Tennessee Bolsters Guard Depth With Overseas Addition
Image: Ethan Burg/Instagram
By Aidan Sidoti
Tennessee basketball added international experience to their 2025-26 roster on Friday.
22-year-old Israeli guard Ethan Burg committed to Rick Barnes and the Vols after spending the past two seasons playing professionally for Bnei Hertzeliya of the Israeli Ligat Winner League.
Standing 6-foot-3, the versatile combo guard averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 assists, shot over 37% from three-point range, and 80% from the free-throw stripe last season in Israel’s top league.
Burg visited Knoxville in late June, sources told Rocky Top Insider, as the Volunteers explored options to fill the final scholarship spot for the 25-26 team.
While Berg is able to play both guard positions, Maryland transfer Ja'Kobi Gillespie is expected to handle the point guard duties, replacing Zakai Ziegler, leaving Burg as a potential contributor at shooting guard– a position where the Vols are still unproven at.
Alongside Gillespie, the Vols added Louisiana Tech transfer Amaree Abram– a career 36% three-point shooter, and a trio of freshmen guards in four-star Amari Evans, French enforcer Clarence Massamba, and three-star Richmond, Virginia native Troy Henderson.
Due to his professional background, Burg will require NCAA clearance to be eligible this upcoming season, which he is expected to clear based on precedent with players in similar situations. If granted eligibility, Burg could immediately factor off the bench as a much-needed perimeter option.
Tennessee enters the 25-26 season as a consensus top-15 team, led by five-star freshman Nate Ament– nicknamed 'Baby Durant', with hopes of reaching Tennessee’s first Final Four in program history.
