Up-and-coming trio MC3—comprised of siblings Lauren, 22, Kathryn, 19, and Robert, 13, McMillan—released a mash-up of their 25 favorite country songs from 2017.
The sheer number of songs the trio covers in under four minutes is pretty impressive, including tunes from Jon Pardi (“Heartache on the Dance Floor”), Old Dominion (“No Such Thing as a Broken Heart”), Little Big Town (“Better Man”), Miranda Lambert (“Tin Man”), Dan + Shay (“How Not To”), Kelsea Ballerini (“Yeah Boy”), Darius Rucker (“If I Told You”), Keith Urban (“The Fighter”), Zac Brown Band (“My Old Man”), Luke Combs (“Hurricane”), Midland (“Drinkin’ Problem”) and more.
Brett Eldredge announced he will embark on his first major headlining tour—dubbed The Long Way Tour—in 2018.
The 11-date tour will kick off on April 5 in Garden City, Idaho, and make stops in Louisville, Kansas City, Boston and more before capping in New York City on May 5.
“I have been very fortunate to be on some massive tours in my career, but my first major solo headlining tour is something I have wanted to give to my fans for a long time,” said Brett. “I cannot wait!”
Devin Dawson and Jillian Jacqueline will serve as openers on various dates. Tickets go on sale beginning Dec. 8.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After playing three games in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, the Tennessee men’s hoops team returns home to face Mercer for a 7 p.m. ET tip on Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The matchup is available with an online broadcast through SEC Network + (WatchESPN). Visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app to view the game on a computer or mobile device. Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Vincent Yarbrough (analyst) are on the call for Tuesday’s matchup.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to catch Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online through AllVols.com.
The Volunteers are coming off a 2-1 performance in the Bahamas, with wins over then 18th-ranked Purdue and NC State. UT fell short in a battle with No. 5 Villanova that came down to the final moments of the game before the Wildcats pulled away. During the tournament, forward Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander stepped up big time, combining to average 27.0 ppg, 17.6 rpg and 3.7 bpg.
After Wednesday’s contest, Tennessee heads to Atlanta to face its second ACC foe of the season in Georgia Tech in a 6 p.m. tip on Dec. 3. That game will be televised on ESPNU and will be available online through WatchESPN. After that, the Vols return home for three games beginning with Lipscomb on Saturday, Dec. 9.
THE SERIES
• Overall: Mercer leads, 4-3
• In Knoxville: Series tied, 2-2
• In Macon: Mercer leads, 2-0
• Neutral Sites: UT leads, 1-0
• Current Streak: Tennessee has won two straight
• Last Meeting: Tennessee won, 64-54, on Dec. 22, 2014
• Rick Barnes vs. Mercer: 2-0
• Rick Barnes vs. Bob Hoffman: 1-0
RIGHT NOW
• Tennessee is in the midst of a 30-day span during which it will play four ACC opponents. The Vols are 1-0 vs. ACC teams so far.
• Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks ninth in the country in offensive rebounding (15.4) behind Kyle Alexander‘s league-best average of 4.4 orpg.
• The Volunteers also lead the SEC in steals with 8.6 spg.
A WIN WOULD…
• Extend Tennessee’s home winning streak against non-conference opponents to nine games. That streak dates to last season’s win over Appalachian State on Nov. 15, 2016.
• Even the Vols’ all-time series with Mercer at 4-4
ABOUT MERCER
• Head Coach Bob Hoffman is in his 10th year with the Bears, who are members of the Southern Conference.
• Led by a young core last season, the Bears return more than 94 percent of their scoring in 2017-18. Leading the way is senior guard Ria’n Holland, a second team all-conference selection who averaged a team-high 17.2 ppg last season. Flanking Holland are fellow seniors Jordan Strawberry (12.2 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Demetre Rivers (11.2 ppg, .475 FG%).
• So far, the trio sits amongst the team’s top-four scorers. When Holland has the ball in his hands, he poses a threat to score from anywhere on the floor. He is shooting 55 percent (36-65) from the field, 57 percent (21-37) from beyond the arc and a near-perfect 97 percent (28-29) from the charity stripe.
• Rivers is the second-leading scorer on the team, averaging 10.3 ppg on 53-percent (24-45) shooting. Strawberry has stepped up as a versatile player for the Bears, posting 8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 4.6 apg to go along with a 3.2 assist/turnover ratio.
• Forwards Stephon Jelks and Desmond Ringer round out Mercer’s starting five. Jelks is averaging 8.7 ppg and a team-leading 7.4 rpg. Ringer, who stands at 6-9, is tallying 7.0 ppg and uses his frame to get to the free throw line where he’s shooting 81 percent (13-16).
• The Vols and Bears are set to meet for the fourth time in the last five seasons with UT looking to grab its third-consecutive win in a series that dates to 1913. Overall, MU holds a 4-3 edge over in the series.
