Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) Two people have pled guilty in the 2023 death of a Jefferson County 2-month-old.
According to court records, Chelsea Marsh and Nicholas Lay both pled guilty to aggravated child neglect and abuse and drug charges in connection to the death of a 2-month-old boy in October of last year.
The pair were charged after firefighters responded to a home on Lowery Loop Road in New Market to find a baby not breathing. Despite resuscitative efforts from firefighters and EMS, the infant boy was pronounced dead at Jefferson Memorial Hospital.
Marsh and Lay were each sentenced to two years in prison, which can be suspended to supervised probation after serving six months behind bars.
TDOT says they will take place through Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. between Woodson Drive and Cherokee Trail and will take place in short intervals (about 20 minutes each) and will be spaced out to allow traffic to return to normal flow between operations.
Also, crews will be conducting flagging operations on the ramp from northbound Alcoa Highway at the traffic signal at Cherokee Trail and on Cherokee Trail at Medical Center Way during this same time frame.
Another change on Alcoa Highway will have an impact on traffic.
Beginning tonight (Monday) night, if you’re driving south on Alcoa Highway, you will be shifted onto a new alignment just before the John Sevier Highway.
This traffic shift will alter the location of the exit ramp from southbound Alcoa Highway to John Sevier Highway as well as the entrance ramp from John Sevier Highway to southbound Alcoa Highway.
Southbound motorists will be shifted back onto its current alignment near Topside Road. This traffic shift will not those traveling north.
Dolly Parton and Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton welcomed guests and media to great fanfare during the opening ceremonies for the 39th season at Dollywood, her world-renowned Smoky Mountain theme park. Dolly shared an update on her busy winter, a look ahead to Dollywood’s 2024 season, and introduced some of the new entertainment guests can see during the year—including a “duet” with Naughton during a preview of the new “Sing-a-long with Dolly” show.
Opening week already has been special for the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, park. On Wednesday, Southern Living named Dollywood one of the South’s Best Attractions as part of its 2024 The South’s Best awards, with the article headline proclaiming “Why Dollywood is Better than Any Other Theme Park.”
The I Will Always Love You Music Festival (now- April 14) features three new shows celebrating Dolly’s career. Her remarkable story is told in “From the Heart—The Life & Music of Dolly Parton.” The new show takes place in Celebrity Theater and will run through the Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health (April 19-June 9).
For those who cannot contain their love of Dolly, “Sing-a-long with Dolly” invites guests (and park presidents) to belt out the lyrics to some of her most-loved songs. This fun and interactive new show takes place at the Back Porch Theater. Finally, “Trio, Again featuring Three Times A Lady” honors the “Trio” albums released by Dolly, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. The Three Times A Lady trio, made up of singer/songwriters Lauren Mascitti, Kenney Scott and Hannah Blaylock, presents this timeless show for Dollywood guests at the Showstreet Palace Theater.
In addition to the new shows, Dollywood has invested $1 million in technology upgrades to various theaters and show venues across the park. Also, every stage throughout the park will feature shows during every season of the year.
“I’m so excited for everything we have in store for our guests in 2024,” Dolly said. “We’re investing a lot of time and money into our entertainment this year, and I think the work we’ve put into these shows really is going to be noticed. One of those new shows is ‘From the Heart.’ It is a Broadway-style production about my music and my life, and John Dietrich (co-writer/director) and I can’t wait to hear what guests think about it. We also have ‘Trio, Again featuring Three Times A Lady’ to celebrate the Trio albums I did with my good friends Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Those were such fun albums to make so I’m glad we are going to have a show to remember those.
“And you know, the last show might be my favorite. I always hear people everywhere I go singing my songs, so we thought it would be good to give folks a place to come and do it with their friends. We’re doing a show called ‘Sing-a-long with Dolly’ so guests can come to the park and sing along to my songs as loudly as they want. I’m sure it will be a joyful noise! But if Eugene is leading the singing, it might just be noise,” she added with a laugh.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts plans another large year following a massive 2023 season. Last year, the park added Big Bear Mountain—subsequently named the Best New Family Coaster in the world—and expanded the company’s lodging properties with the October opening of Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort, now named one of National Geographic’s “Hotels We Love in 2024.”
