Jimmy Kimmel rounded up some of his country music chums for the fourth installment of his popular late-night bit, Mean Tweets: Country Music Edition.
The premise is simple—and hilarious—as country stars read unflattering tweets about themselves. Check out the new clip, which features Jake Owen, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Midland, Dierks Bentley, Lauren Alaina, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell, Luke Combs, Michael Ray, Scotty McCreery, Ashley McBryde, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Five Tennessee players scored in double figures, fueling the No. 12/12-ranked Lady Vols to a 73-46 win over UNC Asheville Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Senior guard Meme Jackson led Tennessee (2-0) with a team-high 13 points, while redshirt senior forward Cheridene Green tallied 12 on 5-of-6 shooting to help UT improve to 2-0 on the season. Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook chipped in 11 points, while sophomore forward Rennia Davis returned from missing Sunday’s game to contribute 10 points and eight rebounds, as did freshman guard/forward Rae Burrell.
UNC Asheville (0-2) got 14 points from Sonora Dengokl and 12 from Ali Trani, who was 4-of-9 from beyond the three-point line.
Although shooting 39 percent from the floor on the night, Tennessee hit at a 66.7 percent clip (8-of-12) in the fourth quarter to close the game. The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Bulldogs 46-24 on the glass, including 21-8 on the offensive end, and outscored UNCA 27-2 in second-chance points. UT also forced 20 turnovers by the visitors.
After opening the game shooting one-of-seven from the field, the Lady Vols bounced back with an 11-0 run and held UNC Asheville to a four-minute scoring drought. Green tallied eight of Tennessee’s first 13 points to start things off, as the Lady Vols forced three turnovers in the run to go up 15-2. Both teams finished without a shot made for the final three minutes of the quarter, with Tennessee leading 21-8 after 10 minutes of play. Bulldogs senior guard Sonora Dengokl finished with seven of UNC Asheville’s eight first-quarter points.
Green was the first Lady Vol in double-digits for points after a layup at the 7:29 mark of the second quarter. Tennessee started the frame with a 7-0 run and held the Bulldogs to yet another scoring drought, this time spanning over four minutes. UNC Asheville’s first field goal in seven minutes came at the halfway point of the second quarter.
The Lady Vols capped the half with a 13-0 run, ending an opening 20 minutes in which the Bulldogs spent over 11 minutes in scoring droughts. Green registered a team-high 10 points, with Tennessee taking a 44-16 lead at the half.
UNC Asheville started the third quarter on a 15-6 tear, as the Lady Vols remained scoreless for three minutes. Tennessee also went without a field goal for the final six minutes of the quarter, turning the ball over five times during that span. A last-second three-pointer from the Bulldogs closed the Lady Vols’ gap to 52-34 going into the final quarter. Tennessee was ultimately outscored 18-8 in the third quarter and finished out the period shooting 25 percent from the field.
The Lady Vols hit their first five shots to register an 18-5 run to start the fourth quarter. Despite shooting 0-for-7 to start the game, Davis found her stroke and propelled Tennessee with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting to start the final stanza.
The Lady Vols connected on seven of their first nine shots to open the final quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 21-12 to finish the game. Davis, Jackson and Westbrook had all but two of Tennessee’s points in the final 10 minutes.
Up Next: Tennessee will host Florida A&M on Sunday at 2 p.m. when UT will be holding its annual Knox County School Day promotion in which fans who donate two new, unopened school supply items will receive one complimentary ticket to the game. The contest is available for streaming via SECN+.
Double Digit Runs: Tennessee went on a pair of double-digit offensive runs vs. UNCA, turning in an 11-0 surge in the first quarter and a 13-0 spree in the second. UT now has four runs of 10+ points this season in two games.
Count To 10: On defense, Tennessee forced its fifth 10-second backcourt violation of the season with one against the Bulldogs in the first quarter. The Lady Vols have now forced more violations than they did all last season (4).
