Hoops Central: Lady Vols vs. No. 5/5 Mississippi State

Hoops Central: Lady Vols vs. No. 5/5 Mississippi State

Posted on March 8, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 8 seed Tennessee (19-11, 7-9 SEC) will meet No. 1 seed Mississippi State (27-2, 15-1 SEC) at noon on Friday in the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament.

Tip-off is slated for 12:02 p.m. ET at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., for a contest that is being televised by the SEC Network and carried by the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM Radio. The winner of the UT-MSU game will advance to face the victor of Friday’s contest between No. 4 Kentucky and No. 5 Missouri at 5 p.m. ET (ESPNU).

The Lady Vols survived and advanced by coming from seven down in the third quarter to defeat LSU, 69-66. The win gave UT a season sweep over the Lady Tigers. After a six-game midseason losing streak, UT has won seven of its past 11 contests and finds itself playing for its 43rd-straight 20-win season.

Mississippi State won its second straight SEC title this season, closing the year at 15-1 in league play with a 68-64 victory over South Carolina in Columbia on Feb. 3. The Bulldogs’ only two losses came at Oregon on Dec. 18 (82-74) and vs. Missouri on Feb. 14 (75-67).

In the first meeting this season between MSU and UT, the Bulldogs grabbed a 91-63 triumph in Starkville on Feb. 10, just four days prior to MSU’s Mizzou loss. The Lady Vols, who trailed MSU by six (40-34) at the half and cut the deficit to three in the third period, played without point guard and leading scorer Evina Westbrook. She sat out due to a violation of team rules (missing a class).

This marks the 43rd all-time meeting between these schools in women’s hoops and the sixth time they’ve faced off in SEC Tournament play. UT is 4-1 in previous meetings in the tourney and 37-5 overall vs. MSU.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Tamika Catchings (analyst) and Steffi Sorensen (sideline) will have the call for the SEC Network.
  • Mickey Dearstone is behind the microphone for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 20th 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.
  • Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
  • The SEC Radio Network will broadcast all games during the tournament and can be heard on Sirius 138, XM 191 and Online 962.

UT-MSU SERIES NOTES

  • This marks the 43rd meeting between the Lady Vols and MSU, with UT possessing a 37-5 record in the series.
  • Tennessee won the first 36 games in the series, dropped three straight to the Bulldogs and then won one in Starkville before dropping the last two contests.
  • UT is 17-2 vs. Mississippi State in Starkville, 16-2 in Knoxville and 4-1 at neutral sites.
  • Including this game, MSU has been the higher ranked team in the past seven games, entering this one with a 5-1 edge over UT.
  • Holly Warlick is 4-5 vs. the Bulldogs and Vic Schaefer, including 2-2 at home, 2-2 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites (2016 SEC semifinals).
  • The Lady Vols were unable to defend their home court last season, falling, 71-52, on Jan. 21 and fell in Starkville in 2019, 91-63. UT point guard Evina Westbrook missed this year’s first meeting due to a violation of team rules.
  • UT won on MSU’s 2017 senior day, 82-64, with Jaime Nared registering a career-high 30 points to lead the Big Orange siege.
  • Tennessee suffered its first-ever loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 28, 2016, when #13/13 MSU came from 12-down in the fourth quarter to force OT and defeat the #19/23 Lady Vols in Starkville, 65-63.
  • #15/15 MSU took the second meeting in the SEC semifinals that year, taking a 58-48 triumph over the unranked Lady Vols in Jacksonville on March 5, 2016.
  • In the 2012 matchup in Starkville, won by Tennessee, 57-41, UT scored its (then) fewest points in the series, while State posted its second-lowest total.
  • UT’s 48 points in the 2016 SEC tourney became UT’s lowest scoring total in the series.
  • Third-year UT assistant coach Sharrona Reaves was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at MSU from 2008-10.

LADY VOL NOTES

  • E420: Against LSU, Evina Westbrook had her 10th 20-point game of the year. She tied Shanna Zolman for 15th on a list of Lady Vols with the most career 20-point games.
  • RELIABLE RENNIA: Rennia Davis scored in double figures for a team-high 24th time on Thursday. She also had a 5-of-6 day at the free throw line and continues to lead the SEC with an .871 shooting percentage.
  • TOP SOPHS: Evina Westbrook ranks No. 3 all-time among UT sophomores for single season assist average (5.1) and is fifth in scoring (15.1). Rennia Davis is No. 7 in scoring (14.7).
  • MIMI MAKING MOVES: Freshman Mimi Collins started her second straight game and scored 10 points in 21 minutes. She’s averaging 11.0 ppg. and hitting 63 percent on field goals and 78 percent at the free throw line over the past three games.
  • GREEN MACHINE: Cheridene Green is averaging 13.3 ppg. and 8.0 rpg. the past three games, shooting 71 percent from the field.
  • YOUNGSTERS CLUTCH VS. LSU: UT got all 22 of its fourth-quarter points against LSU from the trio of sophomore Rennia Davis (12), sophomore Evina Westbrook (6) and freshman Mimi Collins (4). Davis and Westbrook combined for 27 of UT’s 41 second-half points.
  • STRONG ON THE BOARDS: UT has won the rebounding battle in 25 of 30 games, including vs. 15 of 17 SEC opponents (MSU, VU).
  • RISING TO THE OCCASION: UT is learning to play under pressure with such a young t­eam. The Lady Vols are 14-0 when leading after three quarters, but their victory over LSU gave them just their third triumph this season in 14 games where they trailed heading into the fourth quarter.
  • MAKING GOOD SHOTS: UT has been more patient in seeking good shots, and the results are showing. The Lady Vols were 16 of 27 in the second half vs. LSU (.593), helping them turn in a percentage of .491 for the game that ranked as their fourth-best all season.

