Brad Paisley Announces “2020 World Tour”

Brad Paisley Announces “2020 World Tour”

Brad Paisley announced he will embark on a 2020 World Tour.

Kicking off May 15 in Concord, Calif., the tour will make additional U.S. stops in San Diego, Detroit, Cincinnati, Tampa and more. The tour will also visit Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany and Canada.

Jordan Davis and Gabby Barrett will serve as support. Additional 2020 tour dates will be added soon.

Tickets are on sale now. A portion of all ticket sales will go to The Store, a nonprofit free-referral based grocery store that Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, in partnership with Belmont University, are spearheading in Nashville.

Brad Paisley 2020 World Tour

  • Feb. 21 | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio Rodeo*
  • March 6 | Penticton, BC | South Okanagan Events Centre**
  • March 7 | Abbotsford, BC | Abbotsford Centre**
  • March 9 | Grand Prairie, AB | Revolution Place**
  • March 12 | Moose Jaw, SK | Mosaic Place**
  • March 13 | Medicine Hat, AB | Canalta Centre**
  • March 20 | Thackerville, OK | WinStar World Casino*
  • March 21 | Houston, TX | Houston Rodeo & Livestock*
  • April 2 | Niagara Falls, ON | Niagara Falls Entertainment Centre**
  • April 3 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena*
  • May 15 | Concord, CA | Concord Pavilion
  • May 16 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre
  • May 17 | San Diego, CA | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • May 22 | Ridgefield, WA |Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
  • May 23 | George, WA | Gorge Amphitheatre
  • May 28 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater
  • May 29 | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center
  • May 30 | Salt Lake City, UT | USANA Amphitheatre
  • June 4 | Detroit, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre
  • June 5 | Chicago, IL | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • June 6 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • June 12 | Virginia Beach, VA | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
  • June 13 | Bristow, VA | Jiffy Lube Live
  • June 18 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center
  • June 19 | Alpharetta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
  • June 20 | Charlotte, NC | PNC Music Pavilion
  • July 20 | Bergen, Norway | Bergenhus Festning
  • July 22 | Trondheim, Norway | Kristiansten Festning
  • July 24 | Goteborg, Sweden | Liseberg***
  • July 25 | Gavle, Sweden | Furuviiksparken***
  • July 29 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | AFAS Live
  • July 30 | Berlin, Germany | Zitadelle
  • July 31 | Schwetzingen, Germany | Schlossgarten Open Air***
  • Aug. 7 |Syracuse, NY | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
  • Aug. 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | KeyBank Pavilion
  • Aug. 9 | Bethel, NY | |Bethel Woods Center
  • Aug. 13 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
  • Aug. 14 | Montreal, QC | Lasso Festival DeMusique Country***
  • Aug. 15 | Mansfield, MA | Xfinity Center
  • Aug. 22 | Lima, OH | Allen County Fairground***
  • Sept. 3 | West Palm Beach, FL | iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 4 | St. Augustine, FL | St. Augustine Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 6 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 26 | Westbrook, ME | Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row
  • Sept. 27 | Bloomsburg, PA | Bloomsburg Fair

*Paisley Only
**Paisley and local support
***Festival – includes Paisley and multiple artists

photo by NCD

Darius Rucker to Serve as Official Ambassador for South Carolina Tourism

Darius Rucker to Serve as Official Ambassador for South Carolina Tourism

From titling his 2010 album, Charleston, SC 1966, to his ardent support of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, it’s no secret Darius Rucker is a Palmetto State pundit through and through. Now he has finally found the perfect job.

Darius will partner with the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism to serve as an official ambassador for South Carolina tourism in 2020.

Darius will make appearances at several major tourism events, including the RBC Heritage golf tournament on Hilton Head Island in April. He also will appear on marketing material for the state’s DiSCover campaign and as the cover story for the state’s official vacation guide.

As Darius shared with Nash County Daily a couple of years ago, his love for his hometown of Charleston, S.C., runs deep.

