Kenny Chesney has added 18 amphitheater shows to his Chillaxification Tour, which is also slated to visit 22 stadiums in 2020.
Newly announced amphitheater shows will take place in Lake Tahoe, Boise, Phoenix, Syracuse and more. Michael Franti & Spearhead will serve as support.
“As crazy and awesome as the stadium shows are—and there’s nothing like them—there is a vibe to the amphitheater shows that only happens in those places,” Kenny says. “You look out at the lawn, you see everybody coming together, singing the songs—and it’s this community that feels so close.”
Tickets for select cities go on sale on Jan. 24.
Chillaxification Tour – Amphitheater Shows
May 7 | Coral Sky Amphitheater | West Palm Beach, Fla.
May 13 | BankPlus Amphitheater | Southaven, Miss.
May 14 | Brandon Amphitheater | Brandon, Miss.
May 28 | Blossom Music Center | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
June 4 | Coastal Credit Union Music | Park Raleigh, N.C.
June 11 | Walmart AMP | Rogers, Ark.
June 17 | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater | Virginia Beach, Va.
June 18 | Jiffy Lube Live | Bristow, Va.
June 25 | ENC Music Pavilion | Charlotte, N.C.
July 2 | Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys | Lake Tahoe, Calif.
July 3 | Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys | Lake Tahoe, Calif.
July 23 | Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, Ind.
July 29 | Isleta Amphitheater | Albuquerque, N.M.
July 30 | Ak-Chin Pavilion | Phoenix, Ariz.
Aug. 5 | Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater | Boise, Idaho
Aug. 6 | USANA Amphitheatre | Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug. 20 | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview | Syracuse, N.Y.
Aug. 26 | Merriweather Post Pavilion | Columbia, Md.
Chillaxification Tour – Stadium Shows
April 18 | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
April 25 | Miller Park | Milwaukee, Wis.
May 2 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn.
May 9 | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
May 16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Ga.
May 22 | Minute Maid Park | Houston, Texas
May 23 | The Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
May 30 | Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
June 6 | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
June 13 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis, Mo.
June 20 | Ohio Stadium | Columbus, Ohio
June 27 | Nissan Stadium | Nashville, Tenn.
July 11 | Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo.
July 18 | CenturyLink Field | Seattle, Wash.
July 25 | Soldier Field | Chicago, Ill.
Aug. 1 | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, Calif.
Aug. 8 | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, Colo.
CINCINNATI, OH. – The 21st-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team will travel north for its first true road contest of 2019-20 when it takes on Cincinnati inside Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Wednesday’s game is available on ESPN2, online on WatchESPN at espn.com/watch and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Kevin Brown and Bryce Drew 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 dropped their first home contest since January of 2018, falling to Memphis, 51-47 on Saturday afternoon. Despite the loss, freshman Josiah-Jordan James poured in a career-high 14 points, knocking down three of his six attempts from 3-point range. Junior John Fulkerson was also all over the stat sheet, tallying nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, a season-high three blocks and two steals.
This will be the seventh meeting between the Vols and the Bearcats on the collegiate hardwood, with Cincinnati owning a 5-1 series advantage. The programs have not met since Jan. 4, 1993, when Cincinnati took down the Vols 79-58.
A win would be the 700th career head coaching victory for Rick Barnes and prevent UT’s first two-game losing skid since Dec. 30, 2017 and Jan. 2, 2018 when the Orange & White dropped back-to-back games against Arkansas and Auburn.
Up next, Tennessee will return home on Saturday, Dec. 21, when it takes on Jacksonville State. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails its all-time series with Cincinnati, 1-5, dating to 1952.
• The teams met in consecutive seasons in the early 1990s, with the Bearcats sweeping both games. The Vols’ lone win in the series came at home on Dec. 10, 1956.
• The Vols are 44-40 all-time against current members of the American Athletic Conference.
• Rick Barnes is 0-1 against the Bearcats, as his Texas squad fell to Cincy in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
A WIN WOULD…
• Be Rick Barnes‘ 700th career head coaching victory.
• Give Tennessee a 55-16 record as a ranked team (AP rankings) during the Barnes era.
• Prevent UT’s first two-game losing skid since Dec. 30, 2017, and Jan. 2, 2018 (Arkansas and Auburn).
STORYLINES
• Fifth Third Arena underwent an $87 million facelift prior to last season. From Knoxville, Cincinnati is a four-hour drive north, as 256 miles of Interstate 75 separate the two programs.
• The Bearcats are set to visit Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 12 next season.
• In its history, Cincinnati has made six Final Four appearances and won consecutive national championships in 1961 and 1962.
• After a recent nine-day break between games, Tennessee now finds itself playing three games in eight days leading into the holidays.
• This is the second of back-to-back games against AAC opponents for the Vols. Tennessee hosted Memphis last Saturday.
• This is also Tennessee’s first true road game this season. The Vols were 7-3 in true road games last year.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee is ranked No. 21 in both the AP and the coaches poll this week.
• Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 55.3 ppg.
