Volunteers men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes spoke to the media after Tennessee defeated Florida 63-58 Saturday afternoon in Knoxville.

Volunteers men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes spoke to the media after Tennessee defeated Florida 63-58 Saturday afternoon in Knoxville.
Gators men’s basketball coach Mike White spoke to the media after Tennessee defeated Florida 63-58 Saturday afternoon in Knoxville.
By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee isn’t likely to make the NCAA Tournament.
But that doesn’t mean the Vols haven’t played like an NCAA tourney team in spurts this season.
They did in taking a 17-point lead against Auburn in the second half.
They did during an 11-0 run at Arkansas to cut a huge deficit to two.
And they did Saturday against Florida, a likely NCAA Tournament team.
John Fulkerson’s follow dunk and improbable 3, and two clutch free throws by Santiago Vescovi helped the Vols (16-13, 8-8 SEC) hold on to a 19-point second half lead for a 63-58 victory over Florida (18-11, 10-6) – UT’s fourth in a row over the Gators and fifth in six tries.
There was reason to wonder if Tennessee could cash in on 48-29 lead with less than 12 minutes to play.
After all, this was a team that blew a 17-point second-half lead at Auburn and blew a 7-point lead in the final minutes against South Carolina.
The difference this time: Tennessee was at home and the Vols made key plays at crunch time.
As expected, Florida made a second half run to cut UT’s lead to 55-54 with 2:55 left.
A nervous crowd of 19,743 was biting its collective finger nails, sensing another collapse from a fragile team that had folded before.
But this time, Tennessee managed to flip the script.
With the shot clock winding down and UT in-bounding the ball with 2 seconds left on the shot clock, John Fulkerson, who had never made a 3-pointer in his college career, heaved the ball toward the goal.
“It felt good,’’ he would say later.
It went in. The crowd erupted.
Tennessee led 58-54 with 2:24 remaining.
There was still work to be done, but Fulkerson, who missed the front end of two 1-and-1s late, made what Florida coach Mike White called “a huge play.’’
After a Florida field goal, Fulkerson then scored on a follow dunk with 46 seconds left for a 60-56 lead.
Florida answered with two free throws 19 seconds later.
With Tennessee inbounding, coach Rick Barnes had one demand, and it was aimed at his freshman point guard Vescovi: “Whatever you have to do, go get the ball.’’
That’s how much faith Barnes has in Vescovi at the line late in a game.
Vescovi rewarded his coach’s confidence by hitting two free throws with 23.2 seconds left.
After an Yves Pons block, UT eventually got the ball and Josiah-Jordan James made one of two free throws to seal the deal.
Vescovi’s heroics were witnessed by his parents and sister, who surprised him by flying in from Uruguay to watch him play for the first time at Tennessee.
Fulkerson’s heroics were more surprising: he was 0-for-1 from beyond the arc as a Vol.
Vescovi said Fulkerson, now hitting 50% from long range, should shoot more 3s.
Vescovi was joking.
White wasn’t when he praised Tennessee’s junior forward.
“I told our guys, I think he has the best motor in the league,’’ White said. “I’m not sure anyone plays harder than he does. He plays with a ton of energy and intensity.’’
Another Vol also played with more energy: James.
In two of his previous three games, James went scoreless. Counting four games he missed with a groin injury, he had scored 20 points in UT’s last 10 games.
Barnes said James needed to be more aggressive.
Message delivered.
James had eight points in the first 9:30. He had 10 points (two of 3 on 3s) and four rebounds in the first half.
“James played the way we want to see him play,’’ Barnes said. “We’re a different team (when he’s engaged).’’
Tennessee’s last two regular-season games are against the SEC’s two best teams: at Kentucky and at home against Auburn.
Tennessee might not win either game.
But at least the Vols have shown they can play like an NCAA Tournament team.
And that gives them a puncher’s chance.
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AUBURN, Ala. — Tennessee (19-9, 9-6 SEC) closes out the regular season on the road, taking on the Auburn Tigers (10-16, 4-11 SEC) in their Senior Day game on Sunday afternoon at Auburn Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT (3:05 ET).
This will mark the first meeting of 2019-20 between the Lady Vols and AU, who stand tied for fifth and in 12th, respectively, in the SEC standings entering the final game of the regular season.
