Zach Kent officially in the NCAA’s transfer portal

Zach Kent was declared inactive by Tennessee ahead of their November 20th matchup against Alabama State. We would later learn that Kent had stepped away from the basketball program.

Today we’ve learned that Kent has stepped into the transfer portal.

The 6-11 big man was expected to give Tennessee minutes off of the bench this year, his first real opportunity to contribute in his third season in Knoxville. While he did see some minutes in the first few games, Kent didn’t play against Washington.

Rick Barnes said afterwards that he didn’t expect to get Kent back in the program. Through this process, Kent has remained enrolled in classes at Tennessee.

Kent was a former three-star prospect. He ranked 178th in his class, according to 247 Sports. He should have two years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands.

Tennessee has operated with Yves Pons as a bit of a hybrid post player, utilizing his elite athletic ability. John Fulkerson has filled the center role for the Volunteers, playing without much depth behind him. Drew Pember and Olivier Nkamhoua have been force onto the court a little earlier than expected, especially with the NCAA not granting a waiver to seven-footer Uros Plavsic.

For now, that formula is working. We’ll see if it continues as SEC play nears.