• Per KenPom.com, the Vols are ranked 12th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
• True freshman Josiah-Jordan James has scored in double figures in each of UT’s last two games and shares the team lead with 12.0 ppg during that span.
• James leads the Vols and ranks 11th in the SEC with 6.6 rebounds per game. He is the top-rebounding freshman in the league.
• Lamonté Turner leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the country with 7.1 assists per game.
• John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .650 from the field (39 of 60) while averaging a career-best 11.1 points per game.
ABOUT CINCINNATI
• Cincinnati is under the leadership of new head coach John Brannen. Brannen was hired following the departure of former head coach Mick Cronin. Brannen spent the last three years at Northern Kentucky, guiding the Norse to two of the last three Horizon League Tournament championships.
• Cincinnati is coming off of back-to-back American Athletic Conference championships and is in the midst of a streak of nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Bearcats have had an up-and-down start to the year. They currently sit at 6-4 coming off of back-to-back losses to crosstown rival Xavier and at home Saturday to Colgate.
• Heading into this season, junior Keith Williams was expected to make strides coming off a 2018-19 campaign that saw him average 9.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.1 apg. Thus far he has not disappointed in terms of scoring. Through 10 games, he is the Bearcats’ leading scorer, averaging 13.2 ppg, while also chipping in on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
• Cincinnati has seen a consistent starting five for all but two games thus far, with statistical leaders all coming from their five of Chris Vogt, Keith Williams, Jarron Cumberland, Tre Scott and Chris McNeal.
• Notable UC alumni include George Rieveschl who invented the first antihistamine known as Benadryl.
• Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, taught aerospace engineering at Cincinnati from 1971-80.
LAST TIME VS. CINCINNATI
• Cincinnati’s suffocating defense and Curtis Bostic’s 20 points led the Bearcats to an impressive 79-58 win over visiting Tennessee on Jan. 4, 1993.
• Bostic shot 9 of 11 from the field and led a UC foursome in double figures. Nick Van Exel was a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line and finished with 19 points, nine assists four rebounds and three steals.
• Corey Allen led the Vols with 17 points and six rebounds. Allan Houston was the only other Vol in double figures with 16. The Bearcats limited UT to a season-low 21 field goals.
• Houston’s 16 points moved him past Ole Miss great John Stroud (2,328) as the No. 2 scorer in SEC history with 2,342 points.
• The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Tennessee.
BRANNEN COACHED AT BAMA
• First-year Cincinnati head coach John Brannen was an assistant coach on Anthony Grant’s staff at Alabama for six seasons from 2009-15—serving the final two years as associate head coach.
• During Brannen’s tenure with the Crimson Tide, they were 3-5 against the Vols.
A NEAR MISS AS A PLAYER
• Morehead State visited Thompson-Boling Arena and suffered a 70-52 loss on Dec. 7, 1994.
• John Brannen played at Morehead State the previous two seasons, but he transferred to Marshall following the 1993-94 campaign and just missed out on a chance to play at Tennessee.
• Brannen went on to become a Rhodes Scholar as a senior at Marshall and received his Business Management degree in 1997.
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.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Dating to the start of the 2017-18 season, Tennessee is 15-7 in true road games.
• That includes victories at Kentucky, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Memphis and Florida.
TENACIOUS D
• Even when the Vols have struggled to produce offense, their smothering defense has kept them afloat.
• Tennessee has yet to allow an opponent to score 70 points this season, and the Vols rank among the top 10 nationally in both scoring defense (fifth, 55.3 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (ninth, .362).
• The Vols also rank 17th nationally—and second in the SEC—with 5.9 blocks per game.
• Statistical guru Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com has Tennessee rated 12th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 23/24 Tennessee (8-1) will face its toughest test of the season on Wednesday, as the Lady Vols go into Maples Pavilion in search of a victory over No. 1/1 Stanford (9-0). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:06 p.m. PT (10:06 p.m. ET).
This will mark the 37th time these programs have met on the hardwood, with UT owning a 25-11 record in the series.
The contest at Stanford marks only the third road game of the season and the first since Nov. 11 for Tennessee. The Big Orange opened 2019-20 with a win at East Tennessee State on Nov. 5 and then beat the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame on Nov. 11.
Tennessee closed out a six-game home stand last Wednesday night with a 79-41 victory over Colorado State at Thompson-Boling Arena. That triumph was a bounce-back win after the Lady Vols suffered their first setback of the season on Dec. 8, falling to Texas, 66-60.
Stanford is coming off a 71-52 home win vs. Ohio State on Sunday evening. The Cardinal has victories over (then) No. 18 Syracuse (77-59) and No. 10 Mississippi State (67-62) to its credit. Both of those wins came at the Greater Victoria Invitational in Victoria, Canada.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Wednesday night’s game will be televised by Pac-12 Bay Area with Krista Blunk (PxP) and Mary Murphy (Analyst) on the call.
Check your local listings to learn how to watch via your TV service provider.
The match-up also is available online. For instructions on how to watch, click on the Watch Live link for the Stanford game on the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
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.
