Buoyed by Top 5 lead single, “Kinfolks,” Sam Hunt will be dropping his sophomore album, Southside, on April 3.
Sam’s upcoming album will follow his 2014 debut project, Montevallo, which spawned hits “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and more. Southside’s lead single, “Kinfolks,” is currently No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
While Sam’s distinctive style has resonated with his passionate fanbase, the Georgia native humbly tells Kix Brook of American Country Countdown that he’s at the “mercy of my abilities.”
However, it’s those “abilities” that have helped Sam garner a cache of No. 1 hits, multiple Grammy and CMA nominations, as well as win the ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award, which is presented to a country music artist for outstanding achievement.
“Yeah, I’m kind of at the mercy of my abilities or maybe the . . . styles that have influenced me,” says Sam. “Wherever that comes from, I can’t really pinpoint, but for whatever reason, it comes out a little different than everybody else, and I can’t mimic other people. I can’t do what they do. I’m just glad that what I do resonates with folks out there.”
For more on Sam’s distinctive style, check out his newly released song, “Hard to Forget,” which will be featured on Southside.
Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles will hit the road this summer for the There Goes the Neighborhood Tour.
The 26-date tour kicks off on June 4 in Toronto, Ontario, before making additional stops in Dallas, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and more. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tenille Townes and Danielle Bradbery will provide support on select dates.
In addition, the duo is releasing a 3-song EP, Bigger, Louder, Live, on Feb. 28 that includes live versions of “On a Roll,” “Bigger” and “Babe.”
Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins welcomed their third child on Feb. 10—a baby girl named Lennon Love Akins, who weighed 9 lbs., 2oz.
Lauren shared the news via Instagram, along with a number of pics, saying: “Our early Valentine baby was born yesterday, February 10th and her sisters couldn’t be happier to finally get to kiss her little face 🥰 Lennon Love Akins 💕 9lbs 2oz of lovveeee with lots of dark hair and blue eyes 💙 we could not be more in love.”
TR also shared the news via Instagram, saying: “Lennon Love Akins was born at 8:30 AM on February 10th! It was such a joy to watch this little angel be brought into the world. My wife is just incredible through the entire birth🙌🏼 watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life! Ada James and Willa Gray are going to be the best big sisters on the planet. The Lord is so good and I’m so grateful for my beautiful growing family!! Y’all pray for us as we switch from man on man defense to zone👍”
TR and Lauren, who were married in 2012, are also the parents of girls Willa Gray, 4, and Ada James, 2.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee freshman Santiago Vescovi logged season-highs with 20 points and eight assists Tuesday as the Vols limited Arkansas to its fewest points in SEC play this season and posted a convincing 82-61 victory on Tuesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The bounce-back win for Tennessee (14-10, 6-5 SEC) saw five Vols score in double digits, with Jordan Bowden tallying 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Jimmy Whitt Jr. led the Razorbacks with 19 points on the night.
Entering Tuesday’s clash, Arkansas averaged a conference-low 10 turnovers per game in SEC play. The Vols logged 14 takeaways in the victory.
Prior to the game, Arkansas’ seven losses on the season were by a combined 32 points. The 21-point drubbing marked the Razorbacks’ first double-digit loss of the year. They were one of nine teams in the nation to have not suffered a 10+ point loss coming into Tuesday night.
The Big Orange lit up the nation’s top 3-point defense, connecting on 37.5 percent of their 3-point attempts. It served as the the best shooting percentage from the perimeter against the Hogs this season. The Razorbacks entered the game limiting opponents to just 24.6 percent from 3-point range.
Bowden improved to 10th on Tennessee’s all-time 3-point list (173 career makes), knocking down a triple within the game’s first minute. He would score five of the Vols’ first eight points.
Freshman Davonte Gaines energized the Tennessee defense with two steals, a block and a drawn charge early in the contest.
During an 8-0 run by the Vols, highlighted by a nifty finger roll by Vescovi, the Razorbacks went nearly six first-half minutes without a point, turning the ball over six times in that span.
A corner triple from Vescovi’s hot hand extended the Tennessee lead to 15 points with just over six minutes remaining in the opening half. The freshman led all scorers with 13 points at the break.
Tennessee’s suffocating defense surrendered a mere 23 first-half points to the Razorbacks, Arkansas’ fewest points in a first half this season.
In the opening stanza, the Big Orange shot 47.8 percent from the floor while connecting on 11 of 23 field goals, including a 4-of-8 clip from beyond the 3-point arc. UT also went 14 of 18 from the free-throw line in the game’s first 20 minutes.
Tennessee redshirt junior Jalen Johnson recorded his first career start in the win, his 63rd appearance in a Vol uniform. His steal and dunk early in the second half set the tone for the remainder of the contest.
Tennessee swiftly halted a brief 6-2 run by Arkansas, responding with a commanding 17-5 run of their own in the second half.
SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons converted a four-point play with 10 minutes to go in regulation, increasing Tennessee’s lead to 63-38. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a block.
