Tennessee basketball has a handful of players in the transfer portal, including two starters, Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka. Both could be looking to move closer to home or find a university with a better NIL offer.
Aidoo's transfer portal entry is a bit different than the rest. He has also entered his name into the NBA Draft, so he will weigh all of his options this spring while the spring transfer portal and draft window is open.
There have also been rumors that Awaka could remove his name from the portal and return to Tennessee, but it has been the opposite for Aidoo. It seems like the Tennessee big man is looking to move back home and across state borders to North Carolina.
The Durham, North Carolina, native averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in his Junior year. He also earned Second-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors. North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis has noticed Aidoo's performance this past season and is using this opportunity to bring him back home with his entry in the transfer portal.
Davis has already been in contact with two other prospects to fill their need for another big man. Tar Heel Blog says Davis has also been talking to Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw and Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo.
Inside Carolina also notes that there have been multiple conversations between Aidoo and UNC as he is hearing the Tar Heels' pitch. It's also important to keep in mind that he was almost a Tar Heel in his initial high school recruitment before committing to Tennessee, so it's not a reach to put them in the same conversation again.
The college basketball transfer portal is open through the end of April. Undergraduate transfers have until April 30 to declare their intention to transfer, while graduate transfers have until May 1 to declare their intentions and enter the portal.