Sad news: Tennessee lose their favorite star man to the Arkansas
The former big man for the Volunteers is assisting Calipari at Fayetteville in assembling a strong front line.
John Calipari’s most recent work at Arkansas may wind up being one of his most significant. On Monday, CBS Sports was informed by sources that Tennessee transfer had committed to the Razorbacks. Playing for Rick Barnes last season, Aidoo was among the nation’s greatest defensive big men. Center Aidoo led a 27-win Volunteers team that finished as a No. 2 seed and advanced to the Elite Eight, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.
Aidoo has the opportunity to further solidify his standing as one of the top players in the SEC and country at Arkansas. Since accepting the job in Arkansas more than three weeks ago, Calipari has experienced his first significant portal pickup. On David Cobb’s list of the top collegiate basketball transfers for 2024, Aidoo comes in at number 25.
The native of Durham, North Carolina, Aidoo also gave UNC and Baylor substantial consideration. According to sources, he had one of the highest NIL prices of any large man in this year’s portal cycle. He joins Zvonimir Ivišić, a transfer from Kentucky, and three other former UK pledges, Karter Knox (a five-star wing), Billy Richmond (a four-star small forward), and Boogie Fland (a four-star combo guard), who switched to Arkansas to follow Calipari. (View the most recent roster analysis for Arkansas here.)
In the upcoming days, Calipari and his team should anticipate to add additional well-known names to the platform. Despite losing Eric Musselman to USC, Arkansas has remained a desirable destination because of two factors: Calipari’s history of attracting NBA-caliber players, and Arkansas currently has one of the largest NIL war chests in college basketball.
All college basketball players’ access to the transfer portal ends on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Gamers are allowed to choose where they want to play next during the next weeks or months.
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Racers’ NCAA Tournament matchup with Tennessee
In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Racers will travel to Knoxville to play Tennessee.
The Tennessee Volunteers will play the Murray State women’s tennis team in the NCAA Tournament regional round. The Racers haven’t made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
In Sunday afternoon’s MVC Tournament Championship game, the Racers triumphed over Illinois State. The team was crowned champions when rookie Valeria Chaikovskaia secured the top singles slot in both tournaments. The Racers went 17-5 overall and undefeated in league play at the end of the season.
The first two rounds of the tournament will be hosted by Tennessee as the Regional. The Vols are hosting the NCAA tournament’s first round for the second year in a row. The Volunteers enter the NCAA Tournament with a 9-4 league record and an overall record of 18-7, having lost to Georgia in the SEC Semifinals. With two of their doubles pairs ranked as well, they are ranked #16 in the ITA Team rankings.
At the Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday at 1 p.m., the Racers will play the Tennessee Volunteers.
