Despite the growing health concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus, the 55th ACM Awards will proceed as scheduled from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 5. That’s 24 days away.
In addition to announcing the award show’s first round of performers on March 11, the Academy released a statement: “The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions remain committed to serving fans and our Country Music community by producing THE 55th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™ live from Las Vegas on April 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. We are closely monitoring the situation along with the MGM team, who are in continuous contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District, and other agencies and experts for guidance. We will take every precaution to ensure the safety of our artists, staff, crew, guests and attendees.”
Here are a few news-worthy notes regarding coronavirus and Las Vegas:
The Southern Nevada Heath District reported the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus on March 5, and a second person tested with a presumptive positive case on March 8.
We’re making it even easier for you to stay connected to WIVK 107.7 wherever you go! Besides tuning in on your radio, you can also stream WIVK through your computer, smartphone, tablet, and your Amazon Smart Speaker.
In addition to hosting the 55th ACM Awards on April 5 in Las Vegas, Keith Urban will also take the stage to perform. The Academy of Country Music made the announcement via Twitter on March 11.
The Academy also revealed that Miranda Lambert will perform twice. In addition to a solo effort, Miranda will perform “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Lindsay Ell, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack. The tune is nominated for Musical Event of the Year.
The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8–11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.
Zac Brown Band has cancelled more than a dozen dates on its The Owl Tour amid public health concerns relating to the coronavirus.
The band made the announcement via Facebook on March 10, stating: “Out of caution and due to increasing public health concerns, Zac Brown Band is postponing the spring 2020 leg of “The Owl Tour.” This was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our top priority. Rescheduled dates for all spring shows (through Nashville on April 25) will be announced soon. We ask that our fans retain their tickets as they will be honored on the new dates. At this time, our “Roar With The Lions” Summer 2020 tour dates (commencing in May) will be performed as planned. Thank you for your understanding.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Football is back in Tennessee as the Volunteers opened spring practice with the first of 15 workouts on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Haslam Field. Head coach Jeremy Pruitt put the squad through a two-plus hour workout in helmets and shorts, focusing on all three phases in the wet conditions.
Pruitt stressed the importance of his team having depth and familiarity with the third year in his system.
“You can tell that it’s the third year in the system. You can tell that we’ve got a lot of guys returning. There weren’t a whole lot of mistakes, so that’s good to see and we can really coach fundamentals.
“We have more numbers at every position. This will be the first time in three seasons that we will be at 85 scholarships.”
The Vols will practice again Thursday before taking off for spring break. Spring practice culminates with the Chevrolet Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, April 18 at 4 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium. Admission and parking is free.
Season tickets for the 2020 Tennessee campaign are on sale now at AllVols.com and start as low as $300. Season tickets can also be purchased by calling (865) 946-7000. The Vol Pass also is returning for the 2020 football season. A great option for fans interested in experiencing Neyland Stadium from a different vantage point each game, those interested in learning more about the Vol Pass are encouraged to call (865) 946-7000.
