During Tennessee’s preseason Media Day on Tuesday, sitting at an on-court table in Pratt Pavilion, Tobe Awaka was exactly where he wanted to be.

“I’m very excited,” Awaka told VolReport. “A few months prior, I didn’t really have any offers. And then, a bunch of schools started coming in sort of at the tail end, and I ended up choosing Tennessee. I was just super excited because it’s kind of the level of basketball I always wanted to play. So just ending up being here was just a great experience.”

Awaka earned the right to play at the Vols’ level after a standout prep career in which he was named the 2022 New York Gatorade Player of the Year. He even had a stint playing AAU ball with Tennessee sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler.

At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Awaka adds additional size and depth to Tennessee’s frontcourt. Coach Rick Barnes said his development, as well as that of senior Uros Plavsic and sophomore Jonas Aidoo, will be key in helping the Vols improve.

That’s a lot of pressure for a player just out of high school, but Awaka has his own way of dealing with it.

“I think it’s just taking it day by day … and just being patient,” Awaka said. “And just following through with the process. I think our coaching staff, they really believe in me. It’s good to have that kind of support. But I think it’s just being patient and taking it day by day and just trying to get better.”

It helps, too, that Tennessee’s veterans are by his side. Some of the Vols’ older players have given Awaka advice, sometimes pulling him aside during practice and telling him what he needs to do.

“Tobe is a really great guy,” Plavsic said. “We’ve been going at it all summer since he got here. Just having him in the post, another big man, it was great for all of us, but I think for him as well. Just coming out of high school, it’s really hard to understand and adjust that quick … Even in practice, he doesn’t know coaches, he doesn’t know how to react to some things, maybe sometimes he gets down on himself.

“So I always make sure that he keeps his head up and just keeps competing because we’re going to need him.”

Ditto for senior forward Olivier Nkamhoua.

“Every day, if he asks me questions, I’m always ready to answer,” Nkamhoua said. “And in practice, if I see that he’s doing something and he could do it a different way, or he’s struggling with something, I’ll talk to him.

“But Tobe, he’s a smart kid, and he’s built right, and that’s something you can’t teach. He’s going to definitely bring us some physicality that you can’t teach. You can’t teach size, and he has that. I think that will definitely be an advantage for us.”

Awaka said his goal is to lead freshmen in the SEC in rebounding. He also hopes to lead Tennessee, which he has been drawn to since experiencing a welcoming environment from players and coaches during a visit, to as many wins as possible.

Though he’s still adjusting to the college game, Awaka prides himself on providing intensity and rebounding prowess, while giving everything he has, whenever he’s on the court.

“I think it’s definitely been an adjustment to start off with, but I think I’ve gotten used to it,” Awaka said. “The speed, I’m still adjusting to. The physicality, I’m still adjusting to, but I think I’ve gotten better throughout these past months.”

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