KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Eight former University of Tennessee men’s basketball players wrapped up play at the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this past weekend, with six averaging at least 12.8 PPG over the course of the 11-day event.
Jordan Bowden | Atlanta Hawks 3 GP, 13.3 PPG, 25.8 MPG, 34.8 3P%, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG
Bowden saw action in each of the Hawks’ final three Summer League games, posting averages of 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals across 25.8 minutes per contest.
In a July 19 showdown versus the Chicago Bulls, Bowden logged a well-rounded effort, with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. He connected on a triple to put the Hawks ahead by two with under five seconds to go, before the Bulls captured an overtime win.
The following night, versus the New York Knicks, he tallied 16 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and an assist, all while shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Bowden was 10-for-11 from the stripe in Las Vegas, good for a 90.9 percent clip.
Chandler saw the court in each of Portland’s five Summer League contests, averaging 12.8 points on 52.0 percent shooting. He also put up 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
He increased his scoring total each outing, scoring six, then 10, followed by 12, 15, and finally 21 points in sequence as the games progressed.
In the Trail Blazers’ Summer League finale, Chandler added six rebounds, three assists and two steals to his 21 points, connecting on 9-of-13 field-goal attempts versus the Houston Rockets.
James earned playing time in each of Indiana’s final three Summer League affairs.
In a July 18 matchup versus the Denver Nuggets, he recorded three points, four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in just over 14 minutes of play.
Facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Pacers’ fifth and final contest of Summer League, James totaled six rebounds, two assists and a steal in nearly 18 minutes.
Johnson started in all five of Brooklyn’s Summer League games, registering 16.0 points, 5.2 assists. 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest, while shooting at a 47.5 percent clip from the floor in 29.2 minutes per game.
Opening play in style, Johnson knocked down the game-winning shot for the Nets in overtime, a turnaround fadeaway jumper from just outside the paint to defeat the Pacers, 97-95, on July 12. LVFL Candace Parker, a three-time WNBA Champion, was on the call for Johnson’s 16-point performance, in which he added six assists, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals and led the team in the plus/minus category with a +7 figure.
His highest scoring outing of Summer League action came two days later, as he poured in 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including a 4-for-8 mark from 3-point range, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He chipped in six rebounds, four steals and two assists.
In yet another two-point, overtime victory for the Nets on July 18, a 102-100 win versus the Magic, Johnson notched a 12-point, 10-assist double-double, adding five boards and a team-best plus/minus rating of +19 in just under 33 minutes of action.
Following his stellar play in signed a standard multiyear contract to return to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. He was previously on a two-way contract, splitting time with Brooklyn and the G League’s Long Island Nets.
Knecht produced the fifth-best scoring average (min. 3 GP) among 435 total players at the Summer League in Las Vegas, including the top figure among rookies, at 21.3 points per game. He also notched 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his three appearances, in all of which he reached the 20-point threshold.
In the Lakers’ opening game versus the Houston Rockets on July 12, he posted a game-high 25 points while shooting 9-for-18 overall and 5-for-11 from 3-point territory, also collecting six rebounds and four assists.
In LA’s second outing versus the Boston Celtics on July 15, Knecht paced the Lakers in scoring once again, tallying 19 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block.
Knecht’s next action came three days later, as the Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. His 20 points led the way for Los Angeles, as no other Laker scored even 14 on the night. He added seven rebounds, one assist and one steal to his final stat line of Summer League play.
Phillips, entering his second season of professional basketball, played in four of Chicago’s five Summer League games, accounting for averages of 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 block across 32.5 minutes per game. He scored at least a dozen points three times, reaching the 17-point mark twice, while once scoring over 20 points.
He opened play on July 13 with a strong, 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Bulls’ seven-point win, 96-89, over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Three days later, versus the Detroit Pistons, Phillips compiled 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 34 minutes of action.
He capped his proficient showing in Las Vegas with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and making 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc, against Atlanta. He also compiled three steals, two rebounds and one block.
strong performance from Julian in tonight’s Bulls win
In his lone Summer League outing with Boston, Springer scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and made 3-of-6 attempts from 3-point range versus the Miami Heat on July 13. He added six assists, two rebounds and two steals in under 25 minutes of action.