Below is a transcript from Pruitt’s Tuesday night media session:
Opening Statement:
“It was exciting to get back out there on the grass. I felt like we had a lot of enthusiasm, and we should. We’ve got a lot of returning guys with lots of experience. Everybody seems to know where they’re supposed to be. Obviously, we’ve had some turnover with coaches, and it was exciting for me to see these guys out here on the grass. I thought they did a fantastic job. We’ve talked about on both sides of the ball, the No. 1 priority this spring has got to be the ball, on both sides. Starting offensively, securing the football, from quarterback-center exchanges to hand-offs to making decisions, securing the football, whether it’s at wide receiver, quarterback, running back, tight end, or in the kicking game. Defensively, if you get a turnover, secure the football. We’ve got to get more turnovers on defense. That has to be a priority this spring, especially when you talk about fumbles. We did not get nearly enough last year, so that’s got to be a focus for us. I felt like the kids had a great attitude out there today. You can tell that it’s the third year in the system. You can tell that we’ve got a lot of guys returning. There weren’t a whole lot of mistakes, so that’s good to see and we can really coach fundamentals. We’re trying to slow it down this spring as far as installs. We’re making sure that we teach concepts and have a really good understanding of what we’re doing, and I thought our guys did a nice job with that. We have to do a really good job this spring in the kicking game. Losing our snapper last year was a big deal. You don’t worry about that until you don’t have one, so we’ve got lots of competition in that area. It was a great day to be out there. It was wet. We had a lot of rain during practice, so we had a chance to handle the ball in some adverse situations, so that’s good for us and it should help us down the road. When you look at our guys, you can see in this offseason, the growth, I think our strength staff has done a fantastic job getting these guys ready for spring ball. You can see it without guys with just how their bodies have changed over the course of the last year. We’ve got to continue to work hard in the weight room during spring. We’ve got 15 practice. One is down, but you really kind of have a window of about 30 to 35 days here, where we really have to improve and do a good job in our teaching progressions. We’ve got to do a great job correcting in the film room, and in the teaching progressions, setting the table for 11-on-11, and it’s something that, offensively, you need 11-on-11. Defensively, you can do a whole lot of drills and get to that point and build a little more slowly, but to me, offensively, you’ve got to be able to function as a unit, and that’s something that we’ve got to get lots of reps in. With the quarterback position, being able to go two-spot and having enough bodies to practice efficiently with four groups is going to help us there as far as getting reps. There’s good competition there, all of those guys got lots of reps today, so that’s good to see. One thing that I wanted to say before I even started here is that we had a tragedy last week in Nashville, in Middle Tennessee with the tornado and the victims involved. There’s nothing that I can say that can take it all back, but we had some kids on our team that knew people that were affected, and it affected people in our state. Unfortunately, there was some loss of life there, and it makes you appreciate just how important your family is and being thankful for the opportunities that we have every day. That’s something that our kids have really been focused on with trying to be involved in some way with helping the victims, and that’s something that we’ll continue to do.”
On if there’s a different feeling with it being his third season here …
“I believe it was obvious that we do have some experience. When you compare the last two (seasons), we’re further along now, which we should be with the experience that we have coming back. I think our kids are excited to be back out there, and we’ve had a great offseason. Guys have worked really hard, Coach Fitz (Craig Fitzgerald) and his guys have done a fantastic job with helping them grow, get stronger, and change their bodies, and getting them ready to practice. So, I felt like we were in really good condition today for the first day, and I felt like as the practice went, the stronger we got.”
On Jimmy Brumbaugh coming here and what he saw from him today …
“Jimmy is a guy that I’ve known for a long time. When he was playing at Auburn, we played against each other, and he’s a guy that has really grown in the profession with the work that he’s done at every stop along the way. He’s a great teacher and motivator. You kind of know what you’re getting in him every single day. You can see it out here when I’ve sat in meetings with him with how he teaches. I think he’s really hands-on and he brings a lot of knowledge at that position having played that position. He really is the style of defensive line coach that we’re looking for. When we had the job come open, we didn’t interview anybody else. We didn’t interview him. We just offered him the job and he came.”
On having consistency at the offensive coordinator position …
“Well the longer you do something, the better you should be at it. I felt like as the season went, we played a little cleaner. We didn’t turn the ball over as much and that is something that we need to build on this offseason. We have a lot of players coming back. We lost a lot of really good players also, so we have some holes to fill there. When it comes to terminology, understanding expectations, I feel like with Jim (Chaney) and this offensive staff being here this second time around, we are further ahead than we were this time last year. We have to continue to get better every single day. There needs to be a lot of growth on the offensive side. If they continue to give the effort in the meeting rooms and on the field, we will get there.”
On the consistency at the strength coach position …
“I can’t say enough about Craig and his guys and what they have done over the last three years. Our guys continue to get bigger, stronger, develop discipline and a lot of mental toughness. In the offseason, Craig is a guy that is in high demand. That is no secret. There have been several jobs that have been open across our league and Craig was the first guy that they called. He decided to stay here. He is in demand because he is good at what he does.”