“Charleston is home,” says Darius. “I think it’s the greatest city in the world. The people are so nice. I love the weather. I love the fact I can play golf year round. It’s just one of those towns. I think the restaurants are absolutely incredible. I love to take my kids and just walk downtown. And just people watch and see all the amazing history. I can live wherever I want, but when I think about it, I don’t want to live anywhere but Charleston.”

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Maren Morris’ “The Bones” Tops Country Charts for Second Consecutive Week

Maren Morris’ “The Bones” Tops Country Charts for Second Consecutive Week

Maren Morris’ “The Bones” is No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart for the second consecutive week.

A solo female artist had not accomplished back-to-back weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart since Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” in October/November 2012.

“2 weeks at number 1. If I can be honest, I really thought the only way this could ever happen is if I was the feature artist on a guy’s song,” said Maren via Twitter. “Sitting here seeing my name at the top of a chart at all is rare, but to break this 8 year streak just feels so unbelievable. Thank you.”

Maren co-penned the tune, which is featured on her 2019 album, Girl, with Laura Veltz and Jimmy Robbins.

“The Bones” follows Maren’s previous No. 1 hits, “I Could Use a Love Song” (January 2018) and “Girl” (July 2019), as well as Thomas Rhett’s “Craving You” (July 2017), which featured Maren.

Directed by Alex Ferrari, the video for “The Bones” features footage of Maren vacationing on the beach with husband Ryan Hurd. The lovebirds share plenty of hugs and kisses in the clip as Maren croons the chorus: “When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter / Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter / Let it break ’cause you and I remain the same / When there ain’t a crack in the foundation / Baby, I know any storm we’re facing / Will blow right over while we stay put / The house don’t fall when the bones are good.”

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Trace Adkins Announces “The Way I Wanna Go Tour”

Trace Adkins Announces “The Way I Wanna Go Tour”

Trace Adkins is hitting the road this spring and summer for his The Way I Wanna Go Tour.

Kicking off on April 15 in Lancaster, Pa., the tour will make additional stops in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Tampa and more.

“I’ll be on stage singing ‘Every Light in the House Is On,’ and I look down at the crowd and realize that person right there wasn’t even alive when I recorded that song,” says Trace. “To watch their face go, ‘Oh, that’s a cool hook, I like this.’ It’s like, ‘Well, these songs still resonate today and are tried-and-true hits.’ It’s pretty special.”

Pre-sale tickets for select dates are available now.

Trace Adkins’ The Way I Wanna Go Tour 

April 15 | American Music Theatre | Lancaster, PA
April 16 | Packard Music Hall | Warren, OH
April 17 | The Ritz Theatre | Tiffin, OH
April 18 | Midland Theatre | Newark, OH
April 19 | Capitol Music Hall | Wheeling, WV
May 7 | Clay Center | Charleston, WV
May 8 | Del Lago Resort & Casino | Waterloo, NY
May 9 | Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | Charles Town, WV
May 15 | IP Casino Resort & Spa | Biloxi, MS
May 16 | Delta Downs Racetrack Casino | Vinton, LA
June 27 | Frederick Brown Jr Amphitheater | Peachtree City, GA
July 2 | Fraze Pavilion | Kettering, OH
July 3 | French Lick Resort Casino | French Lick, IN
July 5 | Dauphin’s Countryfest | Dauphin, MB, CAN
July 8 | Northern Wisconsin State Fair | Chippewa Falls, WI
July 9 | Red River Valley Fairgrounds | West Fargo, ND
July 10 | Gathering On The Green | Mequon, WI
July 11 | Hodag Country Fest | Rhinelander, WI
July 17 | Sunset Station Hotel & Casino | Las Vegas, NV
July 18 | Peppermill Concert Hall | West Wendover, NV
July 19 | Cheyenne Frontier Days | Cheyenne, WY
July 29 | Neshoba County Fair | Philadelphia, MS
July 30 | Tailgate N’ Tallboys Festival | Taylorville, IL
Aug. 1 | Jackson County Fair | Maquoketa, IA
Aug. 7 | Manitoulin Country Fest | Little Current, ON
Aug. 13 | Missouri State Fair | Sedalia, MO
Aug. 15 | Chase County Fair | Imperial, NE
Aug. 21 | Antelope Valley Fair | Lancaster, CA
Sept. 25 | Oklahoma State Fair | Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 9-14 | Country Cruising | Tampa, FL

photo by NCD

Carrie Underwood Announces Tour for Her New Book, “Find Your Path”

Carrie Underwood Announces Tour for Her New Book, “Find Your Path”

Carrie Underwood is hitting the road in March for a four-date tour to promote her new book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong With the Fit52 Life.

