When the Tennessee Volunteers play their first games of the season in November, their roster should look very different. That’s the way it is in the new world of collegiate athletics and the transfer portal.
Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo is one name that is leaving town. On April 11, Aidoo added his name to the transfer site, one day after Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka did the same.
Tennessee would be destined to lose the paint because of the abundance of size and physicality there. On the other hand, it’s possible that it will ultimately work to Tennessee’s greatest opponent on the court.
Kentucky Sports Radio reports that Kentucky has communicated with Aidoo.
It goes without saying that Tennessee would not want that to happen. Whether you like him or not, which many Vol supporters don’t appear to have after the NCAA Tournament, Aidoo is among the finest rim protectors in the nation. He blocked 1.8 shots per game on average last year and stopped many more attempts at shots. He was a member of the SEC all-defensive team the previous season and is a formidable player both on the glass and in defense.
Following his performance in the Vols’ 72-66 Elite Eight loss to Purdue, Aidoo lost favor with some UT supporters. He ultimately failed to capitalize on multiple clear short- and mid-range opportunities and was utterly ineffectual defensively against Zach Edey, though the latter problem shouldn’t really be a concern given that Edey was a problem for everyone in the tournament. For the majority of the game, Aidoo was benched in favor of Awaka and even J.P. Estrella.
But during the season, Aidoo—who has declared for the NBA Draft but has not lost his eligibility—showed that the matchup with Purdue was more of an anomaly than the rule. Whoever chooses to select him will get a player who will pose a challenge to their opponents in the paint.
The Vols’ mission of giving new head coach Mark Pope a rough welcome to the SEC will have become considerably more difficult if it turns out to be Kentucky.