On the development of the players in his third year …
“We have more numbers at every position. This will be the first time in three seasons that we will be at 85 scholarships. Obviously, that helps. My first spring, we might have had five scholarship offensive linemen. We moved guys over there, but we have some depth there. On both sides in the interior, we are obviously a lot bigger than we were the first year. These guys have to develop and learn to play together and create the right habits. We have competition here, so that should be good moving forward.”
“Unfortunately, Cooper broke his foot last fall. He probably played the entire high school season with a stress fracture that got worse as the season went. He had to have a procedure done when he first got here. He is not going to be able to participate this spring. It is unfortunate for him, because he is a guy that we are expecting to compete. He is a tough guy that we targeted early in the recruiting process and we feel like he plays the right way. He is learning. He understands the situation and he has to take mental reps.”
On the quarterback competition this spring …
“From the quarterback standpoint, the first thing to me is when you play the position and your team has the ball, how does the drive end. We might throw it 15 times or we might run it 15 times. What is the end result? Part of being a quarterback is getting the other 10 guys to be at their best. Lots of times we get hung up on their stats. A lot of that affects some of that. Does every possession end in a kick? That is what we need to do. If we do that we have a chance to have success.”
On players having limitations during practice this spring …
“We have several guys that their practices will be modified a little bit during spring. Baylen (Buchanan) and Emmit’s (Gooden) practices will be modified. Emmit is probably ready to go, but six months for an ACL seems too soon for me. He will do a lot of things in a controlled environment. We have several guys like that. The fact that they can practice in certain scenarios gives them the chance to grow and develop as a player.”
On the quarterback reps …
“I think that Jarrett (Guarantano) has played a lot of ball. If you look over the last half of the year, Jarrett did a lot of really good things to help us win football games. J.T. did some things in the South Carolina game and in the UAB game that helped us win. Brian showed some promise at times. All of these guys are going to continue to improve. We have good competition there. Jarrett is a guy that has played a lot of ball. When you look at all three of those guys, there are a lot of positives that they do. We have to eliminate a few mistakes that we made last year. With another year in the system, that is something that we are working on. We have a couple other quarterbacks in that room. Harrison Bailey, Jimmy Holiday, Kasim Hill, they are taking the same amount of reps too. We have to figure out who our first, second and third quarterback is. They will have a chance to do that throughout the spring. That’s for every position. In this business, you’re only as good as your last game, whether you are a coach or a player. There always needs to be competition so everyone will be at their best.”
On the quarterback competition as it progresses …
“Well the plan right now is to rep six guys. If there is a point in time where we feel like someone eliminates themselves, we would go down. We are going to continue to work in four groups. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to throw and create some chemistry on the offensive side of the ball. We practice like that in our scrimmages so these guys will have plenty of opportunities.”
“That’s one of the positions that we don’t have a lot of depth at this spring. Brian is a guy that has worked with me at a couple of spots. Really, when we came here, he is probably a defensive guy. He can coach any position, but I think he’s very bright, he understands what we are doing on that side of the ball, he understands the importance of the inside backers being signal-callers. Whether you’re counting inside backer or outside backers, there’s four or five guys that aren’t here yet that will fall into that mix and create some depth and competition as fall camp gets here.”
“Jordan is a guy who has a unique story, really. He was a high school wide receiver/tight end and signed in that position. He ended up going to a junior college and converted to an outside linebacker/defensive end. He only played the position one year. When he got here, if you talked to him, he’d probably played a lot more offense in his life than he has defense. We worked him at outside linebacker and felt like he had some promise there. With his injury that he had last year, just talking to us, he wanted to move to the offensive side of the ball and we know he has a skill set there. We need some depth there so it just made sense.”
“Well this is a big spring for J.J. He missed summer and fall camp of his freshman year. He really missed last spring and summer so this is the first time he’s really getting the ABC’s of it. It’s a big spring for him and you can see the growth. He’s learning and has more confidence. He just needs to get out there and compete and play ball and give himself an opportunity to have success.”
Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt spoke to the media for the first time in the spring after UT Spring Practice #1 Tuesday afternoon in Knoxville. Watch the full press conference below.
Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team opens its journey through the 2020 SEC Tournament with a second-round matchup against Alabama on Tuesday afternoon. Tipoff from Bridgestone Arena is set for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Thursday’s game can be seen on SEC Network, online through WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Fans can access WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Mike Morgan, Jimmy Dykes and Marty Smith will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols fell in their regular-season finale to Auburn, 85-63. In his final regular-season home game, senior Jordan Bowden finished with 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal.
All-SEC second team member John Fulkerson led the Vols in scoring with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and a 9-of-13 ledger from the foul line.
A victory on Thursday would give UT a three-game win streak in its series with the Crimson Tide and give the Vols at least one victory in each of the last three SEC Tournaments.
With a win, Tennessee will move on to take on the SEC Tournament’s top seed, Kentucky, on Friday afternoon in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Tipoff for that potential matchup is set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails the all-time series with Alabama, 70-79, dating to 1914.
• The Vols won this season’s lone meeting back on Feb. 4 by a score of 69-68 at Coleman Coliseum.
• The programs have met 15 times in the SEC Tournament, with Bama holding a 10-5 advantage. That includes a pair of Tide wins in Nashville.
• Rick Barnes was an assistant coach at Alabama during the 1985-86 season.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give Tennessee a three-game win streak in its series vs. Alabama.
• Make the Vols 10-8 in SEC Tournament games played at Bridgestone Arena.
• Give UT at least one victory in each of the last three SEC Tournaments.
• Give Tennessee 75 victories over the last three seasons.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee has advanced to the championship game in each of the last two SEC Tournaments.
• During SEC play, Tennessee led the league in blocks (5.6 bpg) and owned the conference’s second-best scoring defense (67.7 ppg).
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season.
• For the second year in a row, Tennessee finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,990 fans per game.
• In 18 SEC games, junior All-SEC forward John Fulkerson led the Vols in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.578). He also drew 112 fouls—or 6.2 per game.
• During SEC play, freshmen accounted for 39.6 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
• SEC All-Defensive Teamer Yves Pons leads the SEC and ranks 24th nationally with 2.4 bpg. His 2.3 bpg during SEC play also led the league.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Thursday will be the 133rd game in which he’s appeared—fifth-most in program history.
• Thursday will be Jordan Bowden’s 100th career start, making him the 14th Vol ever to reach that milestone.
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Tennessee is 69-55 (.556) in 61 all-time previous SEC Tournament appearances.
• The Vols own the third-best SEC Tournament winning percentage among league schools, trailing only Kentucky (.838) and Alabama (.558).
• Since the tournament was renewed in 1979, the Vols are 34-40 (.459).
• Tennessee has won the SEC Tournament four times, tying Florida for third-most among league schools. The Vols won the event in 1936, 1941, 1943 and 1979.
• UT has reached the championship game 12 times (third-most among league schools), most recently last season in Nashville.
• Tennessee has been the No. 8 seed only twice previously (1986, 1987).
• This is the 11th time Nashville has hosted the SEC Tournament. UT is 13-10 in the tournament when it takes place in “The Music City.”
• Tennessee’s SEC Tournament record at Bridgestone Arena is 9-8.
BARNES IN LEAGUE TOURNEYS
• Rick Barnes is 37-31 (.544) in conference tournament games as a head coach. That includes a 6-4 record with Tennessee.
• He led Providence to the Big East Tournament championship in 1994.
• Barnes guided Tennessee to the SEC Tournament championship game each of the last two seasons.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
• Wayne Chism scored 23, JaJuan Smith added 19 and Tyler Smith put in 13, but it was Chris Lofton’s 25-footer with 12.0 seconds remaining that lifted the Vols to an 89-87 win over South Carolina in the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta on March 14, 2008.
• Carlus Groves went 9-for-10 from the floor, scoring 22 points, to lift Tennessee to an 87-70 upset win over No. 18 Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the 1991 SEC Tournament in Nashville.