Santiago Vescovi | Golden State Warriors 4 GP, 3.0 PPG, 12.1 MPG, 40.0 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Vescovi posted averages of 3.0 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game during his four Summer League contests. On July 21, he registered his best performance of the event, with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 2-for-3 mark from deep, four rebounds and four assists in a well-rounded showing.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Eight former University of Tennessee men’s basketball players wrapped up play at the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this past weekend, with six averaging at least 12.8 PPG over the course of the 11-day event.
Jordan Bowden | Atlanta Hawks 3 GP, 13.3 PPG, 25.8 MPG, 34.8 3P%, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG
Bowden saw action in each of the Hawks’ final three Summer League games, posting averages of 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals across 25.8 minutes per contest.
In a July 19 showdown versus the Chicago Bulls, Bowden logged a well-rounded effort, with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. He connected on a triple to put the Hawks ahead by two with under five seconds to go, before the Bulls captured an overtime win.
The following night, versus the New York Knicks, he tallied 16 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and an assist, all while shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Bowden was 10-for-11 from the stripe in Las Vegas, good for a 90.9 percent clip.
Chandler saw the court in each of Portland’s five Summer League contests, averaging 12.8 points on 52.0 percent shooting. He also put up 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
He increased his scoring total each outing, scoring six, then 10, followed by 12, 15, and finally 21 points in sequence as the games progressed.
In the Trail Blazers’ Summer League finale, Chandler added six rebounds, three assists and two steals to his 21 points, connecting on 9-of-13 field-goal attempts versus the Houston Rockets.
James earned playing time in each of Indiana’s final three Summer League affairs.
In a July 18 matchup versus the Denver Nuggets, he recorded three points, four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in just over 14 minutes of play.
Facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Pacers’ fifth and final contest of Summer League, James totaled six rebounds, two assists and a steal in nearly 18 minutes.
Johnson started in all five of Brooklyn’s Summer League games, registering 16.0 points, 5.2 assists. 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest, while shooting at a 47.5 percent clip from the floor in 29.2 minutes per game.
Opening play in style, Johnson knocked down the game-winning shot for the Nets in overtime, a turnaround fadeaway jumper from just outside the paint to defeat the Pacers, 97-95, on July 12. LVFL Candace Parker, a three-time WNBA Champion, was on the call for Johnson’s 16-point performance, in which he added six assists, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals and led the team in the plus/minus category with a +7 figure.
His highest scoring outing of Summer League action came two days later, as he poured in 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including a 4-for-8 mark from 3-point range, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He chipped in six rebounds, four steals and two assists.
In yet another two-point, overtime victory for the Nets on July 18, a 102-100 win versus the Magic, Johnson notched a 12-point, 10-assist double-double, adding five boards and a team-best plus/minus rating of +19 in just under 33 minutes of action.
Following his stellar play in signed a standard multiyear contract to return to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. He was previously on a two-way contract, splitting time with Brooklyn and the G League’s Long Island Nets.
Knecht produced the fifth-best scoring average (min. 3 GP) among 435 total players at the Summer League in Las Vegas, including the top figure among rookies, at 21.3 points per game. He also notched 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his three appearances, in all of which he reached the 20-point threshold.
In the Lakers’ opening game versus the Houston Rockets on July 12, he posted a game-high 25 points while shooting 9-for-18 overall and 5-for-11 from 3-point territory, also collecting six rebounds and four assists.
In LA’s second outing versus the Boston Celtics on July 15, Knecht paced the Lakers in scoring once again, tallying 19 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block.
Knecht’s next action came three days later, as the Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. His 20 points led the way for Los Angeles, as no other Laker scored even 14 on the night. He added seven rebounds, one assist and one steal to his final stat line of Summer League play.
Phillips, entering his second season of professional basketball, played in four of Chicago’s five Summer League games, accounting for averages of 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 block across 32.5 minutes per game. He scored at least a dozen points three times, reaching the 17-point mark twice, while once scoring over 20 points.
He opened play on July 13 with a strong, 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Bulls’ seven-point win, 96-89, over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Three days later, versus the Detroit Pistons, Phillips compiled 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 34 minutes of action.
