The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced finalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Men’s College Coach of the Year on Thursday, and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes made the four-man cut.
Ten semifinalists were previously announced on Feb. 23. Other finalists include Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann and Villanova’s Jay Wright.
A fan vote will account for five percent of the final Coach of the Year selection tally, and fans will have the opportunity to cast their vote once daily by visiting www.naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30.
In his third season at Tennessee, Barnes took a team picked in the preseason to finish 13th in the 14-team Southeastern Conference to a 25-8 (10-5 SEC) record, the regular-season SEC Championship and a run to the SEC Tournament Championship Game. The Volunteers are rated No. 8 in the NCAA’s RPI listing and have spent 14 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press Top-25 poll. Tennessee has won 12 games away from home and defeated five “Power Five” opponents during non-conference play (Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Iowa State).
The Vols earned a No. 3 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament and face Wright State in a first-round matchup Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET (TruTV).
The Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Men’s College Coach of the Year will be announced on during the Naismith Awards brunch April 1 at Pearl Stable in San Antonio, Texas.
A who’s who of artists from multiple genres have come together to record some of Elton John’s biggest hits for two new tribute albums, Revamp and Restoration.
Revamp features the hits reimagined by the best in pop, rock and R&B with Mary J. Blige, Alessia Cara, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Florence And The Machine, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Mumford and Sons, P!nk and Logic, Q-Tip ft. Demi Lovato, Queens of the Stone Age, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith,
Restoration features some of countries biggest stars with interpretations by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Don Henley, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack.
“It’s always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it,” says Elton John. “As songwriters, Bernie [Taupin] and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp and Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We’re humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”
Revamp and Restoration will be released on April 6.
Revamp
“Bennie and The Jets” – Elton John, P!nk, Logic
“We All Fall In Love Sometimes” – Coldplay
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” – Alessia Cara
“Candle In The Wind” – Ed Sheeran
“Tiny Dancer” – Florence And The Machine
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” – Mumford and Sons
“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” – Mary J. Blige
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Q Tip feat. Demi Lovato
“Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” – The Killers
“Daniel” – Sam Smith
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” – Miley Cyrus
“Your Song” – Lady Gaga
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – Queens of the Stone Age
Restoration
“Rocket Man” – Little Big Town
“Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” – Maren Morris
“Sacrifice” – Don Henley and Vince Gill
“Take Me To The Pilot” – Brothers Osborne
“My Father’s Gun” – Miranda Lambert
“I Want Love” – Chris Stapleton
“Honky Cat” – Lee Ann Womack
“Roy Rogers” – Kacey Musgraves
“Please” – Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
“The Bitch Is Back” – Miley Cyrus
“Sad Songs (Say So Much)” – Dierks Bentley
“This Train Don’t Stop” – Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
In Jenny Tolman’s new video for “Something to Complain About,” the up-and-coming artist turns a clever lyric and brings it to life with an almost-effortless alto as she playfully dishes about blisters, thousand-dollar heels and double Ds.
The video, which is Jenny’s first, gives fans a glimpse into her upcoming concept project, Jennyville—and one of its entertaining inhabitants: a rich woman with first-world problems. There are more characters throughout the album, including a woman who contemplates becoming a stripper for a week to pay the bills and a flirty coupon-clipper who tries to put the moves on her butcher.
The Nashville native, who has opened shows for Alabama, Cole Swindell, Michael Ray and more, is working with producer Dave Brainard on the new album, which Jenny hopes to release later this year as she continues looking for her ideal label partner.
Check out Jenny’s new video for “Something to Complain About.”
Crystal Gayle, Clay Walker, Wynonna, Ty Herndon, Lorrie Morgan, Steve Wariner, Terri Clark and more performed during a sold-out show at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley on March 13 as part of ’90s Unplugged, a benefit concert for Anita Cochran.
Anita, who scored a No. 1 hit in 1997 with “What If I Said,” was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and is currently undergoing treatment, which has kept her from touring.
Terri Clark organized the fundraising event that featured additional performances by Wade Hayes, Jamie O’Neal, Mandy Barnett, Bryan White, Pam Tillis, Suzy Bogguss and The Lynns.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As one of the top 16 overall seeds in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship field, the University of Tennessee Lady Vols earned the right to host first and second round games. This marks UT’s initial time hosting women’s tourney games since 2015.
No. 12/13 Tennessee (24-7), which earned the No. 3 seed in the Lexington Regional, will play host to No. 14 seed Liberty (24-9) on Friday, March 16, at 2:30 p.m. ET in Thompson-Boling Arena.
In Friday’s opening game in Knoxville, No. 13/12 Oregon State (23-7), seeded sixth, will meet No. 11 seed Western Kentucky (24-8) in the other first round contest at noon.
