NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Ashley McBryde.
“When I found Tenille Arts, I was just like, ‘Wow!’” says Ashley. “Her song, ‘I Hate This,’ is a great song. Everyone needs to hear it.”
Nashville police arrested Michael D. Mosley, 23, on Dec. 25 and charged him with two counts of criminal homicide in the stabbing deaths of Clayton Beathard, 22, and Paul Trapeni III, 21, on Dec. 21.
Clayton was the son of country songwriter Casey Beathard and the brother of singer/songwriter Tucker Beathard (pictured in main photo) and NFL quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Mosley was also charged with one count of attempted criminal homicide for wounding a third man. Mosley was captured on Dec. 25 in Cheatham County, Tenn., after a joint task force located him in a vacant house. Mosley is being held without bond on the two criminal homicide charges, and a $5 million bond was set on the attempted criminal homicide charge.
“The fatal stabbings appear to have resulted from an argument over a woman that began inside Dogwood Bar and then turned physical when the parties went outside,” according to a press release from Nashville Police. “Multiple persons were involved in the outdoor fight during which the two men were both fatally stabbed in their sides.”
Metro Nashville PD posted a series of tweets and photos on Dec. 25 to announce Mosley’s capture:
Clayton played football at Long Island University.
“We are thankful that he is off of the streets,” said Clayton’s father, Casey, according to the Tennessean. “We are sad because two incredible young men are missed. The only thing that holds us together is trusting God. We are in awe of all of the good we have already seen him working in and through this tragedy.”
Mosley has previous convictions for robbery, felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor assault.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes has announced a midseason addition to the roster, as highly-rated international prospect Santiago Vescovi (pronounced: sahn-tee-AH-go vess-CO-vee) is set to join the team this weekend. Vescovi officially signed with UT on Nov. 22.
A 6-2 guard from Montevideo, Uruguay, Vescovi will begin classes as a freshman on Jan. 8 and plans to major in Business. He must await standard NCAA and SEC clearance protocols before becoming eligible to compete in games, and a decision on whether or not he will compete this season has yet to be made.
Vescovi’s playmaking ability and shooting prowess put him on the international hoops radar and landed him placement at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, Mexico, when it first opened in the winter of 2018. This past July, he transferred to The NBA Global Academy, an elite basketball training center at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
The NBA Academy initiative exposes elite prospects to NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition and provides a global framework for them to maximize their success. Up to twelve elite student-athletes attend The NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, each year, developing under the supervision of NBA-trained personnel.
Through local partnerships, every NBA Academy prospect is a full-time student-athlete and receives a full scholarship to attend the academy and a local public or private school.
Vescovi, led The NBA Global Academy to a championship at the 2019 NBA Academy Games this past July. Then 17 years old—he turned 18 on Sept. 14—he led the team in scoring in both the semifinal and title game.
He also recently starred at the NBA G League International Challenge in Uruguay and the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.
Vescovi earned All-Star honors at the three-day BWB Global Camp while competing against players with NBA experience, such as Greg Monroe, Paul Zipser and Josh Huestis. Vescovi also was named the MVP of the 2019 Skill Factory Tournament of Champions in Atlanta after totaling 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the championship game.
Vescovi’s grandfather, Daniel Vanet, was a star basketball player in Uruguay, and Vescovi previously wore jersey No. 9 in his honor.
With the addition of Vescovi, who will wear jersey No. 25, Tennessee now has seven left-handers and four international players on its roster.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The No. 23/24 Lady Vols shot a scorching 51.4 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from behind the arc on Saturday, defeating Portland State in Viking Pavilion, 88-61.
Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (9-2) in scoring, narrowly missing a double-double with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jordan Horston was close behind, also setting a career high with 20 points. Junior Rennia Davis recorded her tenth rebound of the game just over two minutes into the second half to solidify the 24th double-double of her career. She went on to collect a season-high 13 rebounds while scoring 18 points.
Portland State (6-4) was led in scoring by Kylie Jimenez and Desirae Hansen, who finished with 15 and 10, respectively.
