Tennessee basketball adds New York City PF Tobe Awaka

Rick Barnes may have addressed the lack of post depth facing Tennessee basketball entering 2022-2023, but the details are still unclear. Less than a week after adding five-star wing Julian Phillips, the Vols added a New York City post player connected to Zakai Zeigler.

Tobe Awaka, a power forward out of Cardinal Hayes High School in Bronx, N.Y., has committed to Rocky Top. Standing at 6’8″ 240 pounds, Awaka is not yet rated on any recruiting service. More confusing is which year he will be.

Initially, Awaka was listed as a 2022 prospect. However, he’s now listed for 2023 on 247Sports, and he announced on Instagram Tuesday morning that he would commit to Tennessee basketball as a member of the Class of 2023.

According to Grant Ramey, Awaka could reclassify as a 2022 prospect. How that plays out, though, remains to be seen. Either way, he’s a solid pickup for the Vols, whether it’s to address depth this year or for the future.

This past year, Awaka was the New York Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged over 19 points and 13 rebounds in high school ball. Also, Awaka is a member of the New York Lightning AAU team, which produced Zeigler.

Given the transfer of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and the departure of John Fulkerson, help in the front court is clearly a need for the Vols. Olivier Nkamhoua is back, and Uros Plavsic and Jonas Aidoo remain, but they could still use more help at the four. Should he join this year’s class, Awaka could provide that.

With his frame, Awaka has more of the profile of Grant Williams when it comes to playing power forward. He could use his width and finesse to establish a presence, and that possibility is likely why he committed to Barnes in the first place.

If Awaka reclassifies for this year, Barnes will still have two scholarships available to give. As a result, look for Tennessee basketball to still make moves in the transfer portal. Either way, though, Awaka is good for the long-term depth of the program in the post.