One of the biggest storylines of Tennessee basketball’s offseason was its roster movement at center. Both Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka entered the transfer portal and the Vols replaced them with Ohio State center Felix Okpara.
A 6-foot-11 center, Okpara is a fantastic athlete who blocked 83 shots last season for the Buckeyes. His athleticism is also evident on the offensive end where he’s emerged as a strong partner with Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler this summer.
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“If I’m being completely honest, watching them play together, you would think they played together for years,” Tennessee assistant coach Rod Clark said of the duo this week. “I think that they’re probably the perfect compliment to each other. And I think we said that as a staff when we first got Felix that he was gonna be a welcome addition here because of his vertical ability and going up and catching lobs.”
Tennessee held practice open to the media earlier this month and Okpara’s ability as a lob threat was evident. Where the rising junior’s offensive game is limited as a back to the basket scorer, he’s stout at finishing dunks at the rim and catching lobs.
That makes him a perfect combination with Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler. The 5-foot-9 point guard found another gear in SEC play of his junior season, averaging 14.5 points and seven assists per game. He’s a phenomenal passer and the perfect player to run Rick Barnes’ offense.
