Tennessee’s Jaylen Carey Expected to Suit Up vs. Georgia, Troy Henderson Out Again
ATHENS, Ga. - Tennessee’s frontcourt is likely getting a major boost Wednesday night in Athens. Junior power forward Jaylen Carey is expected to be available for the Vols when they take on Georgia, barring any last-minute setbacks in warmups. Carey had been listed as “probable” on Tuesday night’s availability report, and all signs point to him suiting up.
That’s welcome news for Tennessee, especially with freshman point guard Troy Henderson officially ruled out for the second straight game. Henderson is still recovering from a left shoulder injury suffered in practice last week, and his absence continues to test the Vols’ backcourt depth.
Carey’s status had been in question after he went down with a left knee injury during Tennessee’s gritty 78-73 road win over Alabama last Saturday. The injury occurred as he was making a move in the post.
He stayed down for several seconds before being helped off the floor by the team’s medical staff and heading straight to the locker room. He didn’t return to the game.
According to assistant coach Amorrow Morgan, this is uncharted territory for Carey. “He’s never been really one known to get hurt,” Morgan said Tuesday.
“This is his first time ever being out for an actual physical injury. So this is new for him as well.
We were kind of optimistic just because of his build. But sometimes you just never know with those things.
But we are super fired up and happy that he is okay and that he’s not going to have to miss a lot of time.”
Carey has been a steady presence in Tennessee’s rotation this season, starting a couple of games but primarily coming off the bench. He’s averaging 9.2 points and a team-leading 6.4 rebounds per game-numbers that don’t just reflect production, but also his physical presence in the paint. At 6-foot-8 and 267 pounds, Carey brings size, strength, and toughness to a Vols frontcourt that leans on him to set the tone inside.
Before exiting against Alabama, Carey had logged two points on a single shot attempt and pulled down five rebounds. Even in limited minutes, his impact on the glass remained evident.
With Henderson sidelined again, Tennessee will need to lean on its veteran core and frontcourt depth to handle Georgia’s up-tempo attack. The Bulldogs come into the matchup as slight 1.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 157.5. KenPom projects a tight contest, giving Georgia a narrow 80-79 edge.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Stegeman Coliseum, with John Schriffen and Daymeon Fishback on the call for the SEC Network. All eyes will be on Carey’s warmup routine, but if all goes as expected, Tennessee will have one of its most physical presences back on the floor-and just in time for a critical SEC showdown.