He capped his proficient showing in Las Vegas with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and making 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc, against Atlanta. He also compiled three steals, two rebounds and one block.
strong performance from Julian in tonight’s Bulls win
In his lone Summer League outing with Boston, Springer scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and made 3-of-6 attempts from 3-point range versus the Miami Heat on July 13. He added six assists, two rebounds and two steals in under 25 minutes of action.
Santiago Vescovi | Golden State Warriors 4 GP, 3.0 PPG, 12.1 MPG, 40.0 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Vescovi posted averages of 3.0 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game during his four Summer League contests. On July 21, he registered his best performance of the event, with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 2-for-3 mark from deep, four rebounds and four assists in a well-rounded showing.
A man is arrested and charged in connection with three armed robberies that happened within days of each other.
The Blount County Sheriff’s office says Jeremy Smith is identified as a suspect by investigators with the Maryville Police Department following an armed robbery that happened at Casey’s on West Broadway on Saturday.
BCSO says Smith matched the description of a suspect in two previous armed robberies that happened earlier this month, one on Domino’s on Topside Road on July 3 and another at the Kenjo on Airport Highway on July 15.
Investigators searched Smith’s car and home, finding several pieces of evidence, including a handgun, a black mask and clothing believed to have been worn during the robberies and cash.
Smith is charged with three counts of aggravated robbery.
Rutledge, TN (WOKI) A multi-agency investigation is underway in Grainger County following the death Tuesday morning of a crew member with Appalachian Electric Cooperative.
AEC representatives say crews were working in Grainger County around 9:20 a.m. when “an electrical contact occurred on the site.” The person involved was reportedly taken to Morristown-Hamblen Hospital but later died.
Representatives added that the situation is under investigation.
“AEC is a close-knit organization that doesn’t just provide power to our members and the community; we’re part of the community. Today, we lost one of our fellow AEC family members and this tragedy is felt by everyone,” said Josh Compton, AEC’s General Manager. “Working as a lineman is a respectable and honorable profession. We mourn the loss of our colleague during this incredibly difficult time. Their family is in our thoughts and prayers.”
The death is being investigated by AEC, the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), OSHA and other agencies.
Appalachian Electric Cooperative worker dies on the job, OSHA investigating. (Pexels)
As Dollywood Parks & Resorts continues to earn top recognition within the theme park industry, the team is looking to add anyone ready to help guests make memories at the place named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country.
Full-time, part-time and seasonal positions are available across properties as teams work to prepare for Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana, as well as Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana. Opportunities range from those looking for the chance to advance their career to anyone looking to earn a little extra money for the Christmas holidays. Applicants must be 14 years of age or older.
Upcoming hiring events take place Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 2-6 p.m. at the Sevierville Civic Center. Everyone who interviews will receive a free ticket to visit Dollywood during the remainder of the 2024 season. Positions are available across a variety of teams, including the award-winning culinary team, merchandise, park operations, security, maintenance and more! Dollywood’s industry-leading resort properties also have positions available in housekeeping, food & beverage, and banquets.
Interested applicants may view opportunities, as well as job descriptions and basic requirements for each position, at dollywoodjobs.com. Applicants can signify their interest in a position by following the online instructions to complete the application process. Applicants may also walk-up to the hiring events where an interview will be scheduled for them.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts employees receive a variety of unique benefits including 100% free tuition through Herschend’s GROW U. program, access to the Dollywood Family Healthcare Center, along with complimentary Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country admission for family and friends. Hosts are provided free meals every working shift and also take part in Dollywood’s Park Perks program, which provides free or reduced admission to a large number of regional attractions, theaters and experiences. A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision, is available for qualified full-time employees. Dollywood also pays a portion of childcare costs for hosts whose children are cared for at an Upwards-affiliated provider. Numerous opportunities also are available to help employees develop leadership skills, including an apprenticeship program in conjunction with Walters State Community College.
In 2022, Forbes named The Dollywood Company as one of the best employers in the country, according to a ranking on their website. Additionally, the company received a national Top Workplaces award from USA Today/Gannett earlier in 2024. Underscoring the welcoming and friendly environment present at Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Forbes also named the park to its very first Best Customer Service list in late 2023. Dollywood finished in the top 1% of companies named by survey respondents when asked to consider American brands that represent excellence in customer service. In June, the park earned recognition from Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the United States based on guest reviews.
