Hoops Preview: No. 10/10 Lady Vols vs. Murray State

Hoops Preview: No. 10/10 Lady Vols vs. Murray State

Posted on December 27, 2018
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 10/10 Tennessee (9-1) is in the midst of a four-game home stand, as Murray State (4-6) comes to town for a Friday night contest at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:02 p.m. ET, with the game available on SECN+ and the Lady Vol Radio Network.

This marks the return to the hardwood for both squads after they last played on Dec. 21 before going on holiday break. The Lady Vols return to The Summitt after defeating in-state foe East Tennessee State, 80-61, last Friday night in Knoxville.

The Racers, meanwhile, dropped their second straight game and fifth in the past six contests when they fell at Kentucky, 88-49, last Friday afternoon. UT is the third Power Five team MSU has met this season, with the Racers falling to Illinois, 84-52, on Dec. 11 before dropping the match-up with UK.

This is the first meeting ever between these schools and the 76th time the Lady Vols have met a current member of the Ohio Valley Conference. UT is 54-21 vs. squads in that league.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • Michael Wottreng (play-by-play) and Steve Hamer (analyst) will describe the action for SECN+.
  • Mickey Dearstone is handling the call 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.
  • For UT home games, the Lady Vol Network has a low-power transmitter that makes the game available on the radio at 99.3 FM.

GAME PROMOTIONS

  • It’s Big Orange Friday! Download a Buy One/Get One free ticket voucher available exclusively at BigOrangeFriday.com.
  • We also have a “Holiday On Rocky Top” promotion. Youth sports teams can call 865-974-9591 for special group ticket pricing & exclusive opportunities for their squads.
  • Kids 12 & younger can pick up a wristband at the Fan HQ table on the concourse to participate in the pre-game high-five tunnel. Wristbands are limited. To purchase discounted group tickets and reserve wristbands for your team, call 865-946-7000.
  • Help us Spark the Summitt during introductions at the game! Download our new free light-up app, courtesy of Coca-Cola. Once downloaded, simply open your Hoops Hype app when the lights go out, and let your phone do the rest.
  • Tickets are available for as low as $5 at AllVols.com.
  • It’s the Twelve Names of Volidays! Friday night features the ninth name of Volidays! If your name is Clark, receive a complimentary ticket to the game at the ticket window with ID.
  • Free parking & shuttle service are available from UT’s Ag Campus. Shuttles begin two hours prior to tip-off.

UT-MURRAY STATE SERIES NOTES

  • This is the first meeting between UT and the Murray State Racers in women’s basketball.
  • Tennessee is 54-21 all-time vs. schools who are currently members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
  • The last OVC school UT faced was Tennessee State on Nov. 30, 2016, with UT prevailing in Knoxville, 86-36.

NOTING THE LADY VOLS

  • MY-OH-MEME: Senior Meme Jackson has been on a roll the past three games. After scoring zero vs. Stetson, Jackson has averaged 24.3 points vs. Texas (33), Stanford (17) and ETSU (23), shooting 47.8 percent from the field,  41.2 on threes and 71.4 at the free throw line.
  • E IS DISHIN’ & SWISHIN’: During that same three-game span, Evina Westbrook is averaging 18.0 points and a whopping 8.3 assists per contest, dishing out six, 10 and nine dimes over the past three contests.
  • NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In home games, Cheridene Green is hitting at a 68.8 percent clip (22-32) from the field, while Rennia Davis has hit 90.5 percent of her free throws (19-21). Evina Westbrook has dished out 40 assists and committed only 16 turnovers on The Summitt, averaging 6.7 dimes per contest at home. Mimi Collins is averaging 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds at home and stands as UT’s sixth-leading scorer and No. 2 rebounder in those games.
  • DIALING LONG DISTANCE: Tennessee enters the Murray State game having hit nine or more three-pointers in three consecutive games 10-9-9 vs. Texas, Stanford and ETSU. You have to go back to Jan. 2-10, 2008, to find the last time that happened (9-11-9 vs. DePaul, Notre Dame and Auburn).
  • STRONG ON THE BOARDS: UT lost the battle on the boards vs. Texas and Stanford, but has out-rebounded all other opponents. They rank No. 16 nationally in rebound margin (10.9), No. 18 in rebounds per game (44.8) and No. 19 in offensive rebounds per game (17.0).
  • UNSELFISH BASKETBALL: UT scored 27 field goals vs. ETSU, with 20 of those buckets coming via teammates’ assists.
  • TURNING ‘EM OVER: UT forces 21.5 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 34 in the nation. The Lady Vols help that cause by grabbing 11.0 steals per contest to rank No. 37 in the land in that category.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LADY VOLS