Not resting on its laurels, The Dollywood Company debuts the multi-faceted Dolly Parton Experience in May alongside several new guest-friendly amenities and an operating calendar that includes another 23 operational days—or 357 operating hours—for the 2024 season! With the addition, Dollywood theme park’s calendar grows to 281 operational days for 2024, this after an additional 21 operating days were added to the 2023 calendar in comparison to the 2022 season.
The Dolly Parton Experience, which opens May 24, features a number of interactive elements to make guests feel as if they were alongside Dolly as she journeyed from Locust Ridge to stages around the world. The entire Adventures in Imagination area transforms to create The Dolly Parton Experience. Housed in multiple buildings, the multi-faceted experience includes exhibits which span her unparalleled career, a look at the inspiration for and results of her biggest dreams, the importance of her family, and even a curated exhibit that highlights Dolly’s signature style through the years. The Dolly Parton Experience provides guests more Dolly than ever, as it is three times the size of the former Chasing Rainbows Museum.
All of the projects and calendar changes have been undertaken with one thing in mind—Dollywood guests.
“Our Dollywood Parks & Resorts properties have truly become among the top vacation destinations in the entire country,” said Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company. “We’ve earned several great honors this past year, including being #27 on Forbes’ list of Best Customer Service in the entire country. Recognition like that comes because of the effort we place each day on ensuring the guest experience for every person who visits us is the best it can possibly be. We really believe the only way to do that is by asking guests for their honest opinions and listening fully to their responses.”
The Dolly Parton Experience provides guests an opportunity to learn more about the park’s Dreamer-in-Chief through curated exhibits, interactive experiences and live entertainment. Attractions like this—as well as last year’s Big Bear Mountain and HeartSong Lodge & Resort additions—are integral in the company’s half-billion dollar, 10-year expansion plan announced by Dolly and Naughton in 2021. Naughton says the expansion strategy should allow Dollywood Parks & Resorts to remain among America’s top theme park destinations.
“We really do offer something different here,” he explained. “The hearts of our hosts go far beyond the tasks they complete at excellence each day. Our hosts make a true connection with our guests, making them feel like they’re part of the family. It’s been that way since the park opened. Now, our strategy of adding more attractions and resorts—five total resorts and an outdoor resort—lets us grow our infrastructure and offerings in a way that allows Dollywood Parks & Resorts to regularly be considered among the top destinations in the country. Include the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains right at our doorstep, and it really is easy to see why so many families are now making us their theme park of choice.”
Following the I Will Always Love You Music Festival, Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health (April 19-June 9) blooms bright with vivid larger-than-life flower sculptures. Park guests enjoy this immersive atmosphere as they make their way through more than half-a-million blooms during this stunning festival. In addition, Dollywood’s culinary team showcases their world-class abilities with a menu full of delicacies that highlight the tastes of spring in the Smokies.
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City (June 15-Aug. 11) is everyone’s favorite summer tradition, and once again includes Dollywood’s Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show every night, with weekend shows through Sept. 1. Another favorite, the “Gazillion Bubble Show,” returns to mesmerize guests in Celebrity Theater.
A family tradition for many, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 9-Oct. 28) opens two weeks earlier this season, providing guests more time to celebrate the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented performers including Suzy Bogguss, Rhonda Vincent and The Isaacs, and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health. Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which previously has been named the best theme park harvest event in the world, features elaborate displays that are fun for every member of the family. Creative culinary items, accomplished artisans, and fall fun in the Smokies make this a picture-perfect time to enjoy Dollywood.
The industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 5)— also opens earlier and concludes the park’s 2024 season with six million lights, festive holiday shows, and the warm Christmas atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
With so much more in ’24, guests should consider a season pass to ensure they can experience all of the fun! The Gold Pass represents a tremendous value for guests. Those who purchase now receive a Bring-A-Friend Free ticket and free general parking, as well as discounts on dining, merchandise and lodging. Diamond (Diamond Passes are sold out) and Gold passholders also receive access to special “Golden Events”—exclusive events and activities just for them. (Only the named passholder can receive the perks associated with each pass.)
Gold and Diamond passholders also can take advantage of another great perk: daily “Golden Hours.” During the first hour of every operating day, Gold and Diamond Season Passes operate just like TimeSaver Passes, allowing the named passholder expedited boarding on Dollywood’s world-class rides and attractions including Big Bear Mountain. Silver Season Passes also are available and include a Bring-a-Friend Free ticket and a discount on Dollywood lodging. Select blackout dates apply to adult and senior Silver Season Passes and Silver Bring-a-Friend Free tickets. Child Silver Season Passes do not have blackout dates.
