The Tennessee basketball team will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, next season to face the Wisconsin Badgers at The Kohl Center on Friday, Nov. 10.
The Volunteers hosted the Badgers in Knoxville on Dec. 28, 2019, as the first game of a home-and-home series. But the onset of the COVID pandemic postponed the return trip to Wisconsin, initially set for November of 2020. This year’s clash concludes the two-game contract.
Tennessee trails the all-time series with Wisconsin, 3-2, dating to 1981. The Badgers have won each of the last three meetings.
The Badgers finished 20-15 (9-11 Big Ten) last season and advanced to the semifinals of the NIT. Earlier this month, veteran forward Tyler Wahl (11.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) announced that he was returning for a fifth year of eligibility. With his return, UW looks to keep its 2022-23 starting core intact next season.
Rising junior guard Chucky Hepburn led the team in both scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (2.9 apg) this past year. Other key returners include 2023 Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection Connor Essegian (11.7 ppg, .359 3FG%), 7-foot forward Steven Crowl (12.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and guard Max Klesmit (8.4 ppg, .383 3FG%).
Next season marks coach Greg Gard’s ninth year leading the Wisconsin program. Gard guided the Badgers to the 2022 Big Ten regular-season championship and earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in both 2020 and 2022.
Opened in 1998, Wisconsin’s Kohl Center seats 17,071. The Badgers regularly rank among the national leaders in average attendance and finished fifth nationally as recently as 2018-19—one spot behind Tennessee.
Additional confirmations on Tennessee’s 2023-24 schedule thus far include an appearance at the Maui Invitational Nov. 20-22 and a home game against another Big Ten opponent, Illinois, on Dec. 9.
BIG ORANGE TRIPS TO MADISON RARE: Tennessee teams rarely make the nearly 700-mile trip north to Madison, Wisconsin. Most recently, the men’s cross country team raced in Madison twice during the fall of 2018. Women’s tennis traveled to Madison in 2004, and men’s basketball played there in 2001. The Lady Vols basketball program visited Madison in 1996 and 1999.
A man is charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving after crashing into a Knox County Sheriff’s Cruiser.
KCSO says it happened Monday when two deputies were working traffic on I-275 at the I-640 ramp and had two cruisers blocking a ramp with their blue lights on.
That’s when the suspect, identified as Ronald Barrett Jr., hit one of the cruisers before stopping. Deputies smelled alcohol and found a beer can in the car’s floorboard and took him into custody.
A homicide investigation is underway after Knoxville Police respond to a suspicious death on the Broadway bridge.
Officers called to the Broadway bridge, between W. Depot Avenue and W. Jackson Avenue yesterday afternoon when a man, identified as 35-year-old Travis Brown, was found laying unresponsive on the sidewalk.
Even though a cause of death has not yet been determined, detectives believe that Brown was the victim of foul play and have identified a person of interest. 36 year-old Jayshawn Williams is known to frequent the downtown Knoxville area and is wanted for questioning.
Anyone with info is asked to call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
Yee-Haw brewing is one of Knoxville’s busiest bars and now a certified Safe Bar.
The Safe Bar certification offers businesses the opportunity to train employees how to spot and treat possible sexual assault. It’s a two-hour training and costs the business nothing to have the Health Department come and perform Safe Bar training.
Charles Ellis manager of Yee Haw Brewing says he’s happy his business is part of the program.
The Knox County Health Department say statistics show that in over 50% of sexual assaults that alcohol is involved.
WVLT reporting there are now 14 Knox County Safe Bar certified bars:
Barrelhouse at Gypsy Circus Knox Brew Hub The Oliver Fountain City Social Jig and Reel Urban Bar Craft Axe Knox Box Karaoke Orange Hat Elst Geezers The Hill Bar & Grill Frog Juice Yee-Haw Brewing Company
Tennessee Athletics recently announced its VOLeaders Academy Class of 2023-24. The program once again will be split into two cohorts that participate simultaneously.
The ninth annual collection of VOLeaders comprises 47 student-athletes that represent each of Tennessee’s 20 varsity sports. It is the largest class in the program’s history.
“Our strategic plan calls on us to be relentless in our pursuit of developing world-changing leaders, and the VOLeaders Academy is a best-in-class illustration of the transformative power of the student-athlete experience here on Rocky Top,” Senior Associate Athletics Director & Associate Provost Marshall Steward said. “As we welcome our ninth, and largest-ever, class of VOLeaders, we consider it an honor and privilege to continue to deliver on a vision that transcends sport in a meaningful way.”
The year-long leadership curriculum begins annually starting with the Fall semester and concludes with an international cultural exchange trip in the summer.
Previous cohorts traveled to Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador, Rwanda (twice) and Belize. The destination for this summer’s trip has yet to be announced.
“VOLeaders Academy provides our student-athletes with an incredible opportunity to develop as servant leaders for their communities, both here at Tennessee and beyond in their future endeavors,” softball head coach Karen Weekly said. “There is truly no other program like it in the country. The individuals selected as VOLeaders have demonstrated the desire and courage to lead. The lessons they will learn in the VOLeaders Academy will further enhance their leadership skill set and the positive impact they have on everyone around them.”
ABOUT THE VOLEADERS ACADEMY The University of Tennessee announced the inception of its VOLeaders Academy in July of 2015. The first-of-its-kind program is a dynamic partnership between the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and Tennessee Athletics.