Tennessee came out of the gate hot with Key and Horston combining for nine unanswered points in the first three minutes of play. Jordan Stotler broke the drought for PSU, knocking down a three to set off a 12-3 run that tied that game up at 12-all with 4:31 to play in the quarter. The score remained knotted until Belle Frazier hit a 3-pointer to give Portland State its first lead of the game at 19-16 with 43 seconds to play in the first. Burrell answered on the other end, hitting a layup in the paint at the buzzer to put UT within one heading into the second stanza.
The teams swapped baskets to start the second period until Key knocked down an eight-foot jumper at the 6:47 mark, setting off a 14-0 run that gave UT a 38-24 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the half. Stotler ended the scoring slump for PSU with a 10-foot jumper, but Horston beat the buzzer on the other end, hitting a layup to give Tennessee a 40-26 lead at the half.
Junior Rae Burrell scored five points in the opening minutes of the third quarter, fueling an 11-4 run that put UT up 51-30 by the 5:18 mark. Kamera Harris and Jessie Rennie combined for another five points following the media timeout to extend the streak of unanswered points to 14 before Stotler hit a pair of free throws to put the score at 59-32 with 3:43 remaining in the period. Tennessee kept its foot on the gas, pouring in another nine points while holding the Vikings to three, entering the final stanza up 65-35.
Horston came out hot in the fourth, scoring nine points in the first four and a half minutes. Cassidy Gardner and Labrea Denson gave the Vikings a spark with just under three minutes remaining in the game, knocking down treys on three-straight possessions to cut the deficit to 28, but UT held on to a comfortable margin, winning 88-61.
Up Next: Tennessee will return to action on Dec. 29, hosting Howard in a 2 p.m. contest. It will be available for streaming on SECN+ and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations.
Big On The Boards: UT out-rebounded PSU, 56-26, recording its second-highest rebounding margin of the season. Tennessee now has won the rebounding battle in eight of 11 games and is averaging 51.6 rpg. while holding opponents to 35.5 rpg.
Burrell Heating Up: Sophomore Rae Burrell scored a career-high 21 points at Portland State. She now has scored in double figures in five of the last eight games, increasing her career high in three of those contests.
Jaz Dishing: Sophomore Jazmine Massengill doled out a career-high 10 assists, moving her season average to 4.5 apg. If the season ended today, she would tie with Ariel Massengale for fifth all-time among Lady Vol sophomores.
Hot Hand Horston: Freshman Jordan Horston recorded a career-high 20 points against PSU. Nine of those came during a four-and-a-half-minute flurry at the outset of the fourth quarter.
Balanced Attack: Ten of UT’s 11 active players scored at least two points against the Vikings, while four found their way into double figures (Burrell – 21, Horston – 20, Davis – 18, Key – 11).
Big Time Runs: Tennessee posted two 14-0 runs against Portland State, marking its third-longest run of the season and moving its total of 10+ runs to nine on the year.
Pons ties program record with six blocked shots; Turner shuts it down
Vols F Yves Pons / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A second-half offensive outburst propelled No. 21 Tennessee to a 75-53 win over Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win stands as the 700th in Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes‘ stellar 33-year career.
guard Lamonte Turner dished out 11 assists, marking his third game this season with double-digit assists. He became just the third player in program history to dish 11 assists or more in three games in the same season, joining Rodney Woods (1974-75) and Johnny Darden (1976-77 & 1977-78).
After the game, Turner—who has been battling lingering shoulder problems—announced his decision to step away from the court for medical reasons. A redshirt senior from Florence, Alabama, Turner graduated in May. In 106 career games, Turner scored 1,086 points and averaged 10.2 points and 3.3 assists per game.
As a team Saturday, Tennessee totaled 25 assists—its most in a single game this season. James also contributed a season-high six assists.
On the defensive end, Pons tied a program-record with six blocked shots, becoming just the seventh player in program history with six blocks in a game.
After Tennessee (8-3) took a four-point lead into halftime, the teams traded baskets to open the second half before the Vols’ offense came alive with an 11-2 run—capped when Pons blocked a shot the defensive end before draining a 3-pointer on the offensive end.