In the upcoming book, which goes on sale on March 3, Carrie “share secrets for fitting diet and exercise into a packed routine, which is based on her own active lifestyle, diet and workouts.”

“I want to be healthy and fit 52 weeks of the year, but that doesn’t mean I have to be perfect every day,” says Carrie. “This philosophy is a year-round, common-sense approach to health and fitness that involves doing your best most of the time—and by that I don’t mean being naughty for three days and good for four. I mean doing your absolute best most of the time during every week, 52 weeks of the year.”

Tickets for the book tour go on sale on Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. ET, with fan club pre-sale beginning on Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. ET.

Carrie Underwood Book Tour

March 2 | Powerhouse | Brooklyn, NY
March 3 | Chelsea Piers | Stamford, CT
March 5 | Parnassus Books | Nashville, TN
March 17 | Ray Kurtzman Theater | Los Angeles, CA

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Hoops Preview: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

Hoops Preview: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team hits the hardwood once again on Tuesday night for a clash with SEC foe and in-state rival Vanderbilt. Tipoff inside Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and the action can be seen on SEC Network.

Tuesday’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. Tom Hart, Andy Kennedy and Alyssa Lang 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 dropped a heartbreaker in Columbia, falling 63-61 to South Carolina on Saturday night. UT was led by junior John Fulkerson who poured in a career-high 25 points and reeled in a game-high nine rebounds. Fulkerson’s 25 points came on a career-high-tying eight made field goals.

Junior Yves Pons also had a productive night, scoring 13 points, pulling in seven rebounds and rejecting three shot attempts. His three blocks moved his season total to 65, which is just ten away from breaking Tennessee’s single-season blocks record.

A victory on Tuesday would be the Vols sixth consecutive win over the Commodores and their third consecutive inside Thompson-Boling Arena.

Up next, Tennessee hits the road for a Saturday afternoon matchup at Auburn. Tipoff is set for noon ET on CBS.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Vanderbilt, 123-75, dating to 1922. This is the 199th meeting.
• The Vols own a 72-20 edge when the series is played in Knoxville and have won two straight against Vandy at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Tennessee has won seven of the last eight meetings in this series, including each of the last five.

A WIN WOULD…
• Extend UT’s win streak over Vanderbilt to six games.
• Prevent Tennessee from falling below .500 in SEC play for the first time since the opening week of league games.

STORYLINES
• Just 181 miles separate UT’s Thompson-Boling Arena and Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium.
• Vols freshman Josiah-Jordan James and injured Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith were AAU and high school varsity teammates for four years at Porter-Gaud School in their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.
• James returned Saturday from a four-game injury absence (groin). In 30 minutes of action in his first collegiate action in his home state of South Carolina, he totaled nine points, five assists and two blocks.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 40.0 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played. And in Saturday’s loss at South Carolina, freshmen logged 46.0 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
• With 173 career 3-point makes, senior Jordan Bowden ranks 10th on Tennessee’s all-time list.

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,812 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (6.2 bpg, which ranks sixth in Division I) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (65.2 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 18th nationally with 2.6 bpg. His 2.8 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi has made at least one 3-pointer in every game in which he’s appeared (13), averaging 2.2 made threes per game.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Tuesday will be the 127th game in which he’s appeared.
• Tennessee ranks third among Division I teams in assist percentage, having assisted on 64.1 percent of its field goals this season.

