Tag: Jonas Aidoo

New Hogs big man Aidoo tells NBA no thanks

Jonas Aidoo will play in Fayetteville next year, for sure. Not the NBA or G League.

Arkansas basketball fans could breathe a touch lighter Friday.

New Razorbacks big man Jonas Aidoo, who transferred to Arkansas from Tennessee just less than a month ago, reportedly took his name out of the NBA Draft on Friday. That’s according to a report from Jon Rothstein.

The move is hardly a surprise, though not because Aidoo isn’t considered a prospect. Aidoo’s choice to leave Tennessee for Arkansas, however, suggested his desire to play at the collegiate level again. It was always most likely he would ultimately suit up for the Razorbacks, unless he received feedback that he would be a first-round selection in the draft.

Aidoo was dynamite for the Volunteers last year, leading his ranking as the 10th-best player in the transfer portal this offseason. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for Tennessee in the 2023-24 season and helped the Vols to the Elite Eight.

Aidoo is one of five players to have transferred to Arkansas to play for new coach John Calipari this offseason. Calipari brought Adou Theiro and Zvonimir Ivisic from Kentucky and added Johnell Davis from Florida Atlantic, as well.

What Jonas Aidoo’s Arkansas commitment means for UNC

What will the Tar Heels do at center next season?

In just his three years as UNC’s head men’s basketball coach, Hubert Davis has shown Tar Heel Nation a strong ability to recruit.

Davis landed Elliot Cadeau, Pete Nance and Brady Manek in recent years, and he brings in five-star All-Americans Drake Powell and Ian Jackson this coming season.

One of North Carolina’s greatest needs in the coming season is an experienced center, something it doesn’t have on the roster right now.

Jalen Washington is the projected starting center. Though he has enjoyed some big moments in that role, he averaged just 7.4 minutes per game over his first two years in Chapel Hill. Zayden High will also see minutes at the 5 this season, while the Tar Heels also bring in four-star center James Brown.

UNC is looking to the transfer portal for an experienced big man. After striking out on Danny Wolf, Oumar Ballo, appeared to be among the favorites to land Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo.

However, Aidoo announced his commitment to Arkansas on Monday. If Aidoo had joined the Tar Heels, he would have been playing just 30 minutes down the road from his hometown.

With North Carolina missing three of the portal’s top available centers, what do they do now at the 5?

I like the idea of rolling with Washington, High and Brown. Though none have much collegiate experience, this trio gives Hubert Davis a great idea of which unit his centers fit best with.

The Tar Heels aren’t entirely out of the running for a transfer portal center yet, though. Rutgers big man Cliff Omoruyi is visiting Chapel Hill on Thursday.

If Hubert can get Omoruyi to commit, missing on Aidoo will not be such a big loss after all.

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Jonas Aidoo to UNC would mean more than just basketball

Come home, Jonas Aidoo!

After swinging and missing on transfer portal centers Oumar Ballo and Danny Wolf, the North Carolina Tar Heels are running out of experienced options to bring into Chapel Hill.

One possibility is Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, who plans to visit UNC on Thursday, May 2. If Omoruyi picks North Carolina, I imagine he’d start immediately, as he’s a 6’11” tower who’s averaged double-digit point totals over each of the last three seasons.

Another possibility – the player I personally like the most – is Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo. In his first season as a full-time starter, Aidoo averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

But that’s not why Aidoo should come to North Carolina.

Dating back to his high school basketball days, Aidoo is actually a native of the Tar Heel State. He played his junior and senior seasons of high school basketball at Voyager Academy in Durham, before transferring to the Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte.

You can’t beat the prospects of playing college basketball 30 minutes from where you grew up. Aidoo wouldn’t just be playing for any college basketball program – he’d be playing for the ACC’s best.

UNC has one of the most attractive rosters in college basketball next year, highlighted by a projected return from reigning ACC Player of Year RJ Davis. Guards Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble also come back, plus 5-star All-Americans Drake Powell and Ian Jackson enter the mix.

Jonas Aidoo – if you’re reading this, it’s your sign to come to Chapel Hill!

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Alabama basketball firmly in the mix for Tennessee transfer F Jonas Aidoo

Alabama basketball in the mif for Tennessee transfer F Jonas Aidoo

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off of the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance, however, the team could look quite different next season. This is the new era of NIL and the transfer portal because Alabama replaced a majority of the roster as well as all three assistant coaches heading into the 2023-24 season. With [autotag]Mark Sears[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Nelson[/autotag] in the NBA draft process and several other guys in the transfer portal, some roster spots are opening up.

If Sears and Nelson ultimately decide to leave those are bummers, but it is important to remember that not every departure is a loss. Especially when Oats has proven that he can find great players out of the transfer portal. Oats will certainly add some high-end talent to the roster in the coming weeks and months with one guy on his watch list being Jonas Aidoo of Tennessee.

Aidoo is a 6’11 forward with one more season of eligibility and started all 36 games for the Volunteers. In just shy of 25 minutes a game, Aidoo averaged 11.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg. The one thing the Tide missed ago was an athletic big, and Aidoo is the exact type of guy Oats likes for his system.