Meme For Threeeee: Senior Meme Jackson led Tennessee in three-point shooting, going 3-of-5 from behind the arc against UNC Asheville. The outing marks the seventh time in her career she’s hit 3+ treys in a game and it was the 27th time she’s led UT in threes.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team wrapped up its third practice of the week on Wednesday night inside the Anderson Training Center indoor field with a conversation about the Vols’ 13 seniors.
“I just talked to our team about it, we have 13 seniors on our football team that, really since we’ve been here, have tried to do everything that we’ve asked them to do,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “They’ve been really good leaders. A lot of them have sacrificed, they’ve moved around different positions, but they really bought in to the team.”
Led by four defensive linemen, the seniors will be honored for Senior Day prior to Saturday’s contest. Starting at the 24-minute mark on the clock before kickoff, the student-athletes will be introduced with their immediate families and will pose for photos with coach Pruitt.
“I think they represent what the University of Tennessee is all about. I know it’s their last game in Neyland and I know they’re excited about the opportunity to play one more time there. We talked a little bit about that and I think our kids are excited for them,” Pruitt said.
McCLAIN HONORED AS LEGEND OF THE GAME
Fifty years ago, Lester McClain became the first African-American to play football for the Tennessee Volunteers. His first game was September 14, 1968, when the sophomore wingback from Nashville suited up against Georgia. On Saturday, he will be honored as the Vols’ Legend of the Game.
He played three years for the Big Orange, totaling 70 receptions for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding two rushing scores. He ranked fifth in Tennessee history in receptions at the conclusion of his career in 1970 and was a part of the 1969 SEC Championship team. McClain played in three bowl games – the Cotton Bowl, Gator Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
FOUR VOLS NAMED TO PFF COLLEGE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Led by outside linebacker Darrell Taylor’s monster four-sack performance, a conference-best four Vols were named to the PFF College SEC Team of the Week following Tennessee’s 24-7 victory over No. 11 Kentucky on Saturday. Taylor, cornerback Marquill Osborne and safety Micah Abernathy were all named to the PFF College SEC Team for the defense, while center Ryan Johnson collected PFF College honors for the offense.
Osborne was also named to the PFF College National Team of the Week after coming off the bench to tally two interceptions and a pass breakup in the fourth quarter of the win over the Wildcats.
Taylor was named the Chuck Bednarik Award National Defensive Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week as well as the SEC Player of the Week.
Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Wednesday Press Conference Transcript (Nov. 14)
Opening Statement:
“I just talked to our team about it, we have 13 seniors on our football team that, really since we’ve been here, have tried to do everything that we’ve asked them to do. They’ve been really good leaders. A lot of them have sacrificed, they’ve moved around different positions, but they really bought in to the team. I think they represent what the University of Tennessee is all about. I know it’s their last game in Neyland and I know they’re excited about the opportunity to play one more time there. We talked a little bit about that and I think our kids are excited for them.
“Had a good week of practice, working hard to improve, trying to eliminate mistakes that we made last week. We’re playing against a really, really good football team. Defensively, (Missouri) stops the run. Got good linebackers, good playmakers on the back end, really exotic stuff on third down. Offensively, they can run the football. They can throw it, got a dynamic quarterback, got playmakers on the outside, lots of experience up front, big men, really good tight ends, good runners, so we have a tremendous challenge.”
Where has Jarrett Guarantano shown the most progress and ability to limit interceptions:
“Sometimes when you play quarterback, you can make really good throws and maybe somebody drops the ball and you get an interception. You look at it vice versa. Sometimes you might make a really poor throw and the other team doesn’t catch the ball. You can talk about protection, receivers running incorrect routes. There’s lots of things that go into it. I think Jarrett’s just got to continue to stay within what we’re asking him to do, take what the other team gives him, don’t hold onto the football, get it out of his hand.”