A brief run by the Gamecocks (4-8) cut the deficit back down to eight, but Tennessee responded with another spurt, this time 10-0, to push the lead to 19 points and take full control. Tennessee scored 45 points in the second half—the most points it has scored in any half this season.
Following an evenly contested first half, the Vols led the Gamecocks 30-26 at halftime. Tennessee opened the game balanced on the offensive end, as each of the Vols’ starters contributed one of the team’s first five field goals.
The Vols used their quick start on the offensive end to jump out to a 13-6 lead early on, before Jacksonville State took advantage of a scoring drought by the Vols that lasted nearly seven minutes and took a 16-13 lead.
Highlighted by back-to-back threes from Bowden, Tennessee responded by rattling off an 8-0 run of its own to give the Vols control of the game heading into the break.
BARNES GETS 700TH: Rick Barnes captured the 700th win of his head coaching career against Jacksonville State, becoming the 22nd head coach to ever record 700 Division I wins and one of seven active coaches to eclipse the mark.
YVES PROTECTING THE RIM: Junior forward Yves Pons recorded a program-record-tying six blocked shots during Saturday’s win,
It marked his sixth game this season with three or more blocks. Pons has blocked at least one shot in 11 consecutive games, a feat never accomplished by recent notable shot-blockers Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander.
FILLING UP TBA: Following Saturday’s home contest, Tennessee is now averaging an attendance of 18,603 per game in its seven home games this season. That ranks third in the nation this season.
UP NEXT: Following a week-long break from action, Tennessee returns to the hardwood next Saturday, Dec. 28, against Wisconsin at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will tip off at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS.
Blake Shelton scored his seventh No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart this week with the debut of Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The new album moved 96,000 equivalent units, according to Nielsen Music, which was good enough for No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
The 12-song offering features five new tunes—including “God’s Country,” “Hell Right” and a duet with Gwen Stefain on “Nobody But You”—with seven previously recorded hits, including “Came Here to Forget” and “I Lived It.” The new album aligns titularly with past compilations, Loaded (2010) and Reloaded (2015).
“You never know when all of this is gonna fade away,” said Blake. “So thank God for the fans who continually support my music and inspire me to keep the party going! Also want to thank the songwriters who trusted me with their music. This album wouldn’t exist without them.”
photo courtesy Warner Music Nashville
Fully Loaded: God’s Country Track List & Songwriters
1. God’s Country – Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, Devin Dawson
2. Hell Right (feat. Trace Adkins) – David Garcia, Brett Tyler, Michael Hardy
3. Nobody But You (Duet with Gwen Stefani) – Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Tommy Lee James
4. Came Here to Forget – Craig Wiseman, Deric Ruttan
5. She’s Got a Way with Words – Wyatt Earp, Andy Albert, Marc Beeson
6. A Guy With a Girl – Ashley Gorley, Bryan Simpson
7. Every Time I Hear That Song – Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Brad Warren, Brett Warren
8. I’ll Name the Dogs – Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip, Josh Thompson
9. I Lived It – Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman
10. Turnin’ Me On – Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Josh Osborne
11. Jesus Got a Tight Grip – Blake Shelton, Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander, Rhett Akins
12. Tequila Sheila – Mac Davis, Shel Silverstein
Clayton Beathard, 22, was stabbed to death outside a Nashville bar on the morning of Dec. 21.
Clayton is the son of country songwriter Casey Beathard and the brother of singer/songwriter Tucker Beathard (pictured in main photo) and NFL quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Paul Trapeni III, 21, was also stabbed to death during the altercation outside of Dogwood Bar in Midtown.
“The fatal stabbings appear to have resulted from an argument over a woman that began inside Dogwood Bar and then turned physical when the parties went outside,” according to a press release from Nashville Police. “Multiple persons were involved in the outdoor fight during which the two men were both fatally stabbed in their sides.”
A third stabbing victim, 21, remains at Vanderbilt with injuries to his eye and arm. Police are searching for four persons of interest.