• It took Tony White 45 minutes to put 30 on Florida, including five points in overtime, as the Vols beat the Gators, 80-74, in the first round of the 1984 SEC Tournament in Nashville.
• Tennessee topped Kentucky, the third time UT beat the Wildcats that year, in the championship game of the 1979 SEC Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. The Vols prevailed 75-69 in overtime on March 3, 1979.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Heading into the 2020 SEC Tournament, Alabama fell in its final two regular-season contests, dropping one at home to Vanderbilt, 87-79, and on the road at Missouri, 69-50. An up-and-down conference campaign has the Tide sitting at 16-15 overall and 8-10 in SEC play.
• First-year head coach Nate Oats looks to make a run in the SEC Tournament after guiding Buffalo to three consecutive MAC Championships prior to his arrival in Tuscaloosa last March.
• Sophomore point guard Kira Lewis Jr. has been incredibly efficient for the Tide. He leads Alabama in scoring (18.5 ppg), assists (5.2 apg) and field-goal percentage (.459) while ranking in the top 10 in the SEC in all three categories (4th in scoring, 3rd in assists and 9th in field-goal percentage). He has also been a force on the defensive end, leading the Tide and ranking third in the SEC in steals with 1.8 per contest.
• Lewis is joined in the backcourt by junior guard John Petty Jr. After missing the Tide’s contests against South Carolina (2/29/20) and Vanderbilt (3/3/20), he returned for their season finale and should be healthy for the conference tournament. He has been an all-around performer for Alabama this season, ranking third on the team in scoring (14.5 ppg), second in assists (2.5 apg) and first in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
• The oldest city in the state of Alabama is Mobile, which is located in the southwest corner of the state. Mobile was initially settled by French colonists in 1702 and was originally the capital of French Louisiana and didn’t become a part of the U.S. until 1813 when then-president James Madison annexed West Florida from Spain.
BARNES WAS A ‘BAMA ASSISTANT
• Rick Barnes spent the 1985-86 season as an assistant coach at Alabama under Wimp Sanderson. It was Barnes’ first taste of “major” college basketball.
• The Crimson Tide went 24-9 (13-5 SEC) that year and finished third in the conference. Bama earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and defeated Xavier and Illinois before falling to Southeast No. 1 seed Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen.
• That Alabama team featured 15-year NBA veteran Derrick McKey, eventual Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried, five-year NBA veteran Jim Farmer and seven-year NBA veteran Buck Johnson (team’s top scorer).
• After Barnes’ lone season in Tuscaloosa, he moved on to Ohio State to work as an assistant coach under Gary Williams.
• As a head coach, Barnes is 7-7 against schools at which he once worked (he’s 2-3 vs. Alabama, 1-1 vs. Ohio State, 2-0 vs. Providence, 0-1 vs. Clemson, 2-2 vs. Tennessee).
THE INCREDIBLE (ALL-SEC) FULK
• Junior forward John Fulkerson earned All-SEC honors in his first year as a starter.
• He ranks second in the SEC and 11th nationally with a .616 overall field-goal percentage this season.
• He led the Vols during SEC play in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.578).
• Fulkerson is averaging a team-best 1.67 points per shot overall this season. And he has drawn 57 fouls over UT’s last seven games (8.1 fdpg).
SEC’s BEST DEFENDER HAS TIED SINGLE-SEASON BLOCKS RECORD
• Yves Pons, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s leading shot-blocker, has blocked at least one shot in every game this season.
• His streak of 31 straight games with at least one block is the longest such streak by a Vol since at least the 1988-89 season (research is ongoing).
• Pons has blocked three or more shots in 15 games this season, including a program-record-tying six-block effort against Jacksonville State on Dec. 21.
• Pons has tied UT’s single-season blocks record of 73, first set by C.J. Black in 1997-98.
Shenandoah announced a slate of tour stops that will keep the band on the road for more than 30 dates over the next seven months.
In addition to their headlining 2020 Every Road Tour, the boys will join Restless Heart on their co-headlining Country Throwback Tour.