The Big Orange women have bounced back from the roughest part of their schedule to emerge victorious in their last two games and equal last season’s final victory total. On Sunday, they’ll try to post the program’s 43rd 20-win season in the past 44 years and put themselves into more secure position for a 39th berth in the NCAA Tournament.
UT currently would receive the No. 7 seed for next week’s conference tournament at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., but there is a possibility to move up a spot. With a win, Tennessee would climb to 10-6 and move past the loser of the Arkansas (9-6) vs. LSU (9-6) game into the No. 6 seed and face the winner of the game between the No. 11 and No. 14 seeds. UT’s first SEC Tournament game would be at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET next Thursday in Greenville. A loss vs. Auburn, and the Lady Vols would remain the seven seed and face the No. 10 team at 6 p.m. next Thursday.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
CONNECTIONS OF INTEREST
A CLOSER LOOK AT TENNESSEE
THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
RECAPPING OUR LAST CONTEST
NOTES FROM THE OLE MISS GAME
UT-AUBURN SERIES NOTES
ABOUT AUBURN
RECAPPING AU’S LAST GAME
THE LAST TIME WE MET THE TIGERS
THE LAST TIME WE PLAYED AT AUBURN
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Award-winning bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent was surprised onstage by Jeannie Seely on Feb. 28 with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry.
“One hundred percent yes,” said Rhonda. “Oh my gosh! I grew up listening to the Opry. Thank you dear God!”
Rhonda is a seven-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year winner. She is known for bluegrass hits “The Storm Rage,” “One Step Ahead,” “Ragin’ Live,” “All American Bluegrass Girl,” “Good Thing Going” and more.
Rhonda will be formally inducted into the Opry on March 24.
Rhonda’s invitation to join the Opry follows recent inductees Gene Watson (February 2020), Luke Combs (July 2019), Kelsea Ballerini (April 2019), Mark Wills (January 2019), Dustin Lynch (September 2018) and Chris Janson (March 2018).
Watch Jeannie surprise Rhonda below.
photo courtesy Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
Tennessee Notes | Florida Notes | Coach Barnes Media Availability | Live Stats | Listen Live
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Saturday’s game can be seen on ESPN2, online through WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Fans can access WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Mike Corey and Jimmy Dykes 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 on the road at Arkansas, 86-69, on Wednesday night. The Vols were led in scoring for the third consecutive game by senior Jordan Bowden. The Knoxville native scored 19 points, knocking down 7-of-16 attempts from the field, while draining four 3-point field goals. Bowden is currently riding a stretch of hot form, averaging 17.3 points per game in the Vols last seven outings.
A victory on Saturday would be the Vols fourth consecutive victory over the Gators and would stand as the 50th SEC regular-season victory for UT head man Rick Barnes.
Up next, Tennessee hits the road for a Tuesday night clash with SEC rival Kentucky. Tipoff inside Rupp Arena is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Florida, 76-57, dating to 1927.
• The Vols have a 47-16 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee has won three straight in the series and four of the last five.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a four-game win streak in the series.
• Be Tennessee’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee freshman Drew Pember and Florida freshman Ques Glover were teammates at Knoxville’s Bearden High School and led the Bulldogs to the Class AAA state championship last March.
• Pember remains in concussion protocol (day to day).
• UT is holding opponents to 58.1 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena this season.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 40.3 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
• In UT’s last four games, Jordan Bowden is averaging a team-best 17.3 points while shooting .409 from 3-point range and posting a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio.
• With 182 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks eighth on Tennessee’s all-time list.
• In SEC home games, junior forward John Fulkerson leads the Vols in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.600).
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,795 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (5.9 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (66.9 ppg).
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 21st nationally with 2.4 bpg. His 2.5 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi is Tennessee’s leading scorer in home games, averaging a team-best 13.7 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Saturday will be the 130th game in which he’s appeared.
ABOUT FLORIDA
• Winners of four of its last five SEC contests, Florida has upped its record to 18-10 overall and 10-5 in the SEC over the last three weeks, good enough for third in the league with just three regular-season games remaining. Florida’s latest win came at home on Wednesday night over conference contender LSU, 81-66.
• Florida’s head coach, Mike White, is currently in his fifth year at the helm and has helped the Gators sustain success as they look to make a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• On the court, preseason SEC Player of the Year Kerry Blackshear has been a force for the Gators, ranking second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and assists (1.6 apg), while leading the squad in rebounding, with 7.5 boards per contest. Blackshear, a grad transfer from Virginia Tech, is fresh off a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with the 2018-19 edition of the Hokies.
