Auburn basketball star Jaylin Williams missed the Tigers’ last game after suffering a knee injury in their 70-59 loss against Kentucky.
While Auburn hasn’t made a decision either way, Tigers coach Bruce Pearl says there’s a chance that Williams could return to the court against Tennessee on Wednesday night.
“Jaylin will travel,” Pearl said on Tuesday. “While he was not available for Georgia, it’s possible he could play tomorrow. We’ll see how he does today. He moved around a lot yesterday; more than we thought he would. That may just be a game-time decision.”
Williams ranks second on the Tigers with 13 points per game and he’s become more efficient shooting the ball this season. After shooting 46.6% from the field and 35% from three-point range last season, the 6-foot-8 forward is shooting 58% and 41% from three-point range in his super senior season.
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Auburn’s starting four-man, Williams is also second on the Tigers with 4.7 rebounds per game this season. The Nahunta, Georgia native scored four and 13 points respectively against Tennessee last season.
“Really you got to give him and that staff and a lot of credit for his development,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said of Williams on Tuesday. “Because he’s just continued to get better and better and he, again, can do a lot of different things. And he presents a lot of problems himself. And obviously every time we go into a game like this, we plan for him to play and he’s a difference maker for them and Bruce knows it. We know it. And so we’ve gotta be ready for that.”
Auburn fared well without Williams on Saturday, going on the road and dominating Georgia 97-76 in Athens after a midweek open date. Even with the strong road win, there’s no doubt that Auburn is a much better and more dangerous team with Williams in the lineup.
Whether Williams is available will affect the way the game is played. If Williams is active, he combined with Johni Broome gives the Tigers a physical and dominant front court. That would likely lead to Tennessee using more of its two-big lineup with both Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka on the court.
Tipoff between Tennessee and Auburn at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center is at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. ESPN2 is broadcasting the game.