The winners of those games will face one another on Sunday (time to be determined) in Knoxville in the second round for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in Lexington, Ky.
No. 1 Louisville, No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Stanford are the top four seeds in the Lexington Regional.
The Lexington Regional contests are slated to be played on March 23 and 25 in Rupp Arena.
Liberty is making its first appearance at Thompson-Boling Arena since facing Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Tournament, while Oregon State last played here (vs. the Lady Vols) on Dec. 28, 2014, and Western Kentucky most recently played here (vs. UT) during the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
Broadcast Information
Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Carol Ross (analyst) will describe the action for the UT-Liberty television broadcast on ESPN2.
Mickey Dearstone is handling the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 19th 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.
UT’s NCAA Tourney History
The Lady Vols are making their 37th appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and UT is the only program to appear in all 37 tournaments.
Tennessee was an at-large qualifier for the tourney field, tying for fourth in the Southeastern Conference regular season and bowing out in the quarterfinal round of the league tourney to No. 7/7 South Carolina, the eventual champion.
As a No. 3 seed, UT is two spots up from last season’s No. 5 position.
No. 3 NCAA women’s seeds have an all-time record of 107-5 in first-round play.
The Lady Vols are 124-28 in NCAA Tournament play, and they rank first in games played (152) and victories (124) in NCAA tourney history.
Tennessee is second behind UConn in winning percentage at .816 in tourney play.
UT has advanced to the NCAA regional round on 34 occasions, posting a 28-6 record in the Sweet 16.
The only seasons UT did not make the regional level were 2009 and 2017. UT lost its opening round contest as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 Ball State in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009. No. 5 seed UT lost its second-round game at No. 4 seed Louisville in 2017.
UT has advanced to 18 NCAA Final Fours and won eight of them (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008), ranking second to UConn.
Tennessee has finished second in the nation five times and third on five more occasions.
UT has made the Elite Eight 28 times and in three of the past five seasons, posting an 18-10 record in that round.
UT has been to 34 Sweet 16s, standing 28-6 in that step of the NCAA ladder.
The Lady Vols have seen their season ended in the regional championship game in five of the past seven years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
Tennessee’s First/Opening Round opponents through the years have included: Jackson St. (1982), South Carolina St. (1983), Middle Tennessee State (1984), Virginia (1985), Iowa (1986), Tennessee Tech (1987), North Carolina A&T (1994), Florida A&M (1995), Radford (1996), Grambling (1997), Liberty (1998, 2018), Appalachian St. (1999), Furman (2000), Austin Peay (2001 & 2010), Georgia State (2002), Alabama State (2003), Colgate (2004), Western Carolina (2005), Army (2006), Drake (2007), Oral Roberts (2008 & 2013), Ball State (2009), Stetson (2011), UT Martin (2012), Northwestern State (2014), Boise State (2015), Green Bay (2016), Dayton (2017).
All told, UT has played 82 different opponents during all rounds of the NCAA tournament.
UT In The First & Second Rounds
Tennessee is making its 37th appearance in the NCAA First/Second Rounds, and it owns a 57-2 record during those games.
The Lady Vols are 29-1 all-time in the NCAA First Round and 28-1 in the NCAA Second Round.
The only blemishes are a first-round loss to Ball State, 71-55, in Bowling Green, Ky., on March 22, 2009, and a second-round setback to Louisville, 75-64, in Louisville, Ky. on March 20, 2017.
In NCAA First/Second Round play, Tennessee is 44-0 at home, 4-1 away and 9-1 at neutral sites.
The breakdown for that is 22-0 home/0-0 away/7-1 neutral for the first round and 22-0 home/4-1 away/2-0 neutral for the second round.
Under Holly Warlick, UT is 5-0 in NCAA First Round games (3-0 at home/2-0 at neutral sites).
She is 4-1 in NCAA Second Round tilts (3-0 at home/1-1 away).
56-Game Home NCAA Streak
UT is 56-0 all-time in home NCAA games, including 22-0 in the First Round, 22-0 in the Second Round, 6-0 in the Sweet 16 and 6-0 in the Elite Eight.
UConn is 44-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament games on its home floor (20-0, 1st Rd.; 20-3, 2nd Rd.; 2-0, Sweet 16; 2-0, Elite Eight). The Huskies have won 42-straight home tourney games.
In 2011, the win over Marquette during the NCAA Second Round was the 50th consecutive NCAA Tournament win for the Lady Vols in Knoxville, dating back to the start of the NCAA Tournament in 1982.
Lady Vol NCAA Experience
This is Holly Warlick‘s sixth NCAA Tournament as a head coach and her 33rd as a member of the Tennessee staff.
Warlick is 12-5 in NCAA Tournament games as a head coach, leading UT to three Elite Eights in her first four seasons (2013, 2015, 2016). She is 6-0 in games played in Knoxville (2013, 2014, 2015).
