Report: Jaylin Williams going through warmups, available vs. Tennessee
Auburn forward Jaylin Williams is going through pregame warmups in Knoxville and is available to play on Wednesday, according to reports. He was previously labeled a game-time decision for the Tennessee matchup.
Williams injured his knee during the loss to Kentucky nearly two weeks ago. He came down awkwardly in the second half, and many initially feared that his injured would be worse than what it turned out to be. Instead, he missed two and a half games.
Before exiting the game, Williams had three points on 1 of 5 shooting from the field. He’s been one of the Tigers most complete players all season, stuffing the stat sheet with 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Of course, that isn’t indicative of the year the veteran big man has had. Williams has proven to be a key contributor for Auburn this season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists before his injury.
Previously, Williams traveled to Athens for Saturday’s game against Georgia, although it was determined ahead of time that he was not going to play against the Bulldogs. Auburn went on to defeat the Bulldogs 97-76 on the road despite missing their second-leading rebounder for the second consecutive game.
Auburn and Tennessee is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip. The Vols are 7.5-point betting favorites over the Tigers at home. The Tigers are 21-6 (10-4) entering the matchup against the Vols, which Tennessee is 21-6 (11-3) entering the top 15 showdown.
Rick Barnes previews matchup against Johni Broome
When Tennessee takes on Auburn on Wednesday night, there will be a lot riding on the line. Both teams are right in the thick of the SEC race, with Tennessee currently sharing the lead with Alabama and Auburn just one game back.
For the Volunteers, finding a way to slow Johni Broome will be key. The Tigers big man has been virtually unstoppable at times.
“Johni Broome, I mean he’s, I don’t know if he’s getting the recognition he deserves,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “I think he’s truly one of the top post players in the country. A guy that can go inside, outside and just does a lot of different things for them.”
The stat sheet pretty much tells the story. Johni Broome is averaging 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. He plays 24.5 minutes per game.