• A big contributor on the defensive end for Florida has been freshman guard Scottie Lewis, who leads the Gators in both blocks (1.3 bpg) and steals (1.2 spg). His 1.3 blocks per contest places him eighth in the SEC, ranking first among guards.
• Florida’s leading scorer is sophomore forward Keyontae Johnson, who’s averaging 14.3 points per game. His scoring average places him in 13th in the SEC. During conference action, he also sits at 13th in the league, but has upped his average to 14.7 points per contest in 15 league games.
• The University of Florida is widely known for its creation of the popular sports drink Gatorade. The drink was developed by Robert Cade ahead of the 1965 football season. Cade was a professor in the university’s College of Medicine.
LAST TIME VS. FLORIDA
• In front of a season-high crowd of 22,261, No. 1 Tennessee’s high-flying second half helped the Vols top the Florida Gators, 73-61, on Feb. 9, 2019, in Knoxville.
• Tennessee pushed its win streak to 18 games, the longest streak in Rick Barnes‘ 32-year head coaching career.
• Tennessee had four players score in double figures, with Grant Williams’ team-high 16 points leading the way to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Admiral Schofield, who also grabbed six boards, finished with 14 points.
• The Vols pushed the lead to as many as 19 points when Jordan Bowden knocked down a left wing 3-pointer. The junior, who was fouled in the act of shooting, converted the and-one opportunity to make it 69-50 with 5:14 left on the clock.
• The Vols took that 36-30 edge into the locker room with Schofield and Williams leading the way with eight points each.
• Coming out of the halftime break, the game remained within two scores before a pair of 3-pointers from Lamonté Turner pushed the Tennessee lead back to double digits.
• With the victory, the Vols improved to 10-0 in SEC play, their best start since the 1976-77 season.
• And the Big Orange’s win streak in regular-season SEC games extended to a program-record 14 straight.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST GATORS
• The legendary Bernard King recorded the third-best scoring performance in school history with a 43-point, 20-rebound effort as the Vols topped the Gators 93-84 on January 17, 1976, in Stokely Athletics Center.
• During the 1983-84 season, Willie Burton averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot .500 (17-of-34) from the floor against the Gators. UT was 3-0 vs. Florida that season.
• Dane Bradshaw’s breakaway layup with 20.1 seconds to play proved to be the winning basket as the Vols upset second-ranked Florida 80-76 in Knoxville on Jan. 21, 2006.
• The Vols upset fifth-ranked Florida, 86-76, on Senior Day in Knoxville behind Chris Lofton’s 21 points on Feb. 27, 2007. ESPN College GameDay broadcast live from Rocky Top, Peyton Manning addressed the Vols in the locker room before the game, and Pat Summitt donned cheerleader garb and led the sold-out crowd in a rendition of Rocky Top during a media timeout.
BOWDEN HAS PLAYED WELL IN HIS CAREER AGAINST FLORIDA
• Vols senior Jordan Bowden has faced Florida four times previously in his career, helping Tennessee post a 3-1 record vs. the Gators.
• Against Florida, Bowden averages 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting .533 from the field, .500 from 3-point range and .842 from the free-throw line.
BOWDEN AMONG SEC’s BEST
• Senior guard Jordan Bowden ranks among the SEC’s active career leaders in several statistical categories.
• He ranks third in points (1,327), fourth in steals (126), eighth in assists (250) and ninth in rebounds (449).
• Only Breein Tyree (Ole Miss) and Skylar Mays (LSU) have scored more career points among active players.
JB ALSO PROMINENT ON UT CHARTS
• Jordan Bowden also has placed his name prominently throughout the Tennessee career records book.
• His 1,327 points place him 25th on UT’s career scoring list.
• And his 182 3-pointers rank eighth all-time. He needs just two more 3-pointers to tie former teammate and NBA rookie Admiral Schofield for seventh all-time.
TURNOVER WOES UNUSUAL
• Approaching the end of the regular season, this is the most turnover-prone team of Rick Barnes‘ tenure at Tennessee.
• These Vols average 13.9 turnovers per game (14.1 in SEC play). Tennessee’s previous high under Barnes was the 2016-17 squad, which averaged 12.5 tpg. It’s the highest average for any Barnes team since his 2012-13 Texas squad averaged 14.8 tpg.
