SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award. University of Tennessee junior wing Rennia Davis is on that list.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its third year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Davis was a semifinalist for the award as a sophomore.
Last season, the 6-foot-2 Davis led UT in scoring (14.9), rebounding (7.7) and free throw percentage (.856) in her second season on Rocky Top. She ranked No. 1 in the SEC in free throw percentage, No. 8 in rebounding and No. 12 in scoring a year ago. She was a second-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and media, and earned WBCA All-America honorable mention accolades.
Davis’ scoring average in 2018-19 tied for No. 5 all-time by a UT sophomore, while her rebound average was the ninth-best for a second-year performer at Tennessee. Her sophomore-year double-double total (9) was the sixth-most by an active player in the SEC last season and the second-most by an underclassman.
“Cheryl Miller has long been recognized as one of the greats of our game, dominating at USC and winning two NCAA Championships,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The student-athletes being considered for the Cheryl Miller Award are undoubtedly some of the most gifted in the game today and they should feel proud to be named to the watch list this season.”
The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
The winner of the 2020 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be presented at TheCollegeBasketballAwardspresented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award include Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019) and Gabby Williams, Connecticut (2018).
For more information on the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.comand follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, October 25.
About Cheryl Miller:
Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball to a new level, literally and figuratively. With her tremendous leaping ability, athletic dexterity and grace, Miller established a legacy throughout her high school and college career that is unparalleled. Playing for Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA), in 1982, Miller set the single game scoring record of 105 points. As a collegiate forward at the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, Miller helped bring women’s basketball to the forefront of American sports. In 1984, she led the Olympic team to gold averaging more than 16 points per game. Her superior athletic ability and engaging persona placed her among the elite in the world of college and professional athletics. In 1986, Sports Illustrated named Miller as the best male or female player in college basketball. In a spectacular career, Miller scored 3,018 total career points and was a four-time All-America. Miller was named Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once. Miller was indicted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring from professional play, Miller has had a very successful career as a WNBA GM, professional and collegiate coach, and sportscaster for TNT, ESPN and NBC for the 1996 Olympics.
Vols RB Tim Jordan / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
Austin Pope, R-Jr. TE
On how the Vols move on from the Alabama game and focus on South Carolina:
“We came out Sunday and watched the film. We talked about it in the team meeting. It is what it is. We can’t go back and change it. Obviously, we’re disappointed about the Alabama game. We were hoping we could’ve won that game, or at least put forth a better effort toward the end. Now, we’re just looking forward to the future.”
On if the team is focused on finishing strong and making a bowl game:
“That’s the main goal, being bowl eligible and playing in the postseason. We’ve just got to take it one week at a time. We’ve got South Carolina this week so that’s what we’re worried about.”
On how much he associates himself with the offensive line:
“I like to think of myself as a glorified offensive lineman. I get to catch balls here and there, but they are the main guys I hang out with on the team. I love the O-line. They’re great guys. Just like them, I just try to do my job and I hope the run’s successful at the end of the day.”
On when he started to enjoy blocking:
“I enjoy blocking. I enjoy being physical. It’s a massive part of the game and if you’re not physical, then you’re probably going to get dominated out there. I definitely find joy in making my block and being physical with whoever I go against. I take pride in it. It’s just like a one-on-one battle. Like Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt talks about, I want to dominate my box. Whether it be me and the outside linebacker or me and the defensive end, I want to dominate him every play, for the success of the play.”
Wanya Morris, Fr. OL
On when the O-line began to play more physical:
“We have a young team. Everybody is still learning how to do it after injuries and stuff. They really emphasize it in practice, being tough in practice with team run, imposing your will. That’s what we have to learn that – practice habits build everything. We have to do better in practice if we’re going to do better in the game. Definitely (improving) with the communication ‘cause when you take off the pads and the stress off your body, it’s all about the mental. We stress communication, talking to each other, getting the calls in; that’s what we really communicate on and that helps us a lot.”