WEST COAST SWING INTO WINTER BREAK
Every two years, Tennessee’s home and home with Stanford takes the Lady Vols to the West Coast for a two-game swing just before winter break.
On this year’s trip, UT will arrive in California on Monday evening, play at Stanford on Wednesday night, and then travel Thursday to Portland, Oregon, where the team will face Portland State on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT (5 ET).
These two games are Tennessee’s final contests before everyone goes separate ways for winter break.
Players will report back to campus on Dec. 26 to begin preparations for a Dec. 29 home contest vs. Howard.
HARPER VS. STANFORD
This will mark the third time Kellie Harper has coached against Tara VanDerveer and Stanford. Harper is 0-2 in previous match-ups.
On March 30, 2019, Harper and her Missouri State team gave No. 6 Stanford a challenge in Chicago, as the Cardinal eventually prevailed, 55-46, in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Prior to that game, Harper’s Lady Bears had knocked off No. 21 Drake to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and then beat No. 24 DePaul and No. 13 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, in the NCAA First and Second Rounds.
Harper’s other match-up with Stanford also came during her Missouri State days, with the (then) No. 13/16 Cardinal taking an 82-65 decision on Nov. 27, 2015, at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.
RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME
Rennia Davis poured in 23 points to score her 1,000th career point and lead UT to a 79-41 win over Colorado State in Thompson-Boling Arena last Wednesday night.
Davis added 11 rebounds to her total to record her fifth double-double of the season. Freshman Jordan Horston also posted a double-double for Tennessee (8-1), scoring 10 points to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore Jazmine Massengill and freshman Tamari Key added 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Colorado State (5-6) was led by redshirt junior Megan Jacobs with 10 points and five rebounds.
UT led only 15-10 after one, but an 18-0 second-quarter run blew the game open.
NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME
1,000 Point Club: Just over two minutes into the second half, Rennia Davis hit a layup to become the 46th Lady Vol to surpass 1,000 career points. She went on to finish the day with 23 points, moving her career total to 1,009 and passing Michelle Marciniak’s sum of 1,004 to move to 45th on the all-time Lady Vol scoring list.
Double Double-Doubles:Rennia Davis recorded her fifth double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career against CSU (23 pts./11 rbs.), moving her into 11th all-time for most double-doubles by a Lady Vol. Meanwhile, freshman Jordan Horston recorded the first double-double of her career in grand fashion with 10 points and 14 rebounds while adding seven assists.
Cleaning The Glass: The Lady Vols out-rebounded CSU, 57-24, moving their rebounding margin over opponents to +17.1 on the season. Tennessee now has won the rebounding battle in eight of nine games. UT had entered the contest ranked No. 2 in rebound average and No. 3 in margin.
Massengill Heating Up: After being held to single-digit scoring in the first four games of the season, sophomore Jazmine Massengill has found her way into double digits for three-straight games and in four of the last five contests. Her 16 points against CSU set a new career high.
TENNESSEE TOPICS
Tennessee has outworked eight of nine opponents on the glass this season and has an NCAA-leading +17.1 rebound margin.
UT is pulling down 52.0 rebounds per contest while allowing 34.9. The per game total ranks No. 2 in the nation.
The Lady Vols average 15.4 second chance points per game and have won that category in every contest but one (Central Arkansas).
The Lady Vols’ bench has been a strength this season, with the Big Orange holding a 28.1 to 14.2 advantage in points from reserves.
UT has been at its best offensively in the first quarter this season, averaging 19.8 during that period. On the defensive end, the Lady Vols are their stingiest in the second frame, allowing only 11.7 points over that 10-minute stretch.
Tennessee has shot for a higher percentage from the field in every game except the Texas match-up, in which the Longhorns knocked down 36.2 to UT’s 30.6 percent. UT shoots 44.9 from the field.
The Lady Vols are allowing opponents only 28.5 percent shooting from the field and have allowed no one to shoot better than 36% this season.
The Lady Vols have limited foes to only 21.1 percent shooting from the three-point arc after Colorado State had an 8-for-44 night vs. UT.
Tennessee has had 16 or more assists in each game this season and a season-best 25 vs. UAPB.
The Big Orange women have won the opening tip in all nine games.
LADY VOLS TRENDING
Leading scorer (16.7 ppg.) Rennia Davis has tallied 1,009 points thus far in her career. She scored 23 vs. Colorado State to move into the 46-member UT 1K club and passed Michelle Mariciniak to grab 45th place on that list.
Davis has scored in double figures in seven straight contests and has five double-doubles in 2019-20.
Davis is averaging double figures in points for the third straight year. If she averages 10+ in 2019-20, she’d become the 24th Lady Vol to do so in three different seasons. It’s worth noting, only 12 players have averaged 10+ four times while at UT.
Sophomore guard Jazmine Massengill is one of the nation’s best at taking care of the basketball, as confirmed by her assist-to-turnover ratio. She ranks No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC at 3.55. She has tallied 39 assists vs. 11 turnovers.
Massengill also has been looking for her shot, scoring in double figures in four of Tennessee’s last five games, tallying a career-high 16 points against Colorado State. She is hitting 45.5 percent from the field and averaging 12.3 ppg. in the past three games.