As of right now, it sounds like Aidoo is down to Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor and North Carolina.

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UNC basketball program reaches out to Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo

The UNC basketball program has their eyes on a big Tennessee player in the transfer portal.

Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels are starting to get more active in the transfer portal in terms of reaching out to prospects. While they have yet to land a player, the Tar Heels are showing interest in a handful of players and they have now reached out to a big center in the transfer portal.

Per Inside Carolina, the Tar Heels have reached out to former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo. The report states that the two sides have had ‘multiple’ conversations since Aidoo has been in the transfer portal back on April 11th:

A source close to Aidoo confirmed multiple UNC conversations, first with assistant coach Jeff Lebo, and then head coach Hubert Davis in the last 24 hours, with more conversations scheduled for this week.

The Durham, North Carolina native committed to Marquette and then decommitted which allowed Roy Williams and the Tar Heels to get involved again. However, in the end, he committed to Tennessee where he spent three seasons with the Volunteers.

Aidoo averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last season while earning Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.

With Armando Bacot out of eligibility, the Tar Heels are looking to add another big man despite having Jalen Washington and bringing in freshman James Brown. Aidoo would fit that need and be a big get for Davis and his Tar Heels.

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Jonas Aidoo enters NCAA transfer portal

Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo enters the NCAA transfer portal.

Tennessee junior forward Jonas Aidoo entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3.

“Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo is entering the transfer portal while declaring for the NBA draft, he tells On3 Sports,” Joe Tipton announced. “The 6-11 junior averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this season.”

Aidoo appeared in 90 games, including 45 starts, for the Vols from 2021-24. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward averaged seven points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game for the Vols.

He came to Tennessee from Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The NBA draft is slated for June 26-27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Vols defeat Saint Peter’s to open NCAA Tournament

Tennessee defeats Saint Peter’s to open NCAA Tournament.

No.  2 seed Tennessee (25-8, 14-4 SEC) defeated  No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s (19-14, 12-8 MAAC), 83-49, in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Vols led, 46-20, at halftime and never trailed in the contest.

The win ended Tennessee’s two-game losing streak. It was also Rick Barnes’ 200th victory as the Vols’ head coach.

Tennessee, one of eight SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament, was the only team to win on Thursday. South Carolina, Mississippi State and Kentucky all lost.

Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and Alabama will all play on Friday.

Dalton Knecht led the Vols with 23 points against Saint Peter’s. He also totaled eight rebounds and one assist, while Jonas Aidoo recorded 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and one assist.

Zakai Zeigler recorded 11 points and 10 assists for Tennessee.

Latrell Reid led the Peacocks with 17 points.

Tennessee will next play Saturday against Texas in the second-round.

Mississippi State eliminates No. 1 seed Tennessee from SEC Tournament

Mississippi State eliminates No. 1 seed Tennessee from the SEC Tournament.

No. 9 seed Mississippi State (21-12) defeated No. 1 seed Tennessee (24-8), 73-56, Friday in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Bulldogs led, 38-19, at halftime, a season-low for first-half points this season.

Friday’s win is Mississippi State’s second against the Vols this season. The Bulldogs defeated Tennessee, 77-72, on Jan. 10 in Starkville, Mississippi.

Mississippi State led by as many as 23 points. Tennessee trailed, 60-48, after Zakai Zeigler converted a three-point attempt with five minutes remaining in the game.

Zeigler scored 20 points to lead Tennessee. Dalton Knecht scored 14 points and converted 4-of-17 field goal attempts.

Jahmai Mashack scored 10 points for the Vols, while Jonas Aidoo totaled five points and 10 rebounds.

Cameron Matthews recorded 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Bulldogs.

Jonas Aidoo earns Second-Team All-SEC honors

Tennessee’s Jonas Aidoo earns Second-Team All-SEC honors.

Jonas Aidoo earned Second-Team All-SEC honors for the 2023-24 regular-season.

Aidoo averaged 12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during the regular-season. He also recorded a .533 field goal percentage.

Aidoo averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, the fourth-best in the SEC. He is also sixth in defensive rebounding (4.7 per contest).

The junior forward recorded eight double-doubles, tied for third in the SEC. He totaled 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in three games.

In SEC play, Aidoo averaged 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He also recorded a .547 field goal percentage.

Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC) is the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. The Vols will play Friday in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. EDT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kentucky defeats Vols in regular-season finale

Kentucky basketball defeats Tennessee in regular-season finale.

No. 13 Kentucky (23-8, 13-5 SEC) defeated Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC), 85-81, Saturday at Food City Center in the regular-season finale for both schools.

The Wildcats led, 33-29, at halftime.

Saturday’s loss ended Tennessee’s seven-game win streak. Tennessee entered the contest as Southeastern Conference regular-season champions, while Kentucky was in a four-way tie for second place.

Dalton Knecht led all scorers with 40 points, a career high.

Zakai Zeigler totaled 17 points and nine assists for the Vols, while Jonas Aidoo finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

The Wildcats led by as many as 14 points during the second half.

Antonio Reeves and Reed Sheppard each scored 27 points for Kentucky, while Justin Edwards finished with 16 points.