Hoops Preview: Vols at Battle 4 Atlantis vs. Purdue 1st

Hoops Preview: Vols at Battle 4 Atlantis vs. Purdue 1st

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — The Tennessee basketball program heads to the Bahamas to face No. 18 Purdue in the opening game of the 2017 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. The game will be televised live from Imperial Arena on ESPN2 and streamed online via WatchESPN.

Tennessee (2-0) is making its second appearance all-time at the Battle 4 Atlantis, owning a 2-1 record at the event. The Vols placed fifth in 2013 after falling to UTEP in the first round and bouncing back with wins over Xavier and Wake Forest.

At tipoff the Vols will be eight days removed from their last action, a 84-53 victory over High Point in Knoxville last Tuesday. Jordan Bone and Lamonte Turner each scored 16 points, and James Daniel III tallied a career-high 10 assists off the bench. He became the first Vol to record 10 assists in nearly six years – since Trae Golden had 11 versus ULM on Nov. 16, 2011. In the first half, the Vols held the Panthers to just 13 points – the fewest points allowed in an opening half since Dec. 18, 2012 – when Tennessee held Presbyterian to 13 points.

Purdue (4-0) also heads to Atlantis off a win, including a 106-64 romp over Fairfield on Saturday in which it buried a program-record 19 3-pointers. The 18th-ranked Boilermakers boast a scoring average of 102.0 points per game through the first four games of the season.

THE SERIES
• Overall: Purdue leads, 2-1
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 1-0
• In West Lafayette: Purdue leads, 1-0
• Neutral Sites: Purdue leads, 1-0
• Current Streak: Purdue has won two straight
• Last Meeting: Purdue won, 73-72, on Nov. 23, 2009, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Rick Barnes vs. Purdue: 1-1
• Rick Barnes vs. Matt Painter: No meetings

A WIN WOULD…
• Give Tennessee its first 3-0 start since the 2010-11 season
• Even UT’s all-time series with Purdue at 2-2, dating to 1980
• Stand as Tennessee’s fourth win under coach Rick Barnes over an opponent ranked in the AP top 25
• Give the Vols a 23-34 all-time record against current members of the Big Ten Conference

TENNESSEE RETURNS TO BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
• Tennessee is making its second appearance at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The 2017 field includes the Vols, Arizona, NC State, Northern Iowa, Purdue, SMU, Villanova and Western Kentucky. The Vols open against Purdue on Wednesday.
• The Battle 4 Atlantis takes place at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas. All games are played on the resort property in Imperial Arena.
• In Atlantis in 2013, Tennessee dropped its opening game to UTEP before bouncing back to defeat Xavier and Wake Forest.

UT’s HISTORY vs. ATLANTIS FIELD
• Tennessee owns a 10-12 (.455) combined record vs. the seven other programs in the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis field.
Opponent                   Series                                   Last Meeting
Arizona                  UT leads, 3-1                 UA won, 73-72 (12/13/98)
NC State             NCSU leads, 7-3            NCSU won, 83-72 (12/17/14)
Northern Iowa       No meetings                                  N/A
Purdue                  PU leads, 2-1                 PU won, 73-72 (11/23/09)
SMU                      No meetings                                    N/A
Villanova               VU leads, 2-1                 UT won, 78-68 (11/26/11)
Western Ky.          UT leads, 2-0                  UT won, 88-82 (12/15/07)

ABOUT PURDUE
• Purdue, ranked 18th and 16th in the AP and coaches polls, respectively, is off to a 4-0 start this season.
• Head coach Matt Painter is in his 13th season with the Boilermakers. He led Purdue to a 27-8 (14-4 Big Ten) record last season, as the squad advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
• Purdue returns a trio of senior All-Big Ten performers. Forward Vincent Edwards earned third-team All-Big Ten honors last season after averaging 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
• Guard Dakota Mathias had a breakout junior season, starting all 35 games and averaging 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He also shot 45.3 percent from behind the arc (72-of-159), ranking second in the Big Ten last season. The Big Ten Defensive Team honoree is joined by 7-2 center Isaac Haas, who averaged 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. He shot 58.7 percent from the field last season.
• The Boilermakers are already in mid-season form heading into the Battle 4 Atlantis, as they represented the United States in the World University Games in August. During the tournament, Purdue went 7-1, falling in the championship game to Lithuania and securing America’s second-best finish in the games since 2005.

PURDUE CONNECTIONS
• Vols newcomer Chris Darrington, a native of Toledo, Ohio, was a juco All-American at Vincennes University in Indiana last season. He was never recruited by Purdue.
• UT true freshman Derrick Walker Jr. played two years with Purdue redshirt freshman Matt Haarms at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas.

