Hoops Preview: #23 Lady Vols vs. LSU

Hoops Preview: #23 Lady Vols vs. LSU

Posted on January 25, 2020
Lady Vols vs. LSU / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 23/23 Tennessee (15-4, 5-1 SEC) is back at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday for the annual “We Back Pat” game. The Lady Vols welcome #RV/RV LSU (14-4, 4-2 SEC) to Rocky Top for a 1:02 p.m. ET contest.

The Lady Vols are currently tied for second place in the league standings with Mississippi State at 5-2. South Carolina is in the catbird’s seat with a 6-0 league mark.

LSU, meanwhile, is tied for third along with Kentucky and Texas A&M at 4-2.

DETAILS ABOUT “WE BACK PAT” WEEK

  • “We Back Pat” Week is celebrated by all 14 teams in the SEC, and many other basketball programs around the world take time to observe the occasion as well. The initiative, which utilizes promotional public address announcements, video endorsements and television exposure to share a very important message, focuses on raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and The Pat Summitt Foundation’s role in fighting it.
  • Fans are encouraged to wear a “We Back Pat” shirt to the Tennessee-LSU game.
  • Orange and purple shakers, courtesy of the Pat Summitt Foundation, will be available for fans while supplies last.
  • There will be check presentations from various events and organizations to the Pat Summitt Foundation prior to the LSU game and one from the Pat Summitt Foundation to the Pat Summitt Clinic at UT Medical Center during the first quarter of the contest.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • Sunday’s game will be televised by the SEC Network with Courtney Lyle (PxP) and Carolyn Peck (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.

GAME PROMOTIONS/INFO.

  • Gates open at noon ET on Sunday. Tickets start at just $10. Purchase yours today at AllVols.com.
  • There is free parking & shuttle service available from UT’s Ag Campus. Shuttles begin two hours prior to tip-off.
  • Enjoy the pregame Kids’ Corner at Gate F. It opens one hour prior to tip-off. Meet and take pictures with everyone’s favorite mascot, Smokey X! More fun includes: free face painting, the Big Orange prize wheel, visits from cheerleaders, crafts and more.
  • Want to be the Jr.Vol of the Game? Sign up for the Jr.Vol Club today and get the chance to see yourself on the video board. Members also receive free Jr.Vol swag, tickets to games for all sports and exclusive Jr.Vol events.
  • There will be postgame lay-ups on Sunday. Kids 12 and younger can shoot a lay-up on the court after the game.
  • Come High-Five the Lady Vols. Kids 12 & younger can pick up a wristband at the Fan HQ table on the concourse to participate in the pregame High-Five Tunnel. Wristbands are limited. To purchase discounted group tickets and reserve wristbands for your team, call 865-946-7000.
  • Upcoming: Join the Lady Vols for the fourth annual StrongHer TogetHer event! The $15 package includes one ticket to the Lady Vol vs. Mississippi State game on Feb. 6, a StrongHer TogetHer t-shirt, a $5 concession voucher for the game, a definite dozen puzzle and access to a pregame event at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which includes an autograph session with different female student-athletes.
  • You can be a part of the Lady Vols’ electric introductions. Make sure to download our light show app courtesy of Coca Cola. The “Hoops Hype” app is available free of charge from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.

RECENT SCHEDULE HAS BEEN UNKIND

  • Sunday’s contest will be Tennessee’s third game in seven days, and the Lady Vols have navigated it while the opposition had extra rest and preparation time in each case.
  • Tennessee plays LSU, which has been idle since last Sunday’s win vs. Kentucky, 65-59. The Lady Vols, meanwhile, played at No. 3/5 UConn on Thursday night, losing 60-45.
  • The Lady Vols played UConn after hosting Alabama on Monday night in a game that went down to the wire (UT, 65-63). UConn, meanwhile, had played on Sunday and had an extra day of prep for Tennessee.
  • To start the week off, Tennessee played Alabama on Monday after beating Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, while Alabama came into Knoxville with the same advantage as LSU, a seven-day period before locking horns with the Lady Vols.
  • The upcoming itinerary after Sunday isn’t for the faint of heart, with UT traveling to Vandy and No. 1/2 South Carolina, a visit from No. 9/9 Mississippi State, a trip to LSU (receiving votes), a home game vs. No. 15 Texas A&M and a trek to No. 21/20 Arkansas.

THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS

  • Tennessee enters Sunday having won four of its last five and seven of its last nine.
  • UT has won four straight SEC games and is 3-0 in home league contests.
  • LSU is 3-2 over its last five but has earned wins in six of its last eight battles.
  • In three of its past four games, the Tigers have defeated ranked foes in No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 11 Kentucky and lost by only four to No. 10 Mississippi State.
  • No. 23 UT makes it three straight ranked foes for LSU.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

  • Tennessee embarks on a two-game road swing, playing at Vanderbilt on Thursday (8 p.m. CT/SEC Network) and at No. 1/2 South Carolina on Sunday (1 p.m. ET/ESPN2).
  • LSU, meanwhile, is at Florida on Thursday (5 p.m. ET/SECN+) and home vs. Texas A&M on Sunday (2 p.m. CT/SEC Network).

RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME

  • No. 23/25 Tennessee took a 31-28 lead into halftime but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 3/5 UConn in front of a crowd of 13,659 at the XL Center in Hartford on Thursday night, 60-45.
  • The game was the first time the two teams had met since Jan. 6, 2007, when Candace Parker led UT to a 70-64 victory in Hartford in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 match-up. The game was the first of a two-year Basketball Hall of Fame Revival Series, from which a portion of the proceeds benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
  • Rennia Davis paced Tennessee (15-4, 5-1 SEC) with 16 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Jazmine Massengill turned in 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
  • UConn (17-1, 7-0 ACC) was led by Crystal Dangerfield with 14 and Aubrey Griffin with 13.

NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME

  • Coming into the contest the Huskies were shooting .478 from the floor and .387 from behind the arc. Tennessee limited them to .315 percent overall shooting and .222 from 3-point range. UConn was also averaging 78.5 points per contest on the season, with the 60 points against UT standing as the third-fewest they’ve scored this season.
  • Rennia Davis’ 16 points against UConn was the 18th double-digit performance of the season and the 64th of her career. She is currently fourth in the SEC in scoring, averaging 17.3 ppg.
  • Jazmine Massengill put up 11 points against UConn while dishing out a game-high five assists and snagging a season-high-tying three steals. It’s the seventh game this season in which she’s tallied five or more assists and the fourth time she’s led the team in steals.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

  • The Lady Vols are allowing opponents only 31.1 percent shooting from the field (No. 2 NCAA) and have allowed only Stanford (42.6), Missouri (40.4) and Kentucky (40.0) to shoot better than 39 percent.
  • A year ago, UT allowed foes to shoot 41.5 from the field, which was 252nd in the country.
  • Eight opponents have failed to shoot 30 percent vs. Tennessee, including Ole Miss, which shot 18.5 percent on Jan. 9. That was the lowest percentage since Jan. 8, 2012, when Arkansas shot 18.2 percent.
  • The Lady Vols are giving up 55.2 points per game, which ranks No. 20 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC.
  • In 2018-19, UT allowed 69.1 ppg., which was 271st.
  • UT has allowed only two opponents to score 70 or more points this season: No. 1/1 Stanford (78) and No. 13/13 Kentucky (80).
  • UT held No. 3/5 UConn to only 60 points on its home court on Jan. 23. The Huskies had entered the contest ranked No. 16 nationally with a 78.5 ppg. average.

UT-LSU SERIES NOTES

  • UT enters the 66th meeting in the series with a 50-15 edge, including a 22-3 record in Knoxville, 15-8 slate in Baton Rouge and a 13-4 mark at neutral sites.
  • Tennessee has won 13 of the last 17 games, including both of last season’s meetings.
  • 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 0-1 vs. LSU, falling to the Tigers on Dec. 2, 2012, 81-73, when she was head coach at NC State.
  • Harper is 0-2 against Nikki Fargas-coached teams, with NC State losing to LSU and to a Fargas UCLA team (74-54) on March 21, 2010.
  • At least one team has been ranked in this series in 63 of 65 games. Last year was the only season where neither program was ranked at the time they 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 and redshirt senior forward Ayana Mitchell, who average 14.6 and 14.4 points, respectively.
  • 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 THE TIGERS’ LAST GAME

  • The LSU women’s basketball team picked up its third win against a Top 15 opponent this season, defeating No. 11 Kentucky, 65-59, on Jan. 19. The win pushed the Tigers to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference. Kentucky fell to 15-3, 4-2.
  • Junior Faustine Aifuwa posted her sixth career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Four other players totaled double-figure scoring, led by senior Ayana Mitchell with 15 points. Guards Khayla Pointer and Jaelyn Richard-Harris scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Jailin Cherry came off the bench for a season-high 13 points.
  • LSU had 20 turnovers, but shot 47.5 percent from the field and limited Kentucky to 23.3 percent shooting.