ABOUT VANDERBILT
• Vanderbilt arrives in Knoxville off three consecutive losses in SEC play. Those defeats follow the Commodores’ signature win of the year when they took down LSU inside Memorial Gym on Feb. 5. LSU was undefeated in SEC play going into that contest.
• Since losing the SEC’s leading scorer, Aaron Nesmith, in January, the Commodores have continued to see increased production from the backcourt duo of Saben Lee and Scotty Pippen Jr. Lee and Pippen Jr. currently rank first and second on the team in scoring, assists and steals.
• Lee’s team-leading 17.2 ppg also ranks sixth in the SEC, while his 18.8 ppg in conference action ranks fifth in the league. Lee also sits inside the top 10 in the SEC and leads the Commodores in both assists (sixth with 4.4 apg) and steals (seventh with 1.6 spg).
• Pippen Jr. has been a solid backcourt complement to Lee, averaging 11.3 ppg, 3.8 apg and 1.0 spg, all of which rank second on the team.
• First-year head coach Jerry Stackhouse looks to bring Vanderbilt its first victory in Knoxville since the 2016-17 season. A win on Tuesday would also end Tennessee’s five game win-streak over the Dores.
• Vanderbilt’s campus library system contains more than eight million items across 10 different libraries around Vanderbilt’s campus and stands as one of the nation’s top research libraries.

LAST TIME VS. VANDERBILT
•  A dominant defensive effort and a 21-5 run to begin the second half allowed the Tennessee basketball team to push past Vanderbilt, 66-45, on Jan. 18, 2020, inside Memorial Gym.
•  The Vols held Vanderbilt to an 0-25 night from 3-point range. It was the first time since the 3-point shot was introduced in the 1986-87 season (spanning 1,080 games) that the Commodores failed to knock down at least one 3-point attempt.
•  Senior Jordan Bowden led the Tennessee offense, finishing with 21 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line.
•  Juniors John Fulkerson and Yves Pons each added 12 points for the Vols.
•  Fulkerson also pulled down eight rebounds, while Pons rejected four shot attempts, marking his fifth consecutive multi-block game.
•  Freshman Josiah-Jordan James also was tough on the boards for the Big Orange, grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. James also dished off a game-high five assists.
•  Both offenses started slow, with the squads shooting a combined 37 percent (7-of-19) from the field in the contest’s opening eight minutes, good for a 9-9 score line.
•  During the game’s final 10 minutes, Tennessee continued to stifle the Vanderbilt offense while maintaining its efficient shooting mark on the other side of the floor, increasing its lead to as many as 22 points.
•  Tennessee’s win gave Bowden—UT’s lone active senior—a perfect 4-0 career record in Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.

MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST VANDERBILT
• Grant Williams (now with the Boston Celtics) erupted for a record-setting performance as the No. 1-ranked Volunteers held off Vanderbilt, 88-83, in overtime in Nashville on Jan. 23, 2019. Williams finished with a career-high 43 points and also tallied eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal. The junior forward was 10-of-15 from the field and a program-record 23-of-23 from the free-throw line.
• Josh Richardson (now a starter for the Philadelphia 76ers) helped the Vols rally from two separate double-digit deficits in the second half by scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points in the final stanza to lift Tennessee to a 67-61 comeback win over Vanderbilt in the 2015 SEC Tournament in Nashville on March 12, 2015. In what was the second-to-last game of his career, Richardson also led all players with three steals and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
• Dyron Nix (17 points, 18 rebounds) and Doug Roth (10 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles and Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 79-69 in overtime in Stokely Athletics Center Feb. 4, 1987, in Knoxville.
• Dick Johnston made six free throws in double overtime to lift UT to a 77-72 win over the Dores in Nashville on Feb. 2, 1970. Jimmy England led the charge with 27 points, and Bobby Croft had an 18-16 double-double.
• Danny Schultz holds UT’s single-game scoring record against Vanderbilt, as he dropped 35 points on the Dores on Feb. 15, 1964, in Nashville.
• Tennessee All-Century Team member Paul “Lefty” Walther (1948-49) never lost to Vanderbilt during his career as a Vol. The Covington, Kentucky, native helped lead Tennessee to a 4-0 record over the Dores, beating Vandy by an average of 9.8 points.

