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Tennessee basketball’s latest roster addition came on Friday, with the signing of New York power forward Tobe Awaka.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Awaka, out of Hyde Park, N.Y., committed to the Vols in May as a 2023 prospect, but reclassified to 2022 to join the Vols.

He’s the fifth member of Tennessee’s 2022 signing class, joining five-star wing Julian Phillips, four-star point guard BJ Edwards, four-star wing DJ Jefferson and Indiana State transfer shooting guard Tyreke Key.

"Tobe gives us another big, strong presence in the post who plays a very physical brand of basketball," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "Tobe is an excellent student and had offers from multiple Ivy League programs.

“He's very comfortable playing down on the block, he can score with either hand and he has a nice shooting touch. He rebounds and moves well, and we love his toughness and grit.”

Here’s the updated look at Tennessee’s 2022-23 roster with the addition of Awaka:

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TYREKE KEY — REDSHIRT SENIOR, SHOOTING GUARD

Tyreke Key, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound guard from Indiana State, entered the transfer portal a year ago, drawing interest from Tennessee, before he decided to stay at Indiana State. He ended up missing the 2021-22 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in November. Key got back in the transfer portal as a graduate-transfer in March and committed to the Vols on April 23. Key started 97 times in 114 games during four seasons at Indiana State, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He shot 37.4 percent from the 3-point line on 409 attempts. Two year ago, Key shot 38.9 percent on 144 3-point attempts, after shooting 44.8 percent on 96 attempts in 2018-19.

JOSIAH-JORDAN JAMES — SENIOR, WING

Josiah-Jordan James played his best basketball during his junior season, as the all-everything wing was third in scoring for the Vols this season, at 10.3 points per game, while leading the team in rebounds (191) and blocks (34). He was third in minutes (29.1) and fourth in assists (55) steals (46). James started 30 times in 32 games this season, shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from the 3-point line. His 56 3-pointers made were second most on the team, trailing only Santiago Vescovi. The scorer James was at the end of the season, combined with everything else he does on the floor, gives him seemingly unlimited potential as he returns for his senior season.

SANTIAGO VESCOVI — SENIOR, SHOOTING GUARD

Santiago Vescovi was consistently one of the best players Tennessee had last season, scoring 13.3 points per game while leading the team in minutes, at 31.2 per game, as the only player on roster to start all 35 games this season. He shot 41.3 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from the 3-point line, where he went 102-for-253. Vescovi is only the second Tennessee player in program history to hit 100 or more threes in a single season, joining Chris Lofton, who did so three times. Vescovi scored in double-figures 28 times in his 25 games, going for 20 or more four times. He made at least three 3-point shots in 24 games. Vescovi went through the NBA Draft evaluation process, but announced last week that he’ll be returning to Tennessee for his senior season.

OLIVIER NKAMHOUA — SENIOR, FORWARD

Olivier Nkamhoua took a step forward during his junior season. He started in all 22 games he played, averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game as arguably Tennessee’s most consistently productive forward. But an ankle injury suffered at South Carolina in early February required season-ending surgery, halting the progress 6-foot-8, 232-pound big man had made. He was out of a walking boot by March, though, and could be a big boost to a rotation that adjusted without him over the final six weeks of the season. It’s safe to expect Nkamhoua back in the starting lineup when the 2022-23 season gets rolling.

UROS PLAVSIC — SENIOR, FORWARD

There was a stretch in January when Uros Plavsic was Tennessee’s most productive big man. He had 12 points and seven rebounds at LSU. He had 13 points and seven more boards at Vanderbilt, then 12 points and six rebounds when LSU made the return trip to Tennessee. Plavsic’s junior season was his most productive for the Vols as a whole, too. He averaged 4.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game, starting 21 times in 35 games. Now Tennessee needs its 7-footer to keep building on the momentum from his junior season, continuing to produce around the rim and playing above it as the Vols move on without John Fulkerson in the paint.

