The Vols Need to Rethink Jaylen Carey’s Role as we Head Into March
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Concerning Carey, indeed.
Tennessee is entering the most important stretch of the season, March is officially here on Sunday, and the Vol rotation continues to be a topic of conversation. With JP Estrella working his way back from another left foot injury, senior forward Jaylen Carey has stepped into the starting lineup, but as we inch closer to March, it’s becoming harder and harder to justify the minutes he’s getting, and even harder to ignore the production they’re not getting in return.
Carey has averaged 24.6 minutes per game since taking over for Estrella, and the results have been rough. In the 89‑66 win over Oklahoma, he finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds on 3‑for‑9 shooting and a brutal 1‑for‑6 from the free‑throw line, good for a 30.1 percent true shooting night. Against Vanderbilt, it was another 7‑and‑7 outing on 2‑for‑7 shooting, and in Tuesday’s 73‑69 loss at Missouri, Carey went scoreless. 0 points, 10 rebounds, 0-for-3 from the field, and 0-for-2 at the line, his second scoreless outing of the season.
The season-long numbers don’t help his case much either. Carey averages 19.5 minutes, 47.2 percent shooting, 7.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and a 47.9 percent true shooting percentage. In SEC play, those numbers dip to 19.7 minutes, 37.1 percent shooting, 6.0 points, and 5.6 rebounds. It’s not just inefficient, Carey is actively dragging down an offense that already struggles with consistency.
Estrella returned to the floor in Columbia but didn’t look comfortable in his six minutes. If he’s not ready to resume his starting role, Tennessee has another option who has earned a real shot at returning to starter in freshman forward DeWayne Brown. Brown has been the more reliable and efficient player in nearly every category. In ten games as a starter, he’s averaging 6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and shooting 54% from the field. Carey, in five starts, is at 5.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 30% shooting. The season-long separation is even wider. Brown is averaging 16.5 minutes, shooting 60.8 percent (12th in SEC), with 5.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and a 63 TS% . In conference play, he’s at 18.2 minutes, 56.7% shooting, 5.9 points, and 4.1 rebounds.
As March approaches, Tennessee needs its five best players on the floor in crunch time.
Jaylen Carey is not one of those players.
If Estrella doesn’t return to form, the forward spot next to Felix Okpara should belong to DeWayne Brown moving forward. The numbers say it. The eye test says it, and the stakes of a deep run in March could depend on it.
