Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka grew a lot throughout his two seasons with the Volunteers. He proved to be a crucial part of their rotation during the NCAA Tournament run. Tennessee could put either Awaka or forward Jonas Aidoo on the floor to match up with some of the top big men in the country, and as a whole, they did a nice job.

Awaka spent last summer with Team USA at the Fiba U19 World Cup. He started six of the seven contests, leading all players in the tournament in double-doubles. Awaka posted an average of 11.6 points per game, good for second on Team USA. Many saw this as a potential breakthrough opportunity, and his game did jump in confidence after his summer stint in Hungary.

However, it looks like Awaka won’t be growing with the Tennessee Volunteers anymore. On Tuesday, Awaka announced that he intends to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal to exercise his final two seasons of eligibility. Awaka averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Vols in 2023, and the team now has five scholarship openings heading into the offseason. Head coach Rick Barnes has a tall task in front of him, and losing Awaka certainly doesn’t help.