  • Senior wing Meme Jackson fired in 23 points to help (then) No. 9/8 Tennessee head into the holiday break at 9-1 with an 80-61 win over ETSU on Dec. 21 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
  • Senior Cheridene Green (12 points), sophomore Rennia Davis (11 points and seven rebounds) and freshman Mimi Collins (11 points and six rebounds) joined Jackson as double-digit scorers for the Lady Vols, who bounced back from a recent loss to No. 8/9 Stanford.
  • Jackson notched 21 of her 23 points from beyond the arc on 7-of-12 shooting from deep, tying for the fourth-most treys made by a Lady Vol in a single game. Collins, meanwhile, tallied 10 or more points for the first time in her career at Tennessee.
  • Freshman Jazmine Massengill led the Lady Vols defensively with nine rebounds, five blocks and a pair of steals. Tennessee held the Buccaneers to 31-percent shooting on the night and won the rebounding battle by a 50-33 margin.

NOTING MURRAY STATE

  • Murray State is led by second-year head coach Rechelle Turner, a 1996 graduate of the school. She owns a 15-25 record thus far.
  • The Racers lost nine letterwinners and three starters from their 2017-18 squad, but they return five letterwinners and a pair of starters.
  • Back are sophomore guard Janika Griffith-Wallace and sophomore forward Brianna Crane.
  • This year’s leading scorer, junior forward Evelyn Adebayo (17.8 ppg.), sat out at MSU last season after transferring from Gardner-Webb.
  • Adebayo and UT’s Cheridene Green both hail from London, England, with Adebayo attending Barking Abbey School and Green attending Harris Academy Beckenham.
  • The Racers finished 11-19 overall and 7-11 in OVC action for eighth place in Rechelle Turner’s first season as head coach in 2017-18.
  • Murray State was led by Ke’Shunan James (21.3 ppg., 8.2 rpg., 4.0 apg.), Bria Bethea (15.6 ppg.), Abria Gulledge (9.5 ppg.) and Jasmine Borders (8.4 ppg.), who all concluded their MSU careers after last season.

THE RACERS’ LAST GAME

  • Despite leading 18th-ranked Kentucky for most of the first quarter and being tied with the Wildcats at the conclusion of the stanza, the Murray State women’s basketball team could not keep up with the Wildcats over the remaining three quarters and fell, 88-49, on Dec. 21 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.
  • The Racers led for more than six minutes in the first and shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the period. Despite the hot hand in the first, MSU cooled significantly, shooting just 30.5 percent in the second through fourth quarters to finish the game at 39.6 percent. Despite the shots not falling after the first, the Racers did end the first half outrebounding the Wildcats, 17-14.
  • Evelyn Adebayo was 7-for-9 from the floor in the game to lead Murray State with 20 points, to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Brianna Crane was also big for MSU Friday, notching 13 points and eight rebounds.

COMING UP FOR UT AND MSU

  • It’s a quick turnaround after Tennessee plays Murray State on Friday, as Belmont visits The Summitt on Sunday (2 p.m.) to close out 2018 as UT’s second straight OVC opponent.
  • The UT-Belmont match-up features a Hoops For Hunger promotion. Fans may donate two non-perishable food items and receive one complimentary ticket. Please donate at Gate C, Gate E or the ticket tent located on Phillip Fulmer Way prior to entering Thompson-Boling Arena. Donations benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank, helping feed East Tennessee families in need.
  • MSU, meanwhile, enters OVC play with back-to-back home contests vs. Morehead State on Jan. 3 and Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 5.

UT Athletics

Jimmy’s blog: Vols have look of a Final Four team

Jimmy’s blog: Vols have look of a Final Four team

Posted on December 26, 2018

 

By Jimmy Hyams

Seven SEC men’s basketball teams have been to a Final Four.

Tennessee is not one of them.

The Vols have been to just one Elite Eight. Tennessee didn’t even win an NCAA Tournament game with the marvelous duo of Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King.

Now, with a cast featuring mostly three-star players, players rejected by the Big Ten and the ACC an the SEC, Tennessee has a chance to join Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Mississippi State and South Carolina as a Final Four team from the SEC.