“It’s not ‘Here we go again,’ it’s ‘We can’t wait,’” says Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon. “Knowing everything we have in store for 2020 and all the work we’ve put in over the last four years, it’s an overwhelming but incredible feeling to see everything coming to fruition.”
Shenandoah 2020 Every Road Tour & Country Throwback Tour
March 13 | Milwaukee, WI | Northern Lights Theatre
March 22 | Vero Beach, FL | Firefighters Indian River
March 27 | Uncasville, CT | Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun
March 28 | Annapolis, MD | Rams Head Live
April 3 | Granger, TX | Cotton Club
April 4 | Lampasas, TX | Putters & Gutters
April 18 | Greenville, TX | Hunt County Fair
April 26 | Indio, CA | Stagecoach
May 2 | Dunlap, TN | Valley Festival
May 9 | Ft. Myers, FL | The Ranch
May 16 | Sevierville, TN | Bloomin’ BBQ Bluegrass
May 22 | Monticello, MS | Atwood Music Fest
May 23 | Stateline, NV | Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
May 30 | Fulton, MO | Callaway County 20th
June 12 | Shipshewana, IN | Blue Gate Theatre*
June 13 | Winsted, MN | Winstock Country Music Festival
July 2 | Hayes, KS | Wild West Festival*
July 11 | Gail, TX | Country Store
July 16 | Houston, TX | Arena Theatre*
July 17 | Norman, OK | Riverwind Casino*
July 18 | Fort Worth, TX | Billy Bob’s Texas*
July 23 | Warren, MN | Marshall County Fair
July 25 | Wayne, NE | Wayne County Fair*
Aug. 1 | Sutton, WV | Braxton Fair
Aug. 8 | Cambridge, OH | Deerassic Park*
Aug. 15 | Bremen, GA | Milltown Music Hall
Aug. 21 | Miles City, MT | Eastern Montana Fair
Sept. 12 | Louisville, KY | Hometown Rising
Sept. 26 | Rockwall, TX | Southern Junction
Oct. 6 | Eminence, MO | Cross Country Trail Ride
Oct. 9 | Prescott, AZ | Watson Lake*
Oct. 24 | Bryan, TX | Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo
For the first time in program history, a Tennessee Volunteer is the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Junior forward Yves Pons was awarded the honor by the Southeastern Conference head coaches, the league announced Tuesday. He was also named to the five-man All-Defensive Team. Fellow junior John Fulkerson was tabbed by the coaches as a second-team All-SEC performer.
Pons led the SEC in blocks all year and finished the regular season with 73 blocks in 31 games (2.4 bpg). His 73 blocks ties UT’s single-season record, initially set by C.J. Black in 1997-98. Pons needs just one more block during postseason play to stand alone as Tennessee’s single-season leader.
A native of Fuveau, France, Pons effectively guards all five positions, and he supplemented his league-leading blocks total with 13 steals and seven drawn charges.
Pons also made his mark offensively this season, averaging a career-best 9.9 points in league play. He scored in double figures in nine SEC games.
He is the third Vol ever selected to the SEC All-Defensive Team, joining JaJuan Smith (2008) and Josh Richardson (2014, 2015).
Fulkerson’s All-SEC award is the ninth coaches first- or second-team honor earned by a Vol during Rick Barnes‘ five-year tenure with Tennessee.
A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Fulkerson started every game for the Big Orange and led the team during SEC play in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.578). He also drew 112 total fouls in SEC play—or 6.2 per game.
He logged a pair of double-doubles in league action and dropped 20 or more points against four different SEC opponents. His top performance came at Kentucky on March 3, when he scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed six rebounds to power Tennessee past the sixth-ranked Wildcats in Rupp Arena.
This is the third time in the last four years that one of UT’s All-SEC honorees is a Tennessee native (Robert Hubbs III in 2017 and Jordan Bone in 2019).
Fulkerson, Pons and the rest of the Vols begin SEC Tournament play Thursday at 1 p.m. ET / noon CT when they face Alabama in a second-round showdown at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
Tennessee hits the practice field Tuesday afternoon for the first of 14 spring football practices over the next five weeks leading up to the Orange & White game on April 18.
