Braedan Lue has been signed by University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes.
Lue, a junior forward with two years of eligibility, transfers to the Volunteers from Kennesaw State after being named to the CUSA All-Defensive Team last season.
We are thrilled to welcome Braedan and his family to our basketball program. He is a terrific young guy with great character, making him an ideal addition for our program, according to Barnes. Braedan is a quick and twitchy player with tremendous athleticism, a strong frame, and an exceptional wingspan. He is a seasoned champion, a wonderful teammate, and an outstanding defender who is ready to do anything to assist his team. Braedan is thrilled for the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
Last season, Lue averaged 10. 9 points, 5. 3 rebounds, 1. 4 blocks, 1. 2 assists, and 0. 9 steals in 26. 5 minutes per game for the Owls. He was one of only 16 players nationally—only five were underclassmen (freshmen/sophomores) and eight were from outside the Power Five level—to record the first five marks in that stat line. He also shot 45. 2% from the court, including 51. 9% from inside the arc.
Lue appeared in all 35 games for Kennesaw State, making 34 starts as the team won 21 games and earned the program’s second NCAA Tournament participation in Division I history. He began the 2025-26 season as a Preseason All-CUSA selection.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pounder finished third in the CUSA in blocks average and eleventh in offensive rebounding (2. 2). He was even better in league-only action, placing second in the former (1. 7) and seventh in the latter (2. 4).
Lue had double figures 20 times in 2025-26, including 11 times when he scored 15 or more points and three times when he scored 20 or more. In 19 games, he had at least five rebounds, with seven-plus in nine and ten-plus in three, including double-doubles in all three. Lue also had numerous blocks in 12 games, including four or more in three to co-lead the CUSA, and made several 3-pointers in six games.
The Douglasville, Georgia native had a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in a Feb. 12 game against Middle Tennessee State, including a career-best in made field goals.
In 2024-25, Lue averaged 10. 0 points, 5. 5 rebounds, and 1. 1 blocks in 25. 5 minutes per game. Lue was one of only 12 freshmen to average at least 10. 0 points, 5. 0 rebounds, and 1. 0 block per game—just four came from outside the Power Five conference—while shooting 43. 5% from the field, including a 53. 6% mark on 2-pointers.
Lue participated in all 33 of the Owls’ games, starting 32 of them. He earned CUSA All-Freshman Team recognition after placing sixth in the league in blocks average and No. 15 in rebounding. He was also named CUSA Freshman of the Week on January 20, 2025.
Lue had 15 double-digit scoring performances that year, including eight games with 15 or more points and a high of 22. He grabbed five-plus rebounds 22 times, seven-plus nine times, and ten-plus four times, recording two double-doubles. He also had 11 multiple-block games, including three with three-plus blocks, and made several 3-pointers in eight games, including three-plus in four of them.
During his two-year stay at Kennesaw State, Lue averaged 10. 5 points, 5. 4 rebounds, 1. 3 blocks, 1. 0 assist, and 0. 8 steals in 26. 0 minutes per game. His 86 blocks in the previous two seasons are the most in the CUSA.
Despite being unranked nationally as a high school recruit, Lue was a two-time GHSA 6A State Player of the Year. As a senior, he led Alexander High School to the 6A title and was named state championship MVP.
Lue averaged 17. 0 points and 8. 0 rebounds per game in his senior season, earning all-region honors for the third time. He also broke the school’s all-time scoring record. On the AAU circuit, Lue competed for Team Huncho.
The Volunteers have 22 previous letter winners from Georgia, but Lue is expected to be the first since Shembari Phillips in 2016-17. The list includes two-time All-American Dale Ellis (1979-83), two-time All-American Reggie Johnson (1976-80), and two-time first-team All-SEC selection Jordan McRae (2010-14), among others.