On the seniors buying in and laying a foundation:
“I think everybody in our program was hungry and from the first day we got here, really led by our senior group, our guys have really bought in to what we’re trying to get done. It’s not been easy. We’re a long way from being where we want to be, but we are making small steps and we’ve done it the entire year. Sometimes it hadn’t showed on Saturdays, but if we keep working hard in practice and in the classroom, preparing the right way, I think we’ll see progress. I think these guys have done a really good job up to this point doing it the way we ask them to do it and we’ve got a couple of weeks left here that we need to finish and do it the right way.”
On what he looks for in offensive and defensive line recruits:
“I think every position, you probably have a size and speed criteria. If you’re talking about d-linemen, the bigger probably the better. You want guys that have twitch, that are instinctive, that have power, can bend, can play blocks the right way, can go from playing the run to playing the pass, can play multiple positions. O-linemen, you’re looking for guys that can slide their feet, re-direct, play with power, and then you talk about all the intangibles. Are they competitive, do they play with toughness, are they dependable? Do they have a positive impact on their teammates? There’s lots of things that go in to it, are they good students, are they leaders? So, a lot of those things you can see on tape, sometimes you can see in person. You see them in camp, but the more information you get, probably, the more chances you have to be accurate.”
On the injury status of Bryce Thompson and Trevon Flowers:
“Trevon practiced every day last week. We just decided on Saturday to give him one more week. Bryce has practiced every day this week, so those guys I would expect to be ready to go.”
On designating time at the end of practice towards the younger players:
“Really, it was Coach Fulmer’s idea. I thought it was a great idea. We’ve never done this at any of the other places I’ve been. You’re talking about 15 to 20 minutes at the end of practice and it’s for the guys who play on the scout team, and maybe [for] our twos, it’s a chance to get extra work. We cut back a little bit with our first groups to allow practice time to be able to do that, and just kind of go back and focus on fundamentals. We go back and just reiterate the foundation, you know a lot of these guys that play on the scout team, sometimes they’re servicing somebody else, so it’s a chance to go back and seam in a little bit of a foundation so they have one moving forward.”
On how the coaching staff has grown throughout the year:
“Any time you bring people together from all different stops that’s never worked together, you’re going to get better the longer you’re together, obviously. I think that over the last 12 weeks we’ve started to figure out a little bit who the guys who have play-making ability [are], maybe where our weaknesses are at, so really try to focus on the things that we do well and maybe not do some of the things that we didn’t have a lot of success doing. I think our guys have done a good job with that. We’ve got to continue to do that, we’ve got to improve every week, and I think our guys work well together.”
On why Brandon Johnson’s numbers have been down this season:
“I don’t know much about what happened before. When you send three receivers or five receivers or two receivers out on a route, you have certain things that you’re looking for. Maybe you’re looking for two-high beater or one-high beater or man-to-man or two-man or maybe it’s pressure, and sometimes it just so happens the ball gets in somebody else’s hands. Now you can always say, ‘hey, we’re going to run these plays to make sure this guy touches the football’, but I didn’t realize his numbers were down.”
On Missouri’s prolific offense:
“With the exception of really Alabama and Kentucky, these guys – I think they scored 29 on Georgia – they’ve scored 29 or more points against everybody they’ve played except two of the best teams in the league, and Georgia’s one of the best teams in the league defensively, so is Florida. They’ve scored points, so not a whole lot of folks have slowed them down.”
On Missouri’s offensive line:
“I think they play hard. They’re big men, have athletic ability. They have a lot of experience. You can tell they play well together. Very few mental errors. They make you beat them, they get on the right folks, they play the right way, so they get to leaning on folks. Then you’ve got a quarterback back there that can move in the pocket, he can extend plays and he can throw it all over the field. It puts a lot of stress on you defensively, so they’re very balanced offensively. I don’t think they’ve given up many sacks this year, so they’ve kept the pocket pretty clean for the quarterback. They’ve done a really nice job.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Holly Warlick announced Wednesday that three student-athletes, including the No. 2-ranked player in the country, have inked National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to join the Lady Vol program for the 2019-20 season.