Two authoritative dunks by Pons as time wound down put an exclamation point on the dominant victory. Vescovi’s two made free throws with less than two minutes remaining sealed his career outing.
Chef Santi: Santiago Vescovi seasoned his season-high 20 points by cooking up eight assists, his most since arriving on Rocky Top.
Stifling Defense by Gaines: Tennessee true freshman Davonte Gaines grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, five on the defensive end, to go along with three steals and one rejection.
Le Streak Continues: Yves Pons finished the night with one block, extending his streak of consecutive games with at least one blocked shot to 24.
Up Next: The Vols go on the road to Columbia, South Carolina, for an SEC clash with the Gamecocks on Saturday night. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 25/RV Tennessee (17-6, 7-3 SEC) and RV/RV LSU (17-5, 7-3 SEC) will meet for the second time this season, as they face off Thursday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., at 6:32 p.m. CT (7:32 ET).
This will mark the 67th meeting in a series that began in 1977, with Tennessee leading 51-15 after the Lady Vols defeated the Tigers, 63-58, in Knoxville earlier this season on Jan. 26.
UT and LSU enter the game tied for third in the Southeastern Conference standings at 7-3, and the winner will take sole possession of the three spot. The loser, meanwhile, will fall into a tie for fourth place. In addition to conference seeding, Thursday night’s contest offers Tennessee an opportunity against an LSU squad that ranks No. 24 in the RPI.
As of Feb. 11, the Lady Vols occupy the No. 48 spot in the RPI, with games against LSU (No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 17) this week providing a chance to improve that stock.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night’s game will be streamed on SECN+ with Lyn Rollins (PxP) and Victor Howell (Analyst) handling the call.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone calling the action for the 21st season and Bobby Rader serving as the studio host.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
SECN+ games are online broadcasts and are available only on WatchESPN via computers, smartphones and tablets.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS
Tennessee enters Thursday night having lost three of its past five, but those setbacks were at No. 3 UConn (60-45) on Jan. 23, at No. 1 South Carolina (69-48) on Feb. 2 and vs. No. 8 Mississippi State (72-55) on Feb. 6.
Counting those three losses and the setback to No. 1 Stanford on Dec. 18, four of Tennessee’s six losses this season are to teams ranked in the nation’s top eight.
UT’s wins during its recent five-game set were vs. LSU in Knoxville on Jan. 26 (63-58) and at Vanderbilt (78-69) on Jan. 30.
UT had won six straight SEC contests before falling in back-to-back games vs. No. 1/2 South Carolina and No. 8/8 Mississippi State.
Rennia Davis is averaging 23.3 points per game over her last three, shooting 46.9 percent (23-49) from the field and 95.5 (21-22) at the charity stripe.
Rae Burrell had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double vs. Mississippi State and is averaging 12.0 ppg. and 5.7 rebounds over the past three contests.
Jazmine Massengill is averaging 10.3 ppg. and shooting 52.0 percent over the last three games.
LSU lost senior leader Ayana Mitchell for the season after she suffered a knee injury vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 2.
The Tigers, however, managed to overcome that terrible misfortune to beat the Aggies, 59-58, in Baton Rouge on Feb. 2.
LSU followed that with a 66-58 home triumph over Missouri on Monday night to extend its winning streak to three games.
The Bayou Bengals are 10-1 at home this season, including 5-0 in SEC games with wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Missouri at the PMAC.
LSU’s only home loss came vs. Florida State, which currently ranks No. 14 in both polls.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Tennessee is closing out a four-game swing where it has played three of four away from home.
The Lady Vols now get to play three of the next four at home, including No. 16/18 Texas A&M on Sunday (3 p.m. ET), Vanderbilt on Feb. 23 (noon) and Ole Miss on Feb. 27 (7 p.m.). The lone road game during that set is at No. 23/RV Arkansas on Feb. 20 (6 p.m. CT/7 ET.
Sunday’s goal for UT is to have #12KinTBA (a season-high 12,000 in attendance) for the Texas A&M game.
The Vanderbilt game is UT’s Live Pink, Bleed Orange (Play4Kay) game, and the Ole Miss date is Senior Night.
LSU plays its next two on the road, traveling to Auburn on Feb. 16 and to No. 1 South Carolina on Feb. 20.
LET’S NOT FORGET
The Lady Vols are 17-6 overall, 7-3 in the SEC, tied for third in the SEC standings and ranked No. 25/RV nationally.
Their only losses are to four top-eight teams (South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, Mississippi State), No. 13/13 Kentucky and Texas.
Tennessee did not begin the season in either the AP or USA TODAY Coaches polls.
UT was picked sixth by the media and seventh by the coaches in the 2019 SEC Preseason Polls.
The Lady Vols returned only two starters and six total letterwinners from last season’s squad.
Six of UT’s 12 players this season had never played in this program before.
All 12 (now 11) active players had never played for first-year head coach Kellie Harper before.
AFTER all of the preseason picks were made, one of UT’s two returning starters, Zaay Green, was lost for the season after two games due to a torn ACL.