THE LAST TIME vs. PURDUE (FROM AP RECAP)
• Purdue coach Matt Painter said he thought the team with the ball last would win the game. Technically, he was right: Kelsey Barlow of the sixth-ranked Boilermakers chased down Wayne Chism’s miss from the top of the key with two seconds left to secure a 73-72 victory over No. 9 Tennessee on Nov. 23, 2009, in the title game of the Paradise Jam.
• Barlow missed two free throws with 17.6 seconds remaining to give the Volunteers an opportunity to set up the possible game-winning shot. UT point guard Bobby Maze, who had 13 points, looked to penetrate. Painter had anticipated as much, and Purdue turned Maze away, forcing a kick-out pass to Chism at the top of the key, beyond the 3-point arc.
• The 6-foot-9 Chism scored 24 points, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field and going 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
• The Boilermakers led, 42-41, after a tightly contested first half and appeared to take charge just past the midway point of the second half.
• E’Twaun Moore, who scored 22 points and was named the tournament MVP, had a steal and layup that gave Purdue a 59-58 lead with 9:06 remaining. He capped the 8-0 run with a jumper that put Purdue up 64-59 with 6:16 left.
• Robbie Hummel scored 20 points for the Boilermakers, and JaJuan Johnson added 11 despite playing 18 minutes before fouling out.
• Joining Moore on the all-tournament team were Hummel, Chism, Tyler Smith of Tennessee, DePaul’s Will Walker and Northern Iowa’s Kwadzo Ahelegbe.

PREVIEWING VILLANOVA
• Founded in 1842 and located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, Villanova University is a member of the Big East Conference.
• Coach Jay Wright is in his 17th season with the Wildcats and his 24th season as a head coach.
• With hopes of capturing a second-consecutive national championship, Villanova posted a 32-4 record last year and won the Big East Championship  to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling in the second round to Wisconsin.
• This season, the Wildcats are charged with replacing the production of a senior trio (Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds) that led the program to its winningest era in school history (129-17).
• Junior guard Jalen Brunson (14.7 ppg, 4.1 apg, 54 FG%) is the team’s leading returning scorer from last season. He is joined by redshirt junior guard/forward Mikal Bridges (9.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg), who is one of the major offensive threats for the Wildcats.
• The Vols and Villanova have met just three times previously, with VU owning a 2-1 edge. In the last matchup between the two schools, Tennessee claimed the series’ only neutral-site clash, taking a 78-68 victory over the 7th-ranked Wildcats in the championship game of the 2011 NIT Season Tip-Off in Madison Square Garden.
• Vols head coach Rick Barnes owns a 33-37 record against current Big East teams and is 9-7 against Villanova, with the majority of those contests coming when Barnes coached at Providence.

PREVIEWING WESTERN KENTUCKY
• Founded in 1906 and located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Western Kentucky University is a member of Conference USA.
• Head Coach Rick Stansbury is in his second year with the Hilltoppers. The Vols are a familiar foe for Stansbury, who coached at Mississippi State for 14 seasons.
• The Hilltoppers’ lost four of their five starters from last season and only have one returning player who logged minutes.
• Graduate transfer Darius Thompson spent his freshmen year with the Vols in 2013-14. He led the team in steals (36), played in all 37 games and was a contributor in UT’s Sweet Sixteen run under then-head coach Cuonzo Martin (now at Missouri).
• The Vols and Western Kentucky have met just two times previously, with UT owning a 2-0 advantage.
• Vols head coach Rick Barnes owns a .957 career record against Conference USA teams (22-1) and is a perfect 2-0 against the Hilltoppers.

FIRST-HALF DEFENSE STIFLING
• Through their first two games, the Volunteers have held opponents to an average 13.5 points during the first half. Those opponents have averaged 12.0 first-half turnovers while shooting just .234 from the field (11-of-47).
• Tennessee’s average lead at halftime this season is 35.5 points.

UT RIDING FIRST-HALF SCORING RUNS
• Tennessee has put together scoring runs exceeding 25 points in each of its first two games, effectively putting each contest out of reach before halftime.
• In the opener vs. Presbyterian, the Vols went on a 26-0 run to lead 46-14 at the half.
• And last Tuesday against High Point, Tennessee authored a 32-0 run spanning 11 minutes to take a 52-13 lead into the break.

-UT Athletics

 

Justin Moore Talks New Son, New Single, New Tour & Upcoming Album, Which Will Be His Most Traditional Sounding  Yet

Justin Moore Talks New Son, New Single, New Tour & Upcoming Album, Which Will Be His Most Traditional Sounding Yet

Jim Casey talks with Justin Moore about:

  • having his first son, Thomas South Moore, in June
  • why Thomas prefers mom over dad right now
  • how Thomas’ three older sisters like the new addition to the family
  • scoring his seventh No. 1 single, “Somebody Else Will,” in August
  • releasing the title track from his 2016 album, Kinda Don’t Care
  • getting outside his comfort zone when creating Kinda Don’t Care
  • working on his upcoming fifth studio album, which he says will be his most traditional sounding album yet
  • writing songs for his upcoming album
  • kicking off his Hell on a Highway Tour, with opener Dylan Scott
  • balancing family life with life on the road

Quote Worthy:

  • “[My son] is good, but I don’t think he likes me. I like him.”

