As Blake alluded to in his post, he and Gwen will most likely be performing their new duet, “Nobody But You,” which is featured on his recent album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The new tune was penned by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James.
“This was one of those songs where the more I heard it, the more I fell in love with it,” Blake says. “I also realized how important it is for me and where I am in my life, and I think that’s why Shane [McAnally] was trying to get it to me. It fits my story. I was about to go in and record when I decided that it needed Gwen on it—because it is our song. I think it’s magic.”
Blake is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “God’s Country.”
The 62nd Grammy Awards will air live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Jan. 26 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Six double-digit scorers, a career-high 11 points from junior Jalen Johnson and a gritty defensive effort led Tennessee past Missouri, 69-59, Tuesday at Mizzou Arena.
The result improved the Vols to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, while the Tigers fell to 8-6 (0-2 SEC) after dropping their first two conference matchups.
Johnson enjoyed his best performance of the season, scoring 11 points and knocking down a career-high three attempts from 3-point range.
Senior Jordan Bowden added a game-high 13 points and had four rebounds to cap several critical defensive stops.
Junior John Fulkerson and freshman Josiah-Jordan James each turned in quality nights, with both players scoring 11 points. James added a game-high-tying seven rebounds, while Fulkerson hauled in six boards of his own.
Freshman Santiago Vescovi, in his second appearance for the Vols, scored double-digit points for the second straight game, totaling 12 points, all in the second half, to help the Vols close out their first road victory of the season.
An evenly-matched opening 10 minutes—with neither squad leading by more than five points—saw the Vols holding a slim, 17-15 advantage at the midway point of the first half.
In the final stage of the half, Johnson knocked down three 3-pointers and hit both of his chances from the charity stripe to propel the Vols to a 32-28 halftime lead.
Out of the break, 3-pointers from freshman Josiah-Jordan James and junior Yves Pons increased the Tennessee lead to 38-28 less than two minutes into the second half.
The Tigers responded with a 12-2 scoring run to knot the score at 40 apiece. During that five-minute stretch, Missouri forced two shot-clock violations to help hold UT scoreless for more than three minutes.
Following the Tigers’ run, James knocked down two buckets in three possessions to match Missouri to keep the score even at 45-45 with 11:32 remaining in the game.
The back-and-forth action continued, with the teams trading baskets over the next five minutes. With the score tied at 53-53, Vescovi knocked down two clutch 3-pointers and made a layup on three straight possessions to give the Vols a 61-53 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
In the game’s final moments, Tennessee used solid shooting from the foul line and some timely baskets to secure the victory.
THE STREAK CONTINUES: A rejection from junior Yves Pons late in the first half increased his blocks streak to 14 consecutive games to open the season. Pons, the SEC’s second-leading shot blocker, finished the night with three blocks.
UP NEXT: Tennessee returns home Saturday to host South Carolina inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 23/24 Tennessee (11-3, 1-1 SEC) plays its second straight game on the road, as it travels to Oxford, Mississippi, to face the Rebels (7-8, 0-2 SEC) in a 7 p.m. CT (8 ET) contest on Thursday at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
This will mark the 55th meeting between these programs, with the Lady Vols leading the all-time series by a 46-8 advantage. The game is being billed as a “Red Out,” and the home team will join the spirit and wear red uniforms. The Lady Vols will wear their home whites.
Tennessee stands at 1-1 after opening the SEC slate with a 77-66 home win over Missouri on Jan. 2 and then dropping a hard-fought, 80-76 decision at No. 13/13 Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. UT’s only losses are to (then) No. 1/1 Stanford, Texas and No. 13/13 Kentucky. The Lady Vols defeated Notre Dame, which was ranked #15/14 when the teams played in November.
Ole Miss is coming off a 79-35 defeat at the hands of No. 10/12 Texas A&M on Monday night in College Station. The Rebels, who started the season 5-2, have dropped two in a row and six of their last eight contests. The other Ole Miss loss in Southeastern Conference play came at home vs. Georgia, but it was a competitive battle that ended with the Bulldogs prevailing, 58-51.
