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.
Keith Urban braved the frigid temperature in Nashville on Dec. 31 to help ring in the New Year as the featured performer during Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight celebration.
Before the traditional Music Note Drop and accompanying fireworks helped signal the start of 2018, Keith treated fans to a medley of songs that paid tribute to many of the artists who died in 2017, including Chris Cornell, Gregg Allman, Chuck Berry, Don Williams, Glen Campbell, Troy Gentry, Malcolm Young and Tom Petty.
Watch Keith’s tribute below, courtesy of YouTube’s Scott MacArthur (macartsk).
With nominations at both the CMA Awards and ACM Awards, Chris Lucas and Preston Brust of Locash are coming off of a banner year in 2017.
Locash is looking to continue its upward trend in 2018 with a new album, the follow-up to 2016’s The Fighters, which spawned No. 1 hit, “I Love This Life.”
The duo debuted their upcoming album’s lead single, “Don’t Get Better Than That,” on the Today show on Dec. 29.
Craig Wayne Boyd and his wife, Taylor, welcomed a baby boy to their family over the holidays.
Graydon Scott Boyd was born on Dec. 28 at 10:18 p.m. in Nashville.
Graydon, who weighed 6 lbs., 4 oz., joins older siblings Dakota Lynn, 2, and Jaxson, 5.
“Tay, Jax, Kota, and I are proud to announce that last night Graydon Scott was welcomed into our home and hearts!” said Craig Wayne, in part, in an Instagram post. “The last week of December will forever be a huge week in the Boyd Family!”
In a recent letter to her fan club members, Carrie Underwood revealed that she suffered more than a broken wrist after falling at her home on November 10.
In addition to requiring surgery to mend her wrist, Carrie needed more than 40 stitches on her face. As she heads back into the studio this week, she wanted to let her fans know she “might look a bit different.”
“Most of you know that I tripped and fell and broke my wrist in November. I’m still doing regular physical therapy for that, but all is coming along. There is also another part of the story that I haven’t been ready to talk about since I have still been living it and there has been much uncertainty as to how things will end up. It’s crazy how a freak random accident can change your life. In addition to breaking my wrist, I somehow managed to injure my face as well. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but when I came out of surgery the night of my fall, the doctor told [my husband] Mike that he had put between 40-50 stitches in. Now, here we are 7 weeks later and, even though I’ve had the best people helping me, I’m still healing and not quite looking the same. I honestly don’t know how things are going to end up but I do know this: I am grateful that it wasn’t much, much worse. And I am grateful for the people in my life that have been there every step of the way. I’ve still got a ways to go in the recovery process, but it’s encouraging to see every day be a little better than the last.
“Another reason I’m telling you this now is because I’m heading in the studio next week. I’m determined to make 2018 amazing and I want to share things with you along the way. And when I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different. I’m hoping that, by then, the differences are minimal, but, again, I just don’t know how it’s all going to end up.”
After her accident, Carrie cancelled an appearance at the Country Rising benefit concert in Nashville on Nov. 12. Carrie has kept a low profile since the accident, with no public appearances.
Evina Westbrook – Lady Vols / Credit: 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.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After a late surge by Arkansas, No. 19 Tennessee came up short in overtime, 95-93, at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday.
With a 68-61 edge in the final four minutes of the second half, the Razorbacks (11-2, 1-0 SEC) stormed back into the game behind a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the contest. Down by one with 18 seconds remaining, Tennessee’s Jordan Bone drew a foul and tied the game at 73-73 to force overtime.
Arkansas had all the momentum going into overtime and pulled away early on in the extra period with a 16-5 run. The Vols (9-3, 0-1 SEC) clawed back to make it a two-point game with eight seconds left behind back-to-back 3-pointers by Lamonte Turner, but it wasn’t enough. The teams combined to score 42 total points in the five-minute overtime period.
The Volunteers had five players with double-digit scoring, paced by Bone’s season-high 21 points. He also had six boards and five assists in 38 minutes of action. James Daniel III had a big game off the bench, scoring 17 to go with four assists and a pair of rebounds and steals.
Admiral Schofield finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Grant Williams and Turner chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Arkansas was paced by Daryl Macon, who finished with 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field. Jaylen Barford added 28 points to help the Razorbacks shoot 54 percent (33-61) in the contest.
Despite several runs and tough shots by Arkansas, UT never lost the lead in the first half. After the Razorbacks tied things up at 26 with less than five minutes left, the Vols used a 12-2 run to help take a 38-31 advantage into intermission.
Daniel was huge off the bench for Tennessee in the frame, dropping 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor. Schofield had the hot hand out of the gate, knocking down three treys to spark UT’s scoring attack early on.
HIGH-SCORING OVERTIME: In the extra period, UT and Arkansas combined for 42 points, with both squads scoring at least 20. In comparison, the Vols and Purdue only scored 27 points between the two teams earlier in the season.
LIMITING ASSISTS, FORCING TURNOVERS: Entering Saturday’s matchup, the Razorbacks ranked seventh in the country with a 1.66 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tennessee forced 12 turnovers while holding them to only nine assists. UT also snapped Arkansas’s five-game streak with fewer than 10 turnovers, its longest such span in over 20 years.
