Kenny Payne white Jonas Aidoo I’ll have a little more left in the tank on Saturday afternoon. Arkansas’ associate head coach said Thursday there is “no question” the former Tennessee center will be motivated to face his former team in his former home arena.

“It’s natural,” Payne said. “He did a lot of great things in Tennessee and he’s coming back home. And I’m sure there are emotions involved too.”

Emotions reach their peak Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern time as Aidoo and No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) open SEC play against No. 1 Tennessee (13-0) on ESPN at a sold-out Food City Center.

“I’m sure the team will ask a lot of him,” Payne said of the Vols. “I’m excited to see how he deals with it and what happens next. But he’s a vet. He’s been in college for four years … and he’s going to come out, and that’s why you have experienced guys on your team who can handle situations like that.”

“It’s basketball, man. That’s what it takes.’

Tennessee senior guard Jahmai Mashack is also a veteran. He was a member of the same 2021 recruiting class as Aidoo and shared floor with him for the past three seasons.

And he openly admitted before training on Friday that he will have a little something extra going for him when he sees Aidoo on the other side.

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

Mashack compared it to the basketball courts in the park. Competing against a friend will take your game to the next level.

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

“And if Jonas is on the other side, then that’s it, you know.”

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

Aidoo was one of four Tennessee players to enter the NCAA transfer portal last April. It was both the biggest loss for the Vols and the most surprising.

He was coming off a breakthrough junior season at Tennessee and was named Second Team All-SEC and 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 exited with just four points against Creighton in the Sweet Sixteen and no points in his season-low 10 minutes against Purdue in the Midwest Region final.

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

“Not ahead of this game,” Mashack said. “I’m fully concentrated. He knows that. He knows what I’m like, he knows how much of a competitor and fighter I am. So I’ll wait until after to talk to him, laugh with him and joke with him.

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