Following Thursday night’s match-up, Tennessee has a Sunday home matinee vs. Georgia (1 p.m. ET/SEC Network). The Rebels, meanwhile, head to Baton Rouge, La., for a 2 p.m. CT contest on Sunday at LSU on SECN+.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night’s game will be streamed on SECN+ with Seth Austin (PxP) and Lindsay Roy (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.
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.
RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME
Rennia Davis turned in a 27-point performance, but it wasn’t enough to pull off the upset bid over No. 13/13 Kentucky as the No. 22/23 Lady Vols fell in Memorial Gymnasium in Lexington on Sunday, 80-76.
Also in double figures for Tennessee (11-3, 1-1 SEC) were sophomore Rae Burrell, who finished with 16 points and six rebounds, and freshman Jordan Horston, who posted 13 points and a career-high nine assists.
NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME
Big Time Blocking: UT blocked 12 shots against Kentucky, tying for fourth in Lady Vol single-game records. Freshman Tamari Key fueled that effort, recording five blocked shots on the day. The team also managed 12 blocks against Notre Dame earlier this season.
The Davis Factor: Rennia Davis led Tennessee with a 27-point performance against Kentucky, marking the 23rd time she has led UT in scoring. It was her third game of the season with 20 or more points and the 10th of her career. She is now tied for 15th in all-time 20+ point performances by Lady Vols.
Horston Heating Up: Freshman Jordan Horston narrowly missed a double-double against UK, posting 13 points and a career-high nine assists. She has now scored in double figures in four straight contests and in five of the last six. If the season ended today, her 4.8 apg. would rank second all-time among Lady Vol freshmen.
Burrell’s Ballin’: Sophomore Rae Burrell set a new SEC high of 16 points against Kentucky, marking the third time in the last four contests she has scored 10 or more points. She is now the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points per game.
Strong At The Free Throw Line: The Lady Vols hit their second-most free throws and knocked them down at the second-highest percentage all season vs. Kentucky. Tennessee finished the day 17 of 21 at the charity stripe for 81 percent. The team had entered the contest shooting 61.9 percent for the year.
TENNESSEE, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
UT ranks in the top 10 nationally in eight statistical categories, including No. 1 in rebound margin (15.8); No. 2 in blocked shots (96), defensive rebounds per game (33.6), field goal percentage defense (30.7)and rebounds per game (50.79); No. 3 in blocked shots per game (6.9) and rebounds (711); and No. 6 in offensive rebounds per game (17.1).
UT is tops in the SEC in eight categories, including assists (248), assists per game (17.7), defensive rebounds per game (33.6), field goal percentage defense (30.7), offensive rebounds per game (17.1), rebound margin (15.8), rebounds (711) and rebounds per game (50.79).
Individually, Jazmine Massengill ranks ninth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and No. 1 in the SEC at 2.19 to 1.
UT-OLE MISS SERIES NOTES
UT enters the 55th meeting in the series with a 46-8 edge, including a a 20-4 mark in Oxford, a 21-2 record in games played in Knoxville and a 5-2 slate at neutral sites.
Tennessee has won 30 of the last 31 meetings with Ole Miss, with the only setback in that sequence coming in Oxford, 67-62, on Jan. 12, 2017.
This will mark the 53rd meeting in which at least one of the teams has been ranked in either the AP or USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Big Orange had been unable to reach 70 points in six of its last seven trips to Oxford until rolling up 81 in last season’s victory at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
The Lady Vols have won 18 straight over the Rebels in Knoxville, with the last Ole Miss victory (69-65) coming on Jan. 31, 1987, in Stokely Athletics Center.
Tennessee junior Rennia Davis has played well against Ole Miss in two games, averaging 15.5 ppg. and 7.0 rebounds vs. the Rebels.
UT Head Coach Kellie Harper is 1-0 vs. Ole Miss as a head coach. Harper took Missouri State to Oxford on Nov. 19, 2015, and came away with a 91-78 victory over the (then) Matt Insell-coached Rebels.
Harper was 6-1 vs. Ole Miss during her playing days at Tennessee from 1995-99.
