Freshman guard Troy Henderson made an instant impression in his first game for Tennessee. He provided a spark off the bench in the Vols’ 76–61 season-opening win over Mercer on Monday night.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Richmond, Virginia, delivered six points and two assists in 12 minutes. He hit two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
His confidence and energy didn’t go unnoticed by teammates or coaches.
“Oh, I loved it!” forward JP Estrella said. “T-Roy brings that energy every day in practice. So, I was so excited when he checked in and made two 3s. After he made the first one, I was looking at him like, ‘Let’s go T-Roy!’ I was just super excited for him. He’s brought a ton of energy into the game.”
Head coach Rick Barnes praised Henderson and the team’s newcomers for earning their opportunities.
“They’re going to be in there because they’ve earned it,” Barnes said. “The more they play, the better they’re going to get. We’ve got a chance to have the depth we want, but if you just think you’re going to play, it won’t happen. Some of the older guys, I thought they’ve got to be better than they were tonight in terms of coming in, doing what we need to do.”
Henderson’s impact off the bench was no surprise to those who know him best.
Freshman teammate Nate Ament, played alongside Henderson on the AAU circuit with Team Loaded VA.
“His personality, all the people on the team can see it just as I have,” Ament said. “He’s the same as he was in AAU. He lights up the locker room and makes us all laugh. He’s been consistent about trying to get better. He knows his role as someone who can back up Ja’Kobi (Gillespie)and be a spark off the bench. Him just being able to master that is making us a better team.”
Henderson, a former three-star prospect ranked the No. 26 point guard nationally by 247Sports, played a key role for Team Loaded VA, which went 19–1 and reached the semifinals of the 2024 adidas 3SSB circuit.
Now, as he begins his college career in Orange and White, Henderson’s early flashes suggest he could become a valuable part of Tennessee’s rotation.
