Tennessee basketball center Felix Okpara is questionable for the Vols’ Saturday afternoon matchup against Texas A&M with a left foot/ankle injury according to the SEC Availability Report.
*UPDATE: Okpara is expected to be available for Tennessee against Texas A&M
Okpara first suffered the left ankle injury in practice ahead of Tennessee’s matchup at Kentucky last week. Tennessee’s starting center played against the Wildcats and again last Saturday versus Vanderbilt. Tennessee’s Friday morning practice was open to the media and Okpara did not participate in it.
Okpara has started all 26 games for Tennessee this season and is averaging 7.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. The 6-foot-11 center is one of the best rim defenders in the country and is a strong lob threat for Zakai Zeigler and the Vols’ offense on the other end of the court.
There’s no game where Okpara being out wouldn’t be a huge loss for Tennessee. But there’s few worse games for Okpara to potentially miss than the Texas A&M game.
Texas A&M is the SEC’s most physical team. The Aggies are the nation’s best offensive rebounding team and are a top 10 team largely based on their rebounding prowess and ability to get to and score at the free throw line.
More From RTI: Three Things To Watch — Tennessee Basketball at Texas A&M
With just nine healthy scholarship players on roster, depth is an issue this season and the center spot is one of the thinnest spots on the team. Sophomore center JP Estrella is out for the season after undergoing foot surgery back in November.
That leaves sophomore Cade Phillips as the only other center on Tennessee’s roster. If Okpara is unable to go, forward Igor Milicic Jr will be forced to play more center with Darlinstone Dubar and Jahmai Mashack also being short term options.
Sixth-ranked Tennessee is 1.5-point favorites over Texas A&M according to the FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 131.5.
| TN Sportsbook | Bonus Offer | Bonus Link |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Bet $5, Get $158 in bonus bets | Claim Bonus — Use Code ROCKYBET |
| FanDuel | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed | Claim Bonus |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Get a first bet on Caesars of up to $1,000 | Claim Bonus — Use Code STARTGET |
Tipoff between Tennessee and Texas A&M is at noon ET on Saturday afternoon. Dave Pasch and Fran Fraschilla are on the call for ESPN.