ABOUT OLE MISS
The Rebels returned one starter and four total letterwinners from last season’s squad that went 9-22 overall and 3-13 in the SEC (12th).
Ole Miss was projected to finish 13th in both the 2019-20 preseason SEC coaches and media polls.
Second-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is in the midst of a rebuild in Oxford and planted seeds for the future with a 2020 signing class that ranks No. 13 in the nation, per espnW HoopGurlz.
Ole Miss is led by 5-8 redshirt junior guard Deja Cage, a transfer from DePaul, who averages 13.2 ppg., and junior college transfer Valerie Nesbitt, a 5-8 guard who is tallying 11.3 ppg.
RECAPPING THEIR LAST GAME
Ole Miss fell on the road at No. 10/12 Texas A&M, 79-35, at Reed Arena on Monday night.
The Aggies (14-1, 2-0 SEC) led wire-to-wire, using an 11-0 run to separate in the first quarter.
The Rebels (7-8, 0-2 SEC) were able to hold national player of the year candidate Chennedy Carter (13 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two blocks) to single-digit scoring until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but Texas A&M received other great outings from Ciera Johnson (17 points, three rebounds, two assists), Shambria Washington (12 points, three rebounds, three assists), N’Dea Jones (10 points, 13 rebounds, six steals, two assists) and Aaliyah Wilson (10 points, two rebounds, one assist) while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor.
Deja Cage led Ole Miss with 15 points.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
The Lady Vols closed out the 2018-19 regular season with a commanding victory over Ole Miss, winning 81-56 on 51.8-percent shooting last March 3 at the Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Tennessee (18-11, 7-9 SEC) was led in scoring by Meme Jackson, who hit five threes in route to 20 points while tying her season high of six assists. Rennia Davis and Cheridene Green also were in double figures for UT with 13 and 11, respectively.
The Rebels (9-21, 3-14 SEC) were led in scoring by redshirt senior Crystal Allen, who fired in 30 points. Freshman Gabby Crawford also was in double digits for UM with 16 points and nine rebounds.
UT poured in 43 points in the first half against Ole Miss, the most first-half points Tennessee had scored against an SEC opponent since tallying 43 vs. Arkansas on Jan. 4, 2018.
UT went 8-of-14 from the three-point arc against Ole Miss for a 3-point field goal percentage of 57.1, marking their best percentage from behind the arc all season and their highest total of made treys in SEC play.
Chase Rice is gearing up to release a new seven-song project, The Album Part 1.
While no official release date has been announced, Chase stopped by The Ty Bentli Show this week to share a few details about the upcoming album, including the track list. Chase was also candid about his past music, telling the titular host that he cites his 2019 No. 1 hit, “Eyes on You,” as the beginning of his career, even though he co-penned Florida Georgia Line’s 2012 smash hit, “Cruise,” and scored his own Top 5 hits with “Ready Set Roll” in 2013 and “Gonna Wanna Tonight” in 2014.
“To me, my career is just about to start, which is crazy because I’ve been here 10 years,” says Chase. “If you look at the ‘Ready Set Roll’ and ‘Gonna Wanna Tonight’ years, and then after that we had a couple of misses—but those [songs] were like the foundation of everything, but it was a real flimsy foundation. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just throwing stuff against the wall . . . I had two Top 5s, usually that’s a hell of a start, but it kinda stalled between there and that was three or four years ago.
“My goal, I wanna play arenas. I think that our show is an arena show. I think our band is an arena band. Those guys are insane. But for me, the music hasn’t been there. And the music’s been good. It’s been solid stuff. But I look back at a couple of albums . . . Ignite the Night was 17 songs or 19 songs on the [deluxe] edition. It could have just been 10 [laughing].
“I look at [The Album Part 1] with the production and writing—I’ll just read [the songs] off—‘American Nights,’ ‘Lonely If You Are,’ ‘Everywhere,’ ‘Best Night Ever,’ ‘Messy,’ ‘In the Car’ and ‘Forever to Go’—any one of those songs, to me, would be better than what I did on my previous albums. The way I look at it now is this is the beginning. ‘Eyes on You,’ to me, is the beginning of my career.”
