Tennessee forward Felix Okpara added to injury report ahead of Auburn game
By David Wasson
Published:
The Tennessee Volunteers will be waiting until Saturday night’s opening tip to determine whether forward Felix Okpara will be able to play against Auburn (8:30 pm ET, ESPN).
Okpara was a late addition to the the SEC Availability Report as he deals with a reported left calf injury. The 6-foot-11 senior was not listed in the initial availability report that was released Friday. Okpara delivers 6.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Tennessee.
Tennessee (14-6 overall, 4-3 SEC) does have good news on the injury front heading into Saturday night’s league clash, as freshman point guard Troy Henderson and junior forward Jaylen Carey are both expected to be available against Auburn.
Henderson missed two games with a left shoulder injury sustained in the lead-up to last Saturday’s game against Alabama, while Carey was dealing with a hyperextended left leg sustained in the Vols’ road win at Alabama.
Henderson is averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 assists in 15 games this season. Carey is averaging 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists in two starts over 20 games this season.
Auburn and Tennessee have a storied basketball rivalry, with the Vols owning an 82-46 record against the Tigers in a series that began in 1927. Tennessee won the last meeting 70-65 in the 2025 SEC Tournament semifinals and also won the last game in Knoxville (a 92-84 victory in 2023). Auburn (14-7, 5-3) won the 2024-25 regular season meeting at home 53-51.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