The Vols are coming off a strong finish to the 2019 campaign where the team reeled off six-consecutive wins and a fourth quarter, come-from-behind victory in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Indiana on January 2.
Jeremy Pruitt capped his best recruiting class as Tennessee head coach as well – finishing inside the top-10 in both Rivals and 247 Sports – and brought home the one that got away in former Georgia and Knoxville Catholic offensive lineman Cade Mays.
There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a Tennessee fan.
The spring session is what I like to call the ‘time of opportunity.’ Numbers are diminished with offseason injuries and only four of the 23 signees for the Class of 2020 enrolled for the spring semester. There are reps to be had and a chance for guys to climb up the ranks and enter fall camp in good position.
Here are my five things to look for in Tennessee’s 2020 spring football practice.
Like I mentioned earlier, numbers will be limited.
We already know a pair of sophomores in offensive lineman Wanya Morris and linebacker Quavaris Crouch will be out while recovering from offseason surgeries. Incoming freshman offensive lineman Cooper Mays was seen with a boot and scooter at Saturday’s Tennessee basketball game.
Defensive lineman Darrell Middleton was arrested two weeks ago on two misdemeanors of domestic assault and public intoxication. Redshirt-sophomore defensive back Brandon Davis was reportedly shot in the leg Saturday night and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Credit: UT Athletics
What are their statuses? Not only for the short-term but long-term?
My guess is there will probably be more players not suited up due to illness, injuries, etc. There always is, and, it’s the offseason mind you.
Jeremy Pruitt will be made available to answer any questions the media has following Tuesday’s practice.
No. 4 – The Quarterbacks
This would probably be at the top of your list.
It is for many – just not mine. The quarterback is the sexy position and the most important position on the football field. I get all of that. But to me, it’s pretty standard right now.
Senior Jarrett Guarantano will come in as the starting quarterback this spring. He’s earned it after his rebound in the second half of the season, and quite frankly, who else? Brian Maurer needs a lot more polishing. As does J.T. Shroutt. Even walk-on Kasim Hill.
But everyone wants to talk about the freshmen gunslingers – primarily, five-star Harrison Bailey.
Bailey has been hyped quite a bit and I believe he has the potential to be a really good quarterback in this conference. But the dude should still be in high school right now. Give him some time and don’t put the weight of the world on his shoulders day one. Let him take his lumps, grow and develop.
Athlete Jimmy Holiday will start camp in the quarterback room, but with his athleticism and speed, the belief is he will be moved to receiver and be used as a potential returner on special teams. I’m excited to watch him develop.
Yes, the quarterbacks are important. And no, there is no clear-cut starter right now. There will be a quarterback competition. I just don’t see a starter being decided on right now in spring.
No. 3 – The Pass Catchers
This includes the wide receivers – who in my opinion hold the biggest question mark on the team – and tight ends.
Gone are the days of Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Domnick Wood-Anderson. Even Tyler Byrd, a solid depth option, is gone.
Tennessee needs players to step up in a big way on the outside. Josh Palmer will be charged with carrying the load. Ramel Keyton will be expected to make a leap in year two. Cedric Tillman’s workload should increase.
The Vols finally have DeAngelo Gibbs ready to contribute and have brought in Velus Jones Jr. – who was primarily used as a returner at Southern Cal. The return of Brandon Johnson, who led the team in receiving all the way back in 2017 (!!) is a welcomed return following a redshirt season.
Tennessee football hits the practice field this afternoon at 4 o'clock.
Jeremy Pruitt speaks to the media at 6:10.
I'll be on Sports Talk right after to recap both. @SportsRadioWNML
There are some names there. But who emerges as trustworthy hands for whoever is throwing the football in the fall? Time to step up and find some options this spring.
As for tight ends, it’s pretty bleak.
Austin Pope returns but is crucial to the team’s rush offense. He’s not been known as a pass catching option thus far in his career. And then you have a local product in redshirt-sophomore Jacob Warren, redshirt-junior Princeton Fant and redshirt-freshmen Sean Brown and Jackson Lowe.