TENNESSEE IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT

  • Tennessee enters Friday’s game with a 79-22 (.780) all-time record in the 40th year of the SEC Tournament.
  • UT improved to 35-5 all-time in its opening game of the SEC Tournament and is 26-8 in its second contest of the tourney.
  • UT was a No. 7 seed a year ago and is playing as a No. 8 seed for the first time.
  • Tennessee is seeking to capture its league-leading 18th SEC championship trophy. UT was victorious in 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
  • The Lady Vols were runners-up on six occasions, including 1982, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2015.
  • UT has advanced to the title game in two of the past five seasons, winning in 2014 as a #2 seed, 71-70, over #4 Kentucky and falling as a #2 seed to #1 South Carolina, 62-46, in 2015.
  • The Big Orange women are 24-6 in SEC Tournament play since 2007-08.
  • Holly Warlick has forged a 10-5 record in SEC Tournament games as a head coach, including 1-1 in title games.
  • Tennessee has had 15 SEC Tournament MVPs through the years, with a Lady Vol winning four of the last eight awards.
  • Isabelle Harrison (2014), Glory Johnson (2012), Shekinna Stricklen (2011) and Alyssia Brewer (2010) were the past four MVPs from Tennessee.
  • Current assistant coach Bridgette Gordon was a two-time SEC All-Tournament selection (1988, 1989), claiming MVP honors in 1989.
  • UT head coach Holly Warlick was a senior point guard on the Lady Vol team that won the very first SEC Tournament title in 1980, defeating Ole Miss, 85-71, at Stokely Athletics Center in Knoxville.

PREVIOUS VISITS TO GREENVILLE

  • This marks the third time Greenville has played host to the SEC Tournament.
  • UT improved to 4-1 in games played in this city after beating LSU on Thursday, 69-66.
  • No. 2 seed Tennessee defeated #1 seed LSU in the tourney title game, 67-56, on March 6, 2005, the first time the event was held here.
  • Shyra Ely was named the SEC Tournament MVP that year, while Shanna Zolman and Brittany Jackson joined her on the all-tournament team.
  • UT beat Auburn in the second round (64-54) and Vanderbilt in the semifinals (76-73) that year.
  • The last trip to Greenville was a short visit for the Lady Vols, as they fell to Alabama, 72-64, in the second round on March 2, 2017.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LADY VOLS

  • Sophomores Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis combined for 27 second-half points to rally eighth-seeded Tennessee to a 69-66 win over ninth-seeded LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
  • Westbrook led UT in scoring with 20 points while Davis was close behind with 19. Freshman Mimi Collins tallied 10 points in the game, eight of which came in the second half.
  • LSU was led by Khayla Pointer, who had 21 points and five assists. Faustine Aifuwa and Ayana Mitchell were also in double figures for the Lady Tigers with 16 each.

NOTES FROM UT/LSU GAME

  • Cleaning The Glass: The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Lady Tigers 31-28. They have now out-rebounded 25 of 30 opponents on the season by an average of 43.4 rpg. to 34.2 rpg.
  • 20+ Westbrook: With 20 points against LSU, Evina Westbrook recorded her 10th 20+ performance of the season and first since knocking down 24 against Arkansas on Jan. 21.
  • Collins Coming On Strong: Mimi Collins recorded her seventh double-digit effort of the season with 10 points against LSU. Over the last three games she is averaging 11 ppg., raising her season average to 5.3 ppg. Prior to the last three games she was averaging just 4.6 ppg.
  • Competitive Friends: Head coach Holly Warlick and LSU coach Nikki Fargas are long-time friends. Warlick will have bragging rights this offseason after taking two from the Lady Tigers this year to improve her record to 7-3 vs. Fargas. Warlick is now 41-18 in games vs. teams with former Lady Vol players and/or staffers.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

  • Back-to-back SEC champion MSU is led by 6-7 center Teaira McCowan, who averages 17.3 ppg. and 13.4 rpg. and shoots 65 percent from the field.
  • Also scoring in double figures are Texas A&M graduate transfer Anriel Howard (15.9 ppg.) and Arkansas transfer Jordan Danberry (13.3). MSU lost three-point ace Chloe Bibby (11.9 ppg., 36 3FGs) to a knee injury in the season’s 18th game.
  • The Bulldogs are outscoring foes 86.2-57.0 in all games and 81.0-61.1 in league play.
  • MSU has finished as runner-up at the Final Four the past two seasons and won its first-ever SEC regular season crown in 2017-18.
  • MSU lost four starters from that squad, including WNBA Draft pick Victoria Vivians (19.8 ppg.).