Would anyone be surprised if the Vols were among the last four standing?

“I would not be surprised at all,’’ Mike DeCourcy, senior college basketball writer for The Sporting News, said during a recent interview on SportsTalk WNML radio.

“I think they are one of six or seven teams, maybe a few more than that, for whom a Final Four at this point is really a goal, something they look at and say, `We should believe we should do that.’

“Now, all those teams can’t fit in so someone will be disappointed. … But I think Tennessee is one of the teams, absolutely, that should feel like it’s a disappointment if they don’t make it. I think they have that capability.’’

The Vols went 26-9 last year, shared the regular-season SEC Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before being upset by Loyola Chicago. That was a great season for a team picked to finish 13th in the SEC by SEC media, but a tough pill to swallow when a first-ever trip to the Final Four was possible.

DeCourcy thinks these Vols are better equipped to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament than last year’s team.

Why?

“When they played elite teams (last year) they beat Kentucky up both times (in regular-season wins),’’ DeCourcy said. “You can’t really beat people up in this current age of the NCAA. But you can make yourself really hard to play against.

“Someone like Admiral Schofield makes 3s and scores 30 points (against then No. 1 Gonzaga), I don’t think you’d see that a year ago. You might have seen Grant Williams have a game in that ballpark, but he was the only one you’d expect to put up a big number like that.’’

DeCourcy also thinks the Vols are “more dynamic’’ at point guard with Jordan Bone, whose had a three-game stretch in which he averaged about 19 points ?per game. Because UT is a better offensive team this season, DeCourcy says, the Vols will be a threat.

“When you get to the NCAA Tournament, and you can’t score or struggle to score, you struggle to advance,’’ DeCourcy said. “That will be less of a problem for this (UT) team when we get to March than it was a year ago.’’

DeCourcy said the win over Gonzaga was “enormous’’ for the UT team and stamped the Vols as an “NCAA Championship contender.’’

“You get a win like that and do well in the SEC,’’ DeCourcy said, “you’ve got a shot at a really high seed in the (NCAA) tournament. … To beat Gonzaga was really a terrific statement for the Vols.’’

DeCourcy said Kentucky has struggled to regain the form it showed in demolishing the opposition during an exhibition tour to the Bahamas. He didn’t rule out the Wildcats “being that team again.’’

John Calipari’s team showed some of that ability with a recent win over top 10 North Carolina.

Regarding Auburn, DeCourcy said he “wouldn’t put them at the front of the list’’ of Final Four candidates, “but they’re certainly in the ballpark.’’ He doesn’t expect to see the best of Auburn until mid to late January, when the full roster is in tact.

DeCourcy likes Duke but he sees a potential problem.

“Duke has the most talented team in the country one to four by far, it’s not even close,’’ DeCourcy said. “My concern about Duke’s team is they’ve never found an idea of what they want their fifth guy to be.’’

DeCourcey said it’s almost like Duke is missing a “lugnut on a tire.’’

 

Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all 

Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Brett Eldredge & More Share Holiday Greetings on Social Media

Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Brett Eldredge & More Share Holiday Greetings on Social Media

Posted on December 26, 2018

Check out the Christmas greetings that some of your favorite country stars shared on social media, including Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Loretta Lynn, Florida Georgia Line, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Kelsea Ballerini, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Travis Tritt and many more.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Grand Ole Opry Announces First New Member of 2019

Grand Ole Opry Announces First New Member of 2019

Posted on December 26, 2018

Longtime fan-favorite Mark Wills will be the newest addition to the Grand Ole Opry.

Mark was invited by Vince Gill to join the venerable organization during his performance on Dec. 21.

Vince surprised Mark with the invitation, saying, “We at the Opry would like to ask you to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry. This boy has been the greatest supporter and proponent of what the Opry stands for.”

After hearing the news, Mark dropped to his knees before rising to his feet and saying through tears, “I would love to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry.”

Mark, whose formal Opry induction will take place on Jan. 11, has earned eight Top 10 hits since launching his career in 1996, including “19 Something,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Don’t Laugh at Me.”

Watch Vince surprise Mark with the invitation to join the Opry.

photo by Chris Hollo for the Grand Ole Opry; Video courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry

Michael Ray and Carly Pearce Announce Engagement

Michael Ray and Carly Pearce Announce Engagement

Posted on December 26, 2018

After publicly confirming their romance in July, Michael Ray and Carly Pearce have announced their engagement.