Tennessee missed on Darnell Washington this signing class and are recruiting the position hard for 2021 and beyond. But the Vols need someone in that group to really, really step up this spring.
Remember, help is on the way in Dee Beckwith (who could be used in several spots), Malachi Wideman, Jalin Hyatt and Jimmy Calloway.
No. 2 – The Offensive Line
The potential of having both Trey Smith and Cade Mays leading UT’s offensive line in 2020 is very real, but not certain as Cade’s battle for eligibility will likely linger on throughout the summer.
Tennessee must prepare for worst-case scenario.
Mays will practice this spring and can play every position on the offensive line – excluding center. But guys like Jerome Carvin, Riley Locklear and even Chris Akporoghene could be called on at right guard if Mays is not deemed eligible by fall.
Morris, again, is out this spring. In steps in veteran Jahmir Johnson at left tackle who can give you good time off the bench. The former junior college standout has seen time at both left guard and tackle during his time at Tennessee.
But the most intriguing battle this spring, in my eyes, is at right tackle with rising sophomore Darnell Wright and veteran K’Rojhn Calbert.
Wright has all the potential in the world and was tasked with being the primary right tackle for the Vols as a true freshman. He did okay, though, limped to the finish line with poor play that resulted from nagging injuries. Calbert has proven to be a guy Will Friend and Jim Chaney can count on to play the right side.
I think Calbert has a real opportunity to push Wright for that starting gig – though Wright has a higher ceiling, no doubt.
Expect more and more cross training this spring. It’s a staple of Will Friend and helped Tennessee last year in certain spots. This offensive line has great potential and was VASTLY improved from 2018.
Still needs to show a more consistent run-block, but Mays could certainly help in that regard.
No. 1 – The Inside Linebackers
Tennessee’s leading tackler each of the past three seasons is gone and will likely be on an NFL roster come fall. But rising sophomore Henry To’o To’o is a stud.
What the California native did as a true freshman in the SEC is almost unheard of. He was a mainstay for the Volunteers last season that spent the first two games without their senior leader in Daniel Bituli.
He even called the defense at certain points in time – as a TRUE FRESHMAN.
If you follow my work at all, albeit my blogs, podcasts or practice reports, you know I’m a big fan of Henry T. I’m ready to see him grow this offseason and take another step in the fall in terms of run/pass recognition and sideline-to-sideline speed.
But the real story I’m getting at here is of once highly-coveted four-star prospect J.J. Peterson – the jewel of Jeremy Pruitt’s first recruiting class.
There’s no sugar coating it. Peterson has been a let down since day one. He arrived late missing all his freshman fall camp. He showed up overweight, has dealt with academic issues and to me, really struggled with being motivated at times last year.
It’s put up or shut up time – do or die – now or never – whatever phrase you want to coin here. It’s that time for J.J. Peterson.
Tennessee has only FOUR inside linebackers on scholarship entering spring. Henry T and Peterson join the likes of Aaron Beasley and Solon Page.
Remember, Crouch is out this spring and will likely file into the inside out of pure need come fall. Incoming freshman Bryson Eason and Martavius French of Whitehaven are not here yet.
But all these guys are coming.
Peterson has a chance to really solidify himself as a two-deep player come fall if he has a strong spring. I don’t think the former four-star will ever live up to the hype the fanbase and some media members bestowed on him in the winter of 2018, but he still has a chance to help Tennessee.
SIDENOTE: This is about inside linebackers, but as for the edge players – numbers are short as well with Kivon Bennett, Deandre Johnson, Jordan Allen and Roman Harrison in camp. Someone must replace the production left behind of Darrell Taylor.
Also keep in mind, incoming freshmen Tyler Barron, Morven Joseph and others will be here in the fall.
You need several at this position you can count on for depth and personnel packages. You need two you can count on to start the game strong if Pruitt and Derrick Ansley elect to begin a game in the traditional 3-4.
But Tennessee runs its base out of nickel most of the time and that means one of the edge players exit while Shawn Shamburger or Baylen Buchanan (welcome back) enters the game in the secondary.
