Tennessee basketball guard Amari Evans (right ankle) is available for the Vols’ SEC Tournament matchup against Auburn, a source tells RTI. Combo guard Troy Henderson (left shoulder) is a game-time decision against the Tigers.
Star freshman Nate Ament is available but on a minutes restriction in his return from injury.
Both Evans and Henderson were partial participants in Wednesday’s practice open to the media in Nashville. The freshman duo each did drill work and then participated in five-on-five portions of practice. Tennessee held them both out for the final 20 minutes of practice but neither suffered any setback while on the court.
Evans stepped up in Nate Ament’s absence, starting each of Tennessee’s last two games. He’s excelled in the starts, totaling seven points, three rebounds and three steals against South Carolina then scoring a career-high 24 points along with six rebounds and three assists against Vanderbilt.
It’s unclear whether Ament will start against Auburn or come off the bench in his return to the court. If Ament comes off the bench, Evans will likely start for a third straight game.
Henderson has been in-and-out of the lineup in SEC play as he deals with a left shoulder injury. When healthy, the combo guard has competed with Ethan Burg for the Vols’ backup point guard minutes behind Ethan Burg.
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The 6-foot-1 freshman played three minutes against Vanderbilt, knocking down a triple and recording an assist before re-injuring the shoulder. Barnes noted Wednesday that Henderson will have shoulder surgery when the season ends. But for now, he is trying to grit things out.
Auburn enters Thursday’s matchup against Tennessee with a 17-15 (7-11 SEC) record. The Tigers are squarely on the bubble and as desperate as any other team in the event as they look to secure a NCAA Tournament bid.
Tennessee is looking to solidify its spot as a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Tennessee is currently the final five-seed. The Vols need at least one win, if not two, to solidify their case.
The Vols are currently 5.5-point favorites over Auburn according to the DKSportsbook. The over/under is set at 146.5. KenPom predicts Tennessee to earn a 77-73 victory.
Tipoff between Auburn and Tennessee is at approximately 3 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon. Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes and Alyssa Lang are on the call for the SEC Network.
