March Madness Cheerleader Lands NIL Deal After Saving The Day
With its 2021-22 season in the rearview and its coaching staff locked up, Tennessee now turns its sights to building its roster for next season and developing current players on the roster.
Like football, the transfer portal has become a major part of college basketball roster building and Tennessee hasn’t wasted time exploring the waters.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Tennessee is among 10 schools that’s reached out to Utah Valley transfer Fardaws Aimaq. According to Stockrisers’ Jake Weingarten, the Vols reached out to North Carolina State transfer Cam Hayes.
Aimaq — a 6-foot-11, 245-pound power forward — was dominant for the Wolverines last season averaging 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. The Canada native also added a three-point shot to his game in his junior season, making 20 triples and 44% of his attempts from deep in the season.
Aimaq’s consistency was one of his greatest strengths, scoring 20-plus points in 16 games and in single digits only once. Alabama, Kentucky and Arizona are amongst the school that have reached out to the big man with two years of eligibility remaining.
Hayes just finished his sophomore season at North Carolina State. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard earned major playing time in both seasons, averaging 7.8 points as a freshman and 7 points as a sophomore.
The Greensboro, North Carolina three-point shooting took a major dip in his sophomore season. The shooting guard shot 36% from deep in his freshman season before dipping to 23% this past season.
Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey is a North Carolina native and played his college ball for the Wolfpack. Gainey’s ties to the Tar Heel State is a major reason the Vols earned Jonas Aidoo’s commitment last year.
Arizona State, Georgia and SMU are among the schools that have reached out to Hayes.
Tennessee has had no roster movement in the few days following the end of the season. The Vols have one scholarship spot currently open with four-star point guard B.J. Edwards filling it.