Tune in to The Ty Bentli Show on Jan. 8 to hear Chase’s entire interview.
Chase heads to Europe for a 12-date tour on Jan. 11, before joining Brantley Gilbert’s Fire’t Up Tour on April 16.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival unleashed its 100-plus-artist lineup for 2020, and it includes a handful of country-centric performers, including Jason Isbell, Morgan Wallen, Mandolin Orange, Orville Peck, Yola and more.
For the third year in a row, Bonnaroo will feature the Grand Ole Opry stage on June 11, with special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2020 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will take place June 11–14 at Great Stage Park, the 700-acre farm and event space located just 60 miles south of Nashville in Manchester, Tenn. And, if you were wondering, Nashville’s CMA Fest is scheduled for June 4–7, so two of Tennessee’s biggest festivals don’t coincide this year.
Country trio Rascal Flatts—comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney—announced they will hit the road this summer for their Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour.
The trio visited CBS This Morning on Jan. 7 to make the announcement. The guys revealed they will disband after the tour to tackle individual projects, but they left the door open to reunite.
“When we started out 20 years ago, we could not imagine all of the people, places and gifts we would encounter,” said Gary. “The greatest feeling ever, is being told that our music has been the soundtrack to their lives . . . That’s why we create music and the reason we can’t wait to celebrate this incredible 20 year journey all year, with our fans who we love dearly. I don’t know what God has in store for the future, but I am excited to see what He has planned!”
“We’re really looking forward to getting to spend this entire year loving on our fans, and thanking them for allowing us to have the most amazing career over the last 20 years,” shared Jay. “While it is of course bittersweet, it is so important to us to celebrate what our music has meant to their lives, as well as what the fans have meant to us. There is no sadness here, just new chapters, new journeys, and new beginnings. Rascal Flatts’ music will live on forever, because of our fans, and this year is all about them.”
“Dreams do come true . . . and we are three walking examples of this truth,” said Joe Don. “I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve pursued our dreams together and with courage, hard-work and dedication we’ve been able to cultivate our dreams into reality—it’s simply incredible! There’s no doubt we have been blessed way beyond belief and we can’t wait to spend the rest of 2020 expressing our love and appreciation to all of our devoted fans, music industry friends and our families for believing in us and playing a major role in our path to here. And, I personally can’t wait to shine a light on my brothers Jay and Gary this year, and make another mountain of new memories with them.”
The Farewell Tour will kick off on June 11 in Indianapolis, making additional stops in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and more.
Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour
June 11 | Indianapolis, IN | Ruoff Music Center
June 12 | Detroit, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 13 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center
June 25 | Chicago, IL | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | S&T Bank Music Park
July 18 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion
July 23 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage
Sept. 4 | Cleveland, OH | Blossom Music Center
Sept. 5 | Buffalo, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sept. 10 | Raleigh, NC | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 11 | Virginia Beach, VA | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sept. 12 | Washington, DC | Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 17 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sept. 18 | Boston, MA | Xfinity Center
Sept. 19 | Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center
Oct. 1 | Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 2 | San Diego, CA | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 3 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre
Oct. 7 | Denver, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 9 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater
Oct. 10 | Phoenix, AZ | Ak|Chin Pavilion
Oct. 15 | Atlanta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Oct. 16 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 17 | West Palm Beach, FL | Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Dustin Lynch is starting 2020 the right way—with a No. 1 single.
Dustin scored his seventh No. 1 single as “Ridin’ Roads” ascended to the top of both the Mediabase chart and Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Co-penned by Dusitn, Ashley Gorley and Zack Crowell, “Ridin’ Roads” is featured on Dustin’s upcoming album, Tullahoma, which drops on Jan. 17. The new project takes its name from Dustin’s Tennessee hometown, which is about 80 miles southeast of Nashville.
“Every song on Tullahoma, there’s a reason it’s there,” says Dustin. “A lot of that points back to the people who raised me, and growing up with a lifestyle where I could go outside and have fun, explore and try new things in the great outdoors. It’s kind of about being that kid and learning all those things. That’s my story, but I think we all can relate to the kid who’s discovering, the kid who’s figuring out love for the first time, all that good stuff.”