On how Tim Jordan has been able to improve as a running back and if it’s enjoyable to block for him:
“I have no idea. I’m facing that way, just making the holes. But, he’s definitely a leader on our field. He’s definitely picking everybody up. Like every day he’s like, ‘Wanya, I need you; Trey (Smith) I need you; BK (Brandon Kennedy) I need you.’ He keeps everybody heads up. He’s that encourager. It’s fun to block for all my backs. They all have good energy; they all have different personalities, that’s what makes them special. They all can do certain things. I love them all, honestly.”
On having pride on the left side of the O-line with Trey Smith:
“When you’re an offensive lineman, you really pride yourself on if the offensive coordinator is going to run the ball behind you. I feel like we can run the ball behind any of us. Just that he picked me and Trey’s (Smith) numbers this week, made me proud. I feel like we got a lot done, but there’re mistakes that we made and we can still get better.”
On quarterbacks:
“We just encourage all three of our guys to go out there and work hard every day in practice. Keep their heads up. They all do a good job of keeping each other’s head up to be honest because they talk to each other more than we do – different meeting rooms, obviously. But, I think they do a good job talking to each other, encouraging each other.”
Jaylen McCollough, Fr. DB
On his sack against Alabama on Saturday:
“We had a great play call called by Coach (Derrick) Ansley. We’ve repped that call many times in practice and he told me ‘Don’t be late.’ So, I timed it up off the snap. I got a good setup by Bryce Thompson, the corner. He setup the back. It left the hole wide open and I just took a shot.”
On what confidence the team can take away from the Alabama game:
“Before the game, we were always confident in our ability and our coaching staff. Seeing how we just played against them, it just raised our level of confidence even more. I feel like we can play with anybody in the country. We’re getting better each and every week. We’ve just got to continue to get better to keep gaining confidence.”
On where he feels that he’s getting better:
“Just learning how to play in the SEC. Becoming an all-around good defensive football player and just becoming a better football player in general. I follow Nigel (Warrior) a lot. Nigel Warrior and Theo Jackson, they mentor me. They push me. I’m just learning and trying to get better each day.”
On what he needs to do to become a better player:
“Just trusting in Coach Ansley and the guys around me. Continue to listen to them, because I know they’re just pushing me. They’re giving me tools to become a better player. We’ve just got to keep pushing as a team. Me, individually, I’m just going to keep grinding, keep putting my nose down and go from there.”
Matthew Butler, Jr. DL
On possible challenges against South Carolina:
“South Carolina is a well-coached team. The freshman quarterback they have, makes the throws the coaches want him to throw. They have some senior receivers, a very fast junior receiver, and some running backs that are very good. Their offensive line has some experience on their left side. They piece that together to hang onto games.”
On why South Carolina is a well-coached team:
“Knowing the history of the coach and coaches there, knowing some of them personally, and then just seeing on film how they’re usually in sync, able to string together drives, and make some big plays.”
On how close games with South Carolina in the past motivates team this year:
“It definitely gives us some motivation. Even if we had won last year or the year before, we definitely just want to win this game, and continue to win the rest of our games.”
On the defensive line’s improvement over the last several weeks:
“As a defensive line, we’ve definitely been able to make some plays, and step up. I didn’t play up to the standard I needed to play against Alabama, and that’s not going to happen again. So, that gives me and the guys a little extra motivation to step it up a notch each game. And if the games fall into our hands, we’re going to win it.”
On the defensive unit playing together more versus earlier in the season:
“I think it has improved. We’ve been playing together these past few weeks and it shows on tape. We just have to continue to do that, and we also need to continue to improve our game. And as that ties together defensively and offensively, we’ll win games.”
Darrell Taylor, R-Sr. LB
On how much confidence he and the team can take from the Alabama game:
“I think we gained a lot of confidence from this, because we improved a lot this week. As a defense we took a huge step forward, when it comes to doing the right things and making sure that we as a defense are doing everything that we can possibly control on our side of the ball.”
On improvement of the front seven:
“I just think our guys have been coming to practice with juice. We’ve been stressing it a lot. Come to practice with energy. Practice fast, practice physical all day and if we do that throughout the week then we’ll do it in the game. I think we showed that on Saturday.”
On how encouraging it is to watch the front seven playing more physical:
“I think it’s very encouraging, because we have another really physical team coming into Knoxville this weekend. I think it’s really encouraging for our defense to know that our front seven is playing so physical.”
