Tennessee football great John Michels passed away on Thursday at the age of 87.
Michels, who wore No. 38, was a 1952 consensus All-American and a two-time All-SEC First Team selection at offensive guard. He helped lead the Vols to the consensus national championship and a 10-0 regular season in 1951. The Vols’ offense rushed for 3,068 yards (306.8 yards per game) and 40 touchdowns – both school records – in 1951.
During his senior season in 1952, Michels was awarded the Jacobs Trophy, given to the SEC’s best blocker. In his three years of varsity football, Tennessee compiled a record of 29-4-1.
His bio in the 1952 Tennessee football media guide stated Michaels was “considered by the coaching staff to be the finest offensive guard in Tennessee football history.”
Additionally, legendary former Tennessee head coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland said Michels was the “best blocking guard in the United States.”
A Philadelphia, Pa., native, Michels went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL in 1953 and 1956 before spending one season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL in 1957. He was an assistant coach at Texas A&M for one season, and helped the Blue Bombers capture three CFL Grey Cups as assistant coach.
Michels served as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings for 27 years, coaching primarily the offensive line and helping lead the team to four Super Bowl appearances.
Michels was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference office announced its 2019 class of Women’s Legends, and Lady Vol basketball standout Nicky Anosike is the University of Tennessee’s representative.
The class includes former student-athletes and coaches from all 14 SEC member institutions. On Mondays and Thursdays during women’s basketball season, one individual will be highlighted on the SEC’s website and via social media.
Currently serving as a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball program at her alma mater, Anosike was a four-year starter at center for Tennessee from 2004-08, helping the Lady Vols forge a 131-15 record during her career. She was instrumental in UT’s 2007 and 2008 NCAA National Championships and was part of the team’s 2007 SEC regular season title and SEC tourney crowns in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
Among her career honors, Anosike was a member of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA All-Final Four Teams, a member of the 2005 SEC All-Freshman Team, a 2008 CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American, a four-time recipient of SEC Academic Honor Roll distinction, a 2008 SEC Community Service Team honoree, a 2008 Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award finalist and the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year.
She was taken in the second round of the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx and spent five years in the league. She earned 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year accolades and made the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game.
The class will be honored at the 2019 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 6-10, in Greenville, S.C. Each legend will be honored during halftime of their team’s first game of the tournament. All 14 individuals also will be honored as a group as well as participate in an autograph session during the tournament. Complimentary posters of the Legends will be available at the session.
2019 SEC WOMEN’S LEGENDS
ALABAMA – Rick Moody; 1989-2005, Basketball (Coach) ARKANSAS – Stacy Lewis; 2005-08, Golf AUBURN –Katy Frierson Freels; 2008-11, Soccer FLORIDA – Marshae Dotson; 2005-09, Basketball GEORGIA – Kelly and Coco Miller; 1997-2001, Basketball KENTUCKY – Sarah Rumley; 2006-09, Volleyball LSU – Karen Mayson Bahnsen; 1980-1983 (Student-Athlete), 1984-2018 (Coach) Golf OLE MISS – Teneeshia Jones-Boyd; 1999-2001, Track & Field MISSISSIPPI STATE – Carri Wood; 1990-93, Golf MISSOURI – Nancy Rutter; 1974-78, Basketball SOUTH CAROLINA – Heather Larkin; 1994-97, Volleyball TENNESSEE – Nicky Anosike; 2004-08, Basketball TEXAS A&M – Courtney Walker; 2012-16, Basketball VANDERBILT – Simone Charley; 2013-17, Soccer/Track & Field
LOS ANGELES – Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams continued to receive national player of the year consideration Wednesday, as the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s announced its Midseason Top 25 Watch List.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are the front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All American Team™ and Most Outstanding Player Award.
Williams (18.8 ppg) and Schofield (18.0 ppg) currently lead the SEC in scoring for the season. The All-SEC duo has combined for 36.8 ppg, 14.0 rpg and 6.7 apg while shooting 54 percent from the floor to help the No. 3 Vols (13-1, 2-0 SEC) get off to their best start since the 2007-08 season.
Williams is the only player in the SEC to rank in the league’s top 10 in scoring (1st/18.8 ppg), rebounding (9th/7.8 rpg) and assists (7th/3.9 apg). He also ranks second in field-goal percentage (.572).
Schofield, who wasn’t named to the preseason list, stepped into the national spotlight for his dominant performance to defeat then-No. 1 Gonzaga, dropping a career-high 30 points and six 3-pointers, including the game-winner with 24 seconds left.
Tennessee was one of three schools to have two players on the list, joining Duke (RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson) and Nevada (Jordan Caroline and Caleb Martin). Kentucky’s Keldon Johnson was the only other SEC player to receive the consideration.
The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.
Tennessee is on the road again Saturday with a challenging test against the Florida Gators in Gainesville. That game will tip at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN.