Participants:

  • Justin Moore
  • Jim Casey, NCD editor in chief

“People” Magazine’s Sexiest Man Blake Shelton Says “There Is Nobody Talking George Strait Into Doing a Photo Shoot”

“People” Magazine’s Sexiest Man Blake Shelton Says “There Is Nobody Talking George Strait Into Doing a Photo Shoot”

When Blake Shelton was bestowed People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” title, he knew a bad mood was looming.

As far as Blake is concerned, photo shoots are the worst part of his “job.” But as the Oklahoma crooner told Kix Brooks on American Country Countdown, he can be talked into it, unlike the King of Country, George Strait.

“Photo sessions, without question, are the [worst thing I have to do],” says Blake. “In fact, I did a magazine [shoot]—it’s been like three years ago now—and it was Men’s Journal. And it was a photo shoot and interview, and they did great, they didn’t do anything wrong, but that’s when it hit me, ‘I absolutely don’t care . . . I am not doing them anymore.’ And, I’ll be damned if they didn’t talk me into doing one about three weeks ago again.

“I’m in a bad mood the days I wake up and know there’s a photo shoot for an album or anything or for The Voice promo . . . it’s a waste of a day. To me, you outta be able to get away with a picture once every 10 years. George Strait—you can’t tell me George Strait doesn’t use the same pictures from album shoots since 1989. There is nobody talking George Strait into doing a photo shoot.”

Watch Blake and Kix talk about photo shoots, George Strait and much more.

Garth Brooks Is Entertaining Even When “Ellen” Fails to Scare Him [Watch]

Garth Brooks Is Entertaining Even When “Ellen” Fails to Scare Him [Watch]

Garth Brooks stopped by Ellen on Nov. 20 to chat with the hostess about a number of topics, including his recent CMA Entertainer of the Year win, lip-syncing at the CMA Awards, his new anthology and touring.

Ellen also tried to give Garth one of her personalized “scares,” but the G-man is so damn focused on entertaining that he refused to be affected by the attempt.

Watch Garth and Ellen in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzJFrC2Te90

photo by Jason Simanek

Everything a Country Fan Needs to Know About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Including Performers, Times & Channels

Everything a Country Fan Needs to Know About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Including Performers, Times & Channels

From times and channels to performers and floats, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 91st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Date:

  • Nov. 23

Channels:

  • NBC
  • CBS

Times:

  • 9 a.m. to noon (all time zones) on NBC
  • 9 a.m. to noon ET on CBS
  • 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT on CBS
  • 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. MT on CBS
  • 9 a.m. to noon PT (delayed) on CBS

Stream Online:

Hosts:

  • NBC—Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker
  • CBS—Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight

Country Performers:

  • Lauren Alaina: Green Giant Float
  • Dustin Lynch: KFC Floats
  • Cam: Domino Sugar Float
  • Sara Evans: Entenmann’s Float
  • Kelsea Ballerini will be the featured performer on CBS

Other Performers:

  • 98 Degrees
  • Sabrina Carpenter
  • Andra Day & Common
  • Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
  • Flo Rida
  • Goo Goo Dolls
  • Kat Graham
  • Andy Grammer
  • Angelica Hale
  • Olivia Holt
  • Nicky Jam
  • Wyclef Jean
  • Padma Lakshmi & Tom Colicchio of Top Chef
  • Miss America 2018 Cara Mund
  • Leslie Odom Jr. (performing with the cast of Sesame Street)
  • Bebe Rexha
  • Smokey Robinson
  • Jojo Siwa

photo by Jason Simanek

#12/18 Tennessee Lady Vols Stave Off Shockers 68-56

#12/18 Tennessee Lady Vols Stave Off Shockers 68-56

Rennia Davis – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Freshman Rennia Davis recorded the first double-double of her college career to lead No. 12/18 Tennessee to a 68-56 victory over Wichita State on Monday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Davis, a member of the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, finished with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds as the Lady Vols (3-0, 0-0 SEC) pulled away in the second half. UT held the Shockers (0-4, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) to 36 percent shooting for the game.

After trailing by four at the end of the first quarter, Tennessee used a 12-0 run over the next six minutes to build an eight-point lead. Wichita State fought its way back in the final stages of the half, cutting the UT advantage to 29-28 going into the break. Jeliah Preston boosted the Shockers with nine first-half points.