MSU’S LAST GAME

  • No. 5 Mississippi State repeated as the SEC regular-season champs after defeating No. 14/15 South Carolina on the road on Feb. 3, 68-64.
  • The Bulldogs (27-2, 15-1 SEC) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit and their first time trailing at the break this season, outscoring the Gamecocks (21-8, 13-3 SEC), 36-25, in the second half.  State survived a late challenge from S.C., who outscored MSU, 9-4 in the final 3:30 of play.
  • Teaira McCowan collected her 63rd career double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Anriel Howard recorded her 42nd double-double with a season-high 16 boards and 13 points. Andra Espinoza-Hunter (17) and Jordan Danberry (12) joined them in double figures.

THE LAST TIME WE MET

  • The Lady Vols scrapped to within three in the third quarter but couldn’t overcome a No. 6 Mississippi State team that shot an impressive 52.2 percent to win 91-63 on Feb. 10.
  • Tennessee (15-8, 4-6 SEC) was led by sophomore Rennia Davis, who fired in a season-high 29 points. Freshman Zaay Green added 13.
  • UT leading scorer Evina Westbrook missed the game due to a violation of team rules.
  • MSU’s (22-1, 10-0 SEC) high scorer was senior Teaira McCowan, who logged a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Seniors Jordan Danberry and Anriel Howard also had big days for MSU, finishing with 20 and 16 points, respectively. Howard added 11 rebounds to claim a double-double on the afternoon.

LAST TIME IN THE SEC TOURNEY

  • Tennessee’s SEC Tournament run came to an end on March 5, 2016, as the Lady Vols fell to No. 3 seed Mississippi State, 58-48, in the semifinals.
  • Diamond DeShields paced the Lady Vols (19-13) with 22 points. Victoria Vivians scored 30 points to help No. 16/16 Mississippi State (26-6) punch its ticket to the title game.
  • Bashaara Graves grabbed 15 rebounds for UT.
UT Athletics
Listen to Dustin Lynch’s New 3-Song EP, “Ridin’ Roads”

Listen to Dustin Lynch’s New 3-Song EP, “Ridin’ Roads”

Posted on March 8, 2019

Dustin Lynch dropped a new three-song EP, Ridin’ Roads, on March 8.

The title track, which Dustin co-penned with Ashley Gorley and Zack Crowell, serves as Dustin’s new single,

“We have a lot more colors to paint with than we did on the first album,” says Dustin. “I don’t think there are any more genre walls. It’s all about the lyric and the message, and we let the song steer us. If we dig it, we’ll take a chance.”

The new EP follows the release of Dustin’s 2017 album, Current Mood,” which featured No. 1 singles “Seein’ Red” and “Small Town Boy.” In 2018, Dustin released the standalone track “Good Girl,” which also reached No. 1.

Listen to “Ridin’ Roads” below.

Ridin’ Roads Track List & Songwriters

  1. “Ridin’ Roads” (Lynch, Ashley Gorley, Zach Crowell)
  2. “Little Town Livin’” (Lynch, Ben Hayslip, Zach Crowell, Rhett Akins)
  3. “Red Dirt, Blue Eyes” (Lynch, Kyle Fishman, Dallas Davidson)

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Brooks & Dunn Team With Lanco on “Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up for Nothing” [Listen]

Brooks & Dunn Team With Lanco on “Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up for Nothing” [Listen]

Posted on March 8, 2019

Brooks & Dunn’s upcoming Reboot album, which drops on April 5, features an all-star cast of artists collaborating with country’s greatest duo.

Artists taking part in the project include Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Lanco, Ashley McBryde, Midland, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Tyler Booth.

In addition to previously released songs “Brand New Man” with Luke Combs, “Believe” with Kane Brown, and “My Next Broken Heart” with Jon Pardi, Brooks & Dunn released their new version of “Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up Nothing,” which features Lanco.

“This whole experience has been humbling to say the least,” says Ronnie Dunn. “What a cool rush to hear somebody do one of your tunes in a unique way, and it still holds up. That’s the greatest compliment you can get as an artist. People used to ask us all the time about the legacy we wanted to leave, and it’s honestly just that—you hope the music stands up over time. This is the first opportunity we’ve had to run it up a new flagpole . . . and it really flies.”

