Jalen Carey’s size has earned him a lot of attention in the Tennessee basketball world.
Carey used his size to protect his teammates as the Vols (16-6, 6-3 SEC) beat Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6) 84-66 at Food City Center on Feb. 4.
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In the first half, freshman Nate Ament fell to the ground after being tackled by a defender. The referees upheld the common foul call, but in the second half, Mississippi State player James Scott received a flagrant penalty after punching Bishop Boswell in the face.
On both occasions, the 6-foot-8, 267-pound Carey found himself in contention with the Mississippi State defense.
“Yeah, man, that’s our bodyguard, that’s our team’s bodyguard,” Ament said. “He loves to fight and stuff like that. I’m just kidding, but he’s our enforcer. It’s unbelievable to know that a guy like that has my back. In the summer, he broke my wrist when I tried to dunk on him, but that was a whole different story.”
After the second clash, Kyrie shared two technical fouls with Scott. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes wasn’t as enthusiastic about Carey’s activities.
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“I don’t mind, but I don’t want him to get a technical foul, especially when we’re missing a big man,” Barnes said. “I know his teammates respect him. It all happened so fast. I think our guys appreciate it. I just don’t want us to be playing with three of our starting five post players at the wrong time.”
Tennessee basketball center Felix Okpala making ‘improvements’
The Vols won another game without starting center Felix Okpala. He missed his second straight game with a left calf injury. If Carey is ejected, Tennessee’s frontcourt will be even weaker.
There is no timetable for Okpala’s return, but Barnes sounded optimistic after speaking with men’s basketball director of sports medicine Chad Newman.
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“Chad told me today (Opara) was feeling better today,” Barnes said. “I said, ‘How is he feeling?’ He said he thought he made progress today. I can’t tell you when because that’s the honest answer. He told me before the game. He said he had a good day.”
More: Why Chris Beard had to ‘fight’ for Mississippi State players, only to be ejected
The Vols’ big men weren’t as productive against Mississippi as they were against Auburn. Redshirt sophomore JP Estrella finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Dwayne Brown II, who replaced Okpala as the starter, scored 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Carey, who nearly ejected with four fouls, had four points, five rebounds and an assist.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. e-mail: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee forward Jalen Carey earns ‘Bouncer’ title vs. Ole Miss
