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Tennessee updates status of center Felix Okpara for Tuesday's game at Kentucky

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey02/11/25GrantRamey
Felix Okpara
USA TODAY IMAGES/Angelina Alcantar

Tennessee Basketball center Felix Okpara will be available for the fifth-ranked Vols Tuesday night at No. 15 Kentucky. Okpara was removed from the pregame SEC Injury Report after being listed as probable on Monday night.

Kentucky starting point guard Lamont Butler was also removed from the injury report on the game-day update after initially being listed as probable.

Tennessee (20-4, 7-4 SEC) and No. 15 Kentucky (16-7, 5-5) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start at Rupp Arena.

Okpara, who has started all 24 games for the Vols this season, is dealing with a left ankle issue. Kentucky on Monday night ruled out Jaxson Robinson (wrist) along with Kerr Kriisa (foot).

Robinson suffered a wrist injury in Kentucky’s win over South Carolina on Saturday. He had 17 points and four rebounds and went 4-for-9 at the 3-point line in Kentucky’s 78-73 win over Tennessee at Food City Center on January 28.

Tennessee has won three straight since loss to Kentucky

Butler returned from a shoulder injury to play 23 minutes in an 80-57 win over South Carolina Saturday in Lexington. Butler had not played since the 74-69 loss at Auburn on January 25, missing the win at Tennessee that followed. 

Butler had eight points, three assists, a rebound and a block against South Carolina. The San Diego State transfer is averaging 13.5 points, 4.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds, shooting 54.7% from the floor and 42.4% from the 3-point line. 

“Lamont’s really good,” Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey said before practice Monday morning in Knoxville. “He’s kind of the head of the snake for them. He sets the tempo, he sets the pace. He can score, he can facilitate. He’s dynamic in transition and he’s also a really good defender. I think he changes them drastically.”

Forward Andrew Carr played only one minute in the win at Tennessee due to a back injury. He’s averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.7 minutes per game.

Tennessee has bounced back from the Kentucky loss to win three straight games, beating Florida 64-44, Missouri 85-81 and Oklahoma 70-52. 

Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic Jr. missed the Florida game. The two players over their last two games have combined for 67 points, 21 rebounds, 25 assists, six steals and five blocks 

Felix Okpara averaging 7.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 blocks this season

Okpara had four points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the first game against Kentucky. He’s averaging 7.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 24.1 minutes per game.

“Felix is an elite defender,” Gainey said. “He’s elite and he’s been elite since day one, since he got here. His ability to defend on the perimeter, move his feet switch off on guards while also guard bigs, just makes him so unique. 

“And then how quick he is off the floor. (He’s a) multiple-jump guy around the rim and he has great timing. So both of those things help him in shot blocking.”

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