VOL VETS EFFICIENT VS. VANDY
• Tennessee upperclassmen Jordan Bowden (.500), John Fulkerson (.500), Jalen Johnson (.667) and Yves Pons (.500) all shoot at least 50 percent from the field during their career against Vanderbilt.
• Bowden, who is a perfect 4-0 at Vandy’s Memorial Gym, averages 11.5 points in six previous games against the Commodores while shooting .438 from 3-point range and boasting a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.

SECOND TIME’S A CHARM
• Over the last three seasons, Rick Barnes and his staff guided the Volunteers to a 10-1 record in regular-season rematch games (SEC Tournament games not included).
• The lone loss came Saturday at South Carolina, 63-61.

VOLS SUCCESSFUL ON THE IN-STATE CIRCUIT
• Tennessee has won nine of its last 10 games against in-state opponents and is 16-5 vs. in-state foes under coach Rick Barnes.
• Those 16 wins include triumphs over Chattanooga, ETSU (twice), Lipscomb (twice), Memphis, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech (twice) and Vanderbilt (seven times).

FULKY FEASTING AT THE FOUL LINE
• Over Tennessee’s last three games, junior forward John Fulkerson has taken 41 percent of the Vols’ total free-throw attempts (34 of 82).
• He’s attempted 34 free throws during that span—11.3 per game—and has made 25 of them (.735).

 

UT Athletics

Football Season-Ticket Prices Hold Steady for Highly Anticipated 2020 Campaign

Football Season-Ticket Prices Hold Steady for Highly Anticipated 2020 Campaign

Credit: UT Athletics

Tennessee football rides the momentum of a six-game win streak—the second-longest active streak among Power Five programs—into the 2020 campaign. Season tickets are now available, and Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer has announced that pricing has not increased from last year.

Season-ticket options start as low as $300 with the Volunteers set to host 2020 home games against Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Charlotte, Furman and Troy.

“Everyone is energized about the way we finished last season,” Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “When Neyland Stadium is rocking, it’s unlike anyplace else in the country. And it sure seems like our players block a little better and hit and lot harder when Vol Nation is revved up. We’ve got something special taking place here, and we’re putting on more steam every day to make sure the decade of the Vols starts strong. We need our fans to put on more steam, too.”

AllVols.com now features a new, interactive, 3D seat map enabling fans to experience the various ticket options throughout Neyland Stadium. While AllVols.com is accessible 24/7 to purchase tickets, fans also are welcome to call (865) 946-7000 to speak with a helpful ticket representative on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. ET through 5 p.m. ET.

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.

“Coach Fulmer is passionate about ensuring that the Neyland Stadium experience remains accessible for all families,” Associate Athletics Director for Fan Experience & Sales Jimmy Delaney said. “So having a $300 season ticket option and continuing to offer the Vol Pass were important to him. Our various ticket options throughout the stadium provide Tennessee fans with a really broad variety of ways to enjoy gameday on Rocky Top.”

As part of Fulmer’s push for affordable options, the 2020 price for “no donation required” seating—located in the stadium’s south upper deck—has decreased from $360 to $300.

Tennessee fans can prime themselves for an exciting fall by attending the Chevrolet Orange & White Game on Saturday, April 18. Admission is free, and kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET. Athletic department staffers will be available that day to provide 1-on-1 service to fans interested in exploring the stadium to review available seating inventory. Fans interested in scheduling an appointment (on April 18 or any other date) can do so HERE.

“It will be a big recruiting weekend,” Pruitt said of Orange & White weekend. “So we need Vol Nation to show our visitors what the Vol Walk and gameday at Neyland Stadium are like in the fall.”

Stay up to date on everything happening with the Tennessee football program by following @Vol_Football on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.

 

UT Athletics

Alontae Taylor Voted Vice Chair of SEC Football Leadership Council

Alontae Taylor Voted Vice Chair of SEC Football Leadership Council

Credit: UT Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alontae Taylor, a rising junior on the Tennessee football team, was recently selected as Vice Chair of the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council.

