Why Rick Barnes was surprised by Jonas Aidoo transferring from Tennessee basketball

Rick Barnes doesn't get surprised too much by Tennessee basketball transfer portal decisions. But the Vols coach was very much surprised when Jonas Aidoo chose to enter the portal in mid-April.

“Yeah because he had told everybody he was fine," Barnes said Thursday.

Aidoo entered the portal on April 11 after an All-SEC season as a junior. The 6-11 forward averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He had six double-doubles in conference games. He blocked 66 shots, which ranked third in the SEC.

Jonas Aidoo was one of four Tennessee basketball players to enter transfer portal

Barnes stressed the Vols try to stay ahead of potential transfer portal decisions to avoid being surprised. That isn't always possible, he admitted, so some decisions catch a coaching staff by surprise.

“When that happens, you just got to realize that maybe you’ve got a chance to remake a roster and maybe do it a little bit different, maybe try to find a way to − obviously − try to make it better," Barnes said. “But it’s a different time right now in college of basketball, in terms of this month.”

Aidoo was one of four Vols to enter the portal. Forward Tobe Awaka and guards Freddie Dilione V and D.J. Jefferson all entered the portal before Aidoo.

Barnes indicated that Tennessee would welcome Awaka back when asked specifically about the rising junior forward Thursday. Awaka averaged 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game this past season. 

Jonas Aidoo earned All-SEC honors as a junior

Aidoo jumped into the starting lineup as a junior and earned All-SEC honors as well as All-SEC defensive team. He spent his first two years as a role player behind veterans including Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic.

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The Durham, North Carolina, native played 18.3 minutes per game as a sophomore. He showed his defensive prowess in that season.

Aidoo's freshman season got off to a slow start as he battled an illness preseason. He stepped into the playing group after Nkamhoua suffered a season-ending injury in February 2022. He played 7.8 minutes per game in. 19 games as a freshman.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.