Only four of Tennessee’s 10 players possess NCAA Tournament experience, but there are 30 combined games of tourney duty by that quartet.
Nared and Russell have six starts apiece, with reach reporting to the jump circle in UT’s last six tourney games over the past two seasons.
Mercedes Russell has UT’s highest totals among active players for points and rebounds in an NCAA game, tallying a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds vs. Ohio State in 2016.
Russell has averaged double-doubles in NCAA play the past two seasons, carding pts./rebs. averages of 13.0 and 10.3 in 2016 and 12.5 and 11.5 in 2017. She has three career double-double games during the NCAA Tournament.
Russell is shooting .639 from the field (39-61) in nine career NCAA Tournament games.
Jaime Nared averaged 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest last season in two tourney games, hitting for 28 vs. Louisville and pulling down 11 boards.
Nared is averaging 9.7 ppg. and 6.8 rpg. for her career in NCAA contests while hitting .838 (31-37) from the free throw line.
UT Seeking 35th 25-Win Season!
Tennessee is seeking its 25th victory of the year, which would mark the 35th season the Lady Vols have reached that win total.
This would mark the fourth 25-win campaign under Holly Warlick, with the Lady Vols last achieving that total during a 30-6 season in 2014-15.
The Lady Vols hit the 20-win mark for the 42nd consecutive season on Feb. 8, 2018, winning at Arkansas, 90-85.
The Lady Vols won No. 20 last season in the NCAA First Round over Dayton on March 18 in Louisville, Ky.
The Latest On Tennessee
Jaime Nared (17.1 ppg., 7.7 rpg.), a 6-foot-2 guard/forward, is a top-five finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, while 6-6 center Mercedes Russell is a top-five finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award.
UT starts those two seniors as well as 5-11 junior guard Meme Jackson (8.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg.), 6-2 freshman forward Rennia Davis (12.0 ppg., 7.4 rpg.) and 6-0 freshman point guard Evina Westbrook (8.4 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 4.3 apg.).
UT’s top reserve is Anastasia Hayes, a 5-7 freshman guard (9.3 ppg., 2.6 rpg., 3.4 apg.).
Tennessee enters the NCAA Tournament having won three of its last four games, including a win over #7 South Carolina.
Seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell have been quite durable, with Nared starting the last 87 games for UT and Russell getting the nod in 67 consecutive games entering the NCAA Tournament.
Jaime Nared ranks No. 5 in free throws made in a season (164), needing one to match Tamika Catchings (165, 1997-98) for fourth and two to match Candace Parker (166, 2006-07) and Chamique Holdsclaw (166, 1997-98) for second. Parker is No. 1 with 201 (2007-08).
Nared ranks No. 6 in career free throws made (424) and needs 15 makes to catch Semeka Randall in fifth (439).
Mercedes Russell (193) needs one block to tie Michelle Snow (194) at No. 5 in career blocks and seven to match Ashley Robinson (200) at No. 4.
Tennessee has been strong at home this season, winning 13 of 15 games and outscoring opponents, 79.5 to 59.6 in Knoxville.
UT has forced 17.9 turnovers per game and outrebounded foes, 46.3 to 36.4, at home.
Mercedes Russell‘s 10-for-10 effort at the free throw line vs. Auburn tied an SEC Tournament single-game record. It was the fourth-best all-time by a Lady Vol in any game. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she has hit her last 19 free throws in a row, dating back to the Alabama game.
Russell now stands alone with a record 15 double-doubles by a UT senior and is tied with Candace Parker for second-most ever by a Lady Vol behind only Chamique Holdsclaw (57). Russell had a UT junior-record 19 double-doubles a year ago.
The Lady Vols have won the rebounding battle in 25 of 31 games this season, including eight of the last nine games.
Mercedes Russell surpassed the 1,000-rebound mark vs. Georgia and the 1,500-point mark against Alabama, becoming only the sixth Lady Vol to reach 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. The others in that club are Chamique Holdsclaw, Glory Johnson, Bashaara Graves, Sheila Frost and Tamika Catchings.
UT has led 24 of 31 games this season at the half. UT trailed Mississippi State by 13, South Carolina (SEC) by 10, Missouri by six, Alabama by five, South Carolina (home) by five and Auburn (SEC Tourn.) by three, and was tied vs. Auburn (home).
UT’s roster features seven players 6-2 or taller, tying the 2004-05 team as the second tallest in Lady Vol history behind the 2014-15 unit that boasted eight.