WILLIAMS NAMED TO ANOTHER POY LIST: Grant Williams also earned a spot on Lute Olson Award Watch Mid-Season Watch List, which is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I player in College Basketball. He was one of three SEC players on the list, joining Auburn’s Jared Harper and Kentucky’s Reid Travis. The 2019 Lute Olson Award will be presented at the College Insider awards event in April at the site of the men’s division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Tim McGraw released a new lyric video for “Thought About You,” a tune he dropped in October with his current single, “Neon Church.”
The nostalgic new video, which was directed by JP Robinson, highlights the song’s theme of love and friendship through a series of photographs.
“The cool thing about ‘Thought About You’ is that it brings something, or someone, different to mind for everyone who hears it,” says Tim. “It might be a loved one you saw yesterday, an old friend you haven’t spoken to in years or someone you know you’ll never see again. For the lyric video, we worked with art director JP Robinson who helped us find stories of friendship, love and loss that we could follow over time. There are some really special stories in those photos.”
Penned by Lee Thomas Miller, Brad Warren and Brett Warren, “Thought About You” will be featured on Tim’s upcoming studio album, which is slated to be released this year.
Watch the lyric video for “Thought About You” below.
Georgia Tech. Gonzaga. North Carolina. Wake Forest.
Since taking over as Tennessee’s head coach in 2015-16, Rick Barnes has made a habit of lining the Vols’ schedule with marquee non-conference opponents.
On Thursday, Barnes announced a two-game, home-and-home series with Wisconsin, setting up meetings between the Volunteers and Badgers in each of the next two seasons.
The Vols will first welcome Wisconsin to Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 28, 2019, before traveling to Madison to face off against the Badgers on Nov. 11 during the 2020-21 season.
UW’s Kohl Center holds more than 17,000 fans and ranks as the NCAA’s 10th-toughest venue for road teams, with only 49 opponents leaving with a win since 1998.
Having just met four times since 1981, the all-time series between the programs is tied at 2-2. Tennessee swept the first two games, earning a win in 1981 and again in 2000 after downing a ranked Wisconsin team in Knoxville. The Badgers have since won two in a row, including a 65-62 victory over Tennessee in Madison on Dec. 29, 2001, and a more recent triumph at the 2016 Maui Invitational.
Greg Gard is in his fourth season as head coach at Wisconsin and led the program to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances in each of his first two seasons at the helm. He was named the 2016 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year and owns the third-highest winning percentage in program history, piloting the Badgers to a record of 57-36 (.613) through three full seasons.
This year, Wisconsin is off to an 11-4 start and boasts a 72-66 win over 14th-ranked Iowa. The Badgers are receiving votes in both major top-25 polls and come in at No. 19 in the NCAA’s NET rankings.
Tennessee owns a 23-34 all-time record against current members of the Big 10.
The Vols’ last game against a Big Ten opponent was memorable, as Tennessee upset 18th-ranked Purdue at last season’s Battle 4 Atlantis.
Tennessee’s last contract with a Big Ten program was a two-game series with Ohio State in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Each team won at home.
Barnes is 29-29 versus Big 10 opposition and has coached against the Badgers five times during his career.
Wisconsin boasts four Final Four appearances and a national championship in 1941.
Tennessee strength & conditioning coach Garrett Medenwald is a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Dierks Bentley dropped country music’s coolest tour promo.
In support of his upcoming Burning Man Tour, which kicks off on Jan. 17, Dierks hit the ice—in skates, feathers and lace—for a majestic skating routine that features tourmates Jon Pardi and Tenille Townes.
The promo has already gotten the attention of Olympic medalist Adam Rippon, who noted via Twitter that Dierks is “skating’s newest star.”
Dan + Shay released acoustic versions of their two most recent No. 1 hits, “Speechless” and “Tequila,” at midnight on Jan. 10. The tunes are available across all major music service providers.
“Speechless” is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the fourth consecutive week. Penned by Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds and Laura Veltz, the song was inspired by Dan’s marriage to Abby Law (May 2017) and Shay’s marriage to Hannah Billingsley (October 2017). The video for “Speechless” features footage from both Dan and Shay’s weddings.
“Tequila,” which was co-penned by Dan, Jordan Reynolds and Nicolle Galyon, became the duo’s first multi-week No. 1 single in July 2018.
we noticed a lot of you wanting an acoustic version of speechless for weddings, so we recorded one. and we recorded tequila. since speechless is #1 at country radio, and tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of tequila, we thought midnight might be a good time to drop both. ❤️
After taking a few years off from touring outside of Texas, Tracy Byrd will hit the road for more than 45 dates in 2019. In addition, Tracy will team up with fellow Texan, Mark Chesnutt, for select dates billed as The Beaumont Boys.