“They’re making their own music,” says Kix Brooks about the Reboot guest list. “But just like we did, they still remember and respect the music they grew up with. It makes you feel good that these acts were inspired by us in some small way.”

The new album will be Brooks & Dunn’s first studio album since 2007’s Cowboy Town.

Reboot Track List
1. Brand New Man (with Luke Combs)
2. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You (with Brett Young)
3. My Next Broken Heart (with Jon Pardi)
4. Neon Moon (with Kacey Musgraves)*
5. Lost and Found (with Tyler Booth)
6. Hard Workin’ Man (with Brothers Osborne)
7. You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone (with Ashley McBryde)
8. My Maria (with Thomas Rhett)
9. Red Dirt Road (with Cody Johnson)
10. Boot Scootin’ Boogie (with Midland)
11. Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up For Nothing (with LANCO)
12. Believe (with Kane Brown)
Produced by Dann Huff
*Produced by Dann Huff and Kacey Musgraves

photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

Video: Rick Barnes previews final game at Auburn for SEC title

Video: Rick Barnes previews final game at Auburn for SEC title

Posted on March 8, 2019

Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes spoke to the media Thursday ahead of Saturday’s regular season finale at Auburn with a chance at at least a share of the SEC regular season championship. Video courtesy of UT Athletics and VFL Films for Vol Network affiliates in Knoxville.

Vols HC Rick Barnes / Credit: UT Athletics & VFL Films
UT Football Spring Practice 1 – Views, Notes, Weight Gains, New Positions and Numbers

UT Football Spring Practice 1 – Views, Notes, Weight Gains, New Positions and Numbers

Posted on March 8, 2019
Vols OLs / Credit: WNML Staff

By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports

Below are my observations from the University of Tennessee’s first spring practice of 2019 at Haslam Field in Knoxville on Thursday.

There are plenty of changes to the UT football roster with position moves, jersey number changes and updated heights/weights. I’ve listed all of those here as well.

Vince’s View – Practice 1

Notables out due to injury or precaution:
OL – Trey Smith
OL – Brandon Kennedy
OL – Chris Akporoghene
DL – Kurott Garland
LB – Darrin Kirkland Jr.
RB – Eric Gray
DB – Tyus Fields
*Pruitt did not address Trey Smith’s status
*Kennedy is just being held back as a precaution and would have been able to play a game
*Pruitt said Akporoghene, Fields and Garland should be back soon
*Pruitt said Peterson is banged-up and should be back soon, but he was in some drills while we had viewing
*There were coaches everywhere with the Coaches’ Clinic at UT
*The drills we were able to view in our three periods looked crisp, organized and energetic
*Jr. S Theo Jackson impressed me by how vocal he was at calling out formations and communicating with his teammates
*You can see the work done in the off-season in the strength and conditioning program, especially year two for many of the players
*It was good to see OL Trey Smith at practice with his jersey on, encouraging his teammates, focused on watching every practice rep and trying to learn any way he can
*OT Wanya Morris, not surprisingly, is a massive guy who went through his drills with physicality
*Some of the injured players that ended their football careers this off-season were out supporting their former teammates at practice including former OL Chance Hall
*There were some recruits at practice as well
*Pruitt says, due to lack of numbers, true freshman Quavaris Crouch is starting out practicing at inside linebacker after it was previously said he would play at outside linebacker, which I think will still eventually happen
*Pruitt said Banks and Fant will be re-evaluated by Jim Chaney and David Johnson after 6-to-8 practices to see if they will stay there at RB

Roster Updates

New Positions
Jeremy Banks- LB to RB
Maleik Gray – WR to DB
Deangelo Gibbs – DB to WR
LaTrell Bumphus – TE to DL
Ja’Quain Blakely – TE to DL
Kivon Bennett – DL to LB
*A number of these players are moving back to positions they were once at

2019 Class & Transfer Jersey Numbers
WR – Deangelo Gibbs – 6
DL – Aubrey Solomon – 98
QB – Brian Maurer – 18
RB – Eric Gray – 3
WR – Ramel Keyton – 80
TE – Jackson Lowe – 82
OL – Wanya Morris – 64
OL – Chris Akporoghene – 77
LB – Quavaris Crouch – 27
S – Jaylen McCullough – 22
CB – Tyus Fields – 17
CB – Warren Burrell – 14

New Numbers
RB – Ty Chandler – 3 to 8
RB – Tim Jordan – 22 to 9
RB – Jeremy Banks – 31 to 33
RB – Princeton Fant – 18 to 44
OL – Jahmir Johnson – 72 to 58
OL – Brandon Kennedy – 59 to 55
DL – Matthew Butler – 56 to 94
DL – John Mincey – 59 to 99
DL – Kingston Harris – 51 to 54
DL – Greg Emerson – 64 to 90
LB – JJ Peterson – 40 to 6
CB – Bryce Thompson – 10 to 20
CB – Alontae Taylor – 6 to 2
DB – Shawn Shamburger – 15 to 12
DB – Cheyenne Labruzza – 9 to 44
PK – Brent Cimaglia – 30 to 42