“Ridin’ Roads” is Dustin’s second No. 1 single as a songwriter, following his 2019 No. 1 hit, “Good Girl.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team will look to bounce back from its loss against LSU in its SEC opener when it takes on Missouri on Tuesday night inside Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Tuesday’s game is available on SEC Network, online on WatchESPN at espn.com/watch and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Tom Hart and Andy Kennedy 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 fell to LSU in their SEC opener, 78-64. Despite the loss, UT saw great production from midseason addition Santiago Vescovi. The freshman point guard, just one week after arriving in Knoxville poured in a game-high-tying 18 points, knocking down six of his nine attempts from 3-point range. The Vols also saw positive outings from junior Yves Pons and freshman Josiah-Jordan James. Pons matched Vescovi’s point total with 18 of his own, connecting on seven of his 12 attempts from the field, with three of those makes coming from behind the 3-point line. James added a season-high 15 points, with 11 coming in the first half to help spark UT’s early first half run.
The Vols and Tigers have split the last four matchups that have been contested in Columbia, with Tennessee holding a slim 8-7 edge in the overall series.
A win would leave coach Rick Barnes just three wins shy of his 100th victory as head coach of the Orange & White and would stand as UT’s first true road victory of the season.
Up next, Tennessee will return home on Saturday, Jan. 11, when it takes on South Carolina. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Missouri, 8-7, dating to 1961.
• The Tigers hold a 5-2 edge when the series is contested in Columbia, though the teams have split the last four meetings there.
A WIN WOULD…
• Leave Rick Barnes just three wins shy of recording his 100th victory as Tennessee’s head coach.
• Give the Vols back-to-back victories at Mizzou Arena.
• Stand as UT’s first true road win of the season.
• Prevent UT’s first three-game losing skid since Feb. 22 through March 1 of the 2016-17 season (Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU).
STORYLINES
• First-year Tennessee assistant coach Kim English was a 1,500-point scorer and an All-Big 12 performer during his collegiate playing career at Mizzou from 2008-12. The Tigers won 107 games during the NBA Draft pick’s career. See note on Page 4.
• Cuonzo Martin coached the Vols for three seasons from 2011-14.
• VFL and former All-SEC Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon (2010-14) is now a second-year graduate assistant on the Mizzou basketball staff.
• None of the projected starters for Tuesday’s game started the last time these teams met.
• Mid-year enrollee Santiago Vescovi started and scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in his Tennessee debut Saturday, just one week after arriving in the United States from his native Uruguay.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks second in the SEC and 15th nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 59.6 ppg.
• The Vols have a 0.0 turnover margin through 13 games—UT and its opponents both have committed 175 turnovers.
• Junior John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .663 from the field while averaging a career-best 11.2 points per game this season.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and ranks second in the SEC with 2.4 bpg.
• True freshman Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is the SEC’s second-leading rebounder among freshmen.
• Senior guard and preseason All-SEC selection Lamonté Turner announced on Dec. 21 that he will no longer suit up for the Vols due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The Vols are 0-2 without him.
ABOUT MISSOURI
• Missouri is coming off a loss in its SEC opener, dropping a 71-59 decision at 17th-ranked Kentucky Saturday.
• The Tigers closed non-conference action on a high note, winning four consecutive games before Saturday’s loss at Kentucky. Following a difficult loss at home against Charleston Southern to begin December, Mizzou bounced back, to post wins against Temple, Southern Illinois, Illinois and Chicago State.
• Missouri returns seven of its top-nine scorers from 2018-19 while managing the departure of graduating seniors Jordan Geist (14.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg) and Kevin Puryear (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
• Bright spots for the Tigers this season have been the production of Mark and Dru Smith. Mark is second on the Tigers in scoring (11.5 ppg) and leads Mizzou in rebounding (4.8 rpg), while Dru leads the Tigers in scoring (11.8 ppg), assists (4.4 apg) and steals (2.0 spg) while ranking second in rebounding (4.7 rpg).