With Green’s season-ending injury, Tennessee has lost five of its top six players from a year ago.
RECAPPING OUR LAST CONTEST
The No. 23/25 Lady Vols took a lead into the second quarter but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 8/8 Mississippi State on Thursday night in Thompson-Boling Arena, 72-55.
Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (17-6, 7-3 SEC), scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 boards to record a double-double in her first career start and her third overall. Freshman Jordan Horston and sophomore Jazmine Massengill were also in double digits with 12 and 11, respectively, as the Lady Vols played without leading scorer Rennia Davis (18.1 ppg.), who was recovering from a bout with the flu.
Rickea Jackson was Mississippi State’s (21-3, 9-1 SEC) high scorer, tallying 14 points and nine rebounds. Chloe Bibby was close behind with 13 points.
UT out-rebounded Mississippi State, 40-39, as both teams recorded 16 offensive boards. Tennessee shot at a 36.2 percent clip from the field while holding the Bulldogs to a 40-percent performance that was 7.5 percent below their 47.5 season mark. The Big Orange also held MSU 9.5 points below their typical scoring average of 81.5.
UT-LSU SERIES NOTES
UT enters the 67th meeting in the series with a 51-15 edge, including a 23-3 record in Knoxville, 15-8 slate in Baton Rouge and a 13-4 mark at neutral sites.
Tennessee has won 14 of the last 18 games, including the last three in a row, but has dropped its last two in Baton Rouge.
The Lady Vols are 1-1 vs. LSU in overtime games. The last time the two teams went to OT was on March 1, 1997. Tennessee won the game 100-99 to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
The last time these programs met in the SEC Tournament was last season on March 7, as the Lady Vols captured a 69-66 squeaker over LSU to clinch an NCAA Tournament bid.
Kellie Harper is 1-1 vs. LSU, losing to the Tigers on Dec. 2, 2012, 81-73, when she was NC State’s head coach and winning on Jan. 26, 2020, in her first try as Tennessee’s skipper.
Harper is 1-2 against Nikki Fargas-coached teams, with NC State losing to LSU and to a Fargas UCLA team (74-54) on March 21, 2010, before breaking through in 2020 in the Lady Vols’ 63-58 victory in Knoxville on Jan. 26.
At least one team has been ranked in this series in 64 of the 66 games that have been played.
ABOUT LSU
The Tigers returned nine letterwinners, including four starters, from last season’s team that finished 16-13 overall and 7-9 in SEC play (t8th).
LSU is led by junior guard Khayla Pointer, who averages 15.0 ppg. Faustine Aifuwa adds 10.2 ppg. and 8.3 rpg. The Tigers lost All-SEC candidate Ayana Mitchell (13.7 ppg., 8.9 rpg.) on Feb. 2 due to a knee injury in the Texas A&M game.
The Tigers are coached by Nikki (Caldwell) Fargas, who played at Tennessee (1991-94) and was a G.A. (1998-99) and assistant (2002-08) at Rocky Top.
LSU was picked to finish eighth by the media and sixth by the coaches in the SEC preseason polls.
RECAPPING LSU’S LAST GAME
LSU (17-5, 7-3 SEC) took down Missouri (6-18, 3-8 SEC) in a battle Monday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, 66-58.
Redshirt junior Faustine Aifuwa tallied a season-high 19 points and tied her career high for rebounds with 16.
Senior Jaelyn Richard-Harris had a season-high-tying 14 points, junior Khayla Pointer had 12 and junior transfer Awa Trasi, starting in place of the injured Ayana Mitchell, scored 11.
Richard-Harris was perfect from the free throw line, hitting eight of eight attempts and contributing to a team free throw percentage of 77.8.
THE LAST TIME WE FACED THE TIGERS
The No. 23/23 Lady Vols got back in the win column on Jan. 26, defeating LSU, 63-58, in a key SEC match-up in front of a season-best crowd of 10,230 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Junior forward Rennia Davis led Tennessee (16-4, 6-1 SEC), going a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line en route to a game-high 30 points.
LSU (14-5, 4-3 SEC) was led by redshirt senior Ayana Mitchell, who logged a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Khayla Pointer was also in double figures for the Tigers with 12.
Despite being out-rebounded 45-32, UT held LSU to 33.3 shooting and forced 17 turnovers.
LAST TIME WE MET IN BATON ROUGE
Mercedes Russell scored 14 points and added 10 rebounds, but No. 10/10 Tennessee could not overcome a 44-point second half by LSU in a 70-59 loss in Baton Rouge on Jan. 28, 2018.
The Lady Vols (17-4, 5-3 SEC) hit 9-for-30 from the field over the final 20 minutes and saw a five-point halftime lead slip away. UT was also faced with foul trouble in the second half, as six players picked up at least three personal fouls.
LSU (13-6, 5-3 SEC) was fueled by a dominant effort on the glass, including 23 offensive rebounds. Chloe Jackson led the Lady Tigers with 21 points and nine boards. Raigyne Louis added 18 points.