THE LAST TIME WE MET LSU

  • Sophomore Rennia Davis scored 19 points to help rally eighth-seeded Tennessee to a 69-66 win over ninth-seeded LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament on March 7, 2019.
  • The Lady Vols outscored the Tigers, 41-31 in the second half, to overcome a 35-28 halftime deficit. UT also out-rebounded the Tigers, 31-28, and shot for a higher percentage, 49.1 to 47.4 percent.
  • LSU was led by Khayla Pointer, who had 21 points. Faustine Aifuwa and Ayana Mitchell had 16 each.

LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE

  • Sophomore Rennia Davis tied her season high of 24 points to power the Lady Vols past LSU, 74-65, on Jan. 27, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena for their annual “Live Pink, Bleed Orange” game.
  • Sophomore center Kasiyahna Kushkituah contributed a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds, while freshmen Jazmine Massengill and Zaay Green scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
  • Tennessee (13-7, 2-5 SEC) forced 25 turnovers, recorded 44 points in the paint and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in the win.
  • The Tigers (12-7, 3-4 SEC) had three players with double-digit points, with guard Khayla Pointer leading the pack with 17 points and five assists. LSU junior forward Ayana Mitchell logged a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.

-UT Athletics

Vols Fall Short at #3 Kansas, 74-68

Vols Fall Short at #3 Kansas, 74-68

Posted on January 25, 2020
Vols F Yves Pons / Credit: UT Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Despite a career-high 24 points from junior Yves Pons and a third double-double in five games from junior John Fulkerson, solid late free-throw shooting led third-ranked Kansas past Tennessee, 74-68, Saturday at historic Allen Fieldhouse.

The matchup was part of the 2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Vols fell to 12-7 on the year, while Kansas improved its record to 16-3.

Pons’s 24 points were the most points scored by a Vol in UT’s all-time series with Kansas. He finished the afternoon 8-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Fulkerson’s 12 rebounds were both a career-high and the most-ever by a Tennessee player against Kansas. He added 15 points to his ledger to finish with a double-double.

Vols senior Jordan Bowden also had an effective evening for the Vols, scoring 19 points—all after halftime—to lead UT’s second-half charge.

Freshman Santiago Vescovi added nine points, five rebounds, three assists and no turnovers.

A slow start for both squads through the opening 10 minutes saw the Jayhawks build an early 11-9 advantage despite the teams combining for a 36-percent shooting mark from the field (9-of-25).

Over the next two minutes, the Vols broke open a 12-2 run, knocking down four consecutive field goals—spearheaded by two 3-point baskets from Pons—to take a 20-13 lead with 8:02 remaining in the opening half.

The Jayhawks responded, outscoring UT 13-6 over the next four minutes to knot the score at 26-26.

In the closing minutes of the opening frame, Kansas established its largest lead of the afternoon, holding a 37-30 advantage as the teams headed into the locker room.

Out of the break, an evenly matched start to the second half saw Kansas hold on to its seven-point advantage as both squads went bucket-for-bucket to increase the score line to 49-42, in favor of the Jayhawks at the under-16 media timeout.

As the second half wore on, the Vols held steady against the Kansas attack, knocking their deficit to just six points as the Jayhawks led 62-56 with less than eight minutes remaining.

In the game’s final minutes, the Vols fought incredibly hard, knocking KU’s lead to as few as three points. However, solid free-throw shooting from Kansas cemented the outcome.

Absolutely Not: Yves Pons finished the contest with three blocks, marking his 19th consecutive game with at least one block and his 12th-game of the season with at least three.

Fulky Flow: John Fulkerson’s 15 points and 12 rebounds marked his third double-double in five games. Fulkerson is averaging 8.8 rebounds over the last five contests for the Vols.

Up Next: Tennessee returns home to take on Texas A&M inside Thompson-Boling Arena Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

-UT Athletics

Jennings, Taylor Set For Reese’s Senior Bowl

Jennings, Taylor Set For Reese’s Senior Bowl

Posted on January 25, 2020
WR Jauan Jennings & LB Darrell Taylor / Credit: UT Athletics

MOBILE, Ala. – Following standout five-year careers with the Tennessee football program, wide receiver Jauan Jennings and linebacker Darrell Taylor will look to improve their NFL Draft stock this weekend at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The pair is on the South Team for Saturday’s contest, which will be played at 2:30 p.m. ET inside Ladd Peebles Stadium in front of hundreds of NFL scouts and coaches. The game will be broadcast live on the NFL Network.

