Four-star combo guard Freddie Dilione commits to Tennessee

Tennessee basketball has a new member of its 2023 class this morning, adding four-star combo guard Freddie Dilione. The North Carolina native picked the Volunteers over Alabama and Wake Forest.

Dilione made the announcement via Instagram.

The 6-4, 185 pound guard is the 69th ranked player in the class of 2023, per 247Sports. He is the second member of the class, joining four-star power forward Cade Phillips, who committed back in May.

Dilione took his round of official visits in June, seeing VCU, Tennessee, Wake Forest and finishing up with Alabama. Assistant coach Justin Gainey ran point here, and was able to close the deal to begin to fill a need in the backcourt for the Volunteers. Santiago Vescovi, Tyreke Key and Josiah-Jordan James all are probably gone after this upcoming season, meaning Tennessee is going to need some replacements ready for early playing time.

As a junior, Dilione’s scoring jumped up to 21.6 points per game. He added over seven rebounds and over three assists per contest, making a big jump from his sophomore season. Recruiting services took notice, moving him inside of the top 100 over the summer months.

Also of note — Tennessee recently entered the battle for his teammate Davin Cosby, a three-star shooting guard also in the class of 2023. Four-star center JP Estrella is another top target of Tennessee’s, and he’s set for a September commitment.

On the floor, Dilione’s length and driving ability stand out. He’s strong and has a nice burst to his game, that should have him making plays at the rim throughout his college career. Of course, you know Rick Barnes is excited to put that length and strength to work on the defensive end, too.