Michael got down on one knee and asked Carly to marry him during their vacation in Tulum, Mexico, on Dec. 19.

Michael and Carly have both shared messages on social media regarding the happy occasion, which you can read below. Congrats to the happy couple.

View this post on Instagram

Dec 19,2018 My life forever changed for the better. I got down on one knee in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and looked into the eyes of the most beautiful soul I have ever known and asked her to be my wife!! Carly, you make it all make sense, every step of my life good and bad was leading me to you. You are the biggest blessing I have and will ever receive. You are my best friend, my partner in crime, my workout,grilled chicken,wine drinking classic country Opry loving, Nashville palace hanging,Publix grocery shopping, this is us watching, living room late night dancing, laugh until we cry soul mate. I’m glad we have forever together my love cause it is gonna take every second of it for you to understand how much I truly adore,respect,honor and love you! You are gonna be MY WIFE 😭!!!!!!!!! Thank you for choosing me honey I can’t wait to walk life with you. Yo family get ready I’m bringing my FIANCÉ home for Christmas!! 📸@hernan_santiago_magicart

A post shared by Michael Ray (@michaelraymusic) on

photo by AFF-USA.com

#3 UT Tops Wake Forest, 83-64, Behind Williams’ Double-Double

#3 UT Tops Wake Forest, 83-64, Behind Williams’ Double-Double

Posted on December 22, 2018
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In front of a season-high 19,846, Grant Williams recorded his fourth double-double of the season to guide No. 3 Tennessee to an 83-64 win over Wake Forest in Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday afternoon.

Williams finished the night with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, with 17 of his points coming in the first half. It was Williams third 20-point,10-rebound game of the season. The junior added three blocks and has now recorded multiple blocks in five of his last six games.

Admiral Schofield, Kyle Alexander and Jordan Bone all joined in the scoring act, as all four finished in double figures. The Vols (10-1) quartet finished the night with 71 points, outscoring the Demon Deacons (6-4) entire team by seven points.

Taking a 12-point advantage into the second half, Tennessee quickly stretched the lead to 17 points, scoring on five of the first six possessions. Schofield provided eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first six minutes of the half, while Alexander added six points on 3-of-3 shooting.

Alexander made his first seven baskets of the game and finished the night with a career-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds.

Just six minutes into the second half, Tennessee had extended its lead to 20 points and led by as much as 27 in the contest.

After Wake Forest hit a three on its first possession of the game, Tennessee went on an 8-0 run featuring two buckets from Williams. He continued to provide plenty of offense early on as the junior scored 10 points in his first 10 minutes of the floor.

With 8:20 on the clock in the first half, Williams knocked down a jumper from just inside the elbow and converted on the and-one opportunity to give Tennessee a 22-19 edge. From there, Tennessee led the rest of the way. Williams finished the half with 17 points, knocking down all five of his shots from the free-throw line.

The game remained tight in the first until the ball was kicked out to Jalen Johnson on the right wing. Johnson nailed the three to extend the Vols’ lead to 34-25, forcing a Wake Forest timeout at the 3:20 mark in the half.

The Vols extended their lead to 42-30 at the halftime buzzer, allowing just two made baskets from the Demon Deacons in the final seven minutes of the half.

FAST START:  With win No. 10 today, this is the quickest Tennessee has reached that mark since the 2007-08 season, when the Vols started the year 16-1 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.

STARTING IT OFF: Jordan Bone, Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander all finished in double figures, combining for 71 of Tennessee’s 83 points in the game. Jalen Johnson and Jordan Bowden were the only other Vols to find the scoresheet, as they both finished with six points. With a 53.3 percent shooting performance tonight, Tennessee has now shot 50 percent or better in four of the last five games.

GRANT BLOCKS: Grant Williams ended the night with has three blocks, giving him multiple blocks in five of Tennessee’s last six games. He now ranks among UT’s all-time top 10 shot blockers with 124.

HOLDING THEM IN CHECK: Freshman Jaylen Hoard, the Demon Deacons’ second-leading scorer, was held to less than 10 points for the first time this season. Hoard, who was held him to just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting, was named to the Julius Erving Award watch list and is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The forward came into the game with five games of 15 points or more. Hoard averages 15.6 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT: The Vols are back in Thompson-Boling on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET when they take on Tennessee Tech. That game will also air on SEC Network+.