Returning paperwork on the first day of the early signing period was the nation’s consensus No. 1 guard and No. 2 overall player, 6-foot-1 Jordan Horston (Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Africentric Early College), as well as 6-5 center Tamari Key (Cary, N.C. / Cary H.S.) and 6-5 F/C Emily Saunders (Mullens, W.Va./Wyoming East H.S.). Like Horston, Key is a five-star recruit, according to espnW HoopGurlz, while Saunders is a four-star prospect, as rated by ProspectsNation.com.
The Lady Vols’ three-player class currently is ranked at No. 8 overall and No. 2 in the SEC by espnW HoopGurlz. It follows Tennessee’s No. 1-ranked class in 2017 and a No. 4-rated group in 2018.
“I am very excited to welcome these young ladies to the Lady Vol family and believe they will really complement the players expected to return next season,” Warlick said. “I thought we needed a multi-faceted perimeter player, and we got one. We needed to add an inside presence that was both athletic and physical, and we got that as well. We addressed all of the needs we felt we had with this class.”
MEET THE LADY VOL SIGNING CLASS
Jordan Horston | 6-1 | G | Columbus, Ohio | Africentric Early College
No. 2 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
Member of USA U17 National Team and MVP of FIBA U17 World Cup in 2018
USA Today First-Team Ohio in 2018
Division III Ohio Co-Player-of-the-Year and DIII All-State First Team in 2018
Member of USA U16 National Team in 2017
AP Second-Team Division III All-State in 2016, 2017
2018 MaxPreps High School All-America Honorable Mention
2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Divisions II, III and IV Top 10
2018 District 10 Basketball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year
2016, 2017 and 2018 All-Columbus City League First Team
2017 and 2018 Columbus Dispatch All-Metro Team
As a junior in 2017-18, started in all 30 games and averaged 18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 5.1 steals and 1.7 blocks to help her team to a 27-3 record, the City League title and a state championship
WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Jordan is just an exceptional all-around player. She can play multiple positions and score at the rim, at mid-range and beyond the arc. She’s a team player and great kid, and I am excited for her to bring her experience and maturity at such a young age to our team.”
ESPN EVALUATION OF HORSTON: Ultra-athletic guard with versatility; explosive leaper attacks the basket, rises over defenders with soft touch in mid-range game; a mismatch nightmare, exploits smaller defenders; defends, traps in pressure; evolving perimeter game, impacts on the national stage.
Tamari Key | 6-5 | C | Cary, N.C. | Cary H.S.
No. 45 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
No. 46 overall player, No. 9 post player, five-star recruit by espnW HoopGurlz
No. 50 overall player, No. 7 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
Averaged 13.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.5 blocks as a junior
Averaged 15.0 points, 12.3 and 5.8 blocks as a sophomore
WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Tamari is going to be a great shot blocker for us and provide a great inside presence at 6-5. She has outstanding size and is extremely mobile and athletic. I look forward to watching her grow and develop as a college player.”
ESPN EVALUATION OF KEY: “Low-post performer with imposing size, length, shot blocking ability; defends the paint, rebounds and starts the fast break; gains respect in the block with continuing emergence of back-to-basket game; a stock-riser in the class of 2019.”
No. 88 overall player, No. 18 post player, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com
No. 187 overall player in Dan Olson College Girls’ Basketball Report
WVSWA 1st-team AA All-State in 2017, 2018
Averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.1 blocks per game as a junior
WHAT WARLICK SAID: “Emily provides a big inside presence, and I’m excited for her to join us. Emily uses her size well, protects the basket, works hard and is excited about continuing her development as a player. We look forward to getting her on campus and preparing her to play at this level.”
ESPN EVALUATION OF SAUNDERS: “Left-handed low-post prospect with shot blocking presence; rebounds and initiates the fast break; mobile in transition; emerging back-to-basket game; potential.”
