Amidst all the recruiting news surrounding Tennessee football over Fourth of July weekend and all the elite talent Tennessee basketball has already brought in and returned, you might have missed some news surrounding a 2023 basketball prospect who is unrated on two services. However, it’s a huge deal for Rick Barnes and his program.
Tobe Awaka, who committed to Rocky Top back in May, has reclassified from the 2023 class to the 2022 class. UT announced his signing on Friday. A three-star on Rivals and On3, Awaka, who hails from New York, isn’t rated on 247Sports and doesn’t have a profile on ESPN.
The prospect out of Cardinal Hayes High School is following in the footsteps of now fellow Bronx, N.Y., native Zakai Zeigler. Last year, Zeigler reclassified into Tennessee basketball’s 2022 class. He is actually connected to Awaka, as they both played in the same AAU program.
Make no mistake, despite his low profile, Awaka’s reclassification is huge for the Vols. In spite of all the returning talent and elite newcomers, there was one big question surrounding this program: Would it have enough players to go two-deep in the front court?
John Fulkerson graduated and is out of eligibility. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield entered the transfer portal. That leaves Uros Plavsic, Jonas Aidoo and Olivier Nkamhoua. Aidoo saw limited action last year, Plavsic hasn’t been able to start consistently, and Nkamhoua is returning from a season-ending injury.
As a result, there have been plenty of questions surrounding the Vols’ frontcourt. Even with the possibility of running Josiah-Jordan James at the four, not everything has been answered. However, the addition of Awaka gives Barnes enough of a rotation to work with.
At 6’8″ 240 pounds, Awaka is a true power forward. There’s really no other position he would play in this system for 2022-23, as Tennessee basketball is loaded on the wing, and he’s just a bit too short to play the five consistently, which is why Aidoo and Plavsic need to develop.
What the Vols needed was one more true, scholarship power forward, similar to Nkamhoua, who could occupy the low block and make a huge impact. That’s exactly what Awaka is, and with his addition, the Vols have enough depth now to mix and match.
UT is fine in the backcourt. Zeigler, Santiago Vescovi and James are the returning stars. Julian Phillips is the high-profile recruit on the wing. Tyreke Key is the high-profile transfer in the backcourt. Jahmai Mashack was a highly touted recruit in 2022 who is back, and D.J. Jefferson is a highly touted 2023 recruit.
Meanwhile, the five seems okay with Plavsic and Aidoo, as we’ve seen enough of Plavsic to know he can provide serviceable minutes, and Aidoo has tons of untapped potential. Nkamhoua being back will obviously give the Vols options at the four.
All Tennessee basketball needed was one more player who could provide depth in the post and give Barnes options into how to shape his rotation. That’s exactly what he got in Awaka’s decision to reclassify, so this makes the Vols even more dangerous going forward.