“I am really enjoying getting back out on the road,” says Tracy. “I loved spending time off watching the kids grow, but I have missed seeing the legion of fans that we had gained over the years. I look forward to reconnecting with them on the road!”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee junior Rennia Davis has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, which was released on Wednesday evening.
Davis, a 6-foot-2 guard/forward, is tied for the team lead in scoring at 15.5 per game and paces UT on the glass with 8.4 rebounds per contest. She is shooting 50 percent from the field, 50 percent on three-pointers and 85 percent from the free throw line.
She ranks No. 5 in the SEC in rebounding and No. 11 in scoring. Davis also holds down the No. 3 spot in free throw percentage and the No. 7 position in field goal percentage
A product of Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida, Davis has four double-doubles to her credit this season and has scored in double figures in every game but one. She has tallied 20 or more points on three occasions, leading the team in scoring four times this year. She has grabbed 10 or more rebounds four times and has paced UT on the glass nine times in 2018-19.
Behind Davis and company, the Lady Vols stand 12-2 and 1-1 in SEC play with rankings of No. 13 by Associated Press and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. UT won at No. 12 Texas and also beat Oklahoma State and Auburn on the road. It also won the Junkanoo Division title at the Junkanoo Jam with wins over Clemson and UAB. The Lady Vols only losses are to No. 8/9 Stanford and Missouri at home. Those teams currently rank No. 4 and No. 31 in the RPI.
The Wooden Award Top 25 will be pared down to 20 later in the season before a list of 15 finalists is revealed ahead of the NCAA Tournament. The Wooden Award winner will be announced at the College Basketball Awards on April 12.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Holly Warlick met with members of the media on Wednesday in advance of Thursday’s matchup between the No. 13/13 Lady Vols (12-2, 1-1 SEC) and No. 16/16 Kentucky (14-2, 1-1 SEC). Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET, with SEC Network televising.
UT and UK both enter the game looking to bounce back after suffering their first SEC losses on Sunday. The Lady Vols fell in a close one at home against Missouri, 66-64, while the Wildcats lost on the road at No. 7/6 Mississippi State on Sunday, 86-71.
This marks the 67th meeting between these programs in a series that ranks behind only UT-Vanderbilt (80 games) and now ties with UT-Georgia (67 games) for most times played. The Lady Vols lead the series, 55-11.
Tickets are priced as low as $10 are available at AllVols.com.
On their upcoming matchup against Kentucky:
“They’re very much improved from last year. They press, they are a really strong defensive team. They spread the floor, shoot the three, and they are very athletic. They are playing really good right now.”
On defending the Wildcats from deep range:
“We just have to continue to work on it and be mindful of what we are doing at the time. Our awareness, we have mental lapses at times. We are still young in spots and still learning. We just have to continue to work on it.”
On Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard:
“I think Howard has added a really big dimension for them, but I think all their players have gotten better. Their freshmen have grown up, and they are getting good play from their inside game. Maci (Morris) is just really good and so is (Taylor) Murray. So, they complement each other really well.”
On what she needs to see from the bench:
“We would love for them to contribute a lot more. We are giving them opportunities. We are playing hard, we just have to get a little smarter.”
On Cheridene Green’s recent performances:
“We are going to continue to challenge her. We have high expectations for her. We have talked about her getting back to being a workhorse inside, and that is what we expect of her.”
On if the team guards the 3-point line better in man or zone:
“I don’t know. We have done both. It depends on who we are playing. If it is a team who spreads the floor, it is probably man. If it has less 3-point shooters, then probably our zone. We just have to keep working on our defense and get better. We are solid at times, and then we have let downs, and those letdowns are being magnified.”
On the team’s improved focus on the road:
“Maybe it’s less distractions? We control more of their time on the road. It has seemed to be that way so far this year. I think the schedule we played early has helped us get focused on the road a little bit more.”
On who she expects to step up in coming weeks:
“I want Kasiyanah (Kushkituah) to step up more and demand the ball. I want Mimi Collins to stay in the game; it seems like she has been in foul trouble in three or four games. We need her to step up and use her physicality to rebound.”
On Rae Burrell:
“The more practice we do, the better she is. Sometimes she plays a little out of control. (We’re) just getting focused on the game and what is happening. I want to play Rae, but she has to get her defense a little better as well.”
On who takes the last shot in games:
“It depends on what they are doing, if they are switching, and if they are playing man or zone. It is a variety of things and the flow of the game.”
On what the team can learn from last game:
“The biggest thing is our awareness of where people are. We had a tendency of staring at the ball and people got loose behind us (against Missouri). Just court awareness, situation awareness, those kind of things we just have to get better at.”
On how the team has bounced back this week:
“We had a great practice yesterday, big energy. Our energy level has been really good. They are kids, they bounce back. And they are focused on Kentucky, good for them. We watched the tape, we learned, and we came in here and had a good practice yesterday.”
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