Taylor’s status for the game is up in the air as he did not practice earlier in the week, but did participate in meetings. Jennings has registered several highlights in drills during practices.

Both players have garnered significant NFL Draft buzz since the end of the regular season. ESPN draft expert Todd McShay called Taylor “the best player in the Gator Bowl” and the edge rusher has been listed in the second round on several mock drafts. Jennings was recently listed at the end of the first round in PFF College’s mock draft.

Jennings and Taylor are the first Vols to participate in the Senior Bowl since 2017 when quarterback Joshua Dobbs and defensive back Cameron Sutton competed in Mobile. Jennings and Taylor will be the 125th and 126th Vols to appear in the prestigious post-season all-star game all-time.

Some of the notable Vols to appear in the Senior Bowl include: current UT assistant head coach/wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator and national championship quarterback Tee Martin (2000), former Tennessee head coach and halfback Johnny Majors (1957), Vol Network color analyst and defensive back Tim Priest (1971), NFL All-Pro DB Dale Carter (1992), legendary linebacker Al Wilson (1999) and punter Dustin Colquitt (2005), who will play in the Super Bowl next week.

Five Vols have grabbed MVP honors at the Senior Bowl: Steve DeLong (1965), Alvin Harper (1991), Charlie Garner (1994), Eric Ainge (2008) and Robert Ayers (2009).

Jennings will look to leave his mark in Mobile after wrapping up his Tennessee career as one of the top receivers in program history, finishing fifth all-time at UT in receptions (146), fourth in receiving yards (2,153) and tied-for-fifth in touchdown receptions (18). He finished as one of the SEC’s top wideouts as a senior in 2019, leading the Vols with 59 receptions for 969 yards and eight touchdown catches, while adding a rushing score. The 6-3, 208-pounder played in 50 career games. He tossed two career touchdown passes and made an interception on defense to go along with his receiving accolades. He led all wide receivers in the nation in broken tackles (30) in 2019 according to PFF College.

Jennings received plenty of praise from Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy early in the week, calling the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native “truly, truly unique.”

“He’s wired differently than most wide receivers from a mental standpoint in terms of kind of having that edge in his personality,” said Nagy, a longtime NFL scout. “So good with his hands and so good after the catch in terms of broken tackles and forcing guys to tackle him. You have to tackle Jauan Jennings. He makes you, you’ve got to wrap up and tackle that guy. He’s different than anyone in this group. He’s different than anyone else in this draft.”

Taylor was one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the SEC during his final two seasons. The Hopewell, Va., native finished with 19.5 sacks (10th-most in UT history), 26.5 TFLs and 118 total tackles over his 43-game career. He ranked tied for second in the SEC with 8.5 sacks in 2019 after totaling 8.0 sacks in 2018. He became the third Vol ever to have a four-sack game when he accomplished the feat against Kentucky in 2018.

-UT Athletics

Lady Vols’ Upset Bid Falls Short At UConn, 60-45

Lady Vols’ Upset Bid Falls Short At UConn, 60-45

Posted on January 24, 2020
Credit: UT Athletics

HARTFORD, Conn. – No. 23/25 Tennessee took a 31-28 lead into halftime but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 3/5 UConn in front of a crowd of 13,659 at the XL Center on Thursday night, 60-45.

The game was the first time the two teams had met since Jan. 6, 2007, when Candace Parker led UT to a 70-64 victory in Hartford in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 match-up. The game was the first of a two-year Basketball Hall of Fame Revival Series, from which a portion of the proceeds benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rennia Davis paced Tennessee (15-4, 5-1 SEC) with 16 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Jazmine Massengill turned in 11 points and five assists.

UConn (17-1, 7-0 ACC) was led by Crystal Dangerfield with 14 and Aubrey Griffin with 13.

Davis poured in five points in the opening minutes to help UT jump out to a 10-4 lead by the 6:12 mark. UConn quickly battled back, trailing just 12-10 by the media timeout.  Sophomore Rae Burrell pitched in four points following the break to put the Lady Vols ahead by six with under two minutes remaining in the period, but the Huskies answered with back-to-back buckets to cut the lead to 16-14 to start the second frame.