• Upperclassmen are responsible for 52.7 percent of those turnovers (22.7 percent by seniors and 29.4 percent by juniors).
• Freshmen have committed 45.4 percent of the team’s turnovers.
• To add some context, upperclassmen account for 63.1 of the team’s total minutes played. Freshmen own 36.6 percent of the team’s minutes.
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Oh, this is a doozy. Garth Brooks posted a pic on Instagram that depicted him wearing a “Sanders” jersey with the number “20” during his stadium show at Detroit’s Ford Field on Feb. 22.
Sanders. 20.
Let the insanity begin, as the jersey caused a bit of confusion among Garth’s conservative fan base on Instagram.
Garth was paying tribute to Barry Sanders, not Bernie Sanders.
Let me be clear:
Here are some of the comments in Garth’s Instagram feed:
If you’ve got some time on your hands, jump down this rabbit hole via Garth’s Instagram feed.
Even Garth and Barry are having fun with this.
Hey @BarrySanders I would run any race with you! #Number20for2020 HA!!! love you pal, g https://t.co/1a5d0CiwSP
— Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) February 28, 2020
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lady Vols prevailed over an upset-minded Ole Miss team on Thursday, taking a 77-66 win on Senior Night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Junior Rennia Davis was Tennessee’s (19-9, 9-6 SEC) high scorer, recording her 28th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Tamari Key and sophomore Rae Burrell were also in double figures, with Key scoring a career high of 17 points and Burrell finishing with 14 in the final regular-season home game of the 2019-20 campaign.
Ole Miss (7-21, 0-15 SEC) was led by Deja Cage and Mimi Reid, who posted 22 and 21 points, respectively.
Burrell scored Tennessee’s first seven points, going 3-for-4 on field goals in just five minutes of competition. Her play sparked a 15-0 run from the Big Orange, which also included a team-high eight points from Key.
At the end of the first quarter, UT led 20-9 with four different players scoring for the Lady Vols. Defensively, Tennessee held Ole Miss to an icy 21.1 shooting percentage and out-rebounded the Rebels, 15-9.
In the second period, the Lady Vols forced an early timeout from Ole Miss after stringing together another 5-0 run that featured freshman Jessie Rennie’s second three-pointer of the game and a lay-in from Davis. UT resumed its scoring surge to build the run to 9-0, holding the Rebels to no points over four and a half minutes.
Ole Miss responded late in the second quarter, going on a 7-0 spree and holding Tennessee without a field goal for the last two minutes to cut UT’s lead to 37-28 going into the locker room.
During the opening half, Key led Tennessee with 12 points in seven minutes of play, while Davis recorded a team high of seven boards. Horston, meanwhile, tallied five assists in the first half, while UT out-rebounded the Rebels, 25-16.
Ole Miss opened up the third quarter with a three-pointer, cutting the Tennessee lead to 37-31. Key scored UT’s first points of the half, making a bucket from underneath the basket.
Midway through the third, the Rebels’ hot shooting from long range cut the UT lead to three, but the Lady Vols took back control of the game via a 5-0 run with points from both Key and Davis, extending the Big Orange’s lead to 50-42.
With four seconds remaining in the third stanza, Brown took a charge, her 12th of the season, to give Tennessee possession. The quarter ended with a last-second bucket from way beyond the arc by Davis, improving UT’s advantage to 65-50 entering the final frame.
Davis scored an early basket in the fourth, but it was countered by back-to-back threes from the Rebels. The Big Orange stiffened to prevent a comeback, as the Lady Vols scored seven more points to keep at least a nine-point lead for the remainder of the game.
Overall, UT out-rebounded Ole Miss, 45-27, and held the Rebels to only a 37.7 shooting percentage. The bench contributed 47 points and outscored the Rebels 34-18 from inside the paint.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Auburn for a 3:05 p.m. ET (2:05 p.m. CT) contest. The match-up will be broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations and included in whiparound coverage on the SEC Network.
Explosive First Half: The Lady Vols strung together a 15-0 run in the first quarter against UM. It marked their fourth longest run of the season and the 19th time they have managed a run of 10 or more points.
J3SSI3 R3NNI3: Jessie Rennie went two of three from behind the arc against Ole Miss, moving her season shooting percentage to .489. She is shooting at an even higher rate in SEC play, hitting .571 of her 3-point attempts. She went five of six from three-point range in two games against the Rebels this season.