• After making the NCAA Tournament in 2018, the Tigers look to avoid missing out on March for the second consecutive season under head coach Cuonzo Martin.
• Missouri’s official mascot, Truman the Tiger, was introduced on Sept. 16, 1986, and was named after Harry S. Truman, the only president from Missouri, following a campus-wide contest.
• Notable Missouri alumni include aspiring basketball official Kim English and Sam Walton, who is known for his founding of popular retail store chains Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart.
LAST TIME VS. MISSOURI
• Holding Missouri to just 35 percent shooting from the field, No. 1 Tennessee topped the Tigers for a second time last season, 72-60, on Feb. 5, 2019, to extend its winning streak to a program-best 17 games.
• The Vols remained the only undefeated team in SEC play (9-0) and pushed their conference regular-season winning streak to 13, which tied a program record set in 1979-80. The win also was the 21st consecutive victory inside of Thompson-Boling Arena, making it the fifth-longest home win streak in school history (a streak that would extend to 31).
• Four Tennessee players finished in double figures with Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield leading the way with a game-high 13 points apiece. Jordan Bowden had 12 points, while Jordan Bone (11 points) and Lamonté Turner (nine points) helped close out the game in the second half.
• Nine of Bone’s 11 points came in the second half as the SEC assists leader added a game-high seven assists and four boards.
• Kyle Alexander led the Vols with eight rebounds and four blocks to go along with six points.
• Trailing by six at halftime, the Tigers came out in the second half and cut the Tennessee lead to two possessions. It wouldn’t last for long, as the Vols went on an 11-0 burst to push their lead to 50-35 with 14:58 left in the game.
• UT continued its staunch defensive effort in the second half, holding MU to just 32 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc. Despite their shooting woes, the Tigers trailed by only eight with less than seven minutes remaining.
• It was the first game back on Rocky Top for former UT head coach Cuonzo Martin.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST MISSOURI
• Knoxville native Rob Jones totaled 14 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and a team-high three blocks against the Tigers Dec. 10, 1984, in Columbia, but it wasn’t enough, as Missouri posted a 70-61 victory. Five Tigers scored in double figures in the win.
• Mizzou had no answer for the great Bernard King, as the legendary Vols forward recorded a double-double with 32 points and 18 rebounds in a 99-77 Tennessee triumph at the Big Sun Invitational on Dec. 21, 1974 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Two-time first-team All-SEC honoree Mike Edwards tallied a team-high 19 points against Missouri during a 67-57 loss to the 12th-ranked Tigers in the 1972 Vol Classic title game in Knoxville on Dec. 16, 1972.
• In the first-ever meeting in this series, 6-10 Tennessee center Orb Bowling led the Vols in scoring (12) and rebounding (8), but Missouri managed an 86-61 win on Dec. 20, 1961, in Knoxville.
ENGLISH PART OF WINNINGEST CLASS IN MIZZOU PROGRAM HISTORY
• Vols assistant coach Kim English and two of his Missouri teammates were part of a program-record 107 collegiate wins during their careers as Tigers (2008-12).
• English was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Big 12 Tournament after averaging 23.0 ppg.
MARTIN LED VOLS FOR THREE YEARS
• Third-year Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin was the head coach at Tennessee for three seasons from 2011-14.
• Martin led the Vols to a 63-41 (32-20 SEC) record and a memorable 2014 NCAA Tournament run that began in the First Four and ended in the Sweet Sixteen (one possession away from the program’s second all-time Elite Eight appearance).
• On April 15, 2014, it was announced that Martin had accepted the head coaching job at Cal, where he spent three seasons before transitioning to Mizzou.
• Tigers assistant coach Marco Harris was on Martin’s staff at Tennessee, serving in the role of Student-Athlete Welfare Coordinator and later Director of Basketball Operations.
VOLS VS. FORMER HEAD COACHES
• Tennessee is 9-7 all-time when facing a team led by a former UT head coach. This is the fourth time the Vols will oppose Cuonzo Martin since his tenure at UT ended.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Dating to the start of the 2017-18 season, Tennessee is 15-8 in true road games.