Freshman Tamari Key was the first to score in the second quarter, and Davis followed it up with a layup to stretch the lead back to six a minute and a half in. Dangerfield put UConn within five with a 10-foot jumper, but Massengill scored six quick points to stretch UT’s lead to 26-18 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. The Huskies cut their deficit to five with a Megan Walker 3-pointer before the media break and followed it up with two Griffin free throws and a layup to pull within one by the 3:42 mark. Rae Burrell knocked down a jumper to stop the run and put UT up by three with just over two minutes left in the half. In the final minute UConn converted a Tennessee turnover into three points, but Davis answered with a clutch trey on the other end to put the Lady Vols ahead 31-28 at the half.

Tennessee out-shot the Huskies 43 percent to 31 percent in the first half, holding them to just 11 of 35 from the floor and two of 10 from behind the arc.

The Lady Vols’ shooting went cold in the second half, and they were plagued by turnovers. They remained scoreless for nearly four minutes, while UConn took the lead off a 7-0 run before Davis hit a layup to end the drought and bring the score to 35-33. The Huskies kept the pressure on, launching into a 10-0 run before Massengill scored five points on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to 47-38. Olivia Nelson-Ododa converted on two free throws for the Huskies to close out the period up 49-38.

The teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the fourth until Nelson-Ododa scored seven-straight points to put UConn up 59-42 with 2:30 left in the game. Burrell scored three points to finish the game, but it wasn’t enough as Tennessee fell, 60-45.

Up Next: UT returns to conference play, hosting LSU in a “We Back Pat” game on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Taming Their Offense: Coming into the contest the Huskies were shooting .478 from the floor and .387 from behind the arc. Tennessee limited them to .315 percent overall shooting and .222 from 3-point range. UConn was also averaging 78.5 points per contest on the season, with the 60 points against UT standing as the third-fewest they’ve scored this season.

Double-Digit Davis: Rennia Davis’ 16 points against UConn was the 18th double-digit performance of the season and the 64th of her career. She is currently fourth in the SEC in scoring, averaging 17.3 ppg.

Jaz Taking Care of Business: Jazmine Massengill put up 11 points against UConn while dishing out a game-high five assists and snagging a season-high-tying three steals. It’s the seventh game this season in which she’s tallied five or more assists and the fourth time she’s led the team in steals.

 

UT Athletics

Three VFLs Each Ready for Third Pro Bowl

Three VFLs Each Ready for Third Pro Bowl

Posted on January 24, 2020
Credit: UT Athletics

ORLANDO – NFL VFLs Morgan Cox, Alvin Kamara and Cordarrelle Patterson will each play in their third Pro Bowl on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Camping World Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and ABC.

A total of 43 former Vols have tallied 138 Pro Bowl appearances all-time.

Cox, a long-snapper for the Baltimore Ravens, will play in his third Pro Bowl after also appearing in 2015 and 2016. The 10-year pro has played in 150 games over his career – all with the Ravens. He handled all the snaps for a Baltimore team that finished 14-2 in the regular season in 2019.

The Collierville, Tenn., native was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection with the Vols from 2006-09, serving as Tennessee’s long-snapper for 39 games from 2007-09.

Kamara is headed to his third straight Pro Bowl after another standout season for the New Orleans Saints. He has been selected all three years of his career and has already established himself as one of the NFL’s brightest young stars and top all-purpose running backs. He finished with over 1,300 total yards for the third straight season in 2019 and was second among running backs in receptions (81) despite missing two games.

During his two seasons with the Volunteers, Kamara collected 1,294 rushing yards, 683 receiving yards and 300 yards on special teams. He reached the end zone 13 times in 2016 alone, for a total of 24 career touchdowns. Kamara also recorded four games of 100 rushing yards or more for the Big Orange. He finished his career at Tennessee averaging 94.9 all-purpose yards per game.

Patterson, a kick returner for the Chicago Bears, heads to the Pro Bowl for a third time after making the trip to the all-star game with the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and 2016. Patterson led the NFL in total kick return yards (825) in 2019 and ranked second in yards per kick return (29.5). His career kick return average of 29.9 is second in NFL history behind only Gale Sayers (30.6) and his seven kick return touchdowns are third behind only Josh Cribbs (8) and Leon Washington (8).

Patterson played one memorable season with Tennessee in 2012, setting the school-record for all-purpose yardage with 1,858 yards. The former two-time junior college All-American from Rock Hill, S.C., scored a touchdown four different ways (five receiving, three rushing, one kick return, one punt return) and averaged 28.0 yards per kick return.

 

UT Athletics

Hot Country Knights Drop Debut Video, “Pick Her Up,” Starring ’90s Knockout [Watch]

Hot Country Knights Drop Debut Video, “Pick Her Up,” Starring ’90s Knockout [Watch]

Posted on January 24, 2020

The Hot Country Knights—a band fronted by an incognito Dierks Bentley—dropped a new video for their debut single, “Pick Her Up.” The Hot Country Knights are comprised of Dierks’ road band, performing ’90s-esque country tunes while donning aliases, mullet wigs and over-the-top attire from the era.