Clayton Beathard played football at Long Island University and Battle Ground Academy.
“It’s times like this I wish had Instagram and social media because the love and prayers have been so overwhelming. We cannot possibly thank you at the rate they come in texts and phone calls. Clay was an amazing, big and soft hearted human being with an undeniable love for the Lord. He had his family’s, friends’ and teammates’ backs even to a fault. I wish he would have been more inclined to take the high road but he hated ‘wrong.’
“That is what we will hold in our hearts because we know he is smiling now. He always worried about all of our welfare, never his own. I say that to say, to those who knew and loved him, please lean into the Lord’s strength, trust in the Lord and carry on. Carry him with you like a chip on your shoulder, like the one he carried. He loved people saying he could do something. That’s where he thrived mostly.”
photo of Tucker Beathard by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Keith Urban.
“Tenille Townes, gosh, incredible,” says Keith. “I heard her a long time back, and she’s got a lot of new music that’s coming that’s incredible.”
Listen to Tenille’s recent single, “Somebody’s Daughter,” below.
Dustin Lynch helped raise more than $36,000 for his hometown of Tullahoma, Tenn., during his sixth annual Dustin Lynch & Friends Benefit Concert on Dec. 17. The annual show at Tullahoma High School, which featured performances by Dustin, Hunter Phelps, Jon Nite and Rodney Clawson, will benefit local charities Isaiah 117 House, the Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center and Toys for Tots.
Dustin will follow-up his 2017 album, Current Mood, with the release of his fourth studio album, Tullahoma, on Jan. 17. The new project takes its name from Dustin’s Tennessee hometown, which is about 80 miles southeast of Nashville.
“It’s all about me and growing up in my hometown,” says Dustin. “Every song on this album points to something that happened to me or my close friends and family, and that’s really cool. I’m very proud of where I’m from, and proud of this record because it will hopefully make my hometown a little more famous than it already is.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 21 Tennessee men’s basketball returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena for a weekend bout with Jacksonville State. Saturday’s tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
Saturday’s game is available online via WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN app. Fans can log on to WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Michael Wottreng, Steve Hamer and Kasey Funderburg 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.
Big Orange Santa will be making his appearance at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to get their picture with the holiday’s most iconic man on The Summitt.
Last time out, the Vols dropped their second consecutive game, falling 78-66 at Cincinnati on Wednesday night. Junior John Fulkerson impressed in the loss, scoring 14 points on six-of-eight shooting from the field, while recording a career-high four steals. Freshman Davonte Gaines put in 17 solid minutes off the bench, finishing with four points and a season-high three steals. The lead performer for the Vols was senior Jordan Bowden who poured in 13 points, while dishing off a season-high six assists. Bowden is currently riding a streak of 16 consecutive made free throws dating to UT’s victory over Alabama State (11/20/19).
This will be the first meeting between the Vols and Gamecocks on the collegiate hardwood, with Tennessee holding a 59-2 overall record against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee has already played one OVC oppoenent this year, taking down Murray State, 82-63 on Nov. 12.
Tennessee will be looking to avoid its first three game losing streak since Feb. 22 through March 1 of the 2016-17 season when the Vols dropped consecutive contests to Vanderbilt, South Carolina and LSU. A win would also give head coach Rick Barnes his 700th career victory, making him the 22nd coach to reach 700 wins, while giving him the seventh most wins among active Division I head coaches.
Up next, the Vols will have a week off, before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 28 for a home matchup with Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee has never previously faced Jacksonville State on the collegiate hardwood, but the Vols are 58-2 all-time against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
• Rick Barnes is 5-0 in his career against current members of the OVC.
A WIN WOULD…
• Be Rick Barnes‘ 700th career head coaching victory.
• Give Tennessee a 55-17 record as a ranked team (AP rankings) during the Barnes era.
• Prevent UT’s first three-game losing skid since Feb. 22 through March 1 of the 2016-17 season (Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU).
• Give the program a 212-132 record in the 2010s as the decade draws near to a close.