• Mercer had made five consecutive postseason appearances—including a victory over Tennessee in the 2013 NIT and a famous upset victory over Duke in the 2014 NCAA Tournament—prior to last season’s 15-17 mark and a loss to ETSU in the first round of the SoCon Tournament. The Volunteers defeated the Bears in the second round of the 2014 tournament as part of UT’s Sweet Sixteen run.
THE LAST TIME vs. MERCER
• In a rematch of a 2014 NCAA Tournament meeting, Tennessee once again came out on top against Mercer, defeating the Bears, 64-54, on Dec. 22, 2014, in Knoxville. This time the Vols rode their stout defense and sharp-shooting from newcomer Devon Baulkman to the victory.
• Baulkman had his best game as a Vol with 22 points, making 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He also corralled six rebounds and had two steals and a key block in the second half.
• Tennessee senior Josh Richardson tallied 11 points, handed out six assists and also had three steals.
• Mercer was led by Ike Nwamu, who tallied a game-high and career-high 30 points including 6-of-11 from 3-point range and 9-of-18 from the floor.
• Tennessee took control of the game with a 19-2 run to end the first half as Mercer missed its final 10 field goal attempts of the half. The Vols led, 27-15, at intermission.
• Down by 14 early in the second half, Mercer charged back thanks to strong 3-point shooting by Nwamu. His sixth trey of the game brought the Bears within five at 43-38 with 10 minutes left in the game. The game got as close as four in the second half.
• But, Baulkman took over on both ends of the floor to regain a double-figure lead for the Vols at 49-39 with seven minutes left. He knocked down a 3-pointer, then stole the ball and finished off the play with a layup. Another Baulkman layup with 5:33 left pushed the lead to 51-40. Tennessee led by double-figures for the rest of the way.
TENNESSEE’S NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE RIPE WITH OPPORTUNITIES
• A cursory glance at UT’s non-conference schedule reveals a handful of “Power Five” opponents—Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Wake Forest and Iowa State—that stand as potential RPI boosters. But dig a little deeper and one discovers additional opportunities for resumé-building wins outside of SEC play.
• Two other Tennessee foes appear in the Nov. 13 update of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, with Mercer and Furman landing at Nos. 16 and 21, respectively.
• This article from HeatCheckcbb.com outlines why, based on their schedule, the Vols have more opportunities to log resumé-boosting wins than any other team in the country.
PAIR OF JORDANS HOT FROM 3FG
• Tennessee sophomores Jordan Bone (6-of-10) and Jordan Bowden (10-of-18) are combining to shoot .571 from 3-point range through five games this season.
• As a team, the Vols are shooting .408 from long range, which ranks fifth in the SEC.
VULTURE VOLS LOOKING FOR SCRAPS
• Tennessee is +57 in points-off-turnovers this season and has logged at least 20 points off turnovers in four of five games.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee junior defensive lineman Kyle Phillips has been named to the 2017 SEC Football Community Service Team, as announced by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday.
The SEC names a Community Service Team for each of its 21-league sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community through superior service efforts.
The other 13 members of the 2017 SEC Football Community Service Team are Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama), Frank Ragnow (Arkansas), Daniel Carlson (Auburn), Johnny Townsend (Florida), Aaron Davis (Georgia), Jacob Hyde (Kentucky), John David Moore (LSU), Javon Patterson (Ole Miss), Gabe Myles (Mississippi State), Anthony Hines (Missouri), Spencer Eason-Riddle (South Carolina), Koda Martin (Texas A&M) and Tommy Openshaw (Vanderbilt).
This past summer, Phillips took part in the VOLeaders Academy’s 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam where he and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation’s culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change. On the trip, Phillips interacted with Vietnamese youth, worked with children in orphanages and volunteered at various sport skill camps. Phillips was nominated by his coaches to take part in the VOLeaders Academy.
In October, Phillips was accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the premiere National Leadership Honor Society that recognizes achievement of men and women in the areas of scholarship, athletics, community service/student leadership, journalism/student media and creative/performing arts. Only juniors and seniors with exceptional achievement who rise to the top 35 percent of their classes are eligible to be inducted into ODK.
Additionally, the Nashville native is a Vol Scholar (minimum GPA of 3.0) and a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He is majoring in Recreation and Sport Management and owns a 3.34 GPA.
On the field, he was an integral part of the Vols’ defensive line rotation in 2017, appearing in all 12 games and making five starts. He totaled 35 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season. Over his three-year UT career, Phillips has played in 29 games and amassed 58 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four passes defended.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee women’s basketball first-year performer Rennia Davis has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Davis, a 6-foot-2 forward from Jacksonville, Fla., averaged 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in three games, as #12/14 Tennessee rolled to a 3-0 record at the Cancun Challenge.
The Ribault High School graduate shot 55 percent from the field and started all three games for the Lady Vols, who now stand 6-0 on the year for the first time since 2013-14. Davis has scored in double figures in five of six games and has posted double-doubles three times (consecutively).