Not On The Roster Via Transfer Portal
WR – Latrell Wiliams
OT – Drew Richmond
LB – Austin Smith

Noteworthy Weight Gains From 2018 (lbs)
OL – Nathan Niehaus (+40 in past year per Pruitt…+17 per rosters)
OL – Marcus Tatum (+25 or 30 in past year per Pruitt…+15 per rosters)
OL – Riley Locklear (+25 or 30 in past year per Pruitt…-2 per rosters)
DL – Kurott Garland (+28)
DL – Ja’Quain Blakely (+23)
OL – Trey Smith (+17)
LB – Deandre Johnson (+17)
DL – John Mincey (+16)
P/K – Paxton Brooks (16)
OT – Marcus Tatum (+15)
P – Joe Doyle (+13) *walk-on
TE – Jacob Warren (+12)
DL – Shanon Reid (+12)
LB – Quavaris Crouch (+12)
OL – Ryan Johnson (+11)
DL – Matthew Butler (+9)
DL – Aubrey Solomon (+9)
LB – Solon Page II (+9)
QB – Brian Maurer (+8)
RB – Princeton Fant (+8)
DL – Darrell Taylor (+8)
DB – Warren Burrell (+8)

Noteworthy Weight Dropped From 2018 (lbs)
OL – Jahmir Johnson (-15)
DL – Kivon Bennett (-15)
DB – Brandon Davis (-13)
LB – Will Ignont (-10)
LB – Darrin Kirkland Jr. (-9)
OL – Eric Crosby (-8)

Height Changes Of Newcomers From When Introduced At UT
WR – Ramel Keyton (was listed at 6’3, now shown at 6’2)
TE – Jackson Lowe (was listed at 6’5, now at 6’4)
OL – Wanya Morris (was listed at 6’6, now 6’4)
OL – Chris Akporoghene (was listed at 6’5, now 6’3)
LB – Quavaris Crouch (was listed at 6’2, now 6’1)
DL – Aubrey Solomon (was listed at 6’3, now 6’5)

Find more of my broadcasting work at VinceSports.net.

Spring Report: Pruitt Emphasizes Team Effort in First Spring Practice

Spring Report: Pruitt Emphasizes Team Effort in First Spring Practice

Posted on March 7, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team held its first spring practice of 2019 on Thursday afternoon at Haslam Field, officially beginning the second spring season of the Jeremy Pruitt era.

The Vols will practice a total of 15 times and will wrap up the spring session with the Chevrolet Orange and White game on Saturday, April 13 at 6 p.m. inside Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee welcomed 12 scholarship newcomers for the spring semester, which includes 10 freshmen and two transfer early enrollees (Full list at the bottom of the page).

On Thursday, Pruitt stressed the strides the team has made on both sides of the ball.

“There’s definitely a lot of carryover defensively from last fall,” Pruitt said. “We have lots of guys that are back, so you could obviously see a comfort zone there. I thought our offense did a great job today. It’s probably the first time all year that we finished practice early. The offense sets the tempo for the practice, so I thought that was really positive.”

Moving forward for the remainder of the spring session, Pruitt emphasized the importance of his football support staff to get the team where it needs to be heading into the summer session.

“I think with the offseason, it takes everybody in our program,” Pruitt said. “I think it starts with our weight room staff, with Coach (Craig) Fitzgerald and all his guys. They’ve done a really nice job training. Our nutrition staff has done a really good job – (Director of Nutrition for Football) Rachel (Pfister) and everybody associated with her. The people in Smokey’s, where our guys eat everyday. I think the guys have done a nice job of getting some rest, which is important.”

Pruitt also praised several players who have gained weight, maximizing the strength and conditioning resources and nutrition team at UT.

“With Nathan Nieuhas, I think he’s gained 40 pounds in a year,” Pruitt said. “Riley Locklear has probably gained 25 or 30 pounds. (Marcus) Tatum has probably gained 25 or 30 pounds. I think it will help them.”

Chaney back on Rocky Top
Jim Chaney returned to Tennessee as offensive coordinator following a successful run at Georgia from 2016-18 where he led an offense that ranked No. 3 in the SEC in total yards per game (478.77), second in points (39.15) and first in rushing yards (251.62) in 2018. Pruitt has been impressed in a short period of time from what he’s seen from Chaney at UT.

“With Jim coming in here, I think he has done a really nice job with our staff,” Pruitt said. “He’s very efficient with his time. He is a very good teacher. I’ve sat in lots of meetings. The offense is simple to understand.”