UT’s freshmen are not shy about contributing. Jordan Horston leads the team in assists (45), steals (15) and three-pointers (12). Tamari Key is tops in blocks (18) and field goal percentage (.620) among starters, and Emily Saunders has the best field goal percentage (.714) among reserves.
Wednesday night’s game will be televised by Pac-12 Bay Area with Krista Blunk (PxP) and Mary Murphy (Analyst) on the call.
Check your local listings to learn how to watch via your TV service provider.
The match-up also is available online. For instructions on how to watch, click on the Watch Live link for the Stanford game on the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
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.
WEST COAST SWING INTO WINTER BREAK
Every two years, Tennessee’s home and home with Stanford takes the Lady Vols to the West Coast for a two-game swing just before winter break.
On this year’s trip, UT will arrive in California on Monday evening, play at Stanford on Wednesday night, and then travel Thursday to Portland, Oregon, where the team will face Portland State on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT (5 ET).
These two games are Tennessee’s final contests before everyone goes separate ways for winter break.
Players will report back to campus on Dec. 26 to begin preparations for a Dec. 29 home contest vs. Howard.
HARPER VS. STANFORD
This will mark the third time Kellie Harper has coached against Tara VanDerveer and Stanford. Harper is 0-2 in previous match-ups.
On March 30, 2019, Harper and her Missouri State team gave No. 6 Stanford a challenge in Chicago, as the Cardinal eventually prevailed, 55-46, in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Prior to that game, Harper’s Lady Bears had knocked off No. 21 Drake to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and then beat No. 24 DePaul and No. 13 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, in the NCAA First and Second Rounds.
Harper’s other match-up with Stanford also came during her Missouri State days, with the (then) No. 13/16 Cardinal taking an 82-65 decision on Nov. 27, 2015, at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.
RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME
Rennia Davis poured in 23 points to score her 1,000th career point and lead UT to a 79-41 win over Colorado State in Thompson-Boling Arena last Wednesday night.
Davis added 11 rebounds to her total to record her fifth double-double of the season. Freshman Jordan Horston also posted a double-double for Tennessee (8-1), scoring 10 points to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore Jazmine Massengill and freshman Tamari Key added 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Colorado State (5-6) was led by redshirt junior Megan Jacobs with 10 points and five rebounds.
UT led only 15-10 after one, but an 18-0 second-quarter run blew the game open.
NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME
1,000 Point Club: Just over two minutes into the second half, Rennia Davis hit a layup to become the 46th Lady Vol to surpass 1,000 career points. She went on to finish the day with 23 points, moving her career total to 1,009 and passing Michelle Marciniak’s sum of 1,004 to move to 45th on the all-time Lady Vol scoring list.
Double Double-Doubles: Rennia Davis recorded her fifth double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career against CSU (23 pts./11 rbs.), moving her into 11th all-time for most double-doubles by a Lady Vol. Meanwhile, freshman Jordan Horston recorded the first double-double of her career in grand fashion with 10 points and 14 rebounds while adding seven assists.
Cleaning The Glass: The Lady Vols out-rebounded CSU, 57-24, moving their rebounding margin over opponents to +17.1 on the season. Tennessee now has won the rebounding battle in eight of nine games. UT had entered the contest ranked No. 2 in rebound average and No. 3 in margin.
Massengill Heating Up: After being held to single-digit scoring in the first four games of the season, sophomore Jazmine Massengill has found her way into double digits for three-straight games and in four of the last five contests. Her 16 points against CSU set a new career high.
TENNESSEE TOPICS
Tennessee has outworked eight of nine opponents on the glass this season and has an NCAA-leading +17.1 rebound margin.
UT is pulling down 52.0 rebounds per contest while allowing 34.9. The per game total ranks No. 2 in the nation.
The Lady Vols average 15.4 second chance points per game and have won that category in every contest but one (Central Arkansas).
The Lady Vols’ bench has been a strength this season, with the Big Orange holding a 28.1 to 14.2 advantage in points from reserves.
UT has been at its best offensively in the first quarter this season, averaging 19.8 during that period. On the defensive end, the Lady Vols are their stingiest in the second frame, allowing only 11.7 points over that 10-minute stretch.
Tennessee has shot for a higher percentage from the field in every game except the Texas match-up, in which the Longhorns knocked down 36.2 to UT’s 30.6 percent. UT shoots 44.9 from the field.
The Lady Vols are allowing opponents only 28.5 percent shooting from the field and have allowed no one to shoot better than 36% this season.
The Lady Vols have limited foes to only 21.1 percent shooting from the three-point arc after Colorado State had an 8-for-44 night vs. UT.
Tennessee has had 16 or more assists in each game this season and a season-best 25 vs. UAPB.
The Big Orange women have won the opening tip in all nine games.
LADY VOLS TRENDING
Leading scorer (16.7 ppg.) Rennia Davis has tallied 1,009 points thus far in her career. She scored 23 vs. Colorado State to move into the 46-member UT 1K club and passed Michelle Mariciniak to grab 45th place on that list.