Season pass prices increase after March 17. For more information about Dollywood’s 2024 season or season passes, please visit https://www.dollywood.com/ or download the Dollywood app.
Updated Story: There are some new details about a fire in Halls that damages several campers and leads to the arrest of a man who is charged with with criminal trespass, reckless burning and reckless endangerment.
Police say Joseph DeFoe was seen trespassing in the 8500 block of Old Jacksboro Road on Saturday where several campers were parked.
Defoe reportedly told witness that he didn’t start fire but police reports show he later admitted to setting a fire to get warm and letting it get out of control.
There were no injuries reported.
Original Story: An arrest is made following a fire in Halls and the investigation is on-going.
Rural Metro Fire says the person was arrested, their identity has not been released, after several campers caught on fire Saturday morning in the 8500 block of Old Jacksboro Road.
Several other campers were threatened by the flames and many propane tanks venting but crews were able to contain the fire.
Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson has been named to the five-player SEC Women’s Basketball All-Tournament Team, the league office announced on Sunday afternoon.
Jackson, a 6-foot-2, fifth-year forward from Detroit, Mich., made the conference all-tourney team for the second straight season and for the third time in her career. In addition to her back-to-back honors as a Lady Vol, she made the squad as a freshman at Mississippi State during the 2019-20 campaign.
Helping lead UT to its fourth-straight semifinal appearance and make a push for a second consecutive finals berth, Jackson averaged 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds over her team’s three games in the tournament. She shot 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from beyond the arc and 78 percent from the charity stripe in the Big Orange’s three contests.
After foul trouble limited Jackson to eight points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes in the win vs. Kentucky, Jackson was stellar in a dominant victory over Alabama and a near-miss vs. No. 1 ranked South Carolina. She recorded identical back-to-back efforts of 22 points and nine rebounds vs. the Crimson Tide and Gamecocks. She added a career-high eight assists vs. USC, flirting with her first career triple-double.
For the season, the two-time All-SEC First Team selection and Cheryl Miller Award finalist is averaging 19.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while hitting 47 percent from the field and 76 percent at the charity stripe.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A pair of grand slams from Sophia Nugent and Zaida Puni catapulted the No. 8 Lady Vols to an 11-0 run-rule win over Ohio State on Sunday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
It is the first time since April 16, 2019, that Tennessee has hit two grand slams in the same game.
Tennessee (18-4) was perfect during its invitational – going 4-0 against Ohio State, Missouri State and South Dakota.
Already leading 2-0 in the bottom of the third, UT loaded the bases for Nugent who hit a pinch-hit grand slam to center field to break the game open. The home run was her fourth of the season and marked her first grand slam as a Lady Vol.
Tennessee tacked on another run in the fourth thanks to a Laura Mealer double before Puni walked it off in the fifth with a grand slam.
Puni finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, four RBIs and a walk. Graduate Kiki Milloy was 2-for-2, scoring three times and walking twice.
Laura Mealer continued her hot streak with a 1-for-2 day, scoring once, driving in a run and drawing a walk.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens got the start in the circle and tossed another gem as she picked up her sixth shutout of the season and pitched a seventh complete game. The righty scattered three hits with five strikeouts and did not allow a free pass.
She is now 9-2 on the year.
Ohio State (10-6) started Emily Ruck and let her go three innings before changing to Lexi Paulsen in the circle for the game’s final 1.1 frames. Ruck surrendered six runs on six hits, walked four and struck out two in her outing. She suffered the loss and is 2-1 this season.
Paulsen allowed five runs on three hits and walked two before giving up Puni’s run-rule walk-off grand slam.
Tegan Cortelletti, Jasmyn Burns and Kaitlyn Farley had OSU’s three hits.
STAT OF THE DAY Tennessee has now won 10 consecutive games and has shut out its opponents over the last 24 innings.
UP NEXT Tennessee flies to Washington, D.C., on Monday morning for a Monday night showdown with Howard at 5 p.m. ET. Fans can listen to Hunter King call the action live on AM990.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 7/8 Tennessee rallied to complete the sweep of Illinois after falling behind 3-0 in Sunday’s series finale at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Clutch home runs from Hunter Ensley, Blake Burke and Robin Villeneuve, combined with a stellar relief outing from Nate Snead, helped the Volunteers battle back and extend their winning streak to 15 games.
