University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Welcome CUSA All-Defensive Team Choice Braedan Lue
April 27, 2026 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men's basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Monday the signing of Braedan Lue.
A member of the CUSA All-Defensive Team last year at Kennesaw State, Lue joins the Volunteers as a junior forward with two remaining seasons of eligibility.
"We are pleased to welcome Braedan and his family to our basketball program. He is a superb young man with excellent character, which makes him an outstanding fit for our program," Barnes said. "Braedan is a fast and twitchy player who possesses big-time athleticism, a sturdy frame and an elite wingspan. He is a proven winner, a great teammate and an impactful defender who is willing to play any role to help his team. Braedan is excited for the chance to compete at the highest level and he looks forward to working with Garrett Medenwald."
This past 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 just 16 players nationally—just five were underclassmen (freshmen/sophomores) and only eight came from outside the Power Five level—to register the first five marks in that stat line. He also shot 45.2 percent from the field, including 51.9 percent inside the arc.
Lue appeared in all 35 games, earning 34 starts, for Kennesaw State, which won 21 games and earned the second NCAA Tournament berth in the program's Division I history. He entered 2025-26 as a Preseason All-CUSA designee.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pounder placed third in the CUSA in blocks average and No. 11 in offensive rebounding (2.2). He was even better in league-only action, finishing second in the former (1.7) and seventh in the latter (2.4).
Lue scored in double figures 20 times in 2025-26, reaching 15-plus 11 times and 20-plus thrice. He hauled in at least five rebounds in 19 contests, with seven-plus in nine and 10-plus in three, earning a double-double on each of those later occasions. Lue also had multiple blocks in 12 contests, with four-plus in three to co-lead the CUSA, and hit multiple 3-pointers in six affairs.
The Douglasville, Ga., native scored a career-high 23 points in a Feb. 12 game against Middle Tennessee State in which he shot 10-of-16 from the floor, also setting a career best in made field goals.
In 2024-25, Lue put up 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.5 minutes per contest. One of just 12 freshmen—just four came from outside the Power Five conferences—to average at least 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game, Lue posted a 43.5 percent clip from the field that included a 53.6 percent ledger on 2-pointers.
Lue competed in all 33 of the Owls' games and started 32 of them. He collected CUSA All-Freshman Team status—he also won CUSA Freshman of the Week on Jan. 20, 2025—after ranking sixth in the league in blocks average and No. 15 in rebounding.
That year, Lue had 15 double-digit scoring performances, with 15-plus in eight contests and a high of 22. He grabbed five-plus rebounds 22 times, with seven-plus on nine occasions and 10-plus four times, notching two double-doubles. He also had 11 multiple-block outings, with three-plus four times, and hit multiple 3-pointers in eight games, with three-plus in four of them.
Across his two-year tenure 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 over the last two seasons are the most of any player in the CUSA.
Despite being unranked nationally as a prep recruit, Lue was a two-time GHSA 6A State Player of the Year. He led Alexander High School to the 6A title and won state championship MVP honors as a senior.
Lue averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during his senior season and earned all-region accolades for the third time. He set the all-time scoring record at his school, as well. On the AAU circuit, Lue competed for Team Huncho.
The Volunteers have 22 prior letter winners from Georgia, but Lue is set 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 honoree Jordan McRae (2010-14), among others.
Lue is the sixth transfer to join the Tennessee program for 2025-26, following MVC Player of the Year Tyler Lundblade, two-time All-A-10 Defensive Team honoree Miles Rubin, Third Team All-ACC designee Dai Dai Ames, First Team All-A-10 selection Terrence Hill Jr., and All-ACC Honorable Mention Jalen Haralson. The Volunteers will also welcome a quartet of high schoolers in Marquis Clark, Manny Green, Ralph Scott and Chris Washington Jr.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
A member of the CUSA All-Defensive Team last year at Kennesaw State, Lue joins the Volunteers as a junior forward with two remaining seasons of eligibility.
"We are pleased to welcome Braedan and his family to our basketball program. He is a superb young man with excellent character, which makes him an outstanding fit for our program," Barnes said. "Braedan is a fast and twitchy player who possesses big-time athleticism, a sturdy frame and an elite wingspan. He is a proven winner, a great teammate and an impactful defender who is willing to play any role to help his team. Braedan is excited for the chance to compete at the highest level and he looks forward to working with Garrett Medenwald."
This past 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 just 16 players nationally—just five were underclassmen (freshmen/sophomores) and only eight came from outside the Power Five level—to register the first five marks in that stat line. He also shot 45.2 percent from the field, including 51.9 percent inside the arc.
Lue appeared in all 35 games, earning 34 starts, for Kennesaw State, which won 21 games and earned the second NCAA Tournament berth in the program's Division I history. He entered 2025-26 as a Preseason All-CUSA designee.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pounder placed third in the CUSA in blocks average and No. 11 in offensive rebounding (2.2). He was even better in league-only action, finishing second in the former (1.7) and seventh in the latter (2.4).
Lue scored in double figures 20 times in 2025-26, reaching 15-plus 11 times and 20-plus thrice. He hauled in at least five rebounds in 19 contests, with seven-plus in nine and 10-plus in three, earning a double-double on each of those later occasions. Lue also had multiple blocks in 12 contests, with four-plus in three to co-lead the CUSA, and hit multiple 3-pointers in six affairs.
The Douglasville, Ga., native scored a career-high 23 points in a Feb. 12 game against Middle Tennessee State in which he shot 10-of-16 from the floor, also setting a career best in made field goals.
In 2024-25, Lue put up 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.5 minutes per contest. One of just 12 freshmen—just four came from outside the Power Five conferences—to average at least 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game, Lue posted a 43.5 percent clip from the field that included a 53.6 percent ledger on 2-pointers.
Lue competed in all 33 of the Owls' games and started 32 of them. He collected CUSA All-Freshman Team status—he also won CUSA Freshman of the Week on Jan. 20, 2025—after ranking sixth in the league in blocks average and No. 15 in rebounding.
That year, Lue had 15 double-digit scoring performances, with 15-plus in eight contests and a high of 22. He grabbed five-plus rebounds 22 times, with seven-plus on nine occasions and 10-plus four times, notching two double-doubles. He also had 11 multiple-block outings, with three-plus four times, and hit multiple 3-pointers in eight games, with three-plus in four of them.
Across his two-year tenure 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 over the last two seasons are the most of any player in the CUSA.
Despite being unranked nationally as a prep recruit, Lue was a two-time GHSA 6A State Player of the Year. He led Alexander High School to the 6A title and won state championship MVP honors as a senior.
Lue averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during his senior season and earned all-region accolades for the third time. He set the all-time scoring record at his school, as well. On the AAU circuit, Lue competed for Team Huncho.
The Volunteers have 22 prior letter winners from Georgia, but Lue is set 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 honoree Jordan McRae (2010-14), among others.
Lue is the sixth transfer to join the Tennessee program for 2025-26, following MVC Player of the Year Tyler Lundblade, two-time All-A-10 Defensive Team honoree Miles Rubin, Third Team All-ACC designee Dai Dai Ames, First Team All-A-10 selection Terrence Hill Jr., and All-ACC Honorable Mention Jalen Haralson. The Volunteers will also welcome a quartet of high schoolers in Marquis Clark, Manny Green, Ralph Scott and Chris Washington Jr.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
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