UT Athletics
UT Announces Hoops TV Special

UT Announces Hoops TV Special

Posted on December 22, 2018
Credit: UT Athletics

Coverage of Big Orange Basketball heats up over the holidays as the “The Tennessee Basketball Preview Show” takes to the airwaves. The 60-minute special provides an extraordinary look into the pre-conference schedule of the No. 3-ranked Vols and No. 8-ranked Lady Vols with special emphasis on newcomers, player development, chemistry and a sneak-peak inside the new Thompson-Boling Arena locker rooms.

Tennessee coaches Rick Barnes and Holly Warlick join the Vol Network’s Bob Kesling on-set to recap their respective seasons and look ahead to the coming SEC slate. Much of the show’s content is never-before-seen footage with a behind-the-scenes flare, all made possible by longtime partner, UT Medical Center.

For fans in all quadrants of the state, this Vol Network program is the perfect tone-setter for one of the most anticipated conference schedules in recent memory.

Market                   Station                                          Date                         Time
Chattanooga           WTVC             Ch.9                 Sat. Dec 22nd               1:00 p
Knoxville                 WVLT              Ch. 8                Sat. Dec 29th                7:00 p
Knoxville                 MyVLT                                     Sun. Dec 30th              10:00 p
Memphis                 WATN             Ch. 24               Sat. Jan 5th                 11:00 a
Nashville                 WUXP             Ch. 30              Sat. Dec 29th                3:00 p
Tri-Cities               EJHL-ABC                                 Sat. Dec 22nd              12:00 p
National/Regional  UTsports.com                           Sun. Dec 30th      All Times Local

 

UT Athletics

Jackson’s Threes Help Lady Vols Sink Bucs, 80-61

Jackson’s Threes Help Lady Vols Sink Bucs, 80-61

Posted on December 22, 2018
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Senior wing Meme Jackson fired in 23 points to help No. 9/8 Tennessee head into the holiday break at 9-1 with an 80-61 win over ETSU Friday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Senior Cheridene Green (12 points), sophomore Rennia Davis (11 points and seven rebounds) and freshman Mimi Collins (11 points and six rebounds) joined Jackson as double-digit scorers for the Lady Vols, who bounced back from a loss to No. 8/9 Stanford on Tuesday night.

Jackson notched 21 of her 23 points from beyond the arc on 7-of-12 shooting from deep, tying for the fourth-most treys made by a Lady Vol in a single game. Collins, meanwhile, tallied 10 or more points for the first time in her career at Tennessee.

Freshman Jazmine Massengill led the Lady Vols defensively with nine rebounds, five blocks and a pair of steals. Tennessee held the Buccaneers to 31-percent shooting on the night and won the rebounding battle by a 50-33 margin.

The Lady Vols kicked off the first quarter on an 11-3 run, where they held ETSU to just 1-of-8 shooting from the field. Tennessee tallied five second-chance points in the run and six points in the paint. The Buccaneers cut the Lady Vol lead down to just four points after hitting a 3-pointer at the 3:08 mark. The Lady Vols were outscored 14-13 for the remainder of the quarter, giving the home team a 22-14 advantage going into the second quarter. Davis led Tennessee with nine points and four rebounds in the first quarter.

After allowing six quick points from ETSU to start the second stanza, the Lady Vols held the Buccaneers to 0-of-5 shooting and a three-minute scoring drought. Tennessee shot just 38 percent from the floor, however, leaving the door open for a comeback by ETSU. The Lady Vols went into the half with a 38-28 lead, with half of their points coming from the duo of Davis and Cheridene Green. Tennessee held the Buccaneers to just 30 percent shooting and a 2-of-10 clip from beyond the arc in the first half.

ETSU shot out to a 6-3 run in the third quarter, but a pair of 3-pointers from Jackson put the Lady Vols back on track. Jackson’s third 3-pointer of the quarter gave Tennessee a 53-40 lead with three minutes remaining in the quarter. The Lady Vols went on to hold the Buccaneers to 1-of-11 shooting and a three-minute scoring drought. Tennessee rounded out the third quarter on a 14-2 run, giving the Lady Vols a 62-44 lead going into the final frame. Jackson propelled Tennessee with a total of 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep range.

The Lady Vols took their largest lead of the game (23 points) with a layup from Massengill at the halfway point of the final quarter. ETSU had a three-minute interval without a field goal made in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Vols finished out the final five minutes of regulation without a field goal as well. Tennessee wrapped up the 80-61 victory behind a pair of 3-pointers and 45 percent shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter.