The Fighting Illini (5-9) played well in the early going and went ahead 1-0 with a solo home run from Ryan Moerman in the second inning before adding to their lead with a pair of runs in the third inning to build a 3-0 advantage.
Illinois starter Jake Swartz was dominant over the first four innings, holding UT to just a single hit in that span until the Big Orange were finally able to break through with two solo home runs by Ensley and Burke in the bottom of the fifth to pull within a run.
After a pair of walks and a single to start the bottom of the sixth, Tennessee tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly from Dean Curley, but a double play ended the threat before they could take the lead.
It wasn’t long before UT (16-1) did finally pull ahead, plating five runs in the seventh to take control of the game. Following a pair of two-out walks from Dalton Bargo and Billy Amick, Kavares Tears doubled down the left-field line to bring in the go-ahead run.
After Dylan Dreiling drew another walk, Robin Villeneuve put the exclamation point on the victory with a grand slam over the left-field wall to give the Vols an 8-3 lead.
Despite running into a little bit of trouble in the eighth and ninth innings, Snead was able to work himself out of both jams to lock up the win and improve to 4-0 on the year. The sophomore righthander pitched six shutout innings out of the bullpen, scattering four hits while striking out five.
UP NEXT: Tennessee closes out its 15-game homestand with a midweek matchup against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday night before hitting the road to open SEC play at Alabama next weekend.
STATS OF THE GAME: Villeneuve’s big seventh-inning swing gave Tennessee’s its third grand slam of the week and second of the series. Curley hit one in Tuesday’s midweek win over Kansas State while Reese Chapman had one in Saturday’s win.
UT’s win streak is now tied for the third-longest in program history, matching the 15 straight victories the Vols posted to open the 2019 season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As the SEC’s outright regular season champion, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will be the No. 1 seed in the 2024 SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
The official bracket released by the league office late Saturday night features the Volunteers as the top seed, with second-seeded Kentucky, third-seeded Alabama and fourth-seeded Auburn also earning double-byes. Those three teams tied with fifth-seeded South Carolina for second place in the league, with each going 13-5.
Tennessee, which posted a 14-4 ledger in league action, will open play Friday at 1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN, with a quarterfinal matchup against either eighth-seeded LSU or ninth-seeded Mississippi State. The Tigers tied for seventh in the league with a 9-9 mark, while the Bulldogs—the lone team in the league Tennessee did not defeat in the regular season—finished solely in ninth at 8-10.
The victor of Friday’s quarterfinal contest will play Saturday at the same time on the same network. Sunday’s title game will also be at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Since the SEC Tournament returned from a 26-year hiatus in 1979, this is the first time Tennessee is the lone No. 1 seed. During the divisional format for the tournaments from 1992-2011, the Volunteers earned the East No. 1 seed three times: 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Tennessee has reached the SEC Tournament final in three of the past five events, finishing as the runner-up in 2018 and 2019 before winning the crown in 2022.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team fell to No. 15/13 Kentucky, 85-81, Saturday evening at a sold-out, over-capacity Food City Center in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season.
Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht, in his final home outing, registered a career-best 40 points, the 16th such showing in program history, for fourth-ranked Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC).
The Volunteers started just 3-of-18 from the field through nearly 11 minutes and, late in that stretch, Kentucky (23-8, 13-5 SEC) hit back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers in just 70 seconds to go ahead, 18-12, with 10:03 on the first-half timer.
The Wildcats extended their edge to 11 with 2:45 left in the frame, but after Tennessee started 5-of-27 from the floor, it got a personal 7-0 run in 1:10 from Knecht, including two 3-pointers, to get the deficit down to four, 31-27, with 1:15 remaining.
The two sides exchanged baskets in the last 16 seconds and Kentucky took a 33-29 advantage into the locker room despite 19 points from Knecht. Tennessee shot just 8-of-32 (25.0 percent) through 20 minutes, including 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from deep, while the visitors went 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) overall and 6-of-15 (40.0 percent) on 3-pointers. The home team, though, had a 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) clip at the line, while Kentucky went 1-of-2 (50.0 percent).
