Tobe Awaka, a 6-foot-8 power forward from New York, signed with Tennessee early and will reclassify into the Class of 2022, Tennessee announced Friday.
Awaka competed for the New York Lightning, the same AAU program current Tennessee standout Zakai Zeigler played with before committing to Tennessee last season. Awaka had originally committed to join the Vols in 2023 in May.
“Tobe gives us another big, strong presence in the post who plays a very physical brand of basketball,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “Tobe is an excellent student and had offers from multiple Ivy League programs. He’s very comfortable playing down on the block, he can score with either hand and he has a nice shooting touch. He rebounds and moves well, and we love his toughness and grit.”
The news adds much needed depth to Tennessee’s frontcourt, one that lost Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and John Fulkerson from last season’s SEC Tournament Champion team. The Vols are a consensus top 25 program heading into the season, and Awaka represents its fourth 2022 signee alongside freshmen Julian Phillips, DJ Jefferson and BJ Edwards. The Vols also added Indiana State transfer Tyreke Key.
