Tennessee

Why Jaylen Carey earned ‘bodyguard’ title for Tennessee vs Ole Miss

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

Why Jaylen Carey earned ‘bodyguard’ title for Tennessee vs Ole Miss

Jaylen Carey’s frame garners a lot of attention for Tennessee basketball.

As the Vols (16-6, 6-3 SEC) throttled Ole Miss (11-11, 3-6) by a score of 84-66 at Food City Center on Feb. 4, Carey used his size to protect his teammates.

In the first half, freshman Nate Ament crashed to the ground after a defender aggressively bodied him up. Referees kept the call at a common foul, but in the second half, Ole Miss player James Scott received a flagrant after swiping at Bishop Boswell’s face.

On both occasions, the 6-foot-8, 267-pound Carey found himself in the middle of a scrum against a group of Ole Miss defenders.

“Yeah man, that’s our bodyguard, that’s our team bodyguard right there,” Ament said. “He likes to get in fights and stuff like that. I’m just joking, but he’s our enforcer. Knowing that someone like that is having my back, it’s incredible. He broke my wrist in the summer when I tried to dunk on him, but that’s a whole different story.”

Carey shared a double technical foul with Scott after the second skirmish. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes wasn’t so keen on Carey’s activities.

“I don’t mind it, but I don’t want him to get technical fouls, especially when we’re short a post player,” Barnes said. “I know his teammates respect him for it. It happened so quickly. I think our guys appreciate it. I just don’t want it to get us at the wrong time when we are really playing with three of our starting five post players.”

Tennessee basketball center Felix Okpara making ‘progress’

The Vols won another game without starting center Felix Okpara. He missed his second straight contest with a left calf injury. Tennessee would have been even thinner in the frontcourt if Carey was ejected.

There’s no return timetable for Okpara, but Barnes sounded optimistic after talking to director of men’s basketball sports medicine Chad Newman.

“Chad told me today (Okpara) was feeling better today,” Barnes said. “I said, ‘How’s 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 that right before the game. He said he had a good day.”

The Vols’ big men weren’t as productive against Ole Miss as they were against Auburn. Redshirt sophomore J.P. Estrella finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Freshman DeWayne Brown II, who replaced Okpara in the starting lineup, had five points, three rebounds and an assist. Carey, nearly ejected with four fouls, had four points, five rebounds and an assist.

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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Tennessee

Tennessee releases availability update on star Nate Ament following injury

Published

8 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee releases availability update on star Nate Ament following injury

Tennessee star Nate Ament will miss a game against South Carolina on Tuesday, the program announced on Monday night. Ament was injured during a weekend contest against Alabama.

Ament was injured when he was rolled up on while going for a loose ball. His leg twisted awkwardly underneath him, and Ament immediately went to the locker room.

He would return briefly in the second half. Nate Ament even made a basket, but then he appeared to tweak his injury shortly after and returned to the bench. He did not re-enter the contest.

Tennessee issued a short statement on his availability against South Carolina. The program released the statement on Twitter.

“Nate Ament will not play tomorrow night at South Carolina,” Tennessee wrote. “Ament is out due to a right leg injury sustained Saturday against Alabama. The timetable for his return is to be determined and he will continue to be evaluated.”

A 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman, Ament has been one of Tennessee’s best players all season. He is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder, securing 6.4 rebounds per game.

Nate Ament signs NIL deal with Reebok

On3’s Nick Schultz recently published a list of some of the top brands to sign college basketball freshmen to NIL deals. Ament was one of the top signees.

In addition to Arkansas star Darius Acuff, Ament signed with Reebok this year. Ament was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s recruiting class. He signed with the brand in October 2024 while he was the No. 4 overall player from the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Nate Ament sits second on the Tennessee roster with 17.4 points per game, and his 6.4 rebounds on average leads the Vols. Additionally, his $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 14 in college basketball and No. 56 in the On3 NIL 100.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.

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Tennessee

Volunteers needed for community-wide cleanup day with Hands On Nashville

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Volunteers needed for community-wide cleanup day with Hands On Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Thursday, Hands On and NewsChannel 5 staff will come together for a community-wide cleanup day.

The event, sponsored by NewsChannel 5 will take place from 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 as we assist in winter storm cleanup.

If you’d like to help volunteer, you can sign up here.

Rhori, Carrie, Lelan and Brittany will all be helping assist residents removing and sorting debris.

Important details for those wishing to volunteer:

This may require lifting and carrying objects that weigh 20+ pounds.
Closed-toe shoes and long pants required. Heavy soles and steel toes preferred. Gloves and safety goggles will be provided, or you may bring your own.
Current tetanus vaccination recommended. Chainsaws, utility crews, and heavy equipment will be active in the area.
Volunteers under the age of 18 are prohibited from participating.
Eat before you arrive and bring a water bottle, if needed.

Nashville’s Jefferson Street Sound Museum named stop on U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The Jefferson Street Sound Museum is a great little gem in North Nashville. The founder and curator turned his home into a museum to keep the legacy of historic Jefferson street alive. Now, it’s been named a stop on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Aaron Cantrell takes us inside.

– Lelan Statom

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Tennessee

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE ― Vanderbilt women’s basketball won at Tennessee for only the second time in program history, beating the Lady Vols 87-77 at Food City Center on March 1.

The Commodores (27-3, 13-3) are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins March 4 in Greenville, South Carolina.

The regular-season finale featured multiple runs by both teams. Tennessee went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter and took a six-point lead into halftime. Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, then went a 10-0 run in the fourth to put the game away.

The Commodores, who shot 53% from the field, were led by Mikayla Blakes, who finished with 34 points. Aubrey Galvan had 24 points, four rebounds and five assists, and Sacha Washington had 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

“The season has been really special, to be able to end it here at Tennessee with a win and secure I think the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament,” coach Shea Ralph said. “So the double bye, it feels really cool. I’m happy for the team, but we are literally just getting started.”

Tennessee (16-12, 8-8) outrebounded Vanderbilt 32-29. The Commodores shot 17-for-20 on layups and had 27 fast-break points. Tennessee was 10-for-24 on layups.

Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament seed

The SEC Tournament will be held at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Vanderbilt will start play on March 6 and holds a bye into the quarterfinals, where it will play the No. 7 or No. 10 seed at approximately 5 p.m. CT.

Mikayla Blakes stats

Blakes put up another 30-point performance, her third straight and eighth in her past nine games. She added six rebounds and four assists, but also had six turnovers.

She made six 3-pointers, which ties her season high.

“She had 34 but her biggest buckets were when we had to happen,” Ralph said. “Her biggest moments in this game were when we had to happen. That kid shows up every time.”

Third straight rivalry win

Vanderbilt now has three straight wins over the Lady Vols, beating them last season in Nashville and once in the SEC Tournament.

“I think Tennessee is a great team,” Ralph said. “They will be for as long as women’s basketball exists. Playing here in front of this crowd is tough. It’s tough. So I was really proud of our team for being able to figure it out the second half and win, especially here at Tennessee.”

The Commodores have their most SEC wins in program history.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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