Tennessee forced a turnover and hit a 3-pointer to open the second half, trimming the margin to one, but Kentucky responded soon thereafter. The Wildcats went on another 9-0 run, this one in just 1:00, to take a 12-point edge, 51-39, with 14:57 to play.
After a personal 7-3 run by Knecht, Kentucky hit back-to-back 3-pointers in 33 seconds to go up by a game-high 14 points, 60-46, with 11:53 to go. The lead held steady at 14 with under nine minutes to go, but Tennessee scored nine straight points in 64 seconds to get it down to five, 68-63, with 7:32 on the clock.
The two teams split the next four points and then the Wildcats went on a 10-4 surge to go back up by 11, 80-69, with just 2:35 left. Kentucky maintained that advantage into the final minute, but junior guard Zakai Zeigler scored six points in three seconds—a 3-pointer, a steal and a three-point play—to make it an 84-79 tally with 47.1 ticks to go.
Tennessee forced another turnover and then got two free throws from fifth-year guard Josiah-Jordan James with 31.4 seconds on the clock, making it an 8-0 run in 19 seconds to cut the deficit to three, 84-81. The Volunteers then forced a 10-second violation, but could not convert at the offensive end. Kentucky freshman guard Rob Dillingham hit a free throw with 5.9 ticks left to ice it, with that shot finishing the scoring.
Knecht’s career-best point total tied for the 14th-most in a game in program history and marked the first 40-point showing since Grant Williams had 43 Jan. 23, 2019, with those the lone two instances by a Volunteer in the last 34 years (1990-2024). The last Tennessee player to score 40-plus in Knoxville was Allan Houston, who had on Feb. 2, 1990.
The Thornton, Colo., native made 14 of his first 27 field-goal attempts and finished 14-of-29 to tie for the most makes by an SEC player this season and tie his career high. He also tied his career best in made 3-pointers with a 6-of-15 ledger.
Additionally, Knecht became the second player in Tennessee history, joining Ernie Grunfeld in 1975-76, to register 35-plus points five times in a single campaign. Four of Knecht’s such outings have come in the last 16 contests.
Zeigler totaled 17 points and a game-best nine assists, while shooting 4-of-11 from 3-point range. Junior forward Jonas Aidoo had 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high-tying five blocks, the latter mark pacing all players. James added eight points and a game-best 10 rebounds in his 81st and game at Food City Center, where he went 68-13 (.840).
Freshman guard Reed Sheppard co-led the Wildcats with 27 points, including 22 in a second half during which he made his first six 3-point attempts. Overall, he finished 7-of-10 from long range, grabbed six rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists.
Fifth-year guard Antonio Reeves also scored 27 points for Kentucky, shooting 8-of-16 overall, 3-of-5 on 3-pointers and 8-of-9 at the line. Freshman guard Justin Edwards had 16 points and went 4-of-7 from deep, while Dillingham tallied 11 points in the decision.
Both teams hit at least a dozen 3-pointers, but Kentucky shot a blistering 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) beyond the arc, including 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) in the second half, while Tennessee was 12-of-36 (33.3 percent). The Volunteers had a 21-10 edge in points off turnovers—they forced 16 and had just seven—along with a 30-18 margin in paint points and a 24-12 tally in fast-break points, but the Wildcats notched a 38-5 ledger in bench points and shot 16-of-18 (88.9 percent) at the line.