The Lady Vols have allowed eight opponents to score more than 72 points (Marquette – 99, Texas – 75, Vandy – 73, A&M – 79, Notre Dame – 84, Arkansas – 85, Missouri – 77, South Carolina – 73) and have allowed only 11 teams to shoot better than 41 percent from the field (Missouri, .556; Vanderbilt in Knoxville, .491; Texas A&M in Knoxville, .484; Notre Dame, .478; Arkansas, .477; Vanderbilt, .469; Marquette, .437; South Carolina (SEC), .464; Miss. State, .418; Alabama, .426, Auburn, .419).
When UT has more fouls than its opponent, the Lady Vols are 2-5, losing to Texas A&M, Notre Dame, LSU, Missouri and South Carolina (SEC Tourney), and beating Marquette in OT and winning by 14 at Kentucky.
Tennessee Notes vs. Liberty
The Lady Vols and Liberty will meet for just the second time, with UT holding a 1-0 advantage in the series.
The only other meeting occurred on March 14, 1998, when No. 1 seed Tennessee defeated the Lady Flames, 102-58, en route to a perfect 39-0 NCAA Championship season.
Tennessee is 6-2 all-time vs. teams from the Big South Conference, with the last win coming vs. Winthrop, 81-48, in Knoxville on Nov. 21, 2014.
All-time vs. the Big South, UT is 3-2 vs. Winthrop and 1-0 vs. Liberty, Longwood and Radford.
Last Meeting Between UT & Liberty
All-five Tennessee starters scored in double figures, as the No. 1-ranked Lady Vols rolled past Liberty, 102-58, in the NCAA First Round in Knoxville on March 14, 1998, to remain unbeaten.
The Lady Flames held the lead in the opening six minutes of play before the home team surged to a 19-point halftime lead and went on to hand Liberty its only loss of the season.
Chamique Holdsclaw (22 points/13 rebounds) and Tamika Catchings (17 points/13 rebounds) posted double-doubles to pace the UT attack.
UT had a 62-16 points-in-the-paint advantage and forced the Lady Flames into 27 turnovers.
The Lady Vols also drew 23 LU fouls, connecting on 19 of 28 free throw tries.
Twins Sharon (26) and Sarah Wilkerson (10) combined for 36 points to aid the Liberty cause, while Elena Kisseleva chipped in 10 as well.
Liberty Last Time Out (LU 60, UNCA 42)
No. 1 seed Liberty utilized rebounding and a stifling defense to overcome an early deficit and top No. 3 seed and two-time defending champion UNC Asheville, 60-42, in the 2018 Big South Women’s Basketball Championship title game at the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Va., on Sunday.
Liberty (24-9) dominated the rebounding (44-30), points in the paint (28-12) and second-chance points (19-9) categories, led by tournament MVP KK Barbour (10 points, six rebounds), who scored in double figures for the third straight game on the weekend.
The Lady Flames’ 17th Big South Championship title in 22 years but their first since 2015 also saw the home team limit Asheville (17-15) to 29.8 percent (14-of-47) shooting, as Liberty held its 17th straight opponent below the 60-point mark.
Point guards Ashtyn Baker (all 12 of her points came after halftime) and Nene Johnson (10 points, career-high eight rebounds, game-high three assists) also stepped up, with freshman Baker joining Barbour on the all-tournament team.
The Lady Flames posted their eighth consecutive victory overall and closed out their first unbeaten home season since 2007-08 with a 15-0 record at the Vines Center. Liberty got to cut down the nets on its home court for the first time since 2006 and the seventh time in program history.
About The Lady Flames
Head coach Carey Green is a native of Louisville, Tenn., and 1974 graduate of Friendsville (Tenn.) High School and earned his associate’s degree from Roane State in 1976.
After graduating from Coastal Carolina in 1979, Green earned a master’s in science education from Tennessee in 1981.
He was assistant M/W coach at Roane State (1979-81), head boys coach at Coalfield High School (1981-82), head girls coach at Rockwood High School (1982-84) and head men’s and women’s coach at Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College from 1984-87.
He served as assistant at Clemson from 1987-99 before joining Liberty as head coach in 1999.
The Lady Flames (24-9, 16-2 Big South) earned their 17th trip to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship in the last 22 years.
Liberty, which has made a quick turnaround from a 13-17 season in 2016-17, returns to the tournament for the first time since 2015.
Sheana Vega, one of two seniors on the roster, is the lone remaining Lady Flame from the 2015 NCAA Tournament team and the only current player who has ever been to the “Big Dance.”
Liberty has won a season-high eight games in a row and is 15-1 in its last 16 outings. Defense has fueled the Lady Flames’ success, as Liberty has held 17 straight opponents below the 60-point mark and is allowing just 53.7 ppg for the season.
