Tennessee
Tennessee basketball is at its best when Jonas Aidoo is on. He was elite at Arkansas.
Josiah-Jordan James beamed as he approached Jonas Aidoo.
Aidoo steadied himself and clapped his hands as he spun back toward the court, where James was the first of his Tennessee basketball teammates eager to greet him.
The seconds that preceded James’ joy featured Zakai Zeigler rifling a post feed to Aidoo, who took a single hard dribble to set up a spin to his left. He got the Arkansas defender in the air. Then he dunked it through Razorbacks forward Makhi Mitchell, the first act of a three-point play.
“Jonas played a heck of a game for us tonight,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said.
File that quote as an understatement.
Aidoo played a phenomenal game throughout No. 9 Tennessee’s 92-63 thrashing of Arkansas (12-12, 3-8 SEC) at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The 23-point, 12-rebound showing was the type of game the junior forward gave the Vols (18-6, 8-3) routinely early in SEC play. It was the type of game that harkened the reality that the Vols are at their best when Aidoo is at his best — and their ceiling will be tied in large part to their tallest player.
Jonas Aidoo elevates Tennessee basketball’s ceiling
Dalton Knecht is Tennessee’s best player. Zakai Zeigler is the heart and soul. Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James are the backbone.
But it is Aidoo who might matter most for these Vols to reach their potential because, as Barnes believes, he can be as good as any big in the nation. They have to have him be that player on a game-by-game basis. Simply, Tennessee is a guard-heavy team with a lot of scoring threats on the perimeter. Aidoo is their unique post weapon, a 6-foot-11 forward who spent his first two seasons known for his defense. His offensive game and potent scoring ability took him to an All-SEC level.
“I think he is one of the most improved players that our league has,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. “He is a big who rebounds the ball and plays really, really hard.”
Aidoo emphatically showed that during a five-game tear to start SEC play that featured three double-doubles. He averaged 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in that five-game spurt. He tailed off in the past five games before Wednesday. He had the same stat line in UT’s losses to South Carolina and Texas A&M: six points and five rebounds.
Barnes couldn’t explain Aidoo’s issues against USC. He knew UT needed more from Aidoo against the Aggies. Why? Because Tennessee cannot be at its best without Aidoo being his best.
How Jonas Aidoo dominated Arkansas
Aidoo got going with a dunk Wednesday. He had a putback dunk. He made a midrange jumper. He made a left-handed layup running to the rim and bouncing off contact. He got another putback dunk.
He terrorized Arkansas from start to finish as Tennessee had its way at the rim — and Aidoo had his way everywhere.
“I thought he looked relaxed shooting his little 15-footers,” Barnes said. “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 had five rebounds in each of UT’s past two games as it was beaten on the glass by LSU and Texas A&M. He owned it at Arkansas, doing everything well.
Barnes spent the month of November preaching to Aidoo that he can be as good as any post player in the nation. Those affirmations came after UT faced three of the best in Purdue’s Zach Edey, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot.
Aidoo’s name should be alongside those three, Barnes believed then and still does. He also needs it to be true.
Tennessee was the best version of itself Wednesday. Aidoo was, too. Those facts have been paired before and will be paired again. They have to be for the Vols to have their best season.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
Tennessee
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction: Odds, Best Bets, Player News, Injuries, & Stats for Week 17
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Preview:
The 3-12 Tennessee Titans are on a four-game losing streak, but they hope to snap it and avenge their early December loss when they head to Jacksonville to take on the 3-12 Jaguars.
Neither team has met expectations this season. Both have had their share of quarterback inconsistencies and injuries. In the first meeting between the two, only 16 points were scored. The Jaguars won that game, 10-6.
Since Doug Pederson took over as head coach, the Jaguars have beaten the Titans four of the last five times they have played. A win this weekend would make it the Jaguars’ second sweep in the last three seasons.
Despite both teams’ horrid seasons, they should see a little optimism as the season ends. They are both in contention for a top-five draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge.
How to Watch Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Live on Sunday:
- Date: Sunday, December 29th, 2024
- Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Site: TIAA Bank Field
- City: Jacksonville, FL
- TV/Streaming: CBS
Latest Game Odds for Titans at Jaguars – Week 17:
The latest odds as of Thursday morning courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Tennessee Titans (-110), Jacksonville Jaguars (-110)
- Spread: Titans -1
- Total: 39.5
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets:
NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) recommends betting on Calvin Ridley over 60.5 receiving yards…
Thomas: “The Titans haven’t been the best team through the air. Will Levis has struggled with consistency; he’s thrown 12 interceptions and just 12 touchdowns. However, the Jaguars love giving up big chunk plays to the wide receivers. Only two teams give up more receiving yards to wide receivers: the Vikings and the Lions.