For more information about available positions at Dollywood Parks & Resorts, please visit https://www.dollywood.com/jobs.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) One person is dead and one person is in custody after a stabbing victim showed up at a Knoxville church.
Knoxville Police Department officials say officers responded to the Cokesbury United Methodist Church around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday morning after a man showed up at the location with non-life-threatening stab wounds.
KPD says further investigation led officers to the area of Kingston Pike and I-140, where another man was found dead.
Police say the man who originally showed up at the church has been detained for questioning, and there are no outstanding suspects.
The investigation is ongoing.
A man was detained after a stabbing near a Knoxville church, according to police. (Courtesy: KPD)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the third time this year, Tennessee’s Tony Vitello was named the nation’s top collegiate baseball coach, this time earning D1Baseball.com National Coach of the Year honors.
Vitello, who led the Volunteers to their first national title in program history last month, was also named the National Coach of the Year by Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association prior to Tuesday’s announcement from D1Baseball.com.
Vitello is the only head coach in program history to win multiple national coach of the year honors in the same year and has now done so twice after also accomplishing the feat in 2021.
This marks Vitello’s first national coach of the year honor from D1Baseball.com, and in total, is the sixth time he’s been named the nation’s top college baseball coach in his seven-year stint at UT. Tennessee’s head man was tabbed national coach of the year in 2021 by Perfect Game and the National College Baseball Writers Association. Perfect Game selected Vitello as its national coach of the year in 2022, as well.
In addition to leading the Vols to their first Men’s College World Series title, Vitello guided the Big Orange to a single-season record 60 victories as part of an historic 2024 campaign.
UT made more history as just the fourth conference team to win the SEC regular season title, the SEC Tournament title and a national championship in the same year, cementing itself as one of the greatest teams the sport has ever seen.
The Vols were also able to end the long drought of No. 1 national seeds coming up short in the postseason, becoming just the second No. 1 overall seed to win the MCWS since the tournament switched to its current format in 1999 – joining Miami who did so in 1999.
Vitello was also chosen as the ABCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, his third time earning that honor in the last four seasons (2021, 2022, 2024).
Under Vitello’s leadership, Tennessee has made three trips to Omaha in the last four seasons, won four combined SEC championships and three SEC eastern division titles. During that four-year span, the Vols’ 211 victories and .773 winning percentage rank No. 1 nationally, planting UT firmly among the nation’s elite programs.
The second suspect accused in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is arrested Nashville.
THP arrested Timothy L. Davis Jr. last night (Monday) and he’s being taken to the Putnam County Jail facing charges stemming from the shooting of Trooper Adam Cothron during a traffic stop on I-40 over the weekend.
Officers placed Cothron’s handcuffs on Davis Jr. and he will wear them on his way to booking.
The other suspect, Braze Rucker, was arrested over the weekend in Kentucky.
A Johnson City man is sentenced after he pleaded guilty to several counts involving drugs and weapons.
Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen says 34-year-old William Jacob Henry is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession with intent to sell fentanyl and meth among other charges in an incident that happened in April 2023.
Knoxville Police responded to a call about impaired people in a car in the parking lot of Kroger on Chapman Highway and found Henry and another person passed out and officers found about 59 grams of meth, 54 grams of fentanyl and a handgun.
Allen says Henry has ten prior felony convictions out of Washington County for aggravated assault, theft and vehicle burglary.
The Knoxville Fire Department has determined the cause of the house fire on Norwalk Avenue.
Sunday’s fire was caused by an overloaded power strip. The home suffered moderate damage and no injuries were reported as the three people living there weren’t at home at the time of the fire. Officials say during a typical year, home electrical problems account for 90,000 fires, over 700 deaths, and $700 million in property losses.
KFD says you should follow these electrical safety tips to help keep your home fire safe.
• Replace worn, old, or damaged extension cords right away.
• Use extension cords for temporary purposes only.
• Avoid putting cords where they can be damaged or pinched, like under a carpet or rug.
• Do not overload power strips.
• Use power strips that have internal overload protection.