Offensively, the Lady Flames’ balanced attack is spearheaded by the trio of 6-1 sophomore post Keyen Green (13.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), 6-1 junior post KK Barbour (9.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and 5-6 freshman point guard Ashtyn Baker (8.0 ppg, 3.0 apg). Green was named Big South Player of the Year, Baker was honored as Big South Freshman of the Year and Barbour was voted Big South Championship MVP.
Potential Second-Round Foes
The Tennessee-Liberty match-up is a repeat of the 1998 NCAA First Round in Knoxville, and the second round also features a potential for a repeat engagement.
Western Kentucky, the Lady Vols’ Second-Round opponent in Knoxville back in 1998 is on hand again in 2018 as a No. 11 seed, this time facing #13/12-ranked Oregon State in the first round.
UT beat WKU in 1998, 82-62.
After entering as the No. 2 seed, WKU (24-8) won the C-USA Tournament title to make the field .
UT is 7-1 all-time vs. Western Kentucky.
No. 6 seed OSU (23-7), meanwhile, is making its fifth straight NCAA appearance, a school best.
The Beavers are 0-4 vs. UT, last facing the Lady Vols in Corvallis on Dec. 19, 2005 (UT, 53-50), and most recently visiting Knoxville on Dec. 28, 2014 (UT, 74-63).
UT has three players from Oregon on its roster, while OSU has three.
Tenn. Last Time Out (USC 73, UT 62)
No. 12 Tennessee erased a 16-point first-half deficit and closed within three in the third quarter but couldn’t overcome No. 8 South Carolina, falling 73-62 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on March 2.
Freshman Anastasia Hayes led Tennessee (24-7) in scoring, tying her career high of 17 points. Senior Jaime Nared posted a double-double for Tennessee with 15 points and 13 rebounds, playing her ninth 40-minute game of the season.
A’ja Wilson led South Carolina (24-6) with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Alexis Jennings also recorded a double-double for the Gamecocks, logging 19 points and 12 rebounds as USC snapped a three-game UT winning streak in the series.
DALLAS — For the first time since 2014, Tennessee men’s basketball is heading to the NCAA Tournament, preparing for a first-round matchup with Wright State on Thursday at American Airlines Center. The game tips at 12:40 p.m. ET and will be televised live on truTV.
The No. 3 seeded Volunteers (25-8) claimed a share of the SEC Regular-Season Championship after being picked to finish 13th by select media during the preseason. This year’s squad is one of only four Tennessee teams to ever win 25 games in a single season and will be the 21st UT team to represent the Vols in the Big Dance.
All-SEC wing Admiral Schofield is playing his best basketball of the season right now, averaging 17.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in last week’s SEC Tournament en route to All-Tournament Team honors. Over the last six games, the junior forward has led UT in scoring on four ocassions, as each performance was over 20 points. During the first 27 games of the season, Schofield only eclipsed the 20-point margin three times.
Grant Williams was the focal point of every defense during the SEC Tournament, being double-teamed and sometimes triple-teamed every time he got the ball in the post. That didn’t stop the SEC Player of the Year from posting 12.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.0 spg during the tournament. He recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the quarterfinal win vs. Mississippi State.
The Big Orange has never faced the Raiders on the hardwood. Wright State (25-9) is making its third tournament appearance in school history after winning the Horizon League Tournament. Senior Grant Benzinger, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, led the team in scoring this season with 14.5 ppg to go along with 5.4 rpg in nearly 35 minutes of action per game. The senior guard eclipsed the 20-point mark in seven games this season, including 31 points against Northern Kentucky.
RIGHT NOW
• Thursday’s clash is Rick Barnes‘ 100th game as Tennessee’s head coach.
• All-SEC wing Admiral Schofield averaged 17.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in last week’s SEC Tournament en route to All-Tournament Team honors.
• KenPom.com rates Tennessee fourth nationally in defensive efficiency, behind only Virginia, Cincinnati and Texas Tech.
A WIN WOULD…
• Set up a second-round clash with either Miami (Fla.) or Loyola-Chicago on Saturday.
• Extend Tennessee’s non-conference win streak to four games.
• Put the Vols one victory away from the program’s eighth Sweet Sixteen appearance.
• Make Tennessee the third different Division I program that Rick Barnes has led to at least one NCAA Tournament victory.
• Give the Vols 13 victories away from home this season.
ABOUT WRIGHT STATE
• In just his second season with the Raiders, Horizon League Coach of the Year Scott Nagy led Wright State (25-9) to its third tournament appearance in school history and first since the program won the Horizon League Tournament Championship in 2007. WSU is rated 99th in the NCAA’s RPI.
• Wright State, which set a school record with 25 wins this season, also appeared in the 1993 tournament (16 seed) when they met Indiana and 2007 tournament (14 seed) against Pittsburgh.