“Tequila” – Dan + Shay; Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers;Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
New Artist of the Year
Lauren Alaina
Luke Combs WINNER
Chris Janson
Midland
Brett Young
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion WINNER
Album of the Year
From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves; Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian, Kacey Musgraves WINNER
Graffiti U – Keith Urban; Producers: Keith Urban, Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin,
Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Ross Copperman, Dann Huff, Peter Karlsson
Life Changes – Thomas Rhett; Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
The Mountain – Dierks Bentley; Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, Arturo Buenahora Jr.
The NCAA on Wednesday announced Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate for the 2008-09 to 2011-12 freshman cohorts for all Division I institutions as part of the annual NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program.
This year’s Tennessee-specific data revealed an overall multi-year GSR of 86 percent—the highest in UT history. Tennessee’s single-year rate of 87 percent was bested only by last year’s record-setting 88 percent.
The latest GSR data release marks the fourth consecutive year in which Tennessee posted a multi-year rate of at least 80 percent. UT had never reached the 80-percent mark prior to this current, four-year streak. It is also the sixth straight year in which Tennessee’s multi-year GSR has improved.
“Another strong showing in the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate affirms the commitment our student-athletes have made toward earning their degrees,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer said. “It’s also a testament to the standards set by our coaches and to the outstanding support provided by our Thornton Center staff. Graduating our student-athletes is at the forefront of our mission as an athletic department, and I am pleased about the progress and improvement we continue to see in our graduation success rate.”
The GSR is calculated differently than the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The GSR allows institutions to add scholarship transfers that fit into their respective freshman cohorts and remove those students that choose to leave and are academically eligible according to NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree-Requirements.
Ten of UT’s 16 teams posted a perfect 100 percent GSR, and five teams—men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s golf, rowing and volleyball—posted a perfect multi-year GSR.
Eight teams set or matched their program-high multi-year GSR, including football, men’s basketball, baseball and the five aforementioned sports. In all, 10 teams increased or tied their multi-year rate from a year ago.
One of Tennessee Athletics’ key objectives is to graduate student-athletes and prepare them for real-world experiences. In 2001, the University of Tennessee opened the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to provide student-athletes with superior academic support programs and personal and career development assistance.
Sport-Specific Highlights:
Baseball
Highest GSR in program history at 85%
Improved 10 percentage points over the previous year’s rate
Fourth consecutive annual increase, with the rate improving 37 percentage points during that spand (48% in 2014 to 85% in 2018)
Men’s Basketball
Matched the highest GSR in program history, set last year at 89%
Football
Posted a single-year rate of 83%, second only to last year’s record-setting mark of 85%
Record-high GSR for the program with a 74%
Increase of nine percentage points from last year’s rate and up 16 total percentage points in the last two years
Men’s Basketball
Four consecutive years at 100%, which stand as the only four perfect rates in the program
Rowing
Five consecutive years at 100%
Ninth time the program has earned a perfect 100%
Women’s Golf
Four consecutive years at 100%
Women’s Tennis
Third consecutive year at 100%
10th time the program has earned a perfect 100%
Women’s Track & Field
Posted its fourth consecutive increase, reaching 95%, which is the program’s highest rate in seven years
On Nov. 13 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Plaza, Thomas Rhett teamed with Crown Royal for the Purple Bag Project to benefit U.S. servicemen and women stationed overseas.
TR hosted the volunteer takeover and helped fans fill purple Crown Royal bags with uplifting notes and food items. Chris Lucas and Preston Brust of Locash also stopped by to lend a helping hand.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Since 2010, Crown Royal has worked with Packages From Home as a national charity partner supporting their purpose of sending thanks to troops overseas. During Purple Bag events, participants are invited to write notes and help stuff care packages for troops. The bags will also be sent to people affected by the recent hurricanes and other natural disasters.
“It’s really cool to be a part of that,” said TR to WKRN News 2. “It’s just a really cool partnering because I feel like our goals and values align as far as the charitable component. My wife and I take pride in that being a big way that we live our lives.”