Pruitt was most impressed with the multiple ways Chaney has had success in college football, through throwing and running the ball. He also stressed Chaney’s ability to evaluate and maximize talent on the field.

“He’s done it lots of different ways, which I think is important” Pruitt said. “He’s thrown it lots of different times in games. He has done it with balance. He figures out who his best players are and finds a way to get them the ball. I think he’s a very good evaluator, and coaching against him, he is very hard to defend.”

Kennedy Back
Brandon Kennedy started the 2018 season opener at center before suffering a knee injury in practice that ended his season. Kennedy, a graduate transfer from Alabama, was back at practice in a limited role on Thursday. However, Pruitt said Kennedy would be able to play if the Vols needed him for a game right now.

“There’s no need to rush him back,” Pruitt said. “He is going to do some things this spring, and it will be day-by-day. If we were playing in a game right now, he could play.”

Different Spring for Alontae Taylor
A year ago, rising sophomore cornerback Alontae Taylor was an early enrollee hoping to become a star wide receiver for the Vols following a standout prep career in Manchester, Tenn. In Taylor’s second spring, he is firmly entrenched at cornerback after starting nine games there as a true freshman last fall.

Taylor moved to cornerback midway through spring practice last year, but wasn’t solidified on defense until fall camp.

“He’s put a lot of time into it with Coach (Derrick) Ansley,” Pruitt said. “I see those guys watching tape a lot. I think there will be improvement just being comfortable with the position now. He, along with the rest of the guys, should improve. They all have a year under their belt.”

Taylor, who started the 2018 season-opener, finished with 40 tackles, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick in his first year.

Injury Update
Pruitt announced that rising redshirt senior linebacker Darrin Kirkland (knee) would be out for the spring. Rising freshmen Eric Gray, Tyus Fields and Chris Akporghene were also out on Thursday. Pruitt said rising redshirt freshman defensive lineman Kurott Garland would return to practice soon.

Early Enrollees for the Vols:

FRESHMEN:

No. 77 Chris Akporoghene, OL, 6-3, 301. (Seymour, Tenn.)

No. 14 Warren Burrell, DB, 6-0, 178. (Suwanee, Ga. / North Gwinnett)

No. 27 Quavaris Crouch, LB, 6-1, 242. (Charlotte, N.C./ Harding University)

No. 17 Tyus Fields, DB, 5-10, 185. (Cornelius, N.C./ Hough)

No. 3 Eric Gray, RB, 5-10, 195. (Memphis, Tenn./ Lausanne Collegiate School)

No. 80 Ramel Keyton, WR, 6-2, 185. (Marietta, Ga. Marietta)

No. 82 Jackson Lowe, TE, 6-4, 253. (Cartersville, Ga./ Cartersville)

No. 18 Brian Maurer, QB, 6-3, 192. (Ocala, Fla./ West Port)

No. 22 Jaylen McCollough, DB, 6-0, 200. Powder Springs, Ga/ Hillgrove)

No. 64 Wanya Morris, OL, 6-4, 309. (Loganville, Ga./ Grayson)

TRANSFERS:

#98 Aubrey Solomon, DL, JR., 6-5, 306. (Lee County, Leesburg, Ga.)

#6 Deangelo Gibbs, WR, JR., 6-1, 209. (Oxford, Ga./ Grayson)

 

UT Athletics

UT Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference Transcript

UT Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference Transcript

Posted on March 7, 2019

 Opening statement:

“There’s definitely a lot of carry over defensively from last fall. We have a lot of guys who are back, so you could obviously see a comfort zone there. I thought that our offense did a really good job today. It was probably the first time all year that we finished practice early. The offense sets the tempo for the practice, so I thought that was really positive. We have a few guys that aren’t participating in the spring. Darrin Kirkland is getting some work done on his knee, just from a rehab standpoint, and Eric Gray had shoulder surgery. Tyus Fields had a little procedure done back during Christmas. He could possibly be back. Chris Akporoghene is going to miss the first couple of days of spring practice. Kurott Garland will be back out there soon. So, we’ve got a few guys out, but not as many as we had last year. I thought the tempo was good today. With the first day of practice, we’ve got new guys out there and we have to teach them how to practice. We’ve got to stay off the ground. The ball for the first day is probably on the ground too many times, with just simple quarterback center exchanges. We need to be able to fix that, and offensively it starts with the snap, and if you can’t do that, it’s hard to have success. I thought for the first day, there was some juice out there, and our guys competed pretty well, and I’m excited about that. I think there’s some guys that changed positions that have done a nice job in the offseason learning a new position. So, we’ll watch the film, and we’ve got a bunch of high school coaches in here, we’re excited about that. With our coach’s clinic, it’s an opportunity for us to spend time with people that came to our clinic. It’s a big deal for us, so we’ll work on our corrections tomorrow and we’ll go back at it on Saturday and hopefully we’ll improve.”