• The Raiders were a No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament and went onto to defeat Green Bay, Milwaukee and then Cleveland State in the championship game. Senior Grant Benzinger was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, and freshman Loudon Love was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
• Benzinger, a first-team all-league selection, led the team in scoring this season with 14.5 ppg to go along with 5.4 rpg in nearly 35 minutes of action per game. The senior guard eclipsed the 20-point mark in seven games this season, including 31 points against Northern Kentucky
• As the Horizon League’s Freshman of the Year, Love has been the team’s second leading scorer this season (12.9 ppg) while pacing the team in rebounds (9.8 rpg) and blocks (1.0 bpg). The 6-9 center also leads the Raiders in field-goal percentage, converting on 53 percent (181-of-341) of his shots from the field.
• Another player to watch is Mark Hughes. The Horizon League All-Defensive Team performer averaged 9.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.1 spg in 34 starts.
• Two of Wright State’s strengths this season have been taking the ball away from other teams (226 steals) and creating second-chance opportunities on the offensive end of the floor (346 offensive rebounds).
• The Raiders’ biggest wins on the season were at Georgia Tech, 85-81, and a pair of victories over Northern Kentucky, who finished as the regular-season champion of the Horizon League.
TENNESSEE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• The Vols are making their 21st all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Orange own a 19-21 (.475) NCAA Tournament record.
• The Vols are 1-0 in the “First Four,” 11-6 in first-round games, 6-7 in second-round games, 1-0 in third-round action, 1-6 in regional semifinals, 0-1 in regional finals and 0-1 in the now-defunct regional consolation round.
• This is the program’s second NCAA berth in the last seven years and its first under third-year head coach Rick Barnes.
• Tennessee’s 21 NCAA Tournament berths tie LSU for third-most among SEC teams.
• In the last 10 years (2008-2017), among SEC programs, only Kentucky (26) and Florida (16) have won more NCAA Tournament games than Tennessee (8).
VOLS HAVE NEVER BEEN A NO . 3 SEED
• The Vols have never competed as a No. 3 seed in their 20 previous NCAA Tournament appearances.
• This marks UT’s best seed since 2008, when Tennessee was the No. 2 seed and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
VOLS WON LAST CLASH WITH 14 SEED
• Tennessee is 2-0 against No. 14 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Vols most recently defeated Mercer,83-63, in the Round of 32 during the 2014 Tournament, in which UT made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
• The other game also came in the Round of 32 in an 83-68 win over Ohio in the 2010 Tournament, when the Big Orange advanced to the Elite Eight.
BARNES’ NCAA RÉSUMÉ IMPRESSIVE
• With this 2018 NCAA Tournament appearance, Rick Barnes has guided four different programs to a total of 23 berths in The Big Dance. He led Providence and Clemson to three berths each before guiding Texas to 16 tournament appearances in 17 years.
• Of his 22 berths prior to this season, Barnes led his teams six Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and one Final Four in 2003.
• In Tennessee’s 108-year hardwood history, the Volunteers have made just 20 previous NCAA Tournament appearances.
• From 1995 through 2016, every player Barnes coached for four years made at least three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
• Barnes is just the 13th head coach ever to lead four different programs to the Division I NCAA Tournament (and one of seven who are active).
VOLS’ STAFF HAS NCAA EXPERIENCE
• Even excluding the 22 berths by Rick Barnes, the Tennessee coaching staff still has a wealth of NCAA Tournament experience, with 33 games coached over the years.
• Associate head coach Rob Lanier has coached in nine NCAA Tournaments (18 total games). As a head coach, he led Siena to the 2002 tournament after winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. In 2011, Lanier was the assistant coach on a Florida team that advanced to the Elite Eight. Of his nine appearances, five came with Barnes at Texas.
• Assistant coach Mike Schwartz played in one NCAA Tournament game as a senior on Barnes’ first team at Texas in 1999. During his time as a coach, Schwartz has been with three different teams (Miami, Texas and Tulsa) that have earned bids to The Big Dance.
• Assistant coach Desmond Oliver was a part of the Georgia staff that won the SEC Tournament in 2008 and clinched the league’s automatic bid that year.
• All told, Tennessee’s four full-time coaches combine to boast an impressive 77 games of NCAA Tournament playing and/or coaching experience.
TENNESSEE vs. THE FIELD OF 68
• Prior to the tournament, the Vols played 15 games against 12 different teams comprising the field of 68, going 8-7 in those contests.
• Two of those losses came against No. 1 seed Villanova and No. 2 seed North Carolina.
• The wins came against Purdue (2), Kentucky (5), Florida (6), Arkansas (7), Texas A&M (7), NC State (9) and Lipscomb (15).
• In those eight wins, four were by a margin of 10 or more points, while five of the losses were determined by 10 or fewer points.
TENNESSEE’s NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY IN TEXAS
• Tennessee has only competed in two NCAA Tournament games all-time in the state of Texas, going 0-2 in those matchups.