Davis has scored in double figures in seven straight contests and has five double-doubles in 2019-20.
Davis is averaging double figures in points for the third straight year. If she averages 10+ in 2019-20, she’d become the 24th Lady Vol to do so in three different seasons. It’s worth noting, only 12 players have averaged 10+ four times while at UT.
Sophomore guard Jazmine Massengill is one of the nation’s best at taking care of the basketball, as confirmed by her assist-to-turnover ratio. She ranks No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC at 3.55. She has tallied 39 assists vs. 11 turnovers.
Massengill also has been looking for her shot, scoring in double figures in four of Tennessee’s last five games, tallying a career-high 16 points against Colorado State. She is hitting 45.5 percent from the field and averaging 12.3 ppg. in the past three games.
UT’s freshmen are not shy about contributing. Jordan Horston leads the team in assists (45), steals (15) and three-pointers (12). Tamari Key is tops in blocks (18) and field goal percentage (.620) among starters, and Emily Saunders has the best field goal percentage (.714) among reserves.
This is the 37th all-time meeting between these programs, and the Lady Vols own a 25-11 record vs. the Cardinal in a series that dates back to Dec. 18, 1988.
This will mark the 35th time these teams have played when both schools are ranked in the top 25 of at least one of the polls.
Tennessee is 13-3 in Knoxville vs. Stanford, 6-0 at neutral sites and 6-8 at Maples Pavilion.
One of those neutral site wins for Tennessee, came in the Lady Vols’ run to NCAA Championship trophy number eight, when the Lady Vols defeated Stanford, 64-48, on April 8, 2008, in Tampa, Fla.
The programs have combined for 10 National Championships (UT 8, SU 2), 31 NCAA Final Fours (UT 18, SU 13) and 2,471 victories (UT 1,371, SU 1,100).
The Lady Vols have won two of the last three in the series and three of the past five meetings.
In their last trip to Maples Pavilion, the Lady Vols defeated Stanford, 83-71, on Dec. 21, 2017, for UT’s first victory there since a 74-67 win on Dec. 4, 2005.
Tennessee won 11 games in a row over their West Coast foes from 1997-2006, but the series has been pretty even (6-7) since then, with UT posting a 4-2 mark in Knoxville during that time.
UT and SU have needed overtime to settle scores in six contests, with the club from Rocky Top holding a 4-2 record. Tennessee is 2-0 in OT games played in Knoxville, 1-2 at Stanford and 1-0 at neutral sites.
UT is 68-22 all-time vs. schools currently in the Pac-12 Conference, forging an 0-2 record in 2018-19 with a home loss to Stanford and a season-ending loss to UCLA in the NCAA First Round at College Park, Maryland.
LAST TIME WE MET
No. 9/8-ranked Tennessee (8-1) lost its first game of the season, falling 95-85 to No. 8/9 Stanford at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on Dec. 18, 2018, the last time these teams faced off.
Sophomore forward Rennia Davis turned in a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds), carding her second of the season and 11th of her career. Senior guard/forward Meme Jackson (17) and freshman guard Zaay Green (14) also tallied double-digit points in the contest for UT.
Stanford (8-1) was led by a 33-point and 13-rebound performance by DiJonai Carrington, as the Cardinal hit 58 percent of their three-point shots (14 of 24). Four other Stanford players scored in double figures, including Alanna Smith and Kiana Williams with 16 each, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. Lacie Hull tossed in 14, hitting four of five treys, while Maya Dodson had 10.
LAST TIME WE PLAYED AT STANFORD
Senior Jaime Nared posted a 28-point effort to lead the No. 7 Lady Vols to an 83-71 win on the road against No. 18 Stanford (6-6) on Dec. 21, 2017.
The victory improved Tennessee to 12-0 on the season and snapped a five-game UT losing streak at Maples Pavilion dating back to Dec. 4, 2005.
Senior Mercedes Russell contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Brittany McPhee was Stanford’s leading scorer and the only Cardinal in double digits, notching 27 points on the night.
RECAPPING THE CARDINAL’S LAST GAME
Haley Jones came to Stanford as the nation’s top prospect and she’s beginning to live up to expectations. The freshman had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in helping the top-ranked Cardinal beat Ohio State 71-52 on Sunday at Maples Pavilion.
Kiana Williams, Lexie Hull and Francesca Belibi each added 13 points for the Cardinal (9-0), which ended a modest two-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. Belibi recorded a game-high eight rebounds.
This is the 37th all-time meeting between these programs, and the Lady Vols own a 25-11 record vs. the Cardinal in a series that dates back to Dec. 18, 1988.
This will mark the 35th time these teams have played when both schools are ranked in the top 25 of at least one of the polls.
Tennessee is 13-3 in Knoxville vs. Stanford, 6-0 at neutral sites and 6-8 at Maples Pavilion.
One of those neutral site wins for Tennessee, came in the Lady Vols’ run to NCAA Championship trophy number eight, when the Lady Vols defeated Stanford, 64-48, on April 8, 2008, in Tampa, Fla.
