Junior Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo earned SEC Player of the Week honors after turning in strong performances in the Vols’ blowout wins over Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Aidoo averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as Tennessee earned two wins by a total of 64 points.
The 6-foot- 11 big man was the best player on the court at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday when he totaled 23 points on an efficient 11-of-14 shooting from the field while adding 12 rebounds.
Aidoo’s dominance against the Razorbacks was a great sign because of how important the big man is for Tennessee’s potential. When Aidoo is at his best, Tennessee is at its best and its improved offense is much more immune to scoring droughts when perimeter shots don’t fall.
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The Durham native was dominant in Tennessee’s first five SEC games, averaging 16.2 points per game. But Aidoo cooled off and averaged just 8.1 points in the next five games. The junior big man got back on track last week and earned SEC weekly honors because of it.
“Jonas, I thought he looked relaxed shooting his little 15-footers,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said following the Arkansas win. “What he did at the rim and his rebounding in the second half was really big. He came up with a lot of plays in there. His length affects things around the rim when he gets himself in position.”
Aidoo becomes the second Tennessee player to earn SEC Player of the Week honors this season joining super senior guard Dalton Knecht. Knecht has earned the SEC Player of the Week honor three times this year including twice during conference play.
Tennessee returns to the court on Tuesday night when they’ll face Missouri in Columbia. The Tigers are currently winless in conference play as Tennessee looks to avenge last season’s loss two losses against Missouri. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET and the SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