• This will be the first appearance in Dallas for UT, as the Vols fell to No. 1 seed Ohio State, 85-84, in San Antonio in the 2007 Sweet Sixteen and lost to eighth-seeded North Carolina, 74-69, in Austin in the 2000 Sweet Sixteen.
• Despite UT having minimal experience with tourney games in the Lone Star State, head coach Rick Barnes boasts a 7-2 record in such matchups, including a perfect 4-0 record when his teams are playing in Dallas at American Airlines Center. The 2018 SEC Coach of the Year is 2-0 during first- and second-round games played in Texas.
VOLS-RAIDERS CONNECTIONS
• Tennessee has never previously faced Wright State on the hardwood. The Volunteers are 3-3 all-time against current members of the Horizon League.
• Vols junior Admiral Schofield developed a friendship with WSU senior and leading scorer Grant Benzinger when the two attended an Athletes in Action “Captain’s Academy” leadership camp and conference in Xenia, Ohio, in the summer of 2016.
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS PROVED TO BE GREAT NCAA TOURNAMENT PREP
• Five teams from the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis field landed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament: Villanova (1 seed), Purdue (2 seed), Tennessee (3 seed), Arizona (4 seed) and NC State (9 seed).
• While competing in Atlantis in November, the Vols went 2-1 en route to a third-place finish.
• The Vols opened the Atlantis event with a 78- 75 overtime win over 18th-ranked Purdue. The following day, UT led fifth-ranked Villanova by 12 at halftime before a Wildcats rallied for an 85-76 victory. Tennessee closed out the tournament with a 67-58 triumph over NC State. Villanova captured the tournament championship.
• SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams paced the Vols in scoring (18.7 ppg), assists (3.0 apg) and blocks (2.0 bpg) while ranking second on the squad in rebounding (7.3 rpg) during the Battle 4 Atlantis.
BARNES A SEMIFINALIST FOR NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR
• SEC Coach of the Year Rick Barnes is one of 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Men’s College Coach of the Year.
• In just his third season at Tennessee, Barnes guided the Vols to the regular-season SEC Championship. The Volunteers are rated No. 10 in the NCAA’s RPI listing and have spent 14 consecutive weeks in the AP top-25 poll. Tennessee has won 10 games away from home and defeated five “Power Five” opponents during non-conference play (Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Iowa State).
• Four finalists will be announced on March 15.
25 WINS AND COUNTING
• This is one of only four Tennessee teams to win at least 25 games in a single season (see chart below).
• Tennessee has logged its 26th all-time 20-win season and its first since 2013-14, when the Vols finished with 24 victories and advanced to their seventh Sweet Sixteen.
• Tennessee also recorded 23 regular-season victories for the first time since 2009-10 (23).
• In 31 seasons as a Division I head coach, Rick Barnes has now led his teams to 20 or more wins 21 times.
KENPOM RANKS VOLS FOURTH IN NATION IN DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY
• Respected statistical analyst Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com rates Tennessee fourth in the nation in defensive efficiency, which is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions.
• There are only about 70 possessions for each team in the average college basketball game, so these numbers are higher than the “ppg” statistics commonly used by media.
TENNESSEE LEADS THE SEC WITH 12 WINS AWAY FROM HOME
• Tennessee’s 12 wins away from home are the most among SEC teams this season. The Volunteers have eight true road wins (in 12 tries) and four neutral-site wins (Purdue, NC State, Mississippi State and Arkansas).
• UT’s true road wins came at Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Iowa State, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
THREE VOLS COULD MAKE 50+ 3-POINTERS
• Tennessee could boast three players with 50 or more made 3-pointers for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
• Lamonté Turner already has 66 made triples, while Admiral Schofield has made 58, and Jordan Bowden has 49.
• In 1999-2000, the three Vols who accomplished that feat were: Tony Harris (73), Jon Higgins (53) and Vincent Yarbrough (53).
• That 1999-2000 squad finished with a 26-7 (12-4 SEC) record, won a share of the SEC regular-season championship and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to North Carolina in Austin, Texas.
UT SIXTH IN NCAA IN ASSIST RATE
• According to noted college basketball statistical analyst Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com, Tennessee ranks sixth nationally with an assist rate of 62.7 percent (meaning that 62.7 percent of the Vols’ made field goals have been assisted on).
• That is the highest assist rate among SEC teams.
• The Vols average 15.8 assists per game, which ranks first in the SEC and 43rd in the country.
TRENDING NOW
• In SEC play, Tennessee led the league in assists per game (15.1) while ranking second in scoring margin (+5.0), free-throw percentage (.767) and assist/turnover (1.3).
