Dostoevsky and double-doubles: Tobe Awaka discusses academics and athletics with Provost Prelock
During his time in Tucson, Tobe Awaka has built a well-earned reputation as one of the toughest, most tenacious members of the Wildcat community. Students and professors alike marvel at Awaka’s tireless work ethic.
And he’s a pretty good basketball player, too.
Awaka was among the most significant contributors to the men’s basketball team’s remarkable 2025-2026 season, which saw the Wildcats earn the program’s first Final Four berth in a quarter century. Awaka, the Big 12 Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 9.1 rebounds – the second-highest number in the conference – and led all college basketball players in offensive rebounding percentage, where he pulled down 20.2% of available offensive rebounds while he was on the court. Awaka recorded eight double-doubles (games where he tallied more than 10 points and 10 rebounds) and turned himself into a fan favorite with his thunderous dunks and relentless hustle.
He did all of this while balancing coursework from the Eller College of Management, where Awaka studies business administration. The Collegiate Sports Communicators recently recognized Awaka’s efforts, becoming the sixth U of A men’s basketball player named to the organization’s Academic All-American team.
Awaka sat down for his “exit interview” with Patricia Prelock, U of A provost and chief academic officer, to discuss balancing the spotlight this season with his academics, his fondness for Fyodor Dostoevsky’s characters, and what’s next after he graduates.
Prelock: So, you chose the University of Arizona to study, and I understand you’re in business administration in the Eller College. What is the interest in business?
Awaka: Yeah, it was something I kind of gravitated to. I was looking to do business administration and then do something with finance on the side. I took an internship on Wall Street with AlphaDyne Asset Management – that was a great experience. You learn stuff from the textbook, from the lectures in class, but to see it happen in real life, to see it operate functionally, it was a great experience.
Prelock: I actually know someone who told me that your favorite books are investment books. Tell me about that.
Awaka: I’m really big into investing books – philosophical books and theology as well – but especially investing from the standpoint of managing personal wealth, finances, things of that nature. I read “One Up on Wall Street” by John Rothchild and Peter Lynch, that was a great book. I read the book about the ’08 market crash, “The Big Short,” that was great. I’m currently reading “Market” right now, so that should be interesting.
Prelock: But I also understand you have another interest in books that you’re reading – “Crime and Punishment,” or did you just finish that?
Awaka: Yeah, I was big into Dostoevsky over the summer. I was reading “Crime and Punishment,” that was great. The way that he sort of breaks down his characters and makes them so human and realistic, I think it’s really amazing. I really got sort of entrenched in that book throughout the summer.
Prelock: In addition to the excellence that you provide on the court as a basketball player, you also bring that excellence to the classroom amid all the traveling you’re doing and the expectations. How do you balance the academics and the sports?
Mike Christy/Arizona Athletics
Awaka: We have a great support system at Arizona that helps us stay on top of our work. But at the same time, I think it’s just intentionality, just knowing that the whole academic piece is going to serve you in the future. And it can be a great outlet for you to make connections and meet new people. I think the basketball part of things is so immediate. Once the ball stops bouncing, you want to have that avenue to sort of create success for yourself.
Prelock: Tell me about your move from Tennessee, why you made that move, and how it felt to be a part of this team.
Awaka: I was just kind of looking for a new start, a new place that was going to help me sort of propel my basketball career. Obviously took a visit here, loved Coach Lloyd, Coach Murph, the whole staff, and they were great. I kind of saw it as a new home. Playing on this team, I think that our culture was one-of-one. Whether it was guys who had been here for a little bit or guys who were transferring in, I think we kind of ingratiated ourselves with each other in a great way and it was natural. A lot of bonds, a lot of friendships off the court, and that helped sort of propel us on the court.
Prelock: A couple of times you’ve mentioned as we were walking in here that what helped is the support systems that you have here. Are there specific things that you think, whether in the classroom or in your athletics experience, that really contributed?
Awaka: Andy Salgado, our academic adviser, just checking in on us, making sure that we’re on top of our work. I think for me, just, you know, personal relationship with the coaches as well. I think our strength and conditioning coach, Chris Rounds, he’s been here for a while, even since the Sean Miller days. But he’s a person that I’ve had the luxury and the pleasure to sort of build a relationship with. He’s been great to talk to one-on-one just about life, basketball, mentality when it comes to how you carry yourself, how you execute on the court and in the weight room. So, he’s been a great person to lean on in times of success and lows as well.
Prelock: Are there particular things in Eller that have really supported your success?
Awaka: Yeah, I think the content that we’re learning is engaging. But I think just the professors are great people as well. They kind of understand my situation and just, how the season sort of ebbs and flows. And obviously, once you get closer to March, there’s a lot more travel, there’s a lot more eyes, there’s a lot more attention. So, I’m definitely grateful for them for allowing me some grace when it comes to assignments, deadlines, things of that nature.
Prelock: Yeah, I’m glad to hear that because it is a lot of pressure and sometimes you’re going during midterms and finals or whatever. I know family’s really important to you, so tell me how your family has been engaged with you through this process and this journey that you’ve had.
Awaka: I think the beautiful thing about them is that whether I’m playing well or whether I’m playing bad, they’re always the same. They’ve been constant throughout the whole journey.
I think my mom, to shout out her, she’s the person that kind of helped me academically from a young age sort of instill that want to learn and that willingness to learn. During the summers back, like fourth, fifth and sixth grade, she’d make me and my siblings go to the public library, pick out a few books, and then she’d quiz us on the books during the summer. I didn’t quite like it at first. But then eventually, you started to find books that you liked and then, you kind of started to grow and grow in certain topics and fields and, all of a sudden, you’re doing it on your own.
Prelock: Since you’re going to be graduating, is there any advice you would give to your fellow graduates who are leaving the University of Arizona and taking the next step?
Awaka: You’ve done the work to get to this point. You’ve gone through a lot. College is a great opportunity to network and to learn things about yourself that you might not have learned if you’re in a different environment. The key here moving forward is just establishing an identity of yourself and just understanding who you are and kind of what you’re here for in terms of your purpose. I think that’s the biggest question that anybody’s going to have to ask within their lives.
Prelock: People would be upset if I didn’t ask the question: What’s on the horizon for Tobe?
Awaka: Obviously I’m going to try to continue the game of basketball that I love, and go as far as I can with that. Hopefully, it’s professional, in the NBA or, overseas, whatever it may be. But also just keep the great connections that I’ve made here in Arizona, keep those alive and well, keep pushing to keep those contacts and relationships strong. And then I’ll kind of see where life lies when the ball stops bouncing. Obviously, I love the stock market, I love investing. I love that whole field. So, hopefully down the road, something involving that, we’ll see what that blossoms into.
