John Calipari’s addition of Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo to Arkansas could have a significant impact on the Razorbacks. Aidoo, one of the top defensive big men in the country last season under Rick Barnes, committed to Arkansas on Monday. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game for the Volunteers, who were a No. 2 seed and made the Elite Eight. This is Calipari’s first major portal pickup since taking over at Arkansas three weeks ago.
Aidoo, ranked 25th on David Cobb’s list of 2024 transfers, considered Baylor and UNC before choosing Arkansas. The Durham, North Carolina native had a substantial NIL price tag and joins Zvonimir Ivišić on Arkansas’ roster along with three former UK commits.
Calipari and his staff are expected to add more notable names from the portal in the near future. Despite the departure of Eric Musselman to USC, Arkansas remains an attractive destination due to Calipari’s history of recruiting NBA-level talent and the deep NIL resources available at the program.
With the transfer portal closing for college basketball players on Wednesday night, players will take additional time to decide on their next steps. However, this has not deterred Calipari from continuing his pursuit of top-level talent through transfers.
Arkansas continues to be a key player in the portal, and more additions are expected in the coming days to further strengthen the Razorbacks’ roster.
In summary, John Calipari has added another top-level talent in Jonas Aidoo from Tennessee to his roster at Arkansas through the transfer portal. The university provides him with an opportunity to solidify his reputation as a premier player in SEC and nationally while also joining other notable names from UK commits and NIL resources available at program attracting NBA-level talents recruiters such as himself