• From 2013-17 (four seasons), Tennessee had 20 or more assists in game seven times. This year, the Vols have posted eight 20-assist games.
• Among Division I players averaging at least two FG attempts per game, Kyle Alexander‘s two-point FG percentage of .676 ranks 19th in the nation.
• Sophomore point guard Jordan Bone ranked second in the SEC with a 3.47 assist/turnover ratio during league play. He had a positive or even assist/turnover ratio in 16 of 18 conference games.
• Over UT’s last 12 games, Bone owns a 4.0 assist/turnover ratio (56 assists, 14 turnovers).
• Sophomore guard Lamonté Turner has made 31 3-pointers over UT’s last 12 games (2.6 per game).
• Turner led the SEC with a .940 (47-of-50) free-throw percentage during league play.
• A testament to its depth, Tennessee does not have a single player ranked in the top 20 in the SEC in minutes played this season (overall or during SEC play).
RECORD BOOK WATCH
• The school record for 3-point percentage is .391, set during the 1989-90 season. Tennessee’s current 3-point percentage is .384. That would rank sixth on the program’s single-season list.
• Junior Kyle Alexander has 119 career blocks to rank tied for 10th on Tennessee’s all-time career list. His 55 blocks this year rank tied as the fourth-best single-season total in program history.
• Sophomore Grant Williams has 103 career blocks and recently became just the 15th player in school history to block 100+ shots (one of only five players 6-7 or shorter to do so).
• Jordan Bone owns an overall assist/turnover ratio of 2.77 this season. If that held, he would rank second on UT’s all-time single-season list.
Luke Bryan dropped a new video for his current single, “Most People Are Good.”
Directed by Wes Edwards, the new clip features people from an array of ages, cultures and occupations while Luke croons lyrics like, “I believe you love who you love / Ain’t nothing you should ever be ashamed of / I believe this world ain’t half as bad as it looks / I believe most people are good.”
Penned by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear, the tune is the second single from Luke’s 2017 album, What Makes You Country. Currently, the track is No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 12 weeks.
Macon, Ga., native Jason Aldean announced that he will play Atlanta’s SunTrust Park on July 21, which is the home of the Atlanta Braves.
Jason made the announcement via Instagram Live on March 14 from SunTrust Park.
“We’re excited to be here, we’re excited for the show and we hope the city of Atlanta is excited as well,” said Jason. “Thank you to the Braves and everybody that’s been involved with this because this is gonna to be a huge night for me and my family and I can’t wait.”
Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs will serve as support for the show.
In addition, Darius Rucker appeared at the announcement via video feed and proclaimed he will reunite his band, Hootie & the Blowfish, for the concert.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is celebrating its 60th anniversary of honoring music’s best through its Gold and Platinum Awards Program.
The RIAA trademarked the Gold record (500,000 units) and formalized the industry practice of presenting awards to artists for music sales achievements, including the Platinum Award (1 million), Multi-Platinum Award (2 million+) and the Diamond Award (10 million+).
The RIAA’s anniversary celebration includes a new website that features artists sharing their RIAA Award memories, including Dierks Bentley, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Antebellum, Lee Brice, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire and more.
In honor of the Recording Industry Association of America’s 60th anniversary, here’s a look at the RIAA’s Top 15 Best-Selling Country Albums, which all earned Diamond status for sales of 10 million units or more.
KNOXVILLE – Kyle “Buddy” Cruze, who captured All-America honors at wide receiver for the Vols in 1956, died on Saturday at the age of 84.
Cruze re-established the wide receiver position at Tennessee under head coach Bowden Wyatt, leading the Vols to a 10-1 record, including an undefeated regular season and an SEC title in 1956.
Cruze was just the second receiver to reach double figures in receptions in Tennessee history when he caught 12 balls his junior year for 232 yards and a 19.3 average in 1955.
In 1956, he became the first Vol receiver to catch 20 passes and the first to top 300 yards, finishing with 357 to receive All-America honors from the FWAA and All-SEC accolades from the AP and UPI.
Cruze was a three-year starter for the Vols after transferring from Southern Methodist University.
Cruze played two years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Colts (1957-58) and later founded a computer software business.
In 1988, he was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Cruze was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Charlotte Ketchersid Cruze, in 2016. He is survived by his sister and four children.
Friends may call Wednesday from noon until 6 p.m. at Berry Funeral Home, 3704 Chapman Highway. Graveside services will be on Thursday at Woodlawn Cemetery at 11 a.m.
Tom Mattingly wrote a detailed obituary on Cruze for the New Sentinel here.
Restoration features some of countries biggest stars with interpretations by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Don Henley, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack.
![Wynonna, Crystal Gayle, Clay Walker, Terri Clark & More Come Together for Anita Cochran Benefit Concert [Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2018/03/15123858/Wynonna.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
