Vanderbilt basketball will face a former player when the Commodores take on Tennessee and Jaylen Carey.
Carey spent the 2023-24 season playing for coach Mark Byington at James Madison, then followed Byington to Vanderbilt for the 2024-25 season. But after one year with the Commodores, Carey decided to transfer to Tennessee.
Now, Carey will return to Memorial Gymnasium for the first time for the Feb. 21 matchup (1 p.m. CT, ESPN). He is averaging 7.8 points and six rebounds per game this season for the Vols (19-7, 9-4).
Byington would not speak ill of his former player ahead of the matchup.
“My feelings on Jaylen Carey, I put a lot into him personally and for his development and to help him grow, through the recruiting process, at James Madison and also here at Vanderbilt,” Byington said. “This probably is going to surprise people, but when you put a lot into somebody, you want that for him. And so he’s at a different school right now. That’s the path he’s chosen. And so years from now I hope he’s a great father, great person, and hopefully I was a big part of that.”
Byington said that watching players you invested in transfer is part of the college game now and something that he doesn’t like, but it’s necessary to adapt in the era of NIL and the transfer portal.
“It’s hard as a coach when you really do want to pour into somebody and you do that and you help them through certain things, and then they might be gone when the season’s over for whatever circumstances,” Byington said. “I don’t like that part. … But at the same time, I’ve got to make sure that I’m evolving, because it probably is what’s going on right now.”
Carey is the first player to transfer between Vanderbilt and Tennessee in men’s basketball, though players have gone between the two schools in other sports, including football (Jordan Matthews), women’s basketball (Justine Pissott) and baseball (Ethan Smith).
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, @aria_gerson.
