Rick Barnes: Tennessee freshman Tobe Awaka 'earned everybody's confidence' against Maryland

BROOKLYN — Rick Barnes sent a message to his Tennessee basketball forwards Sunday night. Freshman big man Tobe Awaka is coming for their minutes.

“He’s put himself in position now,” Barnes said after his seventh-ranked Vols held on for a 56-53 win over No. 13 Maryland at Barclays Center, “if I were those other guys, I would be concerned. I would. Because you can’t play them all.”

Awaka, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward out of Hyde Park, N.Y., played his first extended minutes of the season with sophomore center Jonas Aidoo out with flu-like symptoms.

He answered the bell with seven points and eight rebounds — five defensive rebounds and three on the offensive glass — in 17 minutes, all career-highs in his first season.

“That’s the great thing about it,” Barnes said, “you don’t want anybody to get sick or be out, but I told our guys regardless of what we’ve got, we’ve got enough. I’m really happy for Tobe. I really am. He’s a guy that what he did today is what we knew he was about.”

Along with Aidoo, Tennessee (9-1) was missing wing Josiah-Jordan James, who was out for a fifth time this season due to knee soreness.

Senior forward Olivier Nkmahoua had eight points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block in 35 minutes. Senior 7-footer Uros Plavsic had two points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes while battling foul trouble. 

Five-star freshman wing Julian Phillips scored six points and had a team-high 10 rebounds. 

Rick Barnes: Tobe Awaka ‘will continue to have those opportunities’ for Tennessee

Awaka, a New York native playing roughly two hours south of his hometown, scored three times off three of his own offensive rebounds.

“It was just being prepared beforehand,” Awaka said. “I knew Jonas was going to be out. He wasn’t feeling too well, so I knew I had to step up and that just came from preparation beforehand. 

“The coaches really helped me beforehand, sat me aside, went through plays and talked about things I needed to improve on. Walkthrough, going over sets, offensive and defensive tactics, things like that. That really helped.”

Barnes said he spent time Saturday night going over some extra preparation with Awaka. Associate head coach Justin Gainey did the same, with the work continuing Sunday morning. 

“The coaches sat down with him,” Barnes said, “and made sure he understood the assignments on defense.”

Sophomore point guard Zakai Ziegler, another New Yorker, a product of Long Island and a former AAU teammate of Awaka’s, led the Vols with 12 points, adding three rebounds and three assists in his 25 minutes.

“Every time (Awaka) steps on the court and I see him doing something, it just makes me smile,” Zeigler said. “He’s like a little brother to me even though he’s three times the size of me. He’s my guy, so whenever I see him succeed, I just get a really good feeling. 

“I can’t put into words how happy I am for him and I look to see him do it more.”

Up Next: No. 7 Tennessee at No. 10 Arizona, Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Aidoo didn’t practice with this teammates Saturday at Barclays Center and instead worked in individual drills on the side. He averages 4.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game off the bench. 

The 6-foot-11, 241-pound Aidoo has scored at least five points and grabbed at least four boards in each of his last five games, while also serving as the rim protector at the back of the defense. 

“You think about it,” Barnes said, “that gives us a terrific front lineup with Jonas, when he decides he’s going to get right. With Uros, Tobe and Olivier. That’s what we want. We want depth in there. We expect those guys to rebound and play defense. 

“So yeah, I’m excited for them. If Jonas hadn’t gotten sick, who knows if (Awaka) has an opportunity to play today. But I’m telling you, he earned everybody’s confidence today. He’ll continue to have those opportunities.”