ADDISON, Texas – Tennessee senior defensive back Justin Martin has been selected to participate in the 2018 College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium that will be held from January 6-10 in the Dallas-Fort Worth-area.

Martin is the first Tennessee player to be chosen for the showcase since its inception in 2015. The CGS differs from other postseason games and all-star events by implementing a unique format that features a controlled scrimmage opposed to a normal game, allowing players more opportunities to showcase their skills.

Martin was chosen for this year’s event after a starting a career-best 11 games in 2017 while recording 37 tackles, intercepting one pass and forcing a fumble. The Antioch, Tenn., native appeared in 36 games and started 19 during his three seasons on Rocky Top.

Complete rosters and more information on the 2018 CGS can be found by clicking HERE.

About the College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium
CGS is a college post-season showcase for NFL Draft-eligible players across all college football divisions. CGS selects via a panel of football experts. Players come in for five days and four nights to be evaluated by professional football league scouts. The players receive professional coaching, mentoring, life coaching and seminars that will benefit them as they move forward in their professional lives in or out of football.

Since 2015, 273 CGS participants have had an opportunity to extend their careers through the NFL Draft, free agency, rookies camp invitations and tryouts (including 105 from the 2017 CGS), with several others being drafted or signed to play in the CFL. Over 110 NFL scouts and executives representing 30 teams attended the 2017 event in Bedford, Texas. Over 40 CGS players are currently on NFL rosters.

-UT Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 7/7 Tennessee improved to 13-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC on Sunday, defeating Kentucky (8-7, 0-1 SEC) 63-49 in front of a crowd of 8,921 at Rupp Arena.

The victory was UT’s first in the venue in three tries. The Big Orange women lost to the Wildcats during the 2005-06 season and fell to USC here in the 1986 NCAA Final Four semifinals. The triumph was only the third in Tennessee’s last seven trips to the Bluegrass.

The Lady Vols, who improved to 55-11 in the all-time series, were led in scoring by freshman Evina Westbrook who notched 17 points, tying her career high. Senior Jaime Nared recorded her sixth double-double of the season, contributing 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Fellow senior Mercedes Russell added 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, while freshman Rennia Davis just missed a double-double with 11 rebounds and nine points.

Maci Morris was Kentucky’s high scorer with 18 points. She was the only Wildcat in double figures, as Tennessee held UK to 30.3 percent shooting for the game. The Lady Vols now have held 12 of 13 foes this season under 40 percent from the field (Marquette, .437, is the only one to shoot better than 40 percent).

Evina Westbrook and Meme Jackson set the tone early for the Lady Vols, each knocking down threes for Tennessee’s first two buckets of the game. Kentucky started the game cold, going 0-of-6 from the field.  The Wildcats scored their first points off a Morris jumper with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter to end a 10-0 run by Tennessee.  Jackson and Westbrook combined for three additional treys before the end of the quarter to help build a 19-point lead and head into the second stanza up 26-7.

The second quarter was a more evenly matched affair, with Kentucky scoring 13 points to Tennessee’s 10.  The Wildcats began hitting from distance with Makenzie Cann and Morris both knocking down threes in the opening minutes. The Lady Vols weathered a 4:24 scoring drought at the end of the half to take a 36-20 lead into the break.

UT opened the second half with a 9-3 run to claim a 22-point lead at the 7:01 mark. Davis and Russell scored five points apiece in the third to help Tennessee to a 49-31 lead entering the final stanza.

Tennessee and UK traded buckets to start the fourth before UT went on an 8-3 run to lead by 23 with 3:33 to play. The Wildcats answered by scoring seven unanswered points and closed out the game with an 11-2 run. It wasn’t enough to overtake Tennessee, however, and the Lady Vols claimed a 63-49 victory.

Up Next: Tennessee returns home to host Auburn on Thurs., Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be available online via SECN+.

Good Company: Tennessee is one of only five undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. The other squads are Connecticut, Louisville, Mississippi State and West Virginia. All four are playing today.

Westbrook Heating Up: Over the last four games Evina Westbrook has averaged 15.8 points per game, more than doubling the 7.2 points she averaged over the first nine contests.

Fast Starts: UT has made a habit of getting out of the gate quickly, and UT did it again vs. Kentucky. The Lady Vols burst out to a 10-0 lead and held the Wildcats scoreless until Maci Morris got the home team on the board with 5:50 left in the first period. UT went on to a 26-7 lead after the opening 10 minutes, improving its season advantage to 308-162 in the first quarter. It was the fourth start of 10-0 or better this season by Holly Warlick‘s squad. UT went up 12-0 vs. Alabama State and Troy, and had another 10-0 game-opening run vs. Marquette.

Early Three-Point Blitz: Tennessee hit five of eight three-pointers in the first quarter for the most in any quarter all season long. Evina Westbrook had three of them on four attempts. The long-range bonanza ended, however, as the Lady Vols went zero for nine the rest of the way.

Another Double-Double: Though she didn’t have her best shooting day, Jaime Nared managed a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds and added six assists and a pair of steals. She tied Mercedes Russell for the team lead in
“D-Ds” this season and has 15 for her career.

-UT Athletics