Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo is leaving the volunteer basketball program but he’s not leaving the SEC. Aidoo committed to John Calipari and Arkansas basketball just under three weeks after entering the transfer portal, he announced on Instagram Monday evening.
Aidoo spent three seasons at Tennessee and is heading to Arkansas to enjoy his final season of eligibility after a standout junior season. The 6-foot-11 power forward earned first-team All-SEC honors last season, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game during the 2023 season -24. Aidoo led the team in rebounds and blocks while finishing third in points.
Despite his strong junior season, Aidoo struggled in the NCAA tournament, culminating in the All-SEC big man playing just 10 minutes in the Vols’ Elite Eight loss to Purdue, with Rick Barnes opting to play first year JP Estrella vs. Zach Edey in critical minutes. stretchable.
Aidoo visited Baylor after entering the transfer portal, but found himself in the SEC with old Vols friend John Calipari. The veteran head coach completes the roster for his first Arkansas team after a 15-year stint at Kentucky and a stint at Memphis.
The SEC has not yet announced its basketball schedules for the 2024-25 season, so it is unclear how many times Tennessee will play Arkansas or where the game will be played. But Aidoo will face his old team at least once.
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It wasn’t the nicest breakup between Tennessee and Aidoo. No player or volunteer coach said anything negative about Aidoo, but Tennessee players said they didn’t want anyone in the program to not want to be there.
Veteran head coach Rick Barnes has always spoken highly of players transferring out of the Tennessee program and why he certainly hasn’t ripped Aidoo, he hasn’t raved about him either.
“Yeah, because he told everyone he was fine,” Barnes said, though he was surprised that Aidoo would enter the portal.
Aidoo committed to Arkansas the same day that fellow Tennessee native Tobe Awaka committed to Arizona. The Vols added Ohio State big man Felix Okpara, one of the nation’s best shot blockers, into the transfer portal and expect rising sophomore JP Estrella to also play a more important role this offseason.
Tennessee currently has three scholarships to work with as Barnes and his staff look to fill out its roster for the 2024-25 season. The Vols lost three players to graduation and four players to the transfer portal while adding one prep prospect and three transfers to their roster.