Credit: UT Athletics

On the difference from spring practice last year to spring practice this year:

“I can’t remember what I ate last week for breakfast, so I sure can’t remember last spring’s first day of practice. We’ve practiced 300 times since then. So, we were better today than we were last year because mostly everybody on the team has been through the system one time, as opposed to last year when nobody knew the system. So now, there’s probably ten guys that are here for the first time, and at least the other guys have an idea of what they’re supposed to do. Last year, nobody knew what to do. So, it obviously should be better.”

On the smoothness of the offense today despite new coaches:

“I think from an experience standpoint with Jim (Chaney) coming in here, I think he’s done a really nice job with our staff. He’s very efficient with his time. He’s a very good teacher. I’ve sat in lots of meetings, and he’s simple to understand. There are a lot of similarities, and we’ve kept a lot of things, from a conceptional standpoint, that are probably very similar. So, I think our guys have done a really good job with working hard to figure out what they’re supposed to do. The guys come here for two reasons: to get a degree and to play football. So, some of it is on them to learn what to do on their own, and I think our guys, for the first day, have done a really good job. Now, you install the first day for probably two weeks, and now you’re fixing to start the second practice and you install one time and here we go. Are we willing to spend that much time and be able to balance everything that goes in with that and retain the same knowledge as the first practice? I don’t know, we’ll see.”

On responding from last season:

“We had our shots last year, that’s over with. There’s nothing we can do about it, so I’m not going to talk about it anymore. We’re worried about next year. That’s the only thing that we have control over and everybody on our football team has a plan to improve as a player this spring and as a unit, and I think our guys are going to start working hard to do that. We’ve done a good job so far, we had a good first day of practice and we’ll see where it goes tomorrow.”

On Quavaris Crouch starting the spring at inside linebacker:

“Inside linebacker, first of all we have a lack of depth there with Darrin Kirkland Jr. not going through the spring. JJ Peterson is a little banged up, he should be back probably next week. So, we have a depth issue there. It’s also from a standpoint of having a better understanding of the defense, it’s easier to learn it from inside out instead of outside in. I think he’s a guy that can play all four positions, so we started him there.”

On Jeremy Banks’ position during the spring:

“Jeremy is going to start off at running back. If you look at our running back with Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan and Carlin Fils-aime, even Eric Gray, they’re all probably between the 195 and 205 range. We need a big back, that’s why we moved Princeton Fant there. We’re gonna keep Jeremy on offense, we have to have a 225-plus pound guy in there, at least one guy. We’re going to keep them over there and see how they work for the first six to eight days, let coach Chaney and David Johnson get a good look at them and then make a decision from there. They both can play multiple positions and they’re learning the offense conceptually, so I think they’re both doing a good job as far as offseason conditioning, I don’t know about today’s practice.”

On Alontae Taylor’s growth as a defensive back in the past year:

“For one, he wants to be a defensive back now. When we moved him last spring, he probably didn’t. When you want to do something, you put more time into it. I think that he’s probably done that, he’s put a lot of time in in the offseason with coach Ansley. I see those guys watching tape a lot. So, I think that there will be improvement just with being comfortable with the position. He’s never played corner, he played defensive back, but he really went back there and stood and played safety during high school. He didn’t get up there and play the different techniques that you have to play at corner in this league. Him along with the rest of the guys, they all should improve now that they have a year under their belt.”

On Brandon Kennedy’s recovery:

“Brandon would be clear to go if we were playing right now, but there’s no need to rush him back. He’s going to do some things this spring and it’ll be day-by-day, but if we were playing a game right now, he could play.”

On the progress through the offseason:

“I think with the offseason it takes everybody in the program, it starts with our weight room staff with Coach Fitz and all his guys. They have done a really nice job training and our nutrition staff has done a great job. Rachel (Pfister) and everybody associated with her, the people in Smokey’s where our guys eat every day, working with Rachel and her crew. Getting the guys on a good diet and I think the guys have done a nice job of getting some rest and I think it takes a little of that too. Nathan Niehaus has gained 40 pounds in a year, Riley Locklear has probably gained 25 or 30 pounds and Marcus Tatum has gained 25 or 30 pounds. They need it and some of them could gain 25 more but I think it will help them and offensive line is a developmental position so when you sign a scholarship to play offensive line in the SEC and you weigh 260 pounds, it’s probably going to take you three years before you can actually play. A lot of these guys are in their third year or starting their fourth and they are big enough now to be effective I think.”

On what the staff needs to see from the defensive line this spring:

“There’s not many guys that have played a lot of ball, I think as a group the guys have worked hard in the offseason but until you learn how to go out there and strain and do it over and over again and not make mental errors and learn how to play, how to practice and do it the right way, we have very few guys that have done much of that. Emmitt Gooden played more than the rest of them, John Mincy was getting an opportunity to play and he got injured last year. Kurott Grarland played four games, Kingston Harris played in four, so they played enough to be redshirted. I think that was good for them, good experience but we’ve got a long way to go there.”