On what makes games against South Carolina so close every year:
“This matchup is always close and always a nail biter, because they’re a good team, we’re a good team and good teams always fight it out until the very end. I think we’ll get their best game and they’re going to get ours, so I think it’s going to be a very competitive weekend and we’re going to have fun doing it.”
Tim Jordan, Jr. RB
On the key to having success on the ground:
“I would say the preparation at practice and the offensive line, with them just gaining confidence and doing what they do.”
On the offensive line’s push at Alabama:
“That play was really exciting, it brought a lot of energy. It was fun for the linemen too. It brought intensity to the game. That one play itself brought a lot of confidence to our line.”
On if he saw anything in film that they could do against Alabama:
“Watching film, we did see a lot of different things we could do against them. Just like I said, practicing and focusing on our game plan and seeing what we could do against them.”
On if the offensive line’s improved consistency:
“Most definitely. Every day they come to practice, like everybody, fix mistakes, corrections, and develop every day in practice.”
On the running back room:
“I know in our room, we press and talk about how physical we want to be. We want to be the most physical group on the team and I know we take pride in that.”
KNOXVILLE – After a hard-fought battle in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Vols held the top-ranked Crimson Tide to its lowest point total of the season in a 35-13 loss, Tennessee is looking forward to returning to Neyland Stadium to host a late afternoon matchup with South Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET).
“Neyland Stadium has been really an electric atmosphere this whole season,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “I know it will be again Saturday and it will be a huge advantage for us. We are excited about the opportunity to come back and play at home in front of a great crowd.”
The game will be televised on the SEC Network with Taylor Zarzour (PxP), Matt Stinchcomb (Analyst) and Alyssa Lang (Sideline) on the call.
UT enters the weekend prepared to face a stout Gamecocks’ defense, but Pruitt has been pleased with the progress and command of his offensive line who he believes is prepared to meet the challenge.
“Now we’re getting into the end of the year here so some of the plays, we’ve gotten a lot of repetition doing them over and over again, so we continue to improve that,” Pruitt said during his Monday press conference. “I thought our offensive line had an opportunity on Saturday, especially in the second half, to take the game over. We’d gone a long drive there in the fourth quarter, and we don’t stick one in there on the one-inch line, but, in that drive our offensive line took the game over, and that was good to see.
“You can count on coach (Will) Muschamps’ defense to be tough and be sound,” he added. “The defensive line might be the best defensive line we have played all year.
Quarterback Preparations
Freshman quarterback Brian Maurer’s availability will be assessed throughout the week by the Tennessee medical staff after he was forced out of Saturday’s game due to injury.
The Vols plan to prep for both Jarrett Guarantano and JT Shrout as possible starters and Pruitt remains confident in both.
“We’ll get the other guys ready to play,” Pruitt said. “It’s no different than pretty much what we’ve done every week, whoever is going to be the starter takes the majority of the reps so we’ll get those other guys ready to go and we’ll know in the next couple of days about Brian.
“We trust all of our players. That’s one thing we work hard to build.”
Guarantano, a redshirt junior, started the first four games of the season for the Vols and throw for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
Shrout, a redshirt freshman, has appeared in two games this season.
KNOXVILLE – The contributions of Tennessee’s freshman trio of Henry To’o To’o, Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris have not gone unnoticed, and with that the first-year Vols have each been named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Team Midseason Watch List, as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Wednesday.
Morris and Wright have been staples for the Vols burgeoning offensive line, with Morris earning six starts at left tackle and Wright starting the last five games – two at right guard and three at right tackle. Their efforts have paved the way for the Vols’ backfield to gain impressive yardage, including a 242-yard game on the ground against BYU and a standout moment at No. 1 Alabama when the O-line pushed the pile on a run from junior Tim Jordan to gain the first down.
Defensively, To’o To’o has made an immediate impact as a linebacker with 35 tackles so far, the second most on the team. He led the Vols in the season opener against Georgia State with seven tackles. The Sacramento, Calif., native has also recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and fumble recovery. He’s recorded a career-best eight tackles on two occasions, versus BYU and at then No. 9 Florida.
Newcomers have seen a lot of action for the Orange and White this season with 21 true freshmen taking the field through UT’s first seven games.