UP NEXT: The Vols return home to host Auburn (Jan. 2) and Kentucky (Jan. 6) in back-to-back home games at Thompson-Boling Arena.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football program added a 14th member to its 2018 Early Signing Class on Wednesday after one of the nation’s top junior college recruits, Jahmir Johnson, announced he will join the Vols next year. Johnson signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) last week during the Early Signing Period, but waited to announce his decision until he was with family during the holiday season.
UT will add several more Vols during the traditional National Signing Day on Feb. 7.
Johnson starred at Arizona Western College where he captured NJCAA First Team All-America honors in 2017. He was rated a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 2 junior college offensive tackle prospect.
A Philadelphia, Pa., native, Johnson started his career at Rhode Island, where he redshirted in 2016, before transferring and excelling at Arizona Western this past fall.
Johnson’s signing gives the Vols and head coach Jeremy Pruitt three junior college players as a part of the 2018 class. He joins Arizona Western teammate Dominick Wood-Anderson, the nation’s top JUCO tight end, and four-star linebacker prospect Jordan Allen of City College of San Francisco.
Overall, the 14-member Big Orange early signing class features eight members from the state of Tennessee, three Californians, one player from Pennsylvania, one player from Florida and one South Carolina native.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The 19th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are set to begin conference play this weekend, starting with a trip to face Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. and will be televised live on SEC Network and streamed online via WatchESPN.
Tennessee (9-2) garnered some attention with strong performances during its non-conference slate. With four wins over ‘Power Five’ opponents away from home (#18 Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest) and two narrow losses to top-5 teams (Villanova & North Carolina), the Vols proved they had taken the next step forward to becoming an NCAA Tournament team. Among the teams UT has played so far, the Boilermakers, Wildcats, Tar Heels and Lipscomb could all be considered as strong contenders to win their respective conferences.
So far, Grant Williams has paced the Volunteers on both ends of the floor, leading the team with 15.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Jordan Bowden continues to have the hot hand for UT, dropping 17 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from three vs. Wake Forest. He’s averaging 12.0 ppg and is shooting 62 percent from beyond the arc to lead the SEC.
Arkansas (10-2) has won its last five games and boast one of the best scoring teams in the country. The Razorbacks lead the SEC and rank ninth in the country in scoring offense at 90.0 ppg, which is spearheaded by five players averaging double-digit points every game. Senior guard Jaylen Barford, a Jackson, Tenn., native, leads the way with 18.6 ppg as well as 4.1 rpg and 3.4 apg.
After the matchup, the Vols return home to host Auburn (Jan. 2) and Kentucky (Jan. 6) in back-to-back home games at Thompson-Boling Arena.
THE SERIES
• Overall: Series tied, 19-19
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 11-4
• In Fayetteville: UA leads, 9-4
• Neutral Sites: UA leads, 6-4
• Current Streak: Arkansas has won five straight
• Last Meeting: UA won, 82-78, in the Knoxville, 1/3/17
• Rick Barnes vs. Arkansas: 3-4
• Rick Barnes vs. Mike Anderson: Anderson leads, 6-2
RIGHT NOW
• This is just the second time the Vols have opened SEC play vs. Arkansas. On Jan. 8, 2011, UT lost its league opener in Fayetteville, 68-65.
• Arkansas is unbeaten and averaging 95.0 points in its seven home games this season.
• UT was picked in the preseason to finish 13th in the SEC.
• The Vols are rated No. 7 in the NCAA and ESPN InsideRPI, with the nation’s 11th-rated SOS.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a 20-19 edge in their all-time series with the Razorbacks, dating to 1936
• Make the Vols 1-0 in SEC play for the fourth time in the last five years
• Give the Vols a 3-0 record in true road games this season
• Be Tennessee’s fifth victory away from home over a Power Five opponent this season
ABOUT ARKANSAS
• Tennessee opens conference play against head coach Mike Anderson’s streaking squad that’s won its last five contests and in front of a sold out crowd at Bud Walton Arena.
• Arkansas currently stands as the best offensive scoring team in the conference at 90.0 ppg, ranking ninth in the country. For the first time since their National Championship run in 1994, the Razorbacks have scored 90-plus points in eight of their first 12 games.
• Arkansas’ scoring is spearheaded by a lineup with five players averaging double figures, which makes them the only team in the SEC to achieve the feat.
• The Razorbacks are paced by senior guard Jaylen Barford, a Jackson, Tenn., native, who is posting 18.6 ppg along with 4.1 rpg and 3.4 apg. He’s joined by fellow senior guards Daryl Macon and Anton Beard, who averaging 15.3 and 12.1 ppg, respectively.
• Freshman Daniel Gafford has only started four games, but his presence has certainly been felt. The 6-11 forward is averaging 11.7 ppg on 66 percent (52-79) shooting to go along with 6.3 rpg and 1.9 bpg.
• The Razorbacks are rounded out by sophomore guard C. J. Jones, who comes off the bench for the deep Arkansas lineup to tally 10.5 ppg.
