Bishop Boswell skipped a pass over the Texas A&M defense to Troy Henderson. The freshman shooting guard launched a high arching three-pointer over the out-stretched arms of Rylan Griffin. The triple hit the back of the rim and dropped through to give Tennessee a 69-68 lead with 1:25 to play, sending both Henderson and the home crowd into a frenzy.
“Troy (Henderson) got his most significant minutes and I thought his three was a huge three and (he) played with the kind of confidence that we liked,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said postgame.
It was the biggest shot Henderson hit on a night he gave the Vols a serious lift off the bench. He played a career-high 22 minutes and scored eight points— all in the second half— along with a pair of steals.
“Just trying to make winning plays,” Henderson said postgame. “It was a contested game. Just doing whatever it takes to win the game. Making big plays whether that’s offense or defense.”
Henderson’s shooting and ball handling is something Tennessee needs. Barnes mentioned liking how he handled the ball against the Aggies and he was the only Vol to play 15-plus minutes without turning the ball over.
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The 6-foot-1 guard’s shooting might be his greatest asset. He started the year slowly but has raised his percentage up to 34% on the season after making two-of-five attempts from deep against Texas A&M.
Henderson is one of just five Vols to make double-digit three-pointers this season. He’s played 85 fewer minutes then the four others. If Tennessee tinkers with playing Nate Ament at the four-spot like they did against Texas A&M then there will be more backcourt minutes available. perimeter shooting and the spacing it provides will be at a premium.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Henderson’s performance was what the go-ahead triple represented. At a huge point in the game, Henderson knocked down the shot with a ton of confidence.
Defense is key to get consistent playing time for Barnes. But an offensive first player embracing that while maintaining his offensive edge is key.
“Just staying consistent every day,” Henderson said. “I put the work in and me and my teammates, they give me the confidence to go out there and compete at the highest level. Just having faith that I can do it and having the confidence that I can do it. So I just play with a lot of confidence.”