With the regular season complete, Tennessee now heads to Nashville, Tenn., where it begins play Friday at 1 p.m. ET as the top seed in the SEC Tournament against a to-be-determined opponent in a quarterfinal matchup, live on ESPN from Bridgestone Arena.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES • Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes fell to 13-12 all-time versus Kentucky head coach John Calipari, including an 11-10 ledger in the regular season. • After going 9-35 (.205) in the 22 seasons (1993-2015) before his arrival, Tennessee is now 11-10 (.524) versus Kentucky in Barnes’ tenure. • The Volunteers dropped to 10-6 (.625) against ranked Kentucky teams since 2015-16 under Barnes, still twice as many such victories as any other team, as Kansas is second with five. • Tennessee fell to 7-5 (.583) versus AP top-15 Kentucky teams under Barnes, as well as 7-3 (.700) in AP top-25 matchups and 4-2 (.667) in AP top-15 showdowns. • The Volunteers are the first team since Auburn in 2018-19 to play Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina—the three winningest programs in college basketball history—in the same season, as well as the first since UCLA in 2015-16 to play all three in the regular season and the first since Georgia Tech in 1999-2000 to play all three away from home in the regular season. • In addition, Tennessee is the second team in the last 24 years (2000-24) to play Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina a total of four times in the regular season while facing each at least once, joining Florida in 2014-15. • The Volunteers finished the regular season with 24 victories, tied with 1999-2000 for the third-most in program history, while trailing only the 28 in 2007-08 and the 27 in 2018-19. • Tennessee logged 14-plus SEC wins for the eighth time ever, with the 1976-77 (16), 2018-19 (15) and 1966-67 (15) the only campaigns in which it tallied more. • In addition, this is just the second time in program history the Volunteers have even faced four straight AP top-25 opponents in a single season, joining a 1-3 stretch from Jan. 20-31, 2004, while this is the first time they have played four consecutive AP top-20 foes. • The Volunteers’ SEC record of 12 straight home wins over AP top-25 teams came to an end after running from Jan. 30, 2021, versus Kansas to Feb. 28, 2023, against Auburn. • Tennessee moved to 27-21 (.563) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 21-14 (.600) with both teams in the top 20 and 12-8 (.600) with each in the top 15. • In its past 18 outings versus AP top-15 teams, dating back to Dec. 22, 2021, against Arizona, Tennessee is now 14-4 (.778). • Over its last 20 games against AP top-20 foes, going back to Jan. 22, 2022, versus LSU, Tennessee now possesses a 15-5 (.750) record. • In the last four seasons (2020-24), Tennessee is now 21-15 (.583) against AP top-25 foes, including 19-10 (.655) versus top-20 opponents and 16-6 (.727) against top-15 teams, with all three win totals still leading all SEC programs. • Tennessee’s six-game winning streak over AP top-25 teams came to end, matching the program record that set from March 5, 1966, to Jan. 22, 1968, with both bookend wins versus Kentucky. • The Volunteers are now 76-23 (.768) as an AP top-10 team under Barnes’ direction, including 35-10 (.778) while in the top five. • Barnes finished 26-8 (.765) in the second leg of regular season rematches over the last seven years (2017-24), including notching a 4-1 mark this year. • Prior to tip-off, Tennessee recognized four senior student-athletes (forward Colin Coyne, guard Dalton Knecht, guard Josiah-Jordan James and guard Santiago Vescovi), as well as two student athletic trainers (Macy Monday and Jacob Powell) and four student managers (Scott Daughtry, Robby Geron, Bryson Hartsell and Blake Sexton). • Saturday marked the eighth sellout of the season at Food City Center, good for a venue record—the prior mark was five—in a single campaign. • Of Tennessee’s four sellouts this year, four had over-capacity crowds, including each of the last three featuring over 22,000 fans. • The Volunteers fell to 32-5 (.865) over the last three seasons (2021-24) when hitting double-digit 3-pointers, including 22-2 (.917) at home. • Aidoo blocked five shots in the first 15 minutes of the contest, already tying his ledger for a full game, recorded twice previously, on both Jan. 13, 2024, at Georgia and on Nov. 30, 2022, against McNeese State. • James grabbed double-digit rebounds for the 14th time in his career, fourth time this season and second straight contest, finishing two points shy of a double-double • Zeigler ended one assist shy of a double-double for the third time, while he was also one point shy in another outing. • Two players in Saturday’s game, Knecht and Reeves (18), are the only two individuals in at least the last 19 seasons to score 13-plus points in 17 consecutive SEC games in a single campaign. • Knecht finished his lone season as a Volunteer with a conference-best 25.5 scoring average in SEC play, the top mark by any player in the league since South Carolina’s Devan Downey put up 26.2 in 2009-10. • Besides Knecht and Downey, only one other player has averaged at least 24.0 points per game in SEC play over the last 22 seasons (2002-24), as Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks tallied 24.9 per contest in 2008-09. • With