NASHVILLE — Tennessee State men's basketball signed 7-foot-1 center Aaron Bradshaw, one of the highest-rated players to join the program, head coach Nolan Smith announced.
Bradshaw was a McDonald's All-American and five-star recruit in the 2023 class, ranked No. 5 overall by ESPN and Rivals with an ESPN scout grade of 93. He was the No. 1 center in the class and ranked as high as No. 2 overall nationally
Bradshaw has appeared in 77 career games with 37 starts at Kentucky, Ohio State and Memphis, averaging 6.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 16.6 minutes per game while shooting 53.2 percent (189-for-355) from the field. He has averaged 1.6 offensive rebounds per game and has recorded 51 total blocks and 37 steals across three seasons.
"I am excited about Aaron Bradshaw and excited for Tennessee State fans," said Smith. "A player with Aaron's talent stepping onto our campus is exciting. He is focused and ready to be apart of our culture, now it is time to build!!"
In 2025-26 at Memphis, Bradshaw made 22 starts while appearing in 29 games and averaged career highs of 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game. He shot 55.6 percent from the field and 77.2 percent from the free-throw line on 2.7 attempts per game while averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 11th in the conference. He recorded 13 double-figure scoring games and consistently produced in extended minutes, including multiple games of 20-plus minutes late in the season. His top performances included a career-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 3-of-3 from 3-point range at Florida Atlantic, 17 points and seven rebounds in a win over Baylor, and 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a win over Charlotte. He also went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line for 14 points with three steals against Southern Illinois and totaled 17 rebounds combined in back-to-back games against Tulsa and Wichita State, showing consistent impact on the glass.
At Ohio State in 2024-25, Bradshaw played in 22 games with five starts, averaging 6.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 16.9 minutes per game while shooting 49.0 percent (50-for-102) from the field. He totaled 16 blocks and 14 steals and averaged 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over his first four starts while logging more than 23 minutes per game during that stretch. He showed efficiency as a finisher and rim protector, highlighted by 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Youngstown State. He added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting against Indiana State, 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range against Washington, and 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Kentucky at Madison Square Garden. He also recorded multiple multi-block and multi-steal performances during conference play.
At Kentucky in 2023-24, Bradshaw played in 26 games with 10 starts, averaging 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game while shooting 57.6 percent (49-for-85) from the field after returning from a preseason foot injury. He recorded seven double-figure scoring games and one double-double while leading the team in rebounding five times and blocks three times. His top performances included 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against Penn, 15 points against Arkansas, 12 points and seven rebounds at Vanderbilt, and 12 points in a win over No. 9 North Carolina in his first career start. He also impacted a win at Florida with two steals, a late block and a go-ahead 3-pointer, and was named SEC Freshman of the Week after scoring 10 second-half points in a comeback win. He averaged 1.3 offensive rebounds per game and showed efficiency as a rim finisher throughout the season.
At Camden High School, Bradshaw averaged 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game as a senior and 8.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game as a junior while leading Camden to a NJSIAA Group 2 state championship. On the Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting over 61 percent from the field, including three double-doubles at Peach Jam highlighted by a 22-point, 14-rebound performance.