Davis came up huge in the victory over #20/20 Marquette last Thursday, connecting on 7-of-13 shots to tally 14 points and 10 rebounds in the OT win. She then shot 50 percent from the field vs. Oklahoma State on Friday, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
In the finale vs. South Dakota on Saturday, Davis went 5-of-8 from the field, 1-of-1 on three-pointers and 1-of-1 on charity tosses for 12 points. She added five boards, three assists, a block and a steal and was UT’s co-leader in points and assists.
For the season, the rookie is third in scoring (12.7) and rebounding (8.5) for Tennessee and paces the squad in steals with nine. She is second among SEC rookies in scoring, rebounding and minutes played.
Davis and the Lady Vols return to action Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, as Central Arkansas comes to Thompson-Boling Arena to begin a four-game string of contests at home.
After more than 20 years of marriage, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill finally teamed up for a collaborative album, The Rest of Our Life, which dropped on Nov. 17.
According to first-week sales numbers, the duets album was worth the wait for a lot of fans.
The Rest of Our Life debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, selling 104,000 equivalent albums in its first week, according to Nielsen Music. The album also reached No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
The 11-song offering features tunes penned by a number of well-known songwriters, including Lori McKenna, Jesse Frasure, Ed Sheeran, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Brett Beavers and more.
The album’s lead single, “Speak to a Girl,” peaked at No. 19 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and earned a CMA nomination for Musical Event of the Year. The album’s title track was released as a single on Oct. 6 and currently occupies the No. 37 spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
Garth Brooks’ CD/book, The Anthology: Part 1, The First Five Years, debuted with 53,000 albums sold, which was good enough for No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
Tennessee’s Memorandum of Understanding with candidate Greg Schiano was signed Sunday by Schiano and UT athletic director John Currie, sources confirmed.
It was not signed by Chancellor Beverly Davenport and UT president Dr. Joe DiPietro, sources said.
Whether that makes the MOU invalid remains to be seen.
And whether UT will have to pay Schiano some sum of money is undetermined.
According to a source, the offer to Schiano: 6 years, about $4.5 million per year.
Schiano has been defensive coordinator at Ohio State for the past two years. He was head coach at Rutgers for 11 years and head coach of Tampa Bay Bucs for two seasons.
Schiano was hired by Currie Sunday, but a huge backlash from fans, media, UT legislators and businessmen led UT officials to part ways with Schiano over concerns that he witnessed former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky molest a young boy and failed to report it to the proper authorities.
There has never been any proof Schiano witnessed any such incident. Schiano denied it. So did former Penn State coach Tom Bradley, who was on the staff with Schiano and Sandusky.
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
With Duke coach David Cutcliffe and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell out of the picture, Tennessee has turned its coaching search focus to Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
Three sources told me UT has interviewed Gundy, perhaps in Dallas. UT offered Gundy in 2012 but he declined.
Many felt Gundy used the 2012 offer to leverage Oklahoma State – where he played quarterback – and to gain more power in a struggle with key booster T. Boone Pickens.
Is Gundy doing that again this time? Or is he seriously interested in coming to Knoxville?
Other potential candidates: SMU coach Chad Morris, Auburn DC Kevin Steele, Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt, Clemson DC Brent Venables, Memphis coach Mike Norvell, Purdue coach Jeff Brohm. Pruitt and Venables have interviewed at Mississippi State.
If Gundy says no, I think the top three candidates are Morris, Steele and Pruitt.
I like Norvell, but for whatever reason, he has fallen down the UT list by the decision makers, I’m told
Another name that has cropped up: Kevin Sumlin, who was fired by Texas A&M.
Former Texas and North Carolina coach Mack Brown had his name floated by CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel, but it doesn’t appear as though Brown is in the picture.
Meanwhile, sources have told me former UT coach Phillip Fulmer wasn’t very involved in the coaching search initially that reached an agreement with Greg Schiano before it was nixed.
I’m told Fulmer will be more involved in the second search.
Riding high from the momentum of their current No. 1 single, “Greatest Love Story,” Lanco announced the Jan. 19 release of their debut album, Hallelujah Nights.
The Southern five-piece band—which consists of Brandon Lancaster, Chandler Baldwin, Jared Hampton, Tripp Howell and Eric Steedly—shared a four-song video trailer for the album via YouTube.
Every tune on the 11-song offering was penned or co-penned by Lanco frontman Brandon Lancaster.
“We all go through more of the same experiences than we realize and songwriting is a process of observing those moments,” said Brandon. “Our stories have different people, different names, different places, but they all have the same emotions attached to them. It’s not fantasy related. To me, this album is about glorifying the reality of life.”
Hallelujah Nights Track List & Songwriters
“Born to Love You” (Brandon Lancaster/Ross Copperman/Ashley Gorley/Josh Osborne)
“Long Live Tonight” (Brandon Lancaster/Jason Reeves)
“Pick You Up” (Brandon Lancaster/Jeremy Spillman/Ben West)
The Long Way Tour
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee junior defensive lineman 
The Rest of Our Life debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, selling 104,000 equivalent albums in its first week, according to Nielsen Music. The album also reached No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Hallelujah Nights Track List & Songwriters