The Vols are back in action on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET), hosting South Carolina at Neyland Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Luke Bryan will try to score the 24th No. 1 single of his career with the release of “What She Wants Tonight” on Oct. 24.
Co-penned by Luke, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite—and produced by Jeff and Jody Stevens—“What She Wants Tonight” is the second single from Luke’s upcoming seventh studio album, following lead single, “Knockin’ Boots,” which topped the charts in September.
“I have wanted to get together with this group of writers for a long time,” said Luke. “We came up with some really infectious hooks for this song and I think women listeners are going to like that the girl in the song controls the dynamic of the situation. I’ve been wanting to get a big, rocking tempo out for some time and this is certainly it.”
Luke also released a new video for “What She Wants Tonight,” which you can watch below.
Pittsburgh, PA – September 30, 2019 – Heinz Field: Cameron Sutton (20) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a regular season Monday Night Football game (Photo by Allen Kee / ESPN Images)
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players in the National Football League entering Week 8 of the season and all the moves in the last week or so, as well as the VFL in the NFL Player of the Week as named by me.
I’ve included some notes, jersey numbers, unofficial depth chart positions, breakdowns by position and much more.
You will also see all of the players that are inactive in the league, either on injured reserve or on practice squads. Plus, you’ll find the list of players that were at UT at one time before transferring and others that have local ties to the Knoxville area that did not attend the University of Tennessee.
I update this list throughout the season here on my blog “Vince’s View.” Bookmark my blog page and check back often.
Moves In The Last Week – U. of Tennessee/One-Time Vols/Local Players in the NFL
-None
Notes and Numbers – Vols in the NFL
*Currently 23 U. of Tennessee players are on NFL 53-player rosters
*UT had 25 entering Week 1
*9 UT players are in the league, but inactive (6 on IR & 3 on practice squads)
*2 VFL rookies are in the NFL, both made teams as undrafted free agents
*Pittsburgh has the most active UT players with 3
*DB & DL are the largest positions of VFLs in the league right now with 4 active
*17 of the 32 teams have a UT player on active rosters
*There are 2 players on active rosters that were once at U. of Tennessee but then transferred
*There are 3 players on active rosters that didn’t attend UT, but have Knoxville/East TN ties
*5 of the 23 Vols on active rosters started their most recent game (not counting special teams or missed games due to injury)
Vinny’s VFL Player of the Week Kyle Phillips – New York Jets DL The undrafted free agent’s strong play earned him the start vs. New England Patriots. The Jets were shutout by the Patriots 33-0, but Phillips did his part. He recorded 7 tackles from his defensive line position. He continues to play well this season as a rookie. He joins Saints DL Shy Tuttle as starters from last year’s University of Tennessee’s defensive line that have started games for their teams as rookie undrafted free agents.
Tennessee Volunteers On Active NFL Rosters as of 10/24/19 (23) x = rookie
Atlanta Falcons Luke Stocker (80) TE (2nd team TE)
Baltimore Ravens Morgan Cox (46) LS (starting LS)
Carolina Panthers Michael Palardy (5) P (starting P/H) Rashaan Gaulden (28) DB (3rd team SS)
Chicago Bears Cordarrelle Patterson (84) WR/KR (2nd team WR & starting KR)
Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten (82) TE (starting TE)
Denver Broncos Alexander “AJ” Johnson (45) LB (starting ILB) Ja’Wuan James (70) OT (injured – starting RT)
Detroit Lions Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) LB (2nd team OLB) Justin Coleman (27) DB (2nd team CB)
Houston Texans Zach Fulton (73) OL (starting RG)
Jacksonville Jaguars Joshua Dobbs (1) QB (2nd team QB)
Kansas City Chiefs Dustin Colquitt (2) P (starting P/H)
Los Angeles Rams John Kelly (42) RB (3rd team RB)
Minnesota Vikings Britton Colquitt (4) P (starting P/H)
New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara (41) RB (injured – starting RB/2nd team KR) Shy Tuttle (74) DT (2nd team DT)
New York Jets Kyle Phillips (98) DE (starting DE)-x
Philadelphia Eagles Derek Barnett (96) DE (starting DE)
