Rick Barnes and Jonas Aidoo chat after Tennessee basketball vs. Arkansas

Rick Barnes had a few simple words for Jonas Aidoo on Saturday when the Tennessee basketball coach met the former Vols player in the postgame handshake line.

“I shook his hand, hugged him and said, ‘Jonas, I love you.’ And I love him,” Barnes said.

Barnes extended kindness to his former player Saturday after No. 1 Tennessee (14-0, 1-0 SEC) defeated Arkansas (11-3, 0-1) 76-52 at Food City Center. Aidoo had four points and five rebounds for the Razorbacks as he returned to Tennessee, where he spent the first three years of his career.

The 6-foot-2 forward transferred to Arkansas after last season after breaking out at Tennessee and earning All-SEC honors.

“He found a situation that was really hard for him to turn down and he did it, which I have no problem with,” Barnes said. “I think it was hard because he did a lot for us during his time here.”

Aidoo was loudly booed by Tennessee fans in a sold-out arena. That started when he was introduced as a starter, grew louder when he missed two free throws in the first half, and remained steady throughout the game.

The North Carolina native had a rocky season at Arkansas, dealing with a lower-body injury that hampered him in the preseason and cost him three games in November.

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