KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee fifth-year guard and Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar is already making program history, and he hasn't even played a game yet.
Dubar is the first player in Tennessee history to wear jersey Number 8. The jersey number was only permitted by the NCAA starting last season. Before that, only numbers that included zero-through-five were allowed to make it easier for referees to use hand signals to indicate jerseys.
Now, all numbers zero-through-99 are fair game, and Dubar said he chose "8" to honor his favorite player, Kobe Bryant.
"I try to carry on Mamba Mentality," Dubar said. "He's my favorite player, and every time I step on the court I'm going to play hard and have that Mamba Mentality inside me."
Going back to his freshman year at Iowa State, Dubar has never worn the same jersey number two years in a row. He wore No. 55 at ISU, then switched to No. 0 at Hofstra, before returning to No. 55 and finally No. 1 for his final year with the Pride.
Dubar said he originally wanted No. 5 to honor his best friend in high school who passed away, and that was his jersey number. He doubled it to honor him instead, and even though he no longer wears the number, he is still playing for his friend.
"I know he's looking down on me. He's proud of me," Dubar said. "He always told me I had it and always told me to play hard and believe in myself. It feels good and I just have to keep doing it."
Dubar is not the only Vol to be the first with a jersey number. Fellow transfer Igor Milicic is the first player in Tennessee history to wear No. 7.