Pittsburgh Steelers Ramon Foster (73) OG (starting LG) Daniel McCullers (93) NT (2nd team NT) Cameron Sutton (20) DB (2nd team NCB)
San Francisco 49ers Emmanuel Moseley (41) CB (starting RCB)
One-Time Vols That Transferred On Active Rosters (2) x = rookie
Buffalo Bills Lee Smith TE (85) *Powell HS/Tennessee/Marshall (2nd team TE)
Miami Dolphins Preston Williams (82) WR *Tennessee/Colorado St (starting WR)-x
Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play At U. of Tennessee On Active Rosters (3) x = rookie
Dallas Cowboys Randall Cobb (18) WR *Alcoa HS/Kentucky (starting WR) Chris Jones (6) P *Carson-Newman (starting P/H)
Minnesota Vikings Harrison Smith (22) S *Catholic HS/Notre Dame (starting SS)
Inactive Players From UT, One-Time Vols & Local Players In The NFL Injured Reserve
LB Colton Jumper – New Orleans Saints
QB Matt Simms – Atlanta Falcons
TE Jason Croom – Buffalo Bills
LB Jordan Williams – Tennessee Titans
DT Malik Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles
FB Jakob Johnson – New England Patriots
QB Nathan Peterman – Oakland Raiders (Pitt)
WR Jalen Hurd – San Francisco 49ers (Baylor)
Practice Squads
QB Tyler Bray – Chicago Bears
OG Kahlil McKenzie – Seattle Seahawks
WR Josh Malone – New York Jets
TE Daniel Helm – San Francisco 49ers (Duke)
DE Dewayne Hendrix – Miami Dolphins (Pitt)
Teams Without Any Players From UT On Active 53-Player Rosters (15)
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
UT Players In The NFL By Position (23)
QB – 1
RB – 2
WR – 1
TE – 2
FB – 0
OL – 3
DL – 4
LB – 2
DB – 4
P – 3
PK – 0
LS – 1
Brett Young and wife Taylor are the proud parents of a baby girl.
Presley Elizabeth Young was born on Oct. 21, according to People, weighing 8 lbs., 2 oz., and measuring 20.75 inches.
“We have wanted this for so long and never could we have dreamed of something so beautiful and life-changing,” said the couple to People. “She is perfect and we are forever better because she was given to us.”
After getting engaged in February 2018, Brett and Taylor married in Palm Springs, Calif., in November 2018. They have known each other for more than 10 years.
The nominations were announced for the 2019 American Music Awards.
Luke Combs (3), Dan + Shay (3), Lil Nas X (5), Billy Ray Cyrus (4), Carrie Underwood (2), Kane Brown (2) and more picked up multiple nominations.
The nominations are based on key fan interactions, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. The measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, reflecting the time period from Sept. 28, 2018, through Sept. 26, 2019. The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now open for all AMA categories.
The 2019 American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Check out the country-centric nominations below.
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Kane Brown – Experiment
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood – Cry Pretty
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Luke Combs – “Beautiful Crazy”
Dan + Shay – “Speechless”
Blake Shelton – “God’s Country”
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Ella Mai
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Marshmello & Bastille – “Happier”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Post Malone & Swae Lee – “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
Ariana Grande – “7 rings”
Halsey – “Without Me”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
FAVORITE SONG – POP/ROCK
Halsey -“Without Me”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes”
Post Malone & Swae Lee – “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
Little Big Town stopped by the Vevo performance studio in New York City for an intimate performance of their new single, “Over Drinking.” The twangy tune features LBT’s Karen Fairchild on lead vocals as Kimberly Schlapman harmonizes, while Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet provide guitar accompaniment.
Penned by Jesse Frasure, Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey, Ashley Gorley and Steph Jones, “Over Drinking” is the lead single to LBT’s upcoming ninth studio album, Nightfall, which drops on Jan 17. In addition, LBT will embark on the 34-date Nightfall Tour, which kicks off on Jan. 16 in New York and makes additional stops in Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Chicago, L.A., Denver and more.
![Luke Bryan Drops Video for Brand-New Single, “What She Wants Tonight” [Watch]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2019/10/24202537/Luke-Bryan-TA.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