In addition to featuring Travis Tritt, the Wes Edwards-directed video stars ’90s knockout Kelly Kapowski, Valerie Malone, Tiffani Amber Thiessen.

“Travis Tritt is our longtime spirit animal and we have spent many a long night in the back of the van dreaming of working with or maybe even for Tiffani,” says HCK frontman Doug Douglason. “When UMG finally came around and signed us, they were two of our demands for the music video.”

The Hot Country Knights feature lead singer Douglas “Doug” Douglason, lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray “Rayro” Roburn, fiddle player Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery.

Penned by Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers and Dierks Bentley, “Pick Her Up” will impact country radio on Feb. 3. In January, the band signed a recording contract with Universal Music Group Nashville, which is Dierks’ longtime label partner.

Watch the new video below.

photo by Janet Gough, AFF-USA.com

Hoops Central: Tennessee at #3 Kansas

Hoops Central: Tennessee at #3 Kansas

Posted on January 24, 2020
Credit: UT Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team hits the road for its nonconference finale against the third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternon. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Saturday’s game is a part of the Big12/SEC Challenge and is available on ESPN, online through WatchESPN, which can be accessed at espn.com/watch and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Holly Rowe will have the call.

Fans can also listen in on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.

Last time out the Vols took care of business at home against Ole Miss, giving head coach Rick Barnes his 100th victory as Tennessee’s head coach. UT controlled the contest from the outset, dominating the Rebels in the paint (outscoring them 30-20) and taking advantage of turnovers, holding a 15-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

Junior John Fulkerson led the way for UT, scoring a career-high 18 points and hauled in a career-high-tying 10 rebounds for his third career double-double. Freshman Olivier Nkamhoua was also big off the bench, finishing the night with 10 points and four big rebounds.

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Vols and the Jayhawks and the second time UT has traveled to Allen Fieldhouse.

A victory would be the Vols first true road win over an AP top five opponent since UT knocked off No. 1 Memphis, 66-62, in 2008.

Up next, Tennessee returns home to take on Texas A&M inside Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night. The opening tap is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and the contest can be seen on SEC Network.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee owns a 1-3 all-time record vs. Kansas, dating to 2009.
• That first-ever meeting took place at Allen Fieldhouse, with KU claiming a 92-85 victory. The Vols avenged that loss the following season by upsetting the top-ranked Jayhawks in Knoxville on Jan. 10, 2010.
• The four previous meetings have been decided by an average of nine points.
• Tennessee’s all-time record against current members of the Big 12 stands at 14-17.
• Rick Barnes‘ 2010-11 Texas squad posted a 74-63 win at Allen Fieldhouse.

A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a 5-3 record against teams ranked in the AP top five during the Barnes era.
• Be Rick Barnes‘ eighth head-to-head victory against Bill Self. His seven wins vs. Self currently tie for the most among active coaches (with Tom Izzo of Michigan State).

STORYLINES
• This week one year ago (Jan. 21, 2019), Tennessee ascended to No. 1 in both major polls.
• The 2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge marks the event’s seventh year. Tennessee is 4-1 in the event, as the Vols did not take part in the inaugural challenge.
• The Big 12 won the challenge in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The SEC claimed its lone win in 2018, and the series was tied in 2017. The Big 12 has a cumulative advantage of 35-25 (.583).
• This is Tennessee’s sixth time playing with the ESPN College Gameday crew on site. The Vols are 3-2 in those matchups. The six appearances tie for 11th-most among Division I programs.
• Tennessee’s staff will sport Nike footwear Saturday as part of the NABC’s Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Week.
• The Vols are 17-5 all-time in Suits & Sneakers games, including a 6-3 mark on the road.
• Dating to the start of the 2017-18 season, Tennessee is 17-9 (.654) in true road games.

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee is 4-3 during the Barnes era against opponents ranked in the AP top five. The Vols went 3-2 against AP top-five foes last season.
• Tennessee leads the SEC in both scoring defense (59.0 ppg, seventh nationally) and field-goal percentage defense (.377, 15th nationally).
• During SEC play, junior forward John Fulkerson leads the team in scoring (11.3 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and steals (1.3 spg) while shooting .625 from the field and .900 from the free-throw line.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 19th nationally with 2.7 bpg. His 3.3 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Tennessee freshmen Josiah-Jordan James (12-25) and Santiago Vescovi (13-30) combine to shoot .454 from 3-point range during SEC play.

