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
Answering Tennessee Football’s Burning Questions Less Than 100 Days Until Kickoff | Rocky Top Insider
We’re less than 100 days until Tennessee football meets Furman to open the 2026 season inside Neyland Stadium. As the team meets for summer workouts in Knoxville, there are some serious questions with strong implications still unanswered, though.
Here’s the latest on the answer to each burning question revolving around the Vols.
Who leads Tennessee’s quarterback battle?
Josh Heupel won’t name a starting quarterback until much closer to the start of the season, if not into the season itself, with an FCS game to open the year. The reason is he wants to see how each player develops over the summer and into training camp after receiving hands-on instruction from the coaching staff during the spring.
However, all the buzz is currently around five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon. Multiple college football insiders have given him the leg up entering the summer after he showed up to campus with a college-ready frame and strong understanding of Heupel’s offense.
The battle is far from over, though. Redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre will have a say as he pushes to take the reins of the offense after sitting behind Joey Aguilar and Jake Merklinger last season. Colorado transfer Ryan Staub will also get reps as he looks to emerge.
I think if you asked Heupel who the quarterback will be next season, he’d truthfully say he doesn’t know, though. It’s still a completely open competition as we gear up for fall camp at the beginning of August.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football’s First Three Games Officially Have Set Kickoff Times. Here’s What They are.
Will Chaz Coleman play for the Vols?
As spring camp progressed, Tennessee was without one of its key transfer portal pickups. Chaz Coleman, a highly-touted edge rusher from Penn State, began to miss practices and ultimately did not play in the annual Orange and White Game.
Now, it’s being reported that Coleman is not on campus for the start of voluntary workouts. We’ve seen missing practices and workouts be the end of tenures at UT in the past, as well. It was the final straw for Nico Iamaleava before he entered the portal in the spring of 2024, and Boo Carter missing workouts led to punishment before he transferred during the 2025 season.
It’s not a cut-and-clear case with Coleman, though. There’s still a chance he can work his way back into the fold for Tennessee this upcoming season, but there is plenty of work to be done. We’ll ultimately have to wait and see, but confidence is beginning to dwindle.
Either way, this now means Tulane transfer Jordan Norman is going to have to play a significant role this upcoming season and is a name to watch during fall camp.
How has the team adapted to the new big-name coaches?
This offseason, Tennessee added two significant coaches to its staff. To replace Tim Banks at defensive coordinator, Josh Heupel went out and got Jim Knowles. To revamp his strength program, he hired Indiana’s Derek Owings.
So far, it seems like both additions have gone very well. Knowles has a tough job in front of him, but he retooled the defense at multiple positions through the transfer portal. The linebacker room seems very strong, and he added talent to the secondary, but the defensive line will be interesting to watch.
Overall, it seems like the team has responded well to what Knowles and his staff are trying to implement on that side of the ball, though.
In the weight room, Owings has seemingly turned things around. Players don’t only look bigger, but plenty have talked to the media about how they feel faster and stronger already during spring camp. That impact could be one that goes under the radar but is felt in a big way this year.
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Knoxville News Sentinel
Much to-do is being made of America’s 250th birthday, as well it should.
But did you know June 1 is Tennessee’s 230th birthday?
It was on June 1, 1796, that President George Washington signed a bill granting Tennessee immediate admission as the 16th state. Gov. John Sevier was chosen to lead the new state, and Knoxville was picked as its first capital.
A decade before, settlers west of the Appalachian mountains had sought admission to the union for the state of Franklin. But despite four years of existence, Franklin never gained federal approval.
Tennessee’s first official state constitution – drafted by 55 delegates in Knoxville in 1796 – is on display at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
It was drafted in the home of William Blount, which still stands on West Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville.
Tennessee actually has three state constitutions: the first, adopted in 1796, a revision adopted in 1834 to update the taxation and court systems, and the 1870 constitution, adopted after the Civil War.
The 1870 constitution permanently abolished slavery in Tennessee and remains the state’s fundamental charter.
Celebrate Tennessee’s birthday in Knoxville
Marble Springs State Historic Site, home of Gov. John Sevier, will have a two-day free party for Tennessee’s Statehood Day.
Tennessee Field Day for kids (or kids at heart) is noon-5 p.m. May 29 and Statehood Day is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 30. Field Day explores history through many aspects and activities, and Statehood Day focuses more on lectures, demonstrations, music, line dancing and food.
The historic buildings and learning center are at 1200 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway in Knoxville.
Look back at how Tennessee was founded
1785-1789: Settlers establish independent systems of government and petition to become a state, but they fail to gain recognition for the state of Franklin. The territory is again under the control of North Carolina.
1789: North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and cedes its Tennessee lands to the federal government. It is designated as the “Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio,” more commonly known as the “Southwest Territory.” William Blount is appointed by George Washington to be governor. Early governance of the territory is focused on making treaties with Native Americans, securing settlers from attacks and encouraging settlement. Warfare with Native American tribes increases through the 1790s.
1792: Knoxville is selected as the capital of the Southwest Territory.
January 1796: Gov. William Blount calls for a constitutional convention in Knoxville to begin the process of joining the Union. The delegates form an organized government and constitution before applying to Congress for admission to the Union. The delegates select John Sevier as governor, William Blount and William Cocke as senators and Andrew Jackson as representative.
June 1, 1796: Tennessee becomes the 16th state in America. Knoxville remains the capital until 1812.
1812: Tennessee earns its nickname “The Volunteer State” during the War of 1812 because it sends 1,500 volunteer soldiers.
1812-1816: Nashville is Tennessee’s capital.
1817-1818: Knoxville is Tennessee’s capital again.
1818-1826: Murfreesboro is the capital of Tennessee.
1826-present day: Nashville becomes – and remains – the capital of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Volunteers are constantly getting players in the MLB and the MILB farm system, which is the developmental program that all rookies and young players (a.k.a. prospects) start off in. One of the players who has been in the farm system since being drafted is Nate Snead, who was with the Tennessee Vols just last season as a pitcher, and one of the better pitchers on the Tennessee roster.
Nate Snead is one of the better players to come through the Tennessee program as a reliever, and he is one of the better pitchers when it comes to his fastball, as he throws what many would confirm to be “gas.”
Nate Snead Gets Called Up
Snead was in Single-A to start his career, but he is now on his way up, as he is moving up to Double-A after a great start to his career. He is heading to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, which is an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. This would mean he is in the same farm system that both Christian Moore and Ben Joyce recently had to come through, and is one of the better players in the farm system for the Angels, anyway.
He currently holds an ERA of 2.80, which is great considering he has pitched 35.1 innings. He holds a win-loss record of 3-3, and also has a total of 39 strikeouts, which would mean he is averaging more than a strikeout every inning he pitches. He is also giving up less than a hit an inning, which is where he should be in order to get called up.
This decision doesn’t seem rushed, and it doesn’t seem that this is going to backfire. He will likely finish his season in Double-A, although a great stretch could lead to him being fast-tracked to Triple-A, the final team before the majors.
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