ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Lady Vols basketball forward Janiah Barker is listed as out on the availability report ahead of 10-seed Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament game against 7-seed NC State in the Round of 64. She was not listed on the initial report on Thursday night, but was added ahead of tip-off on Friday.
Barker was expected to be limited at practice earlier on Monday this week, but participated in the short portions the media was able to watch on both Monday and Thursday. However, the ESPN broadcast noted that this absence is due to ‘illness’ and not injury.
In her first year with Tennessee, Barker is averaging 14.3 points on 46.5% shooting from the field. She is also contributing 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She is expected to be selected in the upcoming WNBA draft.
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Barker is one of the pieces on this Lady Vols’ team with March Madness experience. She made a run a year ago as a member of the UCLA team that fell to UConn in the Final Four.
Now, Barker was being looked at as a key figure in the hopes of snapping the team’s seven-game losing skid and advancing in March Madness.
“I just want to see fight. Just fight,” Barker said on Friday. “I really want us to fight for each other. I think for me, I think about like Nya and like I’ve been here before, I’ve done this before, I think about her knowing that she’s never been here before and it’s her last ride. So I want to make sure I can put whatever I have out there on the floor for her, so that she knows that I got her back through this.
“And then also too, just I mean it’s March. You never know what can happen in March. But as long as you believe and you believe in your team and you all have the same common goal, you never know what you can do. So I just continuing to try to preach to my team like we got this. Like you said, one day at a time, it really is. So just take it one game at a time, have full confidence.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN. The game will be played in Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The winner between the Lady Vols and NC State get Michigan on Sunday.
More to follow: March Madness betting lines