• Arkansas enters the matchup with Power Five wins over Colorado State, a ranked Minnesota team and a massive 92-83 victory vs. Oklahoma in the PK80 Invitational. During the tournament, the Razorbacks also downed UConn but fell to a familiar foe in North Carolina, 87-68. The only other blemish on their record came at the hands of Houston on the road.
LAST MEETING WITH ARKANSAS
• After trailing by seven with just more than three minutes left in the game, Tennessee rallied back within one at the :25 mark, but their comeback came up short and the Volunteers fell to the Razorbacks, 82-78, Jan. 3, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The Volunteers were led offensively by Robert Hubbs III, who posted 21 points, bouncing back from a six-point performance at Texas A&M that tied his season-low. Hubbs got off to a hot start against the Razorbacks, scoring eight of Tennessee’s first 13 points.
• Detrick Mostella was the second-highest scorer for the Vols with 16 points, eight of which came in the final 2:30 of the game.
• Freshman Grant Williams contributed on both sides of the court, posting his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• The first 12 minutes of the game saw seven lead changes. With 7:56 left in the first half, Tennessee went on a 14-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 39-26. Jaylen Barford broke Arkansas’ scoreless streak at the 2:32 mark, knocking down a 3-pointer and kicking off an 11-0 run that sent the Razorbacks into the half trailing by only two at 39-37.
• Arkansas opened the half by converting two Tennessee turnovers into four points and reclaiming the lead just 34 seconds into the half. The Razorbacks went on to score on eight of their first nine possessions, leading by as many as seven over the course of the second half.
• With 1:11 to go in the game, Jordan Bone sunk a layup to put the Volunteers within one at 73-72. Arkansas went on to convert two Tennessee fouls into three points before Mostella converted a 3-point play to put the Vols back within one at 76-75 with 25 seconds to play. Mostella nailed a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but the Razorbacks were able ride out the game at the free-throw line.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST ARKANSAS
• Bristol, Tennessee, native Bobby Hogsett scored eight points and added 10 rebounds as Tennessee won its first-ever game against Arkansas, 77-57, on Dec. 27, 1963, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
• In front of 21,237 Orange-clad fans, UT knocked off Nolan Richardson’s fifth-ranked Razorbacks 83-81 in Knoxville on Feb. 5, 1992. Lang Wiseman and Allan Houston both scored 26 points.
• The Vols upset No. 13 Arkansas in Fayetteville, 101-91, on Feb. 16, 1993, thanks to a double-double by LaMarcus Golden (22 points, 11 rebounds).
• Cleveland, Tenn., native JaJuan Smith dropped 32 points on the Hogs during a 93-71 win over Arkansas in Knoxville on Feb. 5, 2008.
• Jordan McRae powered Tennessee to an 81-74 win over Arkansas on Jan. 22, 2014, exploding for 34 points—including UT’s final 13—at Thompson-Boling Arena.
CONFERENCE LID-LIFTERS
• Saturday’s SEC lid-lifter at Arkansas marks just the seventh time the Vols have played an SEC game in the month of December.
• Last season, Tennessee opened league play with a road win at Texas A&M on Dec. 29, 2016.
• Prior to that, the Vols played December games against SEC opponents 1989 (win vs. Ole Miss), 1988 (win at Ole Miss, 1961 (loss at Kentucky), 1957 (win vs. LSU) and 1955 (win vs. Georgia). With the exception of the Ole Miss games in 1989 and 1988, each of those contests were officially non-conference games.
• The Volunteers have won 14 of their last 18 SEC openers. The losses came at Arkansas in 2011, vs. Kentucky in 2003, vs. Ole Miss in 2013 and at Auburn in 2016.
• Tennessee is 1-1 in SEC openers under Rick Barnes.
• During his 17-year head coaching tenure at Texas, Barnes was 13-4 in conference openers, including an 8-3 mark on the road.
VOLS SHINE IN PRE-CONFERENCE
• Tennessee owns its best record (by winning-percentage wise) entering SEC play since a 12-2 start to the 2009-10 season, a campaign in which the Vols advanced to the Elite Eight.
TENNESSEE GOES 3-1 IN ACC PLAY
• Tennessee went 3-1 during its four games against ACC opponents over a 30-day span during pre-conference action, with all three wins coming away from Knoxville. UT’s scoring margin in those four games was +7.5.
• The Vols defeated NC State, 67-58, in Atlantis. Tennessee then toppled Georgia Tech, 77-70, in Atlanta. UT fell at home to No. 7 UNC, 78-73, before routing Wake Forest, 79-60, in Winston-Salem.
• Additionally, Tennessee traveled to Clemson for a charity exhibition on Nov. 5. The Vols defeated the Tigers, 71-67.
STREAK BUSTERS
• Tennessee has snapped three opponent win streaks of four games are longer this season, including streaks of five and six games just last week.
• Furman had won five straight before falling in Knoxville last Wednesday, and Wake Forest had its six-game win streak snapped by the Vols last Saturday in Winston-Salem.
• Earlier in the season, Purdue had won four straight to open the year before UT halted that streak at the Battle for Atlantis on Nov. 22.
• Arkansas is currently riding a five-game win streak.
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