The programs have combined for 10 National Championships (UT 8, SU 2), 31 NCAA Final Fours (UT 18, SU 13) and 2,471 victories (UT 1,371, SU 1,100).
The Lady Vols have won two of the last three in the series and three of the past five meetings.
In their last trip to Maples Pavilion, the Lady Vols defeated Stanford, 83-71, on Dec. 21, 2017, for UT’s first victory there since a 74-67 win on Dec. 4, 2005.
Tennessee won 11 games in a row over their West Coast foes from 1997-2006, but the series has been pretty even (6-7) since then, with UT posting a 4-2 mark in Knoxville during that time.
UT and SU have needed overtime to settle scores in six contests, with the club from Rocky Top holding a 4-2 record. Tennessee is 2-0 in OT games played in Knoxville, 1-2 at Stanford and 1-0 at neutral sites.
UT is 68-22 all-time vs. schools currently in the Pac-12 Conference, forging an 0-2 record in 2018-19 with a home loss to Stanford and a season-ending loss to UCLA in the NCAA First Round at College Park, Maryland.
LAST TIME WE MET
No. 9/8-ranked Tennessee (8-1) lost its first game of the season, falling 95-85 to No. 8/9 Stanford at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on Dec. 18, 2018, the last time these teams faced off.
Sophomore forward Rennia Davis turned in a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds), carding her second of the season and 11th of her career. Senior guard/forward Meme Jackson (17) and freshman guard Zaay Green (14) also tallied double-digit points in the contest for UT.
Stanford (8-1) was led by a 33-point and 13-rebound performance by DiJonai Carrington, as the Cardinal hit 58 percent of their three-point shots (14 of 24). Four other Stanford players scored in double figures, including Alanna Smith and Kiana Williams with 16 each, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. Lacie Hull tossed in 14, hitting four of five treys, while Maya Dodson had 10.
LAST TIME WE PLAYED AT STANFORD
Senior Jaime Nared posted a 28-point effort to lead the No. 7 Lady Vols to an 83-71 win on the road against No. 18 Stanford (6-6) on Dec. 21, 2017.
The victory improved Tennessee to 12-0 on the season and snapped a five-game UT losing streak at Maples Pavilion dating back to Dec. 4, 2005.
Senior Mercedes Russell contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Brittany McPhee was Stanford’s leading scorer and the only Cardinal in double digits, notching 27 points on the night.
RECAPPING THE CARDINAL’S LAST GAME
Haley Jones came to Stanford as the nation’s top prospect and she’s beginning to live up to expectations. The freshman had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in helping the top-ranked Cardinal beat Ohio State 71-52 on Sunday at Maples Pavilion.
Kiana Williams, Lexie Hull and Francesca Belibi each added 13 points for the Cardinal (9-0), which ended a modest two-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. Belibi recorded a game-high eight rebounds.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kellie Harper met with the media on Monday morning before her No. 23/24 Lady Vols departed for a two-game West Coast swing.
Tennessee (8-1) will meet No. 1/1 Stanford (9-0) at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) on Wednesday and then will play at Portland State (6-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET). The Stanford game will be televised by Pac-12 Bay Area, and the PSU contest will be carried by Pluto TV Ch. 532 (Online/Free).
The Lady Vols are coming off a six-game home stand that saw them go 5-1, suffering their only loss of the season to Texas, 66-60, on Dec. 8. UT bounced back in strong fashion against Colorado State last Wednesday, defeating the Rams, 79-41, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Stanford remained unbeaten on Sunday, taking care of Ohio State at home, 71-52. The Cardinal also have impressive wins over No. 15/14 Mississippi State (67-62) and Syracuse (77-59) in their last three-game swing.
UT has played one other ranked foe this season, defeating (then) No. 15/14 Notre Dame on the road, 74-63.
On what makes Stanford as good as they are right now:
“Stanford is extremely efficient. Offensively, they can pass, dribble and shoot. They do a great job with their spacing in their offense. It suits them well. They have always been really good in transition. You have to get them in a half-court set, and then you have to try and guard them in a half-court set.”
On how much Stanford will test the team in rebounding:
“I think any time you are playing an elite level team like Stanford, your rebounding is tested. One of the things I expect Stanford to do a great job of is boxing out. I think they are really disciplined, and they will do what they need to do to keep us off the boards, and that is a big part of what we do. Obviously, for us, at some points you have to get around some box outs.”
On what she wants to accomplish on this road trip around the holidays:
“One of the big things for us in addition to playing well is going out and handling this road trip and being very mature about it. (Trying to) not go into Christmas break prior to going on Christmas break. That is always a big deal for coaches. It is always something that I talk about openly with our teams. I want to make sure we are showing some maturity there and understanding how we are going to be out there a long time and we have to be locked in.”
On if she thinks the team is ready to face the No. 1 team in the country:
“I am excited about the opportunity. That is the way I look at it as an opportunity to go out and play a great team. We will see where we are at and also give us an opportunity to compete. I think it is coming at a good time for us, and hopefully our players will be ready. I think the scouting report has been a little bit different for them with how good Stanford is. I think it is fun. This is why they came to Tennessee. They want to play elite level competition like this.”
