Former Vols advance to Sweet 16 in 2025 March Madness
Two former Tennessee basketball players advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with their new teams.
Tobe Awaka and Arizona defeated Oregon, 87-83, in the second round at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. Awaka started for the Wildcats and totaled 12 points, 14 rebounds, one steal and one block. He played for the Vols from 2022-24.
In two seasons with the Vols, Awaka appeared in 69 games. As a sophomore in 35 contests, he averaged 5.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game.
In his first year at Tennessee, Awaka averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest in 34 games. He was the Vols' leading rebounder in five contests and led Tennessee in blocks during four games.
This season with the Wildcats, Awaka is averaging 8.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.7 points per game, while posting a .644 field goal percentage.
Arizona will play Duke on Thursday at 9:39 p.m. EDT in the Sweet 16. The game will be contested at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Predicting winners for all Sweet 16 games
Jonas Aidoo and Arkansas will play Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:09 p.m. EDT at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Arkansas defeated St. John's, 75-66, Saturday at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. Aidoo started for the Razorbacks and recorded seven points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block against St. John's.
Aidoo played for the Vols from 2021-24. During his final season at Tennessee, he appeared in 36 games, including 36 starts. Aidoo was named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press. He received second-team all-conference honors by the league's coaches and was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. The former Vol averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 assist per game.
This season with the Razorbacks, Aidoo is averaging 6.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, while posting a .569 field goal percentage.
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