Taylor was selected by a vote of his peers at a meeting of the council held recently at the SEC offices in Birmingham. The Manchester, Tennessee, native will attend a portion of the SEC Spring Meetings in May to meet with conference leadership and provide feedback on SEC legislative proposals.

The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The other two components are the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils. Student-Athlete Leadership Councils were introduced for the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball, which, in addition to the conference’s longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience and student-athlete wellness.

During its recent meeting, the council met with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, reviewed NCAA and SEC legislative items, discussed a number of topics submitted by members of the Council, and engaged with football officials on rules of the game and student-athlete/referee interaction.

Taylor, a defensive back, appeared in all 13 games for Tennessee this past season, logging six starts. He finished the year with 33 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups. He is a Communications Studies major and was recently named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

 

UT Athletics

Rick Barnes Monday Press Conference Transcript

Rick Barnes Monday Press Conference Transcript

On what he thinks about the charge call after watching the game film:
“I don’t know about that particular call. At the time I thought that and now I can talk to you about a lot of other calls I don’t agree with, but in that particular instance, when he spun, there was contact and I thought the defender was there. But, like I said, there were a lot of other calls we could talk about that I wouldn’t agree with.”

Credit: UT Athletics

On if Yves is healthy and how Josiah did in his first game back:
“He’s struggling with a little tendonitis in his right knee. He hasn’t done much, you guys saw him—he didn’t do much at practice for a couple days, but he’s such a tough kid that he’ll keep fighting through it. I thought Josiah, for the most part, for not being able to do much for the last couple of weeks went out and was okay. Some of the things he didn’t do is just related to not playing and he needs to clean it up and he will.”

On where Josiah is limited:
“He was doing some good things. We felt like he had really started coming around, but he’s dealt with that injury all year. I’m not saying it’s the exact same injury, but it’s in that area, and he told me he’d come back when he thought he could play. I think the way he handled it was the right way to handle it. Now, it’s a matter of him getting back and getting his conditioning back where he needs to have it and getting him back into the flow with everybody.”

On how tough it is to not see Jordan Bowden step up late in games:
“We all feel for Jordan because, one thing I will tell you, he has continued to defend at a high level, which is hard to do when you’re not playing as well as you want to play on the offensive end. The other day, two different players missed a free throw, and went down right after that and almost broke down on the defensive end where they didn’t let the missed free throw go, and they weren’t as locked in as they needed to be and gave up a play on the defensive end. For a guy that has struggled as much as he has, he hasn’t done that on the defensive end, and to be honest with you, we all keep thinking sooner or later, it’s got to happen. Obviously, he’s having his worst shooting year that he’s had since he’s been here. We just hope it happens because he’s doing what he should be doing, and sometimes it can become a mental block, and we do everything we can to try to get him to understand that when he’s open, he’s got to shoot the ball. We just ask him to take good, in rhythm shots to be honest with you. He just needs to see a couple of them go in, and hopefully he can get it going.”

On if the turnovers on Saturday were due to South Carolina’s defense:
“Some, but John Fulkerson’s travels had nothing to do with their defense. Davonte threw the ball out of bounds with no pressure on him because Josiah broke his cut. That had nothing to do with them, that was us. That was the most frustrating thing from our team, was the fact that we turned it over too many times where they had nothing to do with it. That was the most disappointing thing, where it was just careless mistakes that we talked about, and twice we turned it over where we knew we were going to lob the ball, and we got a lob dunk and then Josiah came out in the timeout, and why he did it we don’t know because that wasn’t even the play we had on. We start the second half with a situation where we ended up with not a great possession because we didn’t execute. Those are the things that are the most frustrating. The 20 turnovers, a lot of them were just us, and that’s not to take anything away from South Carolina, but when you’re not being guarded on the perimeter and you travel with no pressure, that’s just being careless with the ball.”

