Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander spoke to the media in a group session after Tennessee’s 85-73 win over South Carolina Wednesday night in Knoxville.
Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes held his postgame press conference after Tennessee’s 85-73 win over South Carolina.
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line are making the media rounds in preparation of the Feb. 15 release of their new studio album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, which will be their fourth studio album with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records (or its former imprint, Republic Nashville).
Tyler and Brian stopped by the Blair Garner Show on Feb. 12 for an interview that will air on Feb. 22, revealing to the host that they have one more record left on their Big Machine contract after the release of Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. And it sounds like T-Hubb and BK are going to test the free agency market when the contract expires in 2020, much like Taylor Swift, who was Big Machine’s flagship artist. In 2018, Taylor left Big Machine for Universal Music Group after releasing six studio albums with Borchetta.
As Blair and FGL were talking about the vast number of songs the duo recorded for the new album, some of which didn’t make the final track list, Brian and Tyler hinted at testing the market in 2020.
The excerpt below is an exclusive clip Nash Country Daily obtained:
“Is there going to be a day, then, that we will have the Unreleased Florida Georgia Line [album], because you certainly must have recorded and probably even went through the process of mastering all that stuff?” asks Blair.
“Probably when we own a hundred percent of it, Blair,” says Brian, as the duo begins to laugh. “Probably about a couple years from now.”
“You don’t own all your stuff?” asks Blair.
“Not far off,” says Brian.
“We still got a record deal, Blair,” says Tyler.
“We’re with Big Machine,” says Brian.
“Well, I know. He’s giving me a little wink, there. How much more in the contract?” asks Blair.
“Well, a year from this Friday [Feb. 15],” says Brian. “I don’t care. Start the bidding war, baby. Nah, we have one more record and we can release that a year from Friday.”
Big Machine’s current stable of country artists include Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Carly Pearce, Brett Young, Midland and more. From an outside perspective, Florida Georgia Line certainly appears to be Big Machine’s cash cow right now.
You can listen to Blair’s entire interview with Florida Georgia Line on The Blair Garner Show on Feb. 22.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
The Academy of Country Music announced four events and more than 20 participating artists for ACM’s 7th annual Party for a Cause, which will take place at select venues in Las Vegas on April 5–7 in conjunction with the ACM Awards on April 7.
Artists taking part in scheduled events include Lauren Alaina, Rhett Akins, Rodney Atkins, Ross Copperman, Easton Corbin, Morgan Evans, Walker Hayes, Chris Lane, Maddie & Tae, Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Lori McKenna, Michael Ray, Runaway June, Darius Rucker, Dylan Scott, Mitchell Tenpenny and Brett Young.
ACM Party for a Cause events support ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music.
Tickets to the general public go on sale on Feb. 15. More events and artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
ACM Stories, Songs & Stars
April 5, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Marquee Ballroom, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Talent: Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne and more
ACM Lifting Lives Topgolf Tee-Off
April 6, 10 a.m.
Location: Topgolf Las Vegas, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Talent: Hosted by Darius Rucker and Scotty McCreery, plus performances by Morgan Evans, Chris Lane, Scotty McCreery and more
ACM Decades
April 6, 7 p.m.
Location: Marquee Ballroom, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Talent: Lauren Alaina, Carlton Anderson, Rodney Atkins, Easton Corbin, Jordan Davis, Tracy Lawrence, Maddie & Tae, Jamie O’Neal, Carly Pearce, Michael Ray, Mitchell Tenpenny and more
ACM Awards Official After Party
April 7, 8 p.m.
Location: Marquee Ballroom, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Talent: Hosted by Shawn Parr and Big Kenny, plus performances by Jimmie Allen, Big Kenny, Brantley Gilbert, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Walker Hayes, AJ McLean, Cassadee Pope, Runaway June, Dylan Scott, Brett Young and more
photo by Nash Country Daily
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association have announced the 10 candidates for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, and Tennessee sophomore 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 second year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
Davis, a graduate of Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida, is averaging 14.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per contest for the Lady Vols while starting 21 of 22 games. The 6-foot-2 wing is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from the three-point arc and 86.9 percent from the free throw line. The scoring average by Davis is the seventh-best all-time by a UT sophomore.
Davis, a hotel, restaurant and tourism management major, has scored in double figures in 17 games, including six where she posted points/rebounds double-doubles. She has 10 games with 15 points or more and five with 20+, while tallying double digits in rebounds on seven occasions. In the final four minutes of games, Davis has hit 21 of 25 free throws for 86.7 percent.
Down the stretch, Davis has turned her game up a notch, averaging 22.3 points and 8.8 rebounds over her last four contests. She is hitting 54.7 percent from the field and 93.8 percent from the charity stripe during that span. She has scored 24, 19, 17 and 29 points during that stretch and posted double-doubles in two of those outings.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game – both men and women,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Cheryl Miller is undoubtedly one of the best to ever play the game and we’re happy to have her expertise as we continue to trim our list and determine the Naismith Starting 5.”
A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, and it now has been narrowed to just 10. In March, the names of five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans also will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be revealed in partnership with the WBCA at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Additional awards being presented and recognized at the WBCA Convention 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. Also being awarded is the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award. It is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in women’s college basketball.
Last season, Gabby Williams of Connecticut was named the inaugural winner of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award.
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates
Bridget Carleton, Iowa St.
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Erika Davenport, Marquette
Kaila Charles, Maryland
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
Lexi Klabo, North Dakota
Jackie Young, Notre Dame
Satou Sabally, Oregon
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Borislava Hristova, Washington St.
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
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.
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![Jason Aldean Moves Forward With New Single, “Rearview Town” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2019/02/13122108/Jason-Aldean-JS.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
Jason Aldean will try to extend his streak of consecutive No. 1 singles to four with the release of “Rearview Town,” the title track of his 2018 album. The album has already spawned three No. 1 hits, including “You Make It Easy,” “Drowns the Whiskey” and “Girl Like You.”