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Wednesday that Five-star PG Josiah-Jordan James has signed and submitted a National Letter of Intent and plans to enroll at UT as a freshman in the summer of 2019.
James—currently a senior at Porter-Gaud School in his hometown of North Charleston, South Carolina—is a national top-20 prospect according to Rivals (No. 14), 247sports (No. 14) and ESPN (No. 20) and is the highest-rated prep basketball player ever to come out of the South Carolina “Lowcountry.”
The 6-7, 200-pound point guard has helped lead Porter-Gaud to three state championships and also was a member of the United States’ team that won gold at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. He is coached at Porter-Gaud by John Pearson.
“Josiah has a great disposition as a true point guard to lead,” Barnes said. “We think he’ll fit right into our culture and what we’re trying to do. He’s already made a great connection with our current players, so much so that it almost feels like he’s been with us for a while. He’s a guy that we expect to make an immediate contribution and that we’ll look to, even as a young player, to bring some leadership qualities to our program.”
James announced his verbal commitment to Tennessee in September. He is the highest-rated prospect to sign with UT since current Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris signed with the Vols in November of 2009.
The state of South Carolina’s highest-rated basketball prospect in the Class of 2019, James has led Porter-Gaud to a combined 75-9 combined record over the last three seasons, including three consecutive SCISA 3A championships.
According to one ESPN recruiting analyst, James boasts “elite perimeter size and a terrific physical profile. He can already impact the game in a multitude of ways but may be just scratching the surface of his potential on both ends of the floor.”
James played his AAU ball with the Charleston-based TMP program under coach Antoine Saunders.
James hails from a tight-knit, basketball family. His father, Kurt James (Michigan State), as well as uncles John James III (Ball State), Kevin James (Alabama State), Anthony Fletcher (Hawai’i) and Noel Gilliard (Furman) all played college basketball. His mother, Sonya Brice, married to Curtis Brice, is a former Division I basketball official. Josiah’s older brother, K.J. James, exhausted his collegiate eligibility at Valdosta State last season after beginning his career at High Point.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Wednesday that 6-9 Knoxville native Drew Pember has signed and submitted a National Letter of Intent and plans to enroll at UT as a freshman in the summer of 2019.
According to 247Sports.com, Pember is rated as the No. 7 overall prospect in his class in the state of Tennessee. As a junior, the forward helped lead Bearden High School to the Class AAA state semifinals, where the Bulldogs fell to one of the nation’s top teams in Memphis East despite a 15-point, 10-rebound performance from Pember.
“Drew is extremely skilled,” Barnes said. “He’s a tremendous outside shooter, but he really has the ability to do just about everything on the basketball court. He can pass the ball, rebound, block shots, and he’s a good decision-maker. He needs to get stronger, put some weight on. But Drew’s got a tremendous upside and a real chance to become a complete player for us. We’re really excited about him.”
Pember had been verbally committed to the Vols since June of 2018. A native of Knoxville, he is coached at Bearden by Jeremy Parrott. Bert Bertelkamp, who lettered for the Vols from 1977-80 and is currently the Vol Network color analyst for UT men’s basketball games, also graduated from Bearden (class of 1976).
Pember’s recruitment heated up during his junior campaign, as the 2017-18 first-team All-District 4-AAA honoree averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.7 assists per game en route to helping Bearden post an impressive 38-2 record for the season.
While his height makes him a threat in the post, Pember possesses elite shooting ability for his size and can score from anywhere on the court – especially from beyond the arc. On defense, his long frame makes him a successful rim protector and rebounder for the Bulldogs.
Pember played his AAU ball with the BMaze Elite program, run by former Tennessee point guard Bobby Maze (2008-10). Pember averaged 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per with BMaze Elite during the summer of 2018.
In addition to Pember and Bertelkamp, another Bearden graduate who has had hardwood success at Tennessee is current Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick.
Pember joins junior guard Jordan Bowden as the only Knox County natives signed to a Tennessee basketball scholarship as freshmen in the last 30 years.