Up Next: The Lady Vols will return to action on Friday, Dec. 28, hosting Murray State at 7 p.m. The contest features a Big Orange Friday special where fans can download a “BOGO” Buy One Get One free ticket voucher available exclusively at BigOrangeFriday.com.

M3M3 Jackson: Meme Jackson knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers against ETSU, tying for fourth-most in a single game by a Lady Vol. She has hit three or more treys in six of ten games this season and 4+ on three occasions. As a junior she was UT’s leading 3-point shooter, hitting 50 during the 2017-18 season. She has already hit 28 this year through 10 games.

Evina Dishing: Westbrook followed up her 10 assists performance against Stanford with nine versus ETSU.  If the season ended today, her average of 5.7 apg would be the highest all-time by a Lady Vol sophomore, besting the likes of Dawn Marsh (5.6 apg), Lea Henry (5.4 apg) and Holly Warlick (5.0 apg).

Dropping 20 Again: Meme Jackson posted her second game of 20-plus points this season and the fourth of her career. UT now has had 20-point scorers in its last four games and eight 20-point scorers for the season.

Freshmen Notables: Mimi Collins posted the first double-digit game of her career with a career-high 11 points against ETSU, while Jazmine Massengill led the team in rebounds and blocked shots, recording career highs in both with nine boards and five blocks.

 

UT Athletics

Vols Close Early Signing Period with Addition of Quavaris Crouch

Vols Close Early Signing Period with Addition of Quavaris Crouch

Posted on December 21, 2018
ATH Quavaris Crouch / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football program wrapped up the Early Signing Period in style on Friday night when the top prospect in the state of North Carolina, Quavaris Crouch, signed with the Vols.

Crouch racked up 51 tackles and 14 sacks in 2017, while also rushing for 3,246 yards and 33 touchdowns at Harding University  High School in Charlotte, N.C. His senior season was cut short due to injury in 2018.

The 6-3, 230-pounder helped lead Harding to the state championship in 2017 and was selected to play in the 2019 All-American Bowl.

“Quavaris is a winner,” Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “He is a leader. He is a guy that can play all four linebacker positions. He is a guy that can help change the program. We are very excited to have him.”

The signing of Crouch gives the Vols 19 signees for the 2019 class.

He is the second member of the 2019 class from North Carolina, joining defensive back Tyus Fields (Cornelius, N.C. / Hough High School).

Crouch is also the third All-American Bowl participant among the Big Orange, joining running back Eric Gray (Memphis / Lausanne Collegiate School) and wide receiver Ramel Keyton (Marietta, Ga. / Marietta High School).

The All-American Bowl will be played on Jan. 5 in San Antonio.

Friday wrapped up the three-day Early Signing Period. The Vols will sign several more prospects on National Signing Day on Feb 6.

-UT Athletics

 

Vols 2019 class signee 19 – ATH Quavaris Crouch

Vols 2019 class signee 19 – ATH Quavaris Crouch

Posted on December 21, 2018

Quavaris Crouch

LB Quavaris Crouch / Credit: UT Athletics

ATH Charlotte, NC (Harding University HS) 6’3, 230
Committed 12/21/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals

Josh Ward’s Analysis: Crouch is a big-time athlete and major get for Tennessee. He could play running back or linebacker in college; he projects as a linebacker at Tennessee. The Vols will welcome his speed and athleticism on defense, something they very much lacked last season.

Highlights from hudl…

ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 41
Position Rank: No. 3 ATH
State Rank: No. 2 in NC

247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 83
Position Rank: No. 2 ATH
State Rank: No. 1 in NC

Rivals:
Natl Rank: No. 30
Position Rank: No. 3 ATH
State Rank: No. 1 in NC

High School
Starred at running back and linebacker in high school at Harding University in Charlotte, N.C.
Selected to play in the 2019 All-American Bowl.
No. 14 on USA Today’s Chosen 25 high school player rankings for the class of 2019.
2017 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.
Three-time Class AAA All-State selection by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
2017 MaxPreps Junior All-American.
2017 Charlotte Observer Player of the Year.
Rushed for 3,246 yards and 33 touchdowns while also racking up 48 tackles and 14 sacks as a junior in 2017.
Helped lead Harding University to a state championship in 2017, the school’s first state title since the 1950s.

-UT Athletics

Country News

Weather

  • Forecast
  • Currents
  • Planner