ABOUT KANSAS
• Kansas is coming off its third consecutive victory in Big 12 action. An 81-60 win over Kansas State on Tuesday night improved the Jayhawks to 15-3 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 play.
• The Jayhawks’ lone conference loss came at home to then-fourth-ranked Baylor, 67-55. Since that loss, the Bears have ascended into the nation’s top spot in the AP poll, while Kansas landed at No. 3 in both the AP and coaches polls this week.
• A year after surrendering the Big 12 regular-season championship for the first time in 14 seasons, the Jayhawks look to climb back to the top of the Big 12 standings and into the conversation for a national championship run.
• 2019 All-Big 12 third team member Devon Dotson has been explosive for KU. The combo guard initially put his name into the 2019 NBA Draft and participated at the combine this past summer before returning for his sophomore season. Thus far, he is the Jayhawks’ leading scorer (18.2 ppg), is second in assists (4.2 apg) and leads the team in steals with 2.3 per game.
• Senior forward Udoka Azubuike has been productive for Kansas after having his 2018-19 campaign ended prematurely due to an injury. He currently ranks second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg). Azubuike leads the country in field-goal percentage, knocking down 77.7 percent of his attempts from the field.
• KU’s mascot, the Jayhawk, is derived from the word Jayhawker. Jayhawker was originally a term used for U.S. Civil War guerrilla fighters from Kansas who clashed with pro-slavery groups from the state of Missouri.
• Forwards Silvio De Sousa (2.6 ppg) and David McCormack (7.5 ppg) are suspended for Saturday’s game.

LAST TIME VS. KANSAS
•  In a battle of top-five teams, No. 5 Tennessee dropped a heartbreaker to second-ranked Kansas in overtime, 87-81, in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game at the Barclays Center on Nov. 23, 2018.
•  The Big Orange fought the whole game, but an 18-12 advantage in overtime pushed the Jayhawks to the win. Admiral Schofield, who scored nine in overtime, finished with a team-high 21 points and six rebounds.
•  Grant Williams, who fouled out with 1:24 left in regulation, added 18 points, eight rebounds, a career-high-tying six assists and two steals. Kansas’ Dedric Lawson won Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after leading the Jayhawks with 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the championship.
•  Tennessee point guard Jordan Bone chipped in 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting along with six rebounds and five assists. Lamonté Turner and Kyle Alexander added 10 points each.
•  Williams and Bone both were named to the All-Tournament Team.
•  With the game tied at 69-69 with 1:24 left, both teams’ defense stepped up and held the other without a basket, forcing overtime. Kansas had two looks at the basket during the final 30 seconds but missed both attempts, including one as time expired.
•  KU opened overtime on a 5-0 run. An offensive rebound by Schofield got the Vols on the board to end the run, but it wasn’t enough to halt Kansas’ offense. The Jayhawks hit four of their final six shots to put the game away.

BARNES & SELF: 1,399 COMBINED WINS
•  Rick Barnes (704) and Bill Self (695) are the seventh- and eighth-winningest active Division I coaches, respectively, in terms of total victories.
• Barnes owns seven head-to-head wins over Self—six while Self was at Kansas, once at Illinois. No other head coach (active or former) has defeated Self more than that. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo also has beaten Self seven times.

HISTORY VS. TOP-FIVE TEAMS
•  Tennessee is 28-77 all-time against teams ranked in the top five of the AP poll. That includes a 3-16 mark against teams ranked No. 3.
•  The Vols under head coach Rick Barnes are 4-3 against AP top-five opponents. He led UT to a 3-2 record in such games last season.
•  During his career as a Division I head coach, Barnes owns a 21-44 record against AP top-five foes. Of his 27 previous games against Kansas, the Jayhawks were ranked in the AP top five for 11 of them (Barnes won two).
•  On Feb. 11, 2008, Barnes led Texas to a 72-69 home win over a Kansas team ranked No. 3 in both polls.

VOLS, JAYHAWKS TRAVEL TOGETHER
• In addition to a home-and-home contract in 2009 and 2010—which saw each team win on its own home court—the Vols and Jayhawks have been on a similar holiday tournament rotation the past decade.
• The teams were part of the same field at the 2011 Maui Invitational (did not meet), the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis (did not meet), the 2014 Orlando Classic (Kansas defeated the Vols) and last season’s NIT Season Tipoff (Kansas defeated the Vols in the championship game).