When the two played earlier in the season, Calvin Ridley was targeted 12 times. He was able to haul in seven of those targets but fell short of the 60.5 mark. I think this week is different. He probably sees a few more deep shots with nothing to lose, which he should capitalize on.”
Titans at Jaguars Team Stats, Betting Trends:
- The Titans have failed to cover in 6 of their 8 road games this season
- The Jaguars have lost 9 of 12 games this season following a defeat
- 5 of the Titans’ last 7 games (71%) have gone over the Total
Quarterback Matchup for Titans at Jaguars:
- Titans: Will Levis – The Will Levis Experiment has not gone as planned for the Titans. He’s yet to make the big leap. This season, his 12 interceptions are more concerning than his lack of big numbers. Ball security should be a point of emphasis in the offseason as he grows to be a better quarterback.
- Jaguars: Mac Jones – Jones has been under center with Trevor Lawrence on the IR. The only win he’s had under center this season was against the Titans in Week 14.
Player News & Injuries:
Titans:
- K Nick Folk (abdomen) is questionable
- RB Tony Pollard (ankle) is questionable
- WR Tyler Boyd (foot) is questionable
- LB Kenneth Murray Jr is on the IR
Jaguars:
- TE Brenton Strange (shoulder) is questionable
- DT DaVon Hamilton (illness) is questionable
- G Brandon Scherff (knee) is questionable
- G Ezra Cleveland (knee) is questionable
- OT Walker Little (ankle) is OUT
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Tennessee
Tennessee Quarterback Enters The Transfer Portal Ahead Of Final Collegiate Season | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee quarterback Gaston Moore is entering the transfer portal ahead of his final season of eligibility, 247sports Matt Zenitz first reported on Thursday morning.
Moore spent four seasons at Tennessee after originally going to Central Florida out of high school. The Hilton Head, South Carolina native followed Heupel from UCF to Tennessee and worked his way up the depth chart before serving as the backup quarterback in 2024.
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound signal caller completed 16-of-27 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions off the bench in 2024.
Moore played a handful of meaningful snaps for Tennessee during the 2024 season. He came in for one play in the first half against Alabama, throwing an interception on a third down deep ball. After Nico Iamaleava went into concussion protocol against Mississippi State, Moore came in at halftime and completed five-of-eight passes for 38 yards while also picking up a handful of pass interference calls.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football’s Complete Season PFF Grades
Moore also played garbage time snaps in Tennessee’s lopsided wins over Chattanooga, Kent State and UTEP. The walk-on quarterback played sparingly in his first three seasons at Tennessee but didn’t attempt more than 10 passes in any of those seasons.
Despite having already spent five seasons in college Moore still has one more year of eligibility remaining. The signal caller spent the 2020 season at UCF which didn’t count against his eligibility due to COVID-19 eligibility relief. Moore then redshirted the 2021 season at Tennessee meaning only three seasons counted against his eligibility.
Without Moore, redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Merklinger and incoming freshman George MacIntyre will compete for Tennessee’s backup quarterback spot behind Nico Iamaleava.
JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s Christmas, the time of the year when travel gets busier as people move to and from their holiday destinations.
Christmas is underway and the holiday travel is in full affect across the region.
Here in West Tennessee, many are traveling for the holidays. A report from the Automobile Association predicted that more than 119 million Americans have at least 50 miles to travel for end of the year holidays. One traveler tells what their Christmas experience means to them.
“For me it was getting to be with family. I have sisters and stuff that I went to visit. One of them invited us up for dinner so, even though it’s a two-and-a-half hour drive, it’s always good to see family,” said Andrew Knox, traveler.
Knox says the Christmas menu did not disappoint this year.
“We had greens, macaroni and cheese, stuffed shells, dressing, ham, chicken wings — BBQ and plain, it was off the chain,” said Knox.
We asked about their end of the year reflections and what they expect for the new year.
“Grateful to have my wife with me of 17 years, my best friend and stuff, so I’m grateful that everybody is doing well. The family is doing well and that’s the main thing. Just so much to be thankful for and I just want everybody to be kind to each other. That’s all I would hope for the new year coming,” said Knox.
More than half of holiday travelers will return home on the same night. Airlines expect their busiest days to be on friday and Sunday, December 27 and December 29.
“We drove up this morning and we’re on our way back home now,” said Knox.
If your looking for last minute holiday attractions, see our 2024 Guide to the Holidays in West Tennessee.
For more news in the Jackson area, click here.
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