Teammate's mom hits nail on the head regarding recent Tennessee Vol's transfer decision
The Tennessee Volunteers' roster lost some massive names with the graduation/end of eligibility of fifth-year seniors Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James, and Santiago Vescovi. The roster unfortunately took another significant hit on Tuesday. F Tobe Awaka announced that he is transferring from Tennessee. Awaka posted a statement on Instagram commenting on his decision. "Dear Vol nation," […]
The Tennessee Volunteers' roster lost some massive names with the graduation/end of eligibility of fifth-year seniors Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James, and Santiago Vescovi. The roster unfortunately took another significant hit on Tuesday.
F Tobe Awaka announced that he is transferring from Tennessee. Awaka posted a statement on Instagram commenting on his decision.
"Dear Vol nation," Awaka wrote. "The past two years have been some of the most influential of my life. The relationships gained and the experiences I've had will be forever life-changing. I want to start by thanking Coach Barnes, all of the assistant coaches, and the rest of the basketball staff, for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me during my time at Rocky Top. I also want to thank my teammates — my brothers for life. It was a pleasure getting to know and going to war with you all these past two years. Last but not least, thank you Vol nation for being one of the best fan bases in the country. Your hospitality and support has truly been a blessing.
"This decision was extremely difficult to make, however, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal. Thank you Vol nation, I will always love Tennessee."
One might wonder why Awaka, who took a substantial step forward this past season, might be looking to leave considering the improvement he made.
However, we live in a new world in collegiate sports, and Jahmai Mashack's mother, Meika, pointed that out with a tweet on Twitter/X on Tuesday.
Mashack is completely correct. College athletics, regardless of sport, has become a universe where players will have the opportunity to pursue greater opportunities elsewhere at the drop of a hat, both in financial/NIL respects as well as playing time. Even ones like Awaka who have shown to be improving on the court in their current situations.
Awaka's career-best game came in Tennessee's 72-67 win over Missouri last season. The 6'8" forward from Hyde Park, New York finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Awaka also had a major role in Tennessee's 62-58 nailbiter over Texas in the round of 32 last month. He totaled 10 points and 5 rebounds that helped the Vols sneak by and reach the Sweet 16. For the season, Awaka averaged 5.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and increased just about every statistic significantly from the previous season.
Now, Tennessee will have to look to find another reliable physical presence in the post to pair with Jonas Aidoo this offseason, whether that's with J.P. Estrella or someone not on the roster yet.
Because that's just the world we live in with today's college athletics.
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