one day left in the regular season, Knecht’s 25.5 scoring average in SEC play in the best mark in league action of any individual in the country. • Knecht’s 40-point performance broke the career high of 39 he compiled twice this season, on both Jan. 16 against Florida and Feb. 28 versus Auburn. • Just three other SEC players—two in regulation—in the last four seasons (2020-24) have recorded a 40-point performance: Arkansas’ Khalif Battle (42 on Feb. 24, 2024, versus Missouri), Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV (41 on Jan. 16, 2024, at Arkansas) and Alabama’s Brandon Miller (41 on Feb. 22, 2023, in an overtime affair at South Carolina). • The last Volunteer to score 40-plus points was Grant Williams, who had 43 on Jan. 23, 2019, at Vanderbilt, while the last to do so at home was Allan Houston, who posted 43 on Feb. 10, 1990, against LSU. • Williams and Knecht are the only Volunteers to score 40-plus points in a game over the past 34 seasons (1990-2024), since Houston’s performance. • Knecht is the third Volunteer to drop 40-plus points at Food City Center, alongside Allan Houston (43 on Feb. 10, 1990, versus LSU) and Dyron Nix (40 on Nov. 25, 1988, versus Tennessee Tech) • Over the last 34 seasons (1990-2024), Knecht owns three of the four highest single-game point totals by a Volunteer. • After never eclipsing 34 points in his two seasons at Northern Colorado, Knecht has scored 35-plus points five times in 2023-24, including in four of the past 16 games. • The only other Tennessee player ever to record five 35-point games in a single season is Ernie Grunfeld, who did so in 1975-76. • Knecht’s five 35-point performances, in only 31 appearances, put him in sole possession of fourth place in program history for a full career, trailing only the 11 by Bernard King (1974-77), the eight by Ernie Grunfeld (1973-77) and the six by Allan Houston (1989-93). • Knecht is the first player in Tennessee history with four 35-point performances in SEC play in a single season, while only Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston and Bernard King even have four such outings in a full career. • Knecht now owns 10 30-point performances in his three-year Division I career, with seven in his lone season as a Volunteer and six in the past 16 affairs. • Knecht’s seven 30-point games this season match Dale Ellis (1982-83), Ernie Grunfeld (1975-76) and Bernard King (1975-76) for the fifth-most in program history, with only King (twice), Allan Houston and Tony White ever notching more. • The seven 30-point outings by Knecht, in just 31 contests at Tennessee, already put him in sole possession of eighth place on the school’s career leaderboard. • Of Knecht’s 19 25-point showings at the Division I level, 11 are in 2023-24, with 10 of them in the past 17 games. • Knecht now possesses 35 20-point outings in as a Division I player, including 16 in his lone season at Tennessee and 13 in the last 17 contests. • The only other SEC players with 14 made field goals in a game this season are South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles on Feb. 10 against Vanderbilt and Rob Dillingham on Feb. 3 versus Tennessee. • Knecht’s prior 14 field-goal performance came on Jan. 21, 2023, during his tenure at Northern Colorado when he went 14-of-21 against Idaho. • The six 3-pointers for Knecht matched the career highs he set on Feb. 10, 2024, at Texas A&M and Jan. 14, 2023, at Portland State while at Northern Colorado. • With 662 points this season, Knecht already ranks No. 11 on the program’s single-season leaderboard, including third in the past 30 years (1994-2024). • Knecht has now scored double-digit points in a half on 12 occasions, including in 10 of the past 16 contests. • Knecht now owns 16 single-half performances of 15-plus points, with seven occurrences of 20-plus points.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 7/8 Tennessee secured another series win with a 24-1 thrashing of Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, recording season highs in runs and hits (20) to run its winning streak to 14 games.
UT scored two or more runs in seven of the eight innings it batted it and five different Vols had multi-hit efforts while eight different players drove in runs on the day for UT, led by a career day from sophomore Reese Chapman, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and six RBIs after hitting his first-ever grand slam in the sixth inning.
Blake Burke also had a great day at the dish with three hits, three runs and four RBIs. All three of his knocks went for extra bases as he had a pair of doubles and a three-run homer.
Asher Bradd drove in the lone run for the Fighting Illini (5-8) with an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth. Starting pitcher Logan Tabeling fell to 0-2 on the year after giving up seven runs on four hits and four walks in just 1.2 innings of work.
UP NEXT: The Vols (15-1) and Illini wrap up their weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
STATS OF THE GAME: With his performance on Saturday, Beam recorded his 20th career victory, moving into a tie for 10th on Tennessee’s career wins list with Jeff Glover (1984-86) and Bill Aldridge (1975-78).
With his three-run blast on Saturday, Burke moved into sole possession of seventh on UT’s all-time home runs list and is just five away from tying Luc Lipcius’ program record of 40 homers.
