John Calipari's latest work at Arkansas could end up being one of his most important. Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo committed to the Razorbacks on Monday, sources told CBS Sports. Aidoo played for coach Rick Barnes last season and was one of the best defensive big men in the country. Aidoo, a center, averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for a 27-win Volunteers team that was seeded second and advanced to the Elite Eight.
At Arkansas State, Aidoo was able to develop a reputation as one of the top prospects in the SEC and nationally. This is Calipari's first major portal pickup since accepting the Arkansas job more than three weeks ago. Aidoo ranks 25th on David Cobb's list A list of the best transfers in college basketball in 2024.
Aidoo, a native of Durham, North Carolina, also seriously considered Baylor University and UNC. Officials say his NIL value is among the highest of any big-name player in this year's Portal cycle. In addition to Zvonimir Ivicic, who transferred from Kentucky, the Arkansas roster features three former UK players who followed Calipari to Arkansas: five-star wing Carter Knox and four-star small forward Billy Richmond. , and four-star combo guard Boogie Frando). (Check out the latest in Arkansas roster analysis here. )
Calipari and his staff are expected to add more notable names to the portal in the coming days. Even after losing Eric Musselman to USC, Arkansas remains an attractive destination. There are two reasons for this. One is Calipari's track record of recruiting NBA-caliber talent, and the other is that Arkansas claims one of the deepest NIL war chests among college players.
Entry into the transfer portal for all college basketball players closes Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players are then free to decide where to play next over the next few weeks or months.