Senior Salute: Tennessee seniors Lou Brown and Kamera Harris were honored before the contest in their final regular-season appearance on The Summitt. Both will earn master’s degrees in communication and information with emphasis in journalism and electronic media from UT.
Cashing In At The Line: For the second time in three games, Tennessee shot 80 percent or better from the line, hitting 16 of 19 (.842) attempts against Ole Miss. The team previously hit eight of nine (.889) free throws against Arkansas.
Lou Taking Charge: Redshirt senior Lou Brown drew her 12th charge of the season against Ole Miss. That total leads the team and ties UT’s total for the 2018-19 season.
Double-Double Davis: Rennia Davis recorded her 28th career double-double against UM with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She is now just one double-double away from tying Bashaara Graves for 10th all-time among Lady Vols.
Box Score (PDF) | Highlights | Harper Presser | Players Presser | Davis SECN+ Interview | Postgame Quotes | Media Photos
_UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Due to the weather forecast on Friday in Johnson City, Tenn., the Buccaneer Classic tournament has been pushed back to Feb. 29-March 2.
The schedule for No. 20 Tennessee is as follows:
Saturday, February 29
3:00pm Bowling Green vs. Tennessee
5:00pm Tennessee Tech vs. Tennessee
Sunday, March 1
2:30pm Tennessee vs. ETSU
4:30pm Tennessee vs. Bowling Green
Monday, March 2
12:00pm Tennessee Tech vs. Tennessee
-UT Athletics
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | UT Game Notes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 19 Tennessee will look to keep things rolling as the Vols continue their 10-game homestand with a weekend series against George Washington at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Big Orange are coming off two dominant midweek wins over Northern Kentucky and UNC Asheville , outscoring the Norse and Bulldogs by a combined score of 27-2.
Weekend Broadcast Info
All three games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Michael Wottreng (PxP) and Charlie Puleo (color) will call the games on Friday and Sunday while Andy Brock will handle play-by-play duties with Puleo for Saturday’s contest.
Fans can also listen to the entire series for free on UTSports.com.
Due to weather, there is a chance that Saturday’s game time could be moved to earlier in the day. Updates will be posted to UTSports.com and on the Tennessee baseball Twitter account (@Vol_Baseball).
Projected Starting Pitchers
Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (2 GS, 2-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Harrison Cohen (2 GS, 1-0, 3.18 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Chase Wallace (2 GS, 1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Solt (2 GS, 0-1, 3.46 ERA)
Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Elliott Raimo (2 GS, 2-0, 0.96 ERA)
Series History vs. George Washington
Overall: First Meeting
In Knoxville: N/A
In Washington, DC: N/A
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Notable
Pitching on Point
Much like last season, the Tennessee pitching staff is off to a fantastic start. The Vols enter this weekend ranked among the top 10 nationally in ERA (6th – 1.56), hits allowed per nine innings (9th – 5.33), shutouts (9th – 2), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6th – 5.26), WHIP (5th – 0.83) and walks allowed per nine innings (10th – 2.11).
UT’s bullpen has been a major factor in the team’s early success, holding opposing hitters to a paltry .147 batting average while posting a 0.81 ERA. Tennessee’s relievers have struck out 51 batters and issued just six walks in 44.1 innings.
Starting Fast
The Vols have made a habit of getting off to fast starts and building early leads this season. UT has scored in either the first or second inning in all nine of its games this season and has outscored its opposition 27-1 over the first two innings of games.
Lots of Dingers
Tennessee hitters have been crushing balls out of the park at an incredible rate so far this season. The Vols’ 16 home runs through nine games rank second in the country, trailing Ole Miss by just one homer. Ten different players have gone yard for the Big Orange this season and UT has hit multiple home runs in seven of its nine games this year, including every home game.
Kings of Round Rock
Tennessee won last weekend’s inaugural Round Rock Classic in dominant fashion, outscoring its three opponents 21-8, including two wins over ranked teams in No.1 Texas Tech and No. 25 Stanford. The Vols led all teams with five players on the all-tournament team: Zach Daniels (Tournament MVP), Jake Rucker, Connor Pavolony, Jordan Beck and Jackson Leath.
Opponent Scout
George Washington Colonials (6-2)
Game Promotions
Upcoming promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
ALL SERIES
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
On Deck
Following this weekend’s series, the Vols welcome Longwood to Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday, March 3. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
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