For the second time in the past week, Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes has landed quite the playmaker via the transfer portal. On Sunday night, the big news came in that Vanderbilt forward Jaylen Carey is going to be making the move from Nashville to Knoxville. He joins Ja’Kobi Gillespie as transfer additions.
That’s right, Carey will be transferring from Vanderbilt to Tennessee and it’s a move that plenty of people are excited about. Well, not people who love the Commodores. From the moment it was announced that Carey is joining UT, countless Vanderbilt fans have been calling him out.
You had to figure this was going to be the case, as joining an in-state rival is never going to make someone happy. Think Carey cares about that? Not a chance. In an interview with Rocky Top Insider’s Reed Schumpert, Carey clapped back at the Vanderbilt haters in a head-turning way:
Tennessee forward Jaylen Carey could care less about angry Vanderbilt fans
A 6-8, 265-pounder, Carey averaged eight points and 5.7 rebounds this past season for Vanderbilt. Two of his best games of the year ironically came against the Vols, with him posting 18 points and 14 points vs. Tennessee, respectively.
He’s a bruiser down in the low post and the kind of player who can really make an impact by the glass. This is exactly why Barnes and his staff were so keen to get him to town. Carey can back players down and then finish close to the bucket, which will be key for the Vols next campaign.
Tennessee is still in need of some shooters to help out, especially with Jerry West Award winner Chaz Lanier on his way to the NBA. Enter Maryland’s Rodney Rice? Before we get too excited about that idea, let’s go ahead and celebrate the addition of Carey. As you can see from his message for the haters on Vanderbilt’s campus, he’s a passionate fella on and off the court. Tennessee should be quite excited it has landed him.