On the early enrollees:

“I think these guys have done a really nice job in the classroom. Lots of times when you go to college everybody gets overwhelmed, there is so much thrown at them. I haven’t seen that with them, I think these guys come from really good football programs and good schools. I think they have been prepared academically, athletically and programs that have worked really hard and have had a lot of success. They have jumped right in and fit right in, they haven’t looked like freshman which is a good thing. Obviously, they are mid-year guys so they have to be pretty strong academically. I saw more of the defensive guys but I thought they had a good understanding of what we were tying to do for the first day so it was really positive.”

On what appealed to him the most about Jim Chaney:

“He’s done it a bunch of different ways and has had a bunch of success in this league which I think is important. Unless you’ve coached in this league against some of these guys that you’re going to go against, it takes a little while to get used to what they’re going to do on defense. He’s done it throwing it a bunch of times in a game, he’s done it with balance and run oriented. He figures out who his best players are and finds ways to get them the ball. I think he’s a very good evaluator and coaching against him, he’s very hard to defend.”

 

UT Athletics

Lady Vols Edge LSU In SEC Second Round

Lady Vols Edge LSU In SEC Second Round

Posted on March 7, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomores Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis combined for 27 second-half points to rally eighth-seeded Tennessee to a 69-66 win over ninth-seeded LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.

Westbrook led UT in scoring with 20 points while Davis was close behind with 19. Freshman Mimi Collins tallied 10 points in the game, eight of which came in the second half.

LSU was led by Khayla Pointer, who had 21 points and five assists. Faustine Aifuwa and Ayana Mitchell were also in double figures for the Lady Tigers with 16 each.

The Lady Vols got off to a shaky start, turning the ball over on the first two possessions while the Lady Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Mimi Collins knocked down a 12-foot jumper on the baseline to get UT on board at the 8:36 mark. LSU went on to pull ahead 11-6, but Westbrook tied the game at 11-all with a baseline three at the 3:22 mark, and Meme Jackson knocked down a contested jumper to give the Lady Vols their first lead of the game at 13-11. Westbrook struck again just before the quarter break to put UT up 15-14 at the end of the first.

The teams traded buckets to start the second period until Pointer came up with a steal and score to put LSU ahead 20-19 at the 7:33 mark. Davis answered on the next possession, driving into the lane to put Tennessee back up 21-20. Back-to-back threes put the Lady Tigers ahead 28-23 with 3:42 remaining in the half, but Meme Jackson answered on the other end, knocking down a three to cut the lead to two. LSU closed out the half with a 6-0 run to take a 35-28 lead into halftime.

Westbrook poured in six points in the opening minutes of the third stanza to put the Lady Vols within three by the 5:46 mark, and Cheridene Green cut the deficit to one on the next possession with a rebound and put-back.  The Lady Tigers stretched the lead back to five, but Westbrook answered with an old-fashioned three-point play to pull Tennessee within two at the 2:13 mark. Mimi Collins got off a shot from behind the arc as the buzzer sounded that would have put the Lady Vols up by one, but it rimmed out, sending UT into the final period down 49-47.

Westbrook and Davis combined for UT’s first six points of the fourth quarter before Davis found Collins in transition. The freshman forward laid the ball in to give Tennessee its first lead of the half at 55-53. Aifuwa tied it up for LSU, but Collins once again answered, knocking down a long-range baseline jumper to put UT back on top, 57-55, at the media timeout. Davis knocked down two free throws after the timeout and followed it up with a trey to put Tennessee up 62-57 with just under three minutes left in the game. Mitchell cut it to two with 50 second to play, banking in a short jumper in the paint, but Westbrook responded on the other end, driving to the bucket to boost UT’s lead back to four. LSU would hit two more field goals, but Tennessee worked down the clock shooting free throws to take a 69-66 victory and advance to the third round of the SEC Tournament.

Up Next: The Lady Vols advanced to the third round of the SEC Tournament, where they will face Mississippi State at noon on Friday in a game televised by the SEC Network.

Cleaning The Glass: The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Lady Tigers 31-28. They have now out-rebounded 25 of 30 opponents on the season by an average of 43.4 rpg. to 34.2 rpg.

20+ Westbrook: With 20 points against LSU, Evina Westbrook recorded her 10th 20+ performance of the season and first since knocking down 24 against Arkansas on Jan. 21.

Collins Coming On Strong: Mimi Collins recorded her seventh double-digit effort of the season with 10 points against LSU. Over the last three games she is averaging 11 ppg., raising her season average to 5.3 ppg. Prior to the last three games she was averaging just 4.6 ppg.

 

UT Athletics

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