield, junior forward Grant Williams and junior point guard Jordan Bone — were invited to the upcoming NBA Draft Combine, which means Williams and Bone now have the option to stay in the NBA Draft and still return to school if they’re not selected. That obviously won’t happen in Williams’ case, because he’d come off the board at some point if he stayed in the draft, but some think that could happen with Bone. The impact of having three players invited to the combine and the impact that could have on Williams Bone is a major discussion point in this episode.Other big news happened this week, though. Sophomore forward Derrick Walker has put his name into the transfer portal after a postseason conversation with Barnes, which at least somewhat surprisingly leaves another hold for Barnes and Co. to fill this offseason.What went into Walker’s decision, and what impact will it have on the 2019-20 season? On the surface, Walker seemed to be in line for much more playing time next season, but perhaps there are other reasons for him leaving the program. Either way, his absence creates another opportunity for Tennessee to bolster the roster, and that’s exactly what the Vols hope to do. Remember, the transfer portal swings both ways, and there are still some exciting high school, prep school and junior college prospects on the table, too.It was always going to be an interesting offseason for the Tennessee basketball roster, but it might be even more interesting than we thought. That means there’s plenty to discuss.