Tennessee's Jahmai Mashack says he'll have a little something extra facing Jonas Aidoo

Kenny Payne knows Jonas Aidoo will have a little bit more in the tank Saturday afternoon. The Arkansas associate head coach said Thursday there’s “no question” that the former Tennessee center will be motivated to face his former team at his former home arena.

“That’s natural,” Payne said. “He’s done a lot of great things at Tennessee and he’s going back home. And I’m sure that there’s emotions involved.”

The emotion comes to a head at 1 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, when Aidoo and No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) opens SEC play at No. 1 Tennessee (13-0) on ESPN inside a sold-out Food City Center. 

“I’m sure that the team is going to want to go at him some,” Payne said of the Vols. “I’m curious to see how he handles it, and go from there from it. But he’s a vet. He’s been in college four years … and he’s going to come out, and that’s why you get veteran guys on your team to handle these type of situations.”

‘That’s basketball, man. That’s what comes with it.’

Tennessee senior guard Jahmai Mashack is a veteran, too. He was a member of the same 2021 recruiting class as Aidoo, sharing the floor with him the last three seasons. 

And he openly admitted before practice Friday that he’ll have a little extra to him when he sees Aidoo on the other side. 

“I give 110% every time I step on the court,” Mashack said, “so this time it might be maybe 120 without me even realizing it. But that’s basketball, man. That’s what comes with it.”

Mashack compared it to the basketball courts at the park. When you’re matched up against a friend, you take your game to another level.  

“We’re playing the game that we love and we go out there to compete,” he said. “And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to go out and compete and focus on winning the game, focus on playing my best basketball and focus on making sure that I’m leading the team as much as I can on both ends. 

“And if Jonas is going to be on the other side of that, then, you know, that’s what it is.”

Jonas Aidoo was scoreless in 10 minutes against Purdue in the Elite Eight

Aidoo was one of four Tennessee players that entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last April. He was both the biggest loss for the Vols and also the most surprising one.

He was coming off a breakout junior season at Tennessee, named Second Team All-SEC and to the SEC’s All-Defensive team. He averaged career-highs in scoring (11.4 points per game), rebounding (7.3), defensive rebounds (4.5), offensive rebounds (2.8), blocks (1.8), steals (0.7) and minutes (25.4). He was fourth in the SEC in rebounding and third in the league in blocked shots.

But less than two weeks after Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament run ended in the Elite Eight, Aidoo was gone. 

He went out with just four points against Creighton in the Sweet Sixteen and no points in a season-low 10 minutes against Purdue in the Midwest Region final. 

But the past is the past and now is now. And any catching up that Mashack and his Tennessee teammates plan to do with Aidoo will have to wait. He said Friday there has been no communication in recent days.

“Not ahead of this game,” Mashack said. “I’m fully focused. He knows that. He knows how I am, he knows how much of a competitor I am and a fighter I am. So I’m going to wait til afterwards to talk to him and laugh with him and joke with him. 

“But as of right now, I’m here with my team and that’s all I’m focused on. I’m focused on winning this game. Afterwards, we can have fun and all that.”