CHICAGO — Jaylen Carey said he couldn’t wait to watch the film. Never mind that it was the middle of the night in the United Center, after No. 6 Tennessee had thumped No. 2 Iowa State in a 76-62 Sweet 16 win to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament.

The junior power forward was itching to watch it back to see the moment that set him off.

“I remember the first two plays,” Carey said. “I got popped in the mouth. It was a shock for me. It got me going.”

Up Next: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Michigan, Sunday, 2:15 p.m. ET, CBS

Carey got going and didn’t stop, sparking the Vols (25-11) with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes off the bench, helping send his team back to the Elite Eight for a third straight year, where No. 1 Michigan (34-3) awaits on Sunday (2:15 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS). 

“It was fun going out there,” Carey said, “rebounding the ball and playing aggressive.”

Tennessee kept its season going by pounding Iowa State from the inside out, with Carey and Felix Okpara combining for 23 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Both forwards went 5-for-6 from the field. Both grabbed six offensive rebounds. 

But it was different for Carey, the Vanderbilt transfer who spent much of the season fighting to find his fit with his new team, with unrelenting demands from Rick Barnes. 

“My guys,” Carey said, “they always trust in me. I kind of had a slow year on and off here and there games, and just keep on believing in myself. 

“Coach Barnes and the guys, they just keep on believing in me. And that just gives me all the confidence I need.”

Carey had not grabbed 10 rebounds in a game in more than a month. He hadn’t scored more than 10 points in a game in almost two months. 

He scored a season-high 22 points in the loss at Syracuse in December, the end of a three-game run that saw him score 46 points with 26 rebounds.

Carey scored in double figures six times in the eight games that followed, but did so just twice in the final 14 games of the regular season, as he appeared to be bottoming out at the worst possible time.

‘There were days he looked at me like, man, this dude is crazy’

Barnes never stopped challenging him. 

“If I put all the chips on the table,” Barnes said, “I have been after Jaylen harder than anybody all year — anybody. There were days he looked at me like, man, this dude is crazy. But he never said a word. (He) kept going. He does what he needs to do.”

Barnes added Carey and freshman DeWayne Brown and paired the two bigs with Okpara, J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips to give Tennessee the post presence it so badly missed last season. 

These Vols stayed alive on Friday night because of it. And because of Carey. 

“Anytime you see someone that goes through the peaks and valleys and comes up big in a game like this,” Barnes said, “you’re elated for them. You really are.”