UT Athletics
Keith Urban Extends Las Vegas Residency With New Dates

Keith Urban Extends Las Vegas Residency With New Dates

Posted on January 24, 2020

Keith Urban has extended his residency at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum in Las Vegas. Keith added four dates—one in July and three in September—to his Sin City residency, which is dubbed Keith Urban Live.

Keith has already performed four residency shows in January, with a number of previously announced dates in April, July, Aug. and Nov.

Tickets for the new dates on July 9 and Sept. 4, 5 and 6 will go on sale on Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. PT.

Keith Urban Live

  • April 24, 25
  • July 9, 10, 11
  • Aug. 7, 8
  • Sept. 4, 5, 6
  • Nov. 20, 21

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Jaden Springer to Play in McDonald’s All-American Game

Jaden Springer to Play in McDonald’s All-American Game

Posted on January 23, 2020
Credit: UT Athletics

Tennessee basketball signee Jaden Springer was among 24 elite high school seniors selected Thursday to compete in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Game.

Springer becomes the ninth Tennessee signee to earn McDonald’s All-American acclaim. This is the first time since 1997 and 1998 that the Vol signees have earned this honor in back-to-back years, as current UT freshman Josiah-Jordan James was a McDonald’s All-American last year.

The Toyota Center in Houston hosts the 43rd McDonald’s All-American Game on May 1 on ESPN.

Springer is a 6-4 guard from Charlotte, North Carolina, who is attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He is rated as a top-20 prospect nationally.

Last year, Springer played a key role in leading IMG Academy to the 2019 Geico High School National Championship while averaging 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Just last week, Springer—along with fellow UT signee Keon Johnson—was named to the 25-man 2020 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys High School Midseason Team, qualifying each of them as finalists for the Naismith High School Boys Player of the Year Award.

Head coach Rick Barnes has now signed 17 McDonald’s All-Americans.

Tennessee’s previous McDonald’s All-American signees were Doug Roth (1985), Allan Houston (1989), Charles Hathaway (1996), Tony Harris (1997), Vincent Yarbrough (1998), Scotty Hopson (2008), Tobias Harris (2010) and James (2019).

 

UT Athletics

Chase Rice on Being Thrown Under the Bus on Upcoming “The Bachelor” Appearance: “I Have Zero Desire to Be Part of Some BS Reality TV Drama”

Chase Rice on Being Thrown Under the Bus on Upcoming “The Bachelor” Appearance: “I Have Zero Desire to Be Part of Some BS Reality TV Drama”

Posted on January 23, 2020

Chase Rice will release his new seven-song project, The Album Part 1, on Jan. 24. The newly revealed release date coincides with Chase’s upcoming appearance on ABC’s The Bachelor on Jan. 27.

Cue the dramatic music.

Apparently, one of the show’s contestants, Victoria F., previously dated Chase. During the upcoming episode, bachelor Peter surprises Victoria F. by taking her to Chase’s concert. The show’s upcoming preview suggests drama ensues as this occurrence was a shock to Chase, Victoria F. and Peter.

Chase called in to The Ty Bentli Show this week and revealed he’s dropping his new album on Jan. 24 in the hope that the Bachelor exposure boosts sales, even though he’s not thrilled with how the show threw him “under the bus.”

“The thing is, I knew [Victoria F.] was going to be on the show going into the very beginning of it, and we talked about it,” says Chase. “We were just like, ‘You know what? They’re not going to do that. There’s no way. They’re not going to involve me in the storyline.’ And sure enough, we underestimated them.

“It just seemed really unnecessary to be honest. I mean, it’s never happened before where one of the guests of the show gets involved, and I don’t believe that was a coincidence. I’m just going to be straight up, I can’t point the blame to anybody, but that’s why I twisted it to the music, because I mean, when [Peter and Victoria F.] turned the corner, obviously I’m the surprise for the date, and it’s just weird. But when I thought about it, I was like, ‘Okay, they’re going to throw me under the bus.’ I wanted to make it about the music. That’s why I dropped the album now. It’s like, ‘All right, if they’re going to do that, I’m going to put out The Album Part 1 and hopefully by the end of week, thank them for a number one album.’

“I have zero desire to be part of some BS reality TV drama. I could care less about that. This was not a coincidence. I put the album out on purpose right now. Then hopefully at the end of the week, I can be like, ‘Hey, thanks y’all for the BS drama. I got a number one album.’ That’s all I care about.”

Tune in to The Ty Bentli Show on Jan. 24 to hear Chase’s entire interview.

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