Tennessee lands Oregon transfer Victor Bailey Jr.

Tennessee has gone back to the transfer market tonight, landing 6-4 point guard Victor Bailey Jr. from Oregon. Bailey announced his decision on Friday night with an Instagram post, following multiple reports.

Bailey likely isn’t going to offer the Vols immediate help, however. He’s likely going to have to sit out a year after playing for Oregon in the 2018-19 season. Bailey averaged 7.4 points per game for the ducks last year, appearing in 37 games.

With Jordan Bone already out of the picture and Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden set to exit after next season, Tennessee had a clear future need at the point guard position. Without adding additional help for the 2019-20 season, that likely means the Vols will be relying on a rotation of Turner, Bowden and five-star freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James.

Bailey has a shot to crack the starting rotation during the 2020-21 season.

At Oregon, Bailey shot 39 percent from three-point range. He also shot 91 percent from the free throw stripe, adding two rebounds per game. The 6-4 guard will bring a welcomed veteran presence to the Tennessee backcourt, which will get a lot younger in 2020-21.

Bailey was a four-star prospect in the class of 2017, checking in as the 86th ranked player, according to the 247 Sports Composite.