What Rick Barnes said about Jalen Washington joining Tennessee basketball roster

Tennessee basketball announced the addition of Vanderbilt transfer center Jalen Washington , who was granted a fifth year of eligibility and committed to the Vols on Aug. 3.

Washington played the first three seasons at North Carolina and, after transferring, had a career year with Vanderbilt in 2025-26. He was not initially covered by the NCAA's new age-based eligibility rule that allows athletes to play up to five seasons in five years, but a Tennessee state court granted Washington and 16 other players a temporary injunction on July 31 that will allow him to play in 2026-27.

"We are ecstatic to have Jalen join Tennessee basketball. He is a first-class young man who embodies the character, humility and work ethic that define our program," Vols coach Rick Barnes said in a school release Aug. 5. "Jalen is the type of person who elevates everyone around him, on and off the court. He gives another experienced low-post presence whom we can play through on the block. He has proven he can score inside, stretch the floor and make winning plays."

"Jalen wants to be challenged, develop as a player and compete for a national title," Barnes added. "We love Jalen's selfless approach, and he is all about winning and embracing his role."

Courts clash with NCAA over enforcement

The lawsuit Washington was party to in Tennessee had a narrow focus to a specific number of players. In Colorado, a judge ruling on a similar lawsuit ordered that all members of the 2022 high school recruiting class had to be covered by the NCAA's new age-based eligibility rule.

Lawyers from the NCAA, responding to a clarification from the judge ruling in Colorado, affirmed that the terms of the House settlement outlining roster limits and benefits cap "remain fully in effect," according to On3 , even as the transfer portal accepts a new rush of entries.

That includes rules barring teams from accepting "ghost transfers," − players who didn't enter the transfer portal during sport-specific windows. The NCAA, via memos shared with member schools, has threatened schools who violate the ghost transfer rule with fines and head coaches with a suspension for 50% of the season.

But the Tennessee ruling that granted Washington his temporary injunction states the NCAA must allow these players to transfer within a new window from Aug. 3-10 and prevents the NCAA from levying ghost transfer sanctions against schools who accept them.

Jalen Washington season stats

In a career season at Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Washington logged lifetime bests in points (8.9), rebounds (5.6) and blocks (1.3) per game while shooting 61.8% on two-point attempts.

He averaged 7.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks across three matchups with the Vols last season. One of his best games of the season was a 10-rebound, six-block effort in a 69-65 loss to the Vols at Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 21.

Washington will give the Vols experience in the SEC, plus high-level rim protection and additional rebounding in the frontcourt. It's just what a team that invested so heavily in transfer wings and guards this offseason needs.

Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @stephenethom.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Rick Barnes said about Jalen Washington joining Tennessee basketball roster

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