On if she is happy with the shot volume that Rennia Davis is taking:
“We keep an eye on Rennia’s shot attempts throughout the game. We want to make sure if they are low early on that we go to her and get her some shots early. We kind of let it play out and keep an eye on it. Part of that is that we have to make sure we are looking for her and giving her opportunities. She has done a really good job at being aggressive this week in practice looking for her shot. It has looked really good, and I am proud of her. I think she wants to be that for us, we just have to continue to find ways to make sure to not only help her get the ball, but help her teammates know we need to find her.”
On if she thinks teams will start basing their defenses on stopping Rennia Davis:
“I think right now we are still going to see defensive schemes that are probably tailored to not guarding some of our players instead of specifically keying in on one. I think that is what we are seeing, and I think that is what we will continue to see for a bit. Our post players have been pretty productive, so I think people are looking there as well to take some opportunities away from us there. I don’t think yet that people will be just keying in on her, but I think they are more so not keying in on some of her teammates.”
On if she was happy with how Jazmine Massengill played in their last game:
“I thought the last game Jazmine played terrific. I thought early on she was a little anxious that they weren’t guarding her. By the end of the game, she was doing exactly what she wanted to do, not what they wanted to do. I thought that was great maturity. I thought she grew throughout the game. I thought she had great confidence that game and she played terrific.”
On what she has liked from Tamari Key so far in her freshman season:
“Tamari is very skilled. Obviously, you look at her and you see the height, and when she puts her arms out, you see the length. But she is very skilled; she understands what she needs to do. I think she has grown up a lot and really quickly as a freshman. The sky is the limit for her as this young lady is going to be terrific. I think one of the things I have enjoy seeing, especially after that Texas game, she was competitive. She had a fire in her that we have not always seen. I know that is in there, and that is exciting.”
On how her team is prepared for the post players on Stanford’s team that can shoot from beyond the arc:
“We have definitely talked about needing to get out behind the three-point line. Although we have not played bigs that can shoot, we have played five guards. I feel like, other than Texas, we have only played guards. I am hoping that our post players have had enough experience of stepping out to guard because of some of these other teams. Obviously, it is a different caliber player that is stepping out behind the three-point line now, but they should be comfortable in stepping out. It is just if they are stepping out with the urgency they need to step out when you are guarding Stanford. That is something we have been practicing.”
On if Colorado State prepared them after all the three-point shooting in the game:
“I hope that it helped us understand that you can’t always go to the paint. Post players just like going to the paint, and I think that is where they are comfortable defending and comfortable living, but when you are playing teams like Colorado State or Stanford, you may not be able to be that comfortable in the paint. Hopefully we have seen enough that it won’t be a shock to our system to be able to do that.”
On if she has used her experience against Stanford last year to help prepare for this season:
“Actually, I pulled up my old scouting report from Stanford last year at Missouri State. It is not the same team, and I am not coaching the same team, but it gives me an idea of some teaching points and maybe some wrinkles that we used that were positive for us.”
On if she is going to start reeling Jordan Horston in or let her play some things out when it comes to turnovers:
“Both. I think right now Jordan is going to come out and probably make some turnovers because she is going to make some plays. She is a playmaker. That may come with a few more turnovers than an average person, but we have got to start limiting those. We have talked about that a lot after games. We have talked about it in practice, trying to make sure in practice that she is also limiting those. And talking about why. Why do we turn the ball over there? Okay, so let’s correct it. So it is not just about yelling about a turnover, it is teaching.”
On how this new staff has been working together:
“It has been good. It has been challenging because there are so many people. I think that is one of my biggest challenges, just making sure we are well-oiled machine in the office. I don’t know if we are well-oiled, but we are oiled and moving. I think once we get a year through, once we get one complete cycle, we will be really efficient. I have a great staff right now. It is an unbelievable staff that is really talented. I am really excited about what we are able to.”
Blake Shelton stopped by The Ellen Show on Dec. 13 to perform his current single, “Hell Right.”
The new tune was penned by David Garcia, Brett Tyler and Michael Hardy, who is one of the co-writers behinds Blake’s most recent No. 1 hit, “God’s Country.”
“The first time I ever heard ‘Hell Right,’ [producer] Scott Hendricks sent it over to me—and we had pretty much decided that we were finished recording for a while, and I wasn’t even thinking about it,” says Blake. “But he said that Hardy had written a song and he wanted me to hear it, so with the success of ‘God’s Country’ and just knowing how talented that guy is, I thought, ‘Man, I better at least listen to it even though I don’t see myself going in and recording.’ About three-quarters of the way through the song, I decided, ‘Oh, my god, I’m not done recording. I’ve gotta go cut this song. It’s just so much fun and just so infectious. It seems like something that would be great to have out this summer, like, let’s do this thing, let’s get it out now.’ It’s one of the reasons that I’ve been so excited about not releasing an album because it’s awesome to be able to react to great songs and just get em out there to the fans.”
Watch Blake’s performance of “Hell Right” on Ellen below.