Mercedes Russell recorded 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting to lead Tennessee offensively in the first half. With her 1,336th career point, the senior center moved past Lisa Harrison for 32nd place on the Lady Vols’ all-time scoring list. Russell finished with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds.

Tennessee went on an 11-0 run in the third quarter, highlighted by two Davis baskets in 10 seconds, to put the Lady Vols ahead by double digits. UT’s defense remained aggressive as Wichita State was only able to hit three shots during the quarter. Led by the frontcourt duo of Russell and Davis, the Lady Vols dominated the inside, recording 38 points in the paint.

Jaime Nared added nine points and nine rebounds, including her 500th board in the orange and white midway through the first quarter. Tennessee’s guard play was strong all night, as Meme Jackson posted a career-high four steals and Evina Westbrook dished out a game-high six assists. Anastasia Hayesnetted 12 points, including eight free throws, in 27 minutes of play.

Diamond Lockhart led Wichita State with 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Angiee Tompkins added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Up Next: Tennessee heads to Cancun, Mexico, where it will face off against #20/19 Marquette Thursday in the first of three games at the Cancun Challenge. The game is set to start at 6:30 p.m. ET and is available for viewing on CBS College Sports Live.

Freshmen Finding Their Rhythm: Lady Vol freshmen Rennia DavisEvina Westbrook and Anastasia Hayes combined for 36 of Tennessee’s 68 points while also adding 11 assists and five steals. The group averaged 34 minutes of action and committed only one foul each.

Davis Double-Double: In her third career start Rennia Davis posted her first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

A Quick Bunch: Tennessee has had 11 or more steals in all three games this season. Last season they only managed 11+ steals on two occasions.

-UT Athletics

 

Vol Report: Senior Week Begins

Vol Report: Senior Week Begins

Brady Hoke – Vols Interim HC / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football interim head coach Brady Hoke and student-athletes spoke to reporters on Monday in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.

At the start of the Tennessee football noon press conference, Hoke expressed his appreciation for the strong fan turnout for Saturday’s game against LSU despite rainy and windy conditions.

“I really want, on behalf of our football team and our staff, to thank those people and our fans that were at the game on Saturday night,” Hoke said. “From the Vol Walk to the energy they had for our football team, it really got our kids pumped up and it was really great to see. For those who weathered the weather, we give them a lot of credit. It was really a great turnout and we can’t thank the Volunteer fans enough for the enthusiasm and the passion they have.”

Tennessee-Vanderbilt Rivalry

The Vols (4-7, 0-7 SEC) will close out their 2017 home schedule on Saturdayagainst Vanderbilt (4-7, 0-7 SEC). The game will feature a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.

While the 2017 season has not gone the way either team has wanted it to, Hoke expects the intensity of this in-state SEC rivalry to be as high as it always has been.

“If you look at it and you are truly a competitor, you have another chance,” Hoke said of his team’s approach to this week’s game. “For some of the guys, it will be their last organized football game that they are going to play and the last game they are going to play at the college level. When those opportunities start to shrink down, I think they will be awfully competitive. I think this team will go out there and have a great week of practice and go out on Saturday and play for Tennessee and our seniors.”

Senior tight end Ethan Wolf, who ranks third on UT’s all-time tight end receiving list with 958 career yards, echoed those sentiments and said that motivation won’t be a problem for the Vols due to the tradition of the rivalry and the senior send-off.

“There is definitely going to be some fire,” Wolf said. “We are all competitors. We don’t want to lose, no matter who we are playing. We are going to come out and play as hard as we possibly can and try and end this season with a victory.”

Senior Reflect On Their Time On Rocky Top

Saturday will be Senior Day as 22 Vol seniors will make their final appearance in Neyland Stadium. On Monday, some of the seniors were asked to share some of their favorite memories from their Tennessee careers.

Senior defensive back Emmanuel Moseley said that VFL and current Pittsburgh Steeler Cameron Sutton was a mentor for him and he has tried to pass along some of the lessons he has learned to the younger defensive backs. As for his favorite memory, Moseley said that nothing tops Tennessee’s 38-28 comeback win over Florida in 2016.

“It was a great memory, just being around the team, seeing how happy everyone was,” Moseley said. “The fans were happy. It was just a good vibe.”

Redshirt senior defensive lineman Kendal Vickers said that he does not have one particular favorite memory. For Vickers, who has a team-high 37-game starting streak, the best moments are the ones he spends with his teammates.

“I just try to enjoy every day I’m with the guys in the locker room because I try not to take it for granted,” Vickers said. “This isn’t promised and it’s coming to an end, so I just try to value every moment I have with the guys from my freshman year to my fifth year. I can say that I have been doing that.”

-UT Athletics

 

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