“Rearview Town,” which was penned by Kelley Lovelace, Bobby Pinson and Neil Thrasher, will impact country radio on Feb. 25.
“Sometimes you have to let go of the things behind you, that have held you down and look forward,” says Jason. “That’s this song to me, and I think a lot of my people have been there in their lives too.”
Watch the lyric video for “Rearview Town” below.
photo by Nash Country Daily
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football’s 2019 Coaches Clinic will run from March 7 to March 9 and will be headlined by Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt and keynote speakers Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and longtime NFL assistant coach Tom Moore.
The 2019 Coaches Clinic is open to high school coaches and will feature sessions, Q & As and Chalk Talks with Pruitt and the entire UT coaching staff. The keynote speakers will take part in a special Chalk Talk session on Friday night, March 8.
Attendees will have the opportunity to attend Tennessee’s practices on Thursday, March 7, and Saturday, March 9.
For more information and to sign up, visit: http://www.tennesseefootballcamp.com/index.cfm
Tennessee also announced the dates for several youth and high school camps:
Individual Camps (May 31, June 1, June 21, June 22)
Specialist Camp (May 31)
High School Prospect Camps (May 31, June 1)
7-on-7 Tournaments (June 6, June 7, June 8, June 13, June 14, June 15)
Youth Day Camps (June 10, June 11)
Middle School Camps (June 10, June 11)
Big Skills Camps (June 6, June 7, June 8, June 13, June 14, June 15)
For more information and to sign up, visit: http://www.tennesseefootballcamp.com/index.cfm
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ATLANTA – Tennessee’s All-SEC duo of Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams continued garnering recognition for their play this season Wednesday, as the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Midseason Team.
Schofield and Williams, who both made the preseason watch list, were two of 30 players across the country selected as potential recipients of the player of the year honor.
So far this year, the duo was tabbed to the John R. Wooden Award Men’s Late Season Top 20 Watch List. Schofield was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year finalist, while Williams earned a spot on the 2018-19 Oscar Robertson Trophy Final Midseason Watch List and was selected as a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year finalist.
Williams, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, has been one of the nation’s most all-around players this year, averaging 19.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. The Charlotte, N.C., native is also shooting 58 percent from the field and an impressive 83 percent from the charity stripe.
Schofield has been a major contributor to the Vols’ success this season. He is averaging 16.5 points per game, which ranks second on the team and sixth in the SEC, while also averaging 6.3 rebounds. The Zion, Ill., native leads the team in shooting from beyond the arc with 43 3-pointers one the year. While being a high-volume shooter, he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 14 games this season, including eight times during SEC play.
Tennessee was one of seven schools to have multiple players on the list, including Duke, Gonzaga, Nevada, North Carolina, Villanova and Virginia. Schofield and Williams are joined by Kentucky’s P.J. Washington as the only SEC players to make the team.
A list of the 10 national semifinalists will be released on March 4, 2019, followed by the four finalists March 19, 2019. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 7, 2019, during the Final Four in Minneapolis.
The Naismith Trophy is awarded annually to the women’s and men’s college basketball players of the year. First awarded in 1969 to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Naismith Trophy has become one of the most prestigious national honors awarded each year to the top players in the nation.
Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the founder of the sport, Tennessee has never had a player win the award.
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Reigning ACM New Vocal Group of the Year Midland—the trio comprised of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson—treated industry insiders and some lucky fans to a free pop-up show at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Feb. 12.
The trio performed a number of tunes from their 2017 debut album, On the Rocks, including Grammy-nominated “Drinkin’ Problem,” “Make a Little” and their current Top 10 single, “Burn Out.” In addition, the guys covered Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest,” a tune that The Boss wrote and featured on his 1987 album, Tunnel of Love.
Midland also shared the lead single, “Mr. Lonely,” from their upcoming sophomore album, which is expected to drop in the coming months.
Check out the video of “Mr. Lonely” below.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee (15-8, 4-6, SEC) returns home after a two-game road swing, hosting Auburn (18-6, 6-5 SEC) on Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:02 p.m. ET on Valentine’s Day in a contest that will be streamed by SECN+.
Tennessee is 12-2 all-time in games played on Valentine’s Day, including 8-1 at home, 3-1 away and 1-0 at neutral sites. UT is 2-0 vs. AU on this date.
Including this match-up, the Lady Vols have six contests remaining during the regular season. Three are at home (Auburn, South Carolina, Vanderbilt) and three are away (Missouri, Texas A&M, Ole Miss).
The Lady Vols are coming off a 91-63 loss at No. 6/6 Mississippi State on Sunday. It was a three-point game with 6:09 to go in the third and a six-point contest with 2:06 remaining in that period before MSU used a 21-2 run spanning the third and fourth stanzas to pull away. UT played without starting point guard and leading scorer Evina Westbrook, who sat out the game due to a violation of team rules. First-year point guard Jazmine Massengill started in place of Westbrook, giving UT two freshmen, two sophomores and a senior in the starting lineup vs. MSU’s four seniors and a sophomore. Westbrook is expected back for the Auburn game.
Despite the loss, Tennessee comes into the game having won three of its past four contests, defeating LSU, Florida and Vanderbilt in succession. Auburn comes to town on the heels of a 75-72 victory at Arkansas on Sunday. The Tigers also have won three of their past four, handling Ole Miss, Georgia (in OT) and Arkansas, while falling to Kentucky the game before last.
Tennessee won the first match-up this season between these teams, defeating the Tigers, 78-69, at Auburn Arena on Jan. 3 to open league play for both teams. Meme Jackson had 27 points in that game.
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