Carrie Underwood took the stage at the Kennedy Center Honors—which aired on CBS on Dec. 15—to pay tribute to Linda Ronstadt by performing “Blue Bayou” and “When Will I Be Loved.”
Linda topped the country chart with “When Will I Be Loved” in 1975, before she scored a Top 5 hit with her signature tune, “Blue Bayou,” in 1977.
“I was so honored to finally meet the phenomenal #LindaRonstadt, a true artist and versatile vocalist who excelled at performing all kinds of music. I hope I made you proud, Linda,” said Carrie via Twitter.
Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013, Linda has rarely appeared in public, but she did attend the ceremony. In addition to celebrating Linda’s career, the Kennedy Center Honors paid tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire, Sesame Street, Sally Field and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Watch Carrie sing “Blue Bayou” and “When Will I Be Loved” below.
Charlie Daniels announced that his all-star concert, Volunteer Jam, will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 15.
Since its inception in 1974, Charlie’s Volunteer Jam has brought together some of music’s biggest stars for a number of worthwhile causes.
Participating artist will be announced in February. Tickets go on sale on Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. CT.
“We play over 100 cities every year and they’re all special in their own way, but when you get a chance to bring it all back home, especially when so many of your friends are joining you, it don’t get much better than that,” says Charlie. “Jammin’ in the Guitar Town, second to none!”
Scotty McCreery released an acoustic version of his recent No. 1 single, “This Is It.”
The heartfelt tune, which Scotty co-penned with Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis about his then-fiancée Gabi Dugal, is featured on Scotty’s 2018 album, Seasons Change.
“I wrote ‘This Is It’ for Gabi,” says Scotty. “It’s our song. I played it for her just an hour after I proposed. I sang it to her at our wedding. She’s who I see in my mind when I perform it on the road every night. Watching our love story become my second No. 1 hit is something Gabi and I will treasure always. I am so thankful to country radio and my fans who have stood with me from day one for making my dreams come true.”
The acoustic version of the song is the second track from Scotty’s upcoming three-song EP, The Soundcheck Sessions, which will be released in January.
“Ever since we released the original version of ‘This is It,’ I have had so many requests from fans for an acoustic version that they could play during their own proposals and weddings,” said Scotty. “It’s been very humbling to learn that a song I wrote for my wife Gabi and tells our story has gone on to become something special for thousands of couples. As a songwriter, I don’t know that it gets any better than that.”
Watch Scotty’s acoustic video for “This Is It” below.
NCD recently sat down with Thomas Rhett to get his suggestion for our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons the featured artist to recommend an artist or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
“I’ve never met this guy, but I heard his song on [SiriusXM’s] The Highway the other day—his name is Ross Ellis, and the song is called ‘Buy and Buy,’” says TR. “I think it’s one of the freshest songs on the radio.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A rough shooting night plagued No. 19 Tennessee, as the Vols dropped a low-scoring defensive battle to No. 13 Memphis at a sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday, 51-47.
Tennessee’s 25 percent (15-for-60) shooting mark from the field was the lowest of the Rick Barnes era.
Despite the Vols’ scoring struggles as a team, freshman Josiah-Jordan James posted a career-high 14 points that led all scorers in the loss.
The Vols (7-2) and Tigers battled evenly to begin the second half after Memphis (9-1) took a one-point lead into halftime. Memphis gained a bit of separation at the 12:03 mark after Tyler Harris and D.J. Jeffries made back-to-back threes to put the Tigers in front, 37-33.
After a 3-pointer from Jordan Bowden and a conversion on a contested layup from John Fulkerson, Tennessee took its first lead in more than eight minutes of game time at 43-42 on a Yves Pons’ turnaround jumper in the lane with 5:56 remaining.
Over the course of the game’s next four minutes, the lead changed hands four times before Memphis’ Damion Baugh hit a corner 3-pointer at the 1:43 mark.
With Tennessee trailing 49-47 with 20 seconds remaining, Pons missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Tigers grabbed the rebound. Alex Lomax then made two free throws to seal the game.
Despite a sluggish start from the field, Tennessee built a 17-5 lead over the game’s first 12 minutes. During that stretch, the Vols held Memphis to a 1-for-13 shooting mark, as the Tigers went more than 11 minutes between field goals.
James paced the Vols early on, scoring Tennessee’s first eight points and 11 of its first 15. In the first six minutes of action, he also grabbed three rebounds and had two steals.
After the Vols’ initial spurt, Memphis fought back for the remainder of the first half, eventually taking a 25-24 lead into the break on a Harris layup as the clock expired.
Three Tennessee true freshmen – James, Drew Pember and Davonte Gaines – combined to score 17 of the Vols’ 24 first-half points.
SOLD OUT TBA: Saturday’s contest had an announced attendance of 21,868, marking the first sellout of the season at Thompson-Boling Arena. The crowd was the 10th-largest at Thompson-Boling’s current capacity and the 39th-largest in the arena’s history.
UP NEXT: Tennessee travels north to face another AAC opponent, battling with Cincinnati on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
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