ZAKAI ZEIGLER — SOPHOMORE, POINT GUARD

Zakai Zeigler, the 5-foot-9 fearless freshman guard, was a spark plug off the bench during his freshman season with the Vols. As one of the best sixth men in the SEC, he averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game off the bench. And he didn’t get to campus until August. His backstory at this point is well told, with Tennessee coaches finding him last summer after a breakout performance at Peach Jam. He was offered, visited, committed, signed and enrolled after a whirlwind recruitment and quickly became one of Tennessee’s most important pieces. The future is bright for Zeigler, already a fan favorite who has more than proved he belongs at this level, both with the product he puts on the floor and the nonstop work he puts in off of it.

JONAS AIDOO — SOPHOMORE, CENTER

First it was an illness that sidelined Jonas Aidoo. the 6-foot-11 freshman center, for an extended portion of the preseason. Later, as the season was underway, Aidoo struggled to get healthy and stay healthy. When he did, though, the progress was obvious. Aidoo was forced into a much bigger role following the Olivier Nkamhoua injury and ended the season averaging 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game, to go with 10 blocks in his 19 appearances. The future seems bright for Aidoo, the former four-star prospect who is described as the best rim-protector on roster and who Rick Barnes says has range on his jumper. It’s just a matter of Aidoo getting more time and getting more comfortable on the floor.

JAHMAI MASHACK — SOPHOMORE, WING

Jahmai Mashack didn’t play a big role in his freshman season, but he should remain an important piece when it comes to future Tennessee basketball teams. He appeared in 27 games, playing just 4.4 minutes per game while spending the season as one of the team’s most valuable scout-team players in practice. The former four-star prospect could get more time off the bench next season and down the road could have a lot of value as a two-way guard — a versatile, tough defender with a developing offensive game. Mashack was ranked No. 62 overall in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. He was the No. 12 small forward in the class and ranked No. 3 overall in the state of California.

JULIAN PHILLIPS — FRESHMAN, WING

Five-star wing Julian Phillips committed to Tennessee on May 12, picking the Vols over Auburn and an offer from the NBA’s G-League Ignite team. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound Phillips is the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2022 class according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. He’s ranked No. 4 among small forwards and No. 1 overall in Missouri, where he attends Link Academy. He was the highest-rated available player in the class before announced his commitment to Tennessee. The Vols hosted Phillips on an official visit in September. He visited Auburn, South Carolina and the Overtime Elite League in Atlanta after reopening his recruitment.

BJ EDWARDS — FRESHMAN, POINT GUARD

BJ Edwards, the four-star Knoxville point guard, enrolled at Tennessee earlier this month, after signing with the Vols in November. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Edwards, out of Knoxville’s Catholic High School, was ranked No. 80 overall in the 247Sports ratings in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He was the No. 15 point guard in the country and the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee. He’ll give the Vols needed depth in the backcourt after losing Kennedy Chandler to the NBA Draft.

DJ JEFFERSON — FRESHMAN, WING

DJ Jefferson was a late riser in his recruitment process, finishing his prep career as a four-star prospect in the 247Sports ratings, ranked No. 74 overall, No. 20 among small forwards and No. 1 in Minnesota, where he attended Minnesota Preparatory Academy. He committed to Tennessee and signed with the Vols on May 20. Originally from Richardson, Texas, Jefferson was previously committed to Tulsa before the program parted ways with head coach Frank Haith. Jefferson picked Tennessee the second time around over Wake Forest and Washington State.

TOBE AWAKA — FRESHMAN, POWER FORWARD

Tennessee on Friday announced the signing of Tobe Awaka, the 6-foot-8, 235-pound New York power forward. He initially committed to the Tennessee basketball program in May as a 2023 prospect, has reclassified into 2022 and has signed with the Vols, joining the team for the upcoming season. Out of Hyde Park, N.Y., Awaka picked Tennessee over offers from Maryland, St. John’s and Pitt, among other programs involved in his recruitment. He played for the same New York Lightning AAU program that produced Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler. Awaka was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New York, after averaging 19.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game at Cardinal Hayes High School.

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