STORYLINES
• JSU is located in Jacksonville, Alabama—an entirely different city and state than the site of Tennessee’s upcoming football bowl game, which will be played in Jacksonville, Florida, on Jan. 2.
• In 111 seasons of varsity basketball, Tennessee has played only one opponent whose name starts with the letter J, and that is Johnson Bible College (four all-time meetings between 1913-21).
• There are currently four Division I schools that start with J: Jackson State, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville State and James Madison.
• After establishing themselves as a top-10 defensive team entering this week, the Vols had an uncharacteristically poor defensive showing at Cincinnati Wednesday. Tennessee allowed the Bearcats to shoot 56 percent as a team, and UC became the first UT opponent to score 70 points this season.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee is ranked No. 21 in both the AP and the coaches poll this week.
• Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 57.6 ppg.
• The Vols were a perfect 17-for-17 at the free-throw line Wednesday night at Cincinnati.
• Over its last two games, Tennessee is 7-for-41 (.171) from 3-point range. The Vols look to break out of the slump Saturday in the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Junior John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .662 from the field while averaging a career-best 11.4 points per game this season.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and has a team-high 21 blocks thus far.
• True freshman Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols and ranks 12th in the SEC with 6.3 rebounds per game. He is the top-rebounding freshman in the league.
ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE
• Jacksonville State is coming off an incredibly impressive 2018-19 campaign. Last season saw the Gamecocks finish with an overall record of 24-9, a 15-3 mark in Ohio Valley play and a third-place league finish behind OVC powers Belmont and Murray State. However, their loss in the semis of the OVC Tournament saw their season end without a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Gamecocks are coming off of back-to-back home victories over Evansville and Delaware State and own a record of 4-7. JSU has struggled to find consistent production from the point guard position this season, with expected producers Derek Cook and Marek Welsch each averaging fewer than five points per game.
• Jacksonville State, like Tennessee, took part in the 2019 Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. In the Sunshine State, the Gamecocks took down Chicago State before falling in the fifth-place game to Chattanooga.
• JSU’s bright spot has been sophomore guard De’Torrion Ware, who is the Gamecocks’ leading scorer (11.5 ppg) and rebounder (6.3 rpg).
• JSU assistant coach Chase Richardson is seen as a rising star in the ranks of collegiate coaching. Following the 2016-17 season, which saw the Gamecocks win the OVC and advance to the NCAA Tournament, Richardson was placed on the NABC’s 30-under-30 list. Current UT assistant Kim English was placed on this same list in 2017-18 during his time as an assistant at Colorado.
• Jacksonville State is a public, state-funded institution located in Jacksonville, Alabama. It was founded in 1883, originally as a teachers’ college.
BARNES CLOSING IN ON 700TH CAREER COACHING WIN
• Rick Barnes is one win shy of logging his 700th career victory as a college head coach.
• With 699 Division I wins to his credit, he ranks seventh among active head coaches. He would become the 22nd head coach ever to log 700 Division I wins.
• He is five victories away from recording his 100th win at Tennessee.
GAINES SHOWING FLASHES
• True freshman wing Davonte Gaines has shown flashes of potential for the Vols in recent weeks.
• He is averaging 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio in 11.0 minutes per game.
• Gaines is shooting 80 percent at the free-throw line (16 for 20) and has made each of his last 10 attempts.
• His 1.68 points per shot is the highest on the team.
BOTH UT HOOPS SQUADS RANKED
• Tennessee’s men are ranked No. 21, and the Lady Vols sit at No. 23 in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll.
• Tennessee is one of 11 schools to have both its men’s and women’s basketball teams ranked in the current AP poll, joining Arizona, Baylor, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon and West Virginia.
![Play It Forward: Ashley McBryde Says Everyone Needs to Hear Tenille Arts’ “I Hate This” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2019/12/26130213/Ashley-McBryde-TA.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
![Play It Forward: Keith Urban Says Check Out Tenille Townes’ “Somebody’s Daughter” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2019/12/20102443/Keith-Urban-TA.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
