Tennessee basketball senior center Felix Okpara will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game at Kentucky, according to the pregame SEC Availability Report. Senior guard Amaree Abram and freshman guard Troy Henderson were removed from the report and are available vs. the Wildcats.
No. 25 Tennessee (16-6, 6-3 SEC) and Kentucky (16-7, 7-3) are scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
The three players were listed as questionable on the initial availability report on Friday night.
Okpara has missed the last two games with a left calf injury, Abram missed the win over Ole Miss with flu-like symptoms and Henderson has played the last two games while dealing with a left shoulder injury, after missing two games.
Henderson appeared to aggravate his injured left shoulder in practice one Friday afternoon.
Felix Okpara, Amaree Abram worked on side during Friday’s practice
Okpara and Abram worked on the side with trainers during Friday afternoon’s practice. Henderson was a practice participant but appeared to still be dealing with the shoulder issue.
Rick Barnes updated the status of Okpara and Abram before the Friday workout at Food City Center.
“Last night when I left, (Okpara) said he was feeling a little bit better,” Barnes said, “but it’ll be based on if he does anything today in practice.”
“(Abram) hasn’t been back,” Barnes said. ” … We kept him kind of quarantined from everybody.”
Barnes said after the 84-66 win over Ole Miss Tuesday night that Okpara was “progressing” with the injury, but he was unsure of his timetable for return.
“Chad (Newman) told me today he was feeling better today,” Barnes said at the time. “I asked him, ‘How is he feeling?’ He said he thought he was making a little progress today.
“I can’t tell you when (Okpara will return), but that is the honest answer because that is what Chad told me right before the game. … He said, ‘He has had a good day today.’”
Felix Okpara averaging 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game
Barnes said on Saturday, after the win over Auburn, that Okpara “has some calf problems” after getting kicked in the leg in Tennessee’s win at Georgia last week. He added that it became an issue for Okpara Friday night.
“It was after the Georgia game,” Barnes said at the time, “he really got kicked there or whatever. But it was a calf.”
Okpara was a late addition to the SEC Availability Report before the 77-69 win over Auburn on Saturday and was ruled out during pregame.
“Fe tried everything to get ready,” Barnes said, “but he couldn’t do it.”
Okpara in 20 games this season is averaging 6.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in a career-high 26.5 minutes per game.
He had six points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the 86-85 win at Georgia on Wednesday, starting and playing 35 minutes. He played 34 minutes in the win at Alabama on January 24, finishing with five points, eight rebounds and two blocks.