On if they are looking towards the postseason:
“I think the most important thing is where we can get leadership. If it’s not from the older guys, it’s got to be from the younger guys. We showed a clip in the game that hasn’t happened too many times this year; because if you look at our older guys they’re not the most vocal. If you talk to them, they are on the side of being quiet. There was a play where Davonte Gaines was playing really hard, got tripped, got up, and made another play and turned around and talked to his teammates in a way like we need to get a stop here. That’s what we’re lacking and we need that. I don’t care if it comes from the sophomores or the freshman. They have to do it. As we continue this year out, that’s the one thing I think we can get some momentum somewhere going for the future with this team. We challenged our older guys yesterday about that. Where is it going to come from coming down the stretch. We have a lot of opportunities in front of us. We’ve told them there’s not a game on our schedule we can’t win. You can’t turn the ball over 20 times, because once you do that you have to play near perfection to win a game. You don’t want to go into any game thinking you have to be perfect, but if you’re going to turn it over 20 times, you have to darn near be perfect if you want to win. So, that goes back to what we’re talking about with leadership. We want to be in the postseason; but right now, we have to worry about Vanderbilt. We have to get ready for that and then the next one after that. We always think about the postseason don’t get me wrong. We always think about. But, we know what goes into it and its winning games. You have to win games.”

On Tuesday’s game against Vanderbilt:
“I think Jerry (Stackhouse) has done a great job. I really do. When I watch them, I think his players have improved. Obviously, they went through a period where they were in a shooting slump and it hurt them. There’s not one guy on their team that hasn’t improved since we’ve played them. Again, I think that’s a sign of terrific coaching and players that want to be coached. They have made it hard on everybody they have played. They obviously beat LSU when they were undefeated and number one in the league. They had Kentucky down at halftime. They’re close like everyone. So, you have to be ready to play, it’s plain and simple. They have the ability and they have proved, even though they have the one win, that they have played everybody tough. I guarantee when they sit down and watch tape, just like we do, they show the what ifs and things they can certainly fix. I’m sure that’s what he and his staff are trying to do.”

On things he can do as a coach to get big plays out of the older guys:
“When you talk about it, I don’t like any of the phony stuff. It’s something as simple as saying something when you’re coming down the floor. I’ll give you a great example. I thought Kotsar was terrific coming down the stretch Saturday. I watched him talking to his teammates on defense and it’s nothing crazy, it’s just being aware of what needs to be said in certain situations of the game. Fulky has done some of that for us. In the out of bounds play the other day he took charge and called the play. People pretty much know that when the shot clock gets under 10, we’re going to switch all ball screens. In the first half we had no problem with it, in the second half we do, because they can hear us. You’d be amazed at how often we talk to our guys about guys knowing where the shot clock is on the defensive end just as much as the offensive end. When you go to set a ball screen, guys away from the ball need to be communicating that and that’s the leadership we need. We know each other well enough to know a guys body language and when they’re struggling a bit. I told Yves during the game ‘hey Yves, the other coaches don’t think you’ve got it right now,’ and immediately he flipped the switch and became much more aggressive. It’s subtle things where players should be thinking of their teammates more. That’s getting out of your comfort zone a bit and I don’t think there’s a single guy on our team that would bark back if I guy told him to play harder.
“To me, that’s the beginning of the kind of leadership we need. It’s not the ra ra stuff, it’s the little things that need to be said between players. It’s really more difficult than you would think trying to get guys to talk throughout the game. The best teams we play against are the teams that communicate throughout the game. We have little adjustments that we make in-game and we’re not getting it from sometimes one guy. That’s when we need someone to tell them ‘hey, we’ve moved our offense up higher, you need to get up here,’ and that’s what we’re not getting.”