By using their platform in sport, student-athletes admitted into the VOLeaders Academy learn how to positively impact their team, campus and local and global communities. The program aims to inspire student-athletes to find ways to use their passion of sport and their influence to enact positive change that transcends their athletic success.
Since 1968, the Torchbearer—UT’s official symbol—has borne silent witness to the university’s Volunteer Creed: “One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others.” The VOLeaders Academy takes that creed in action by engaging its participants in the understanding and development of servant leadership.
Participants are enrolled in two three-credit-hour courses in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. An Emerging Leaders in Sport course provides students with an understanding of their individual leadership styles, the practice of leadership in collegiate athletics and equips them with the foundational skills necessary to lead their teams, campus and communities, while a Personal & Socially Responsible Leadership course teaches leadership principles, professionalism, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication skills through sport-based service. Through a partnership with the department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, all three components of the program can be used by students interested in completing the Leadership Studies minor.
The final component of the VOLeaders Academy is a 10-day international exchange providing applied leadership and service opportunities focused on community development and social change through sport. International destinations vary each year.
The expansion of the VOLeaders Academy in 2020 was made possible through the generous and servant hearts of 1980 Tennessee alums Donnie and Terry Smith from Rogers, Arkansas. The Smiths’ passion and vision was to infuse a foundation of servant leadership in a greater percentage of Tennessee’s student-athlete population. Their sincere and heartfelt leadership to make a difference in UT student-athletes will create life-changing opportunities for all that come through the VOLeaders Academy.
For more information on The VOLeaders Academy, visit the website HERE.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently working with state and federal partners to determine the source of several hoax calls, placed to local law enforcement agencies, reporting an active shooter at several high schools in the state.
At this time, none of these reports has proven credible and there is no known immediate threat to public safety at this time.
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler says they have received these hoax calls and say there is no threat to any Knox County School.
He says the calls are coming out of Texas.
Knoxville Police say they responded to Central High School on an active shooter call. The on-site SRO reported that there was no known emergency the school but officers quickly responded to the scene as a precaution. It was determined that a shooting had not occurred. It is believed that the original 9-1-1 call was a false call that contained info that was not factual & originated from out of state. The origins of the call are under investigation. No known threats at Central High.
WVLT News spoke with law enforcement and school system officials to get a list of the schools affected. According to Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey, schools in Hamblen County, Knox County, Hamilton County and Montgomery County received false calls.
Specifically, WVLT News was able to confirm from officials hoax calls to the following schools:
Central High School in Knox County
Jefferson High School in Jefferson County
Morristown-Hamblen High School West in Hamblen County
The Knoxville Fire Department is investigating an early morning North Knoxville house fire.
Crews called to Hickory Drive this morning after receiving a call the resident smelled smoke and heard a loud explosion and found their roof on fire after leaving the home.
KFD says they found live electrical lines down in the front yard and the entire roof of the home engulfed in flames.
Two adults and two children as well as a dog and three cats made it out of the home safe and no injuries have been reported. The home has suffered heavy fire damage on one end with smoke and water damage throughout the house.
KFD says the home had smoke detectors with dead batteries.
Morristown Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a person of interest in a deadly shooting.
That shooting happened early Saturday morning near the Sunoco gas station in Buffalo Trail. Surveillance video captures the car, a 2005 white Pontiac Vibe and anyone who may have seen it Friday night into early Saturday morning is asked to contact authorities.
The car was found abandoned and police say the person in the video is not suspected of any wrongdoing. Investigators just want him to come forward to give any information about the vehicle or its occupants.
There are new details after a gun discharged at West High School grazing a teacher.
The teacher’s identity has not been released but he refused to be taken to the hospital following being grazed by the bullet Friday. There were about 20 students in the classroom when Knoxville Police say the gun went off accidentally while inside a student’s backpack and discharged when the student was going through the backpack.
That student was identified as a 14-year-old male and is charged with reckless endangerment, reckless aggravated assault and possession of a weapon on school grounds. At this time, the gun’s origins are still under investigation.
Last month, Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk announced his intent to form a Special Education Task Force to recommend improvements in special education services, interventions, and supports.
Dr. Rysewyk is pleased to share that the following individuals have agreed to serve on the Special Education Task Force:
Cary Byrge, Region 5 parent
Lauren Cordova, Region 4 parent
William Edwards, Region 1 parent
Sandy Hensley, Region 4 parent
Patricia Lawson, Region 5 parent
Mandy Marcotte, Region 2 parent
Bryan Moore, Region 2 parent
Cortney Piper, Region 1 parent
Mattie Trimble, Region 3 parent
Lora Williams, 2022 KCS Teacher of the Year (Region 3)
The Special Education Task Force has been charged with identifying meaningful and actionable recommendations for KCS and the Knox County Board of Education to improve special education services and supports for students and families. The task force will hold its first meeting in May and will continue to meet through the summer with the intent of providing a formal presentation of its findings to KCS and the Board in August.
Meetings will be closed to the public to protect potentially sensitive conversations regarding specific student and family experiences, but all findings and recommendations made by the task force will be presented publicly.
Task Force members have been selected to represent a wide range of perspectives that span grade bands, regions, and experiences with special education services. Dr. Rysewyk is grateful to the members of the Knox County community who have agreed to serve on the Special Education Task Force and looks forward to hearing their recommendations in August.