• That includes victories at Kentucky, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Memphis, Florida and Missouri.
VESCOVI’S ARRIVAL WELL-TIMED
• Given the status of senior guard Lamonté Turner, the arrival of mid-year enrollee point guard Santiago Vescovi was well timed.
• The 18-year-old, Uruguayan guard arrived in Knoxville Dec. 28. Vescovi came to Rocky Top from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. After only four practices with his new teammates, he earned a starting nod in his debut Jan. 4 vs. LSU.
• Vescovi scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in that debut and also had a team-high six rebounds.
• Attendance for his debut vs. LSU was 18,653. After the game, Vescovi stated that he had never previously played in front of a crowd larger than 7,000 in his life.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference office announced its 2020 class of Women’s Legends on Monday, and Lady Vol basketball icon Candace Parker is the University of Tennessee’s representative.
The class includes former student-athletes and coaches from all 14 SEC member institutions. On Mondays and Thursdays during women’s basketball season, one individual will be highlighted on the SEC’s website and via social media.
Parker was a three-time WBCA and Naismith All-American and All-SEC First Team selection at Tennessee from 2005-08, leading the Lady Vols to NCAA national championships in 2007 and 2008, an SEC regular season trophy in 2007 and SEC Tournament crowns in 2006 and 2008. She is one of six women’s players at Tennessee to have her jersey banner hanging from the rafters in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vol legend still holds nine UT all-time records, including most slam dunks in a career (7), season (4) and game (2). Parker was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament contest and the first to throw it down twice in a single game, doing so on March 19, 2006, vs. Army in the NCAA First Round at Norfolk, Va. Despite playing only three seasons at UT before heading to the WNBA, she remains No. 3 in points (2,137) and No. 8 in rebounds (972) among a bevy of other impressive UT career rankings.
Parker was the State Farm Wade Trophy winner in 2007, the ESPN.com and Naismith National Player of the Year in 2008, and the John R. Wooden and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, as well as winning the Honda Sports Award and Honda-Broderick Cup Athlete of the Year honors those seasons as well. She also won ESPYs for Female Athlete of the Year and Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year in 2008 and was SEC Female Athlete of the Year in 2008, Player of the Year in 2007 and SEC Tournament MVP in 2006 and 2008.
Before going on to win gold medals with two U.S. Olympic Teams (2008, 2012) and becoming a league and Finals MVP, a five-time all-star and a league champion with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, Parker was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, a 2007 and 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American and the 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Most recently, she was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in October.
Parker became the third Lady Vol to be selected first in the WNBA Draft, hearing the Los Angeles Sparks call her name in April of 2008. She went on to earn league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors that season and is preparing for her 13th WNBA season.
During the offseason, she continues to shine in the sports broadcast industry, serving as an integral part of TNT’s NBA coverage, primarily as a studio analyst for the network’s Tuesday night telecasts. She also contributes analysis for NBA TV studio shows, while continuing her role as studio analyst for Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ NCAA Tournament coverage.
The newest class of legends will be honored at the 2020 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 4-8, in Greenville, S.C. Each legend will be honored during half‐time of their team’s first game of the tournament, all 14 individuals will also be honored as a group, as well as participate in an autograph session during the tournament. Complimentary posters of the Legends will be available at the session.
In addition to performing during halftime of the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Dec. 31, Scotty McCreery was presented with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Outstanding Achievement Award for his continued service to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
photo by Scott Stem
Scotty was recognized with the award during the President’s Gala on Dec. 30 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Past recipients of the award include Elvis Presley, Alabama, Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes and more.
“Both my wife Gabi and I have visited St. Jude and have seen firsthand the amazing work that goes on there,” said Scotty. “I’m always glad to help St. Jude and spread the word about what they do.”
Over the past two years, Scotty has helped raise $50,000 for Jude through his participation on Celebrity Family Feud ($25,000 in 2018) and via a social media promotion with Bumble ($25,000 in 2019). Scotty has also participated in St. Jude’s “This Shirt Saves Lives” campaigns for several years.
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