On Jalen Johnson only playing 13 minutes on Saturday:
“Like I’ve told you all, all of these guys are going to be judged on production. Jalen missed a shot and on the defensive possession, we had a scout that said to not go under on one of there players and he did. Davonte had been playing well and we had Josiah back. When Josiah was out, Jalen got those minutes. Everything we do with these guys is based on production. What’s difficult for players, is they look out and say ‘this guy gets more rope then this guy,’ and it all goes back to what we see every day in practice. Can you earn extra rope? You can. Davonte Gaines—and I hope he can continue to earn extra rope, he’s put together six games where he’s been incredibly consistent—he did something in our scouting report he wasn’t supposed to do and he didn’t play after that. The games are so close and the possessions are so important you can’t wait and hope that he’s going to get it. There are certain guys who are out there that have been out there more who have more rope? Yes, but they get that rope because they earn it and they earn it every day in practice. There are only a certain number of minutes in a game to go around. Look at Uros, he goes in the game and the violation he had stepping across the lane like that, he can’t do that. That’s a possession we lose. When you lose a one possession game and take a point away from a good free throw shooter that’s what loses games. When you’re working your way into the lineup you have to do the things we need you to do to really help us win. You don’t have to be perfect, but you can’t do things that are absolutely out of the norm in terms of what we’ve talked about. You can’t go under on a screen against a guy who can only step behind a screen and shoot. You can’t step into the lane when a guy isn’t even attempting to shoot the ball yet. Those are breakdowns that can’t happen. That’s what’s tough about it. As time goes on, guys have to get out there and earn more rope, but he would have come out for that mistake regardless. I could tell you multiple times where guys have worked their way in and out of the lineup. Most of the time when they work their way out of the lineup it’s because they don’t do what we’ve talked to them about. It’s the role we need them to play and if they’re not willing to play that role then they’re not going to play.”

On the inconsistencies and challenges of this season:
“If you would have told me when the season started that Lamonte Turner wasn’t going to be here and Jordan Bowden was going to have his worst shooting year ever and for us to even be where we are? We have two guys on the roster who weren’t even on our opening day roster. If you think about when the season started, we were expecting Lamonte, Jordan Bowden and Josiah-Jordan James to play a lot. One of those guys is no longer with us, one is having as a tough a year as he has ever had, and the other has basically been hurt from the start. For us to even be where we are after those things, I’m really proud of these guys. And the fact that we had a guy that had three days of practice and has done a tremendous job, Uros (Plavsic) sat out much of the year. I think a lot of teams go through these things and I don’t think anybody feels sorry for them. I can only tell you what we have gone through. Right after Christmas, we were a team that looked like a shell of what we were when we started. Without Santiago (Vescovi) I don’t know where we would be right now, but to be able to continue to fight back and still be in the thick of it, is a real compliment to these guys, I think it really is. We’re not talking to them about being young, because I think these guys have played enough minutes right now that we’re in it. I go back to Saturday, John Fulkerson had six turnovers, you don’t expect that from him, that’s a lot of turnovers from a post guy. Yves (Pons) had two that had nothing to with the defense. It’s the older guys in games at this time of year that have to really step up. You can’t travel, you just can’t do that. Fulky had one turnover where he got tripped then he stood up. You can’t stand up, that’s a rule. Those are plays you can’t have. Our whole year has been inconsistent, and for these guys to continue to fight and to have given everything they have got, I would not trade them for anybody because I know they are trying, I know we are going to get so much better as time goes on. Does that make us feel any better right now? We were all disappointed in losing the game Saturday, because we controlled it for the most part. It really it got away from us at the seven-minute mark, because we felt like they were reeling at that point and then we had some missed free throws, they go down and we let them have a straight-line drive. We hadn’t let them do that all game long. We go back and look at all the things we said we have to do to beat these guys, we did them all and then the last couple minutes we gave up a couple things that we can’t. But you have to give them credit. Lawson made a tough runner on the baseline, and then hit a wide open three where we overhelped and that’s how quickly it can change. But does frustration come in sometimes with where we are? It does, but the bottom line is we have to find a way to finish it and we had it, but we didn’t finish it, so we have to let it go and get ready for tomorrow and then Saturday and on from there.”

Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani Share Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse Into Making of “Nobody But You” Video [Watch]

Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani Share Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse Into Making of “Nobody But You” Video [Watch]

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of their “Nobody But You” video.

“There’s no point to this video, okay, but it’s a cool song,” says Blake, in jest, when describing the Sophie Muller-directed clip.

Penned by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James, “Nobody But You” is featured on Blake’s recently released album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The new single is currently No. 23 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after six weeks.

Watch Blake and Gwen’s new video below.

photo by Janet Gough, AFF-USA.com

Weather

  • Forecast
  • Currents
  • Planner