Get out your whiskey glasses because we’re toasting to Morgan Wallen’s new album, One Thing at a Time, by sending one lucky winner to see him in concert this summer thanks to Window Works! You and a friend could be on your way to party in Chicago for Morgan Wallen’s sold out concert at Wrigley Field – including roundtrip air and 2 nights hotel! Plus we’ll send you home with a keepsake – a #1 plaque for Morgan’s song, Thought You Should Know, engraved with your name! Just listen to WIVK weekdays for the national text keywords for your chance to win thanks to Window Works!
Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty Thursday of killing both his wife and son. Judge Clifton Newman in the Walterboro courtroom handing down the sentence this morning.
Murdaugh’s defense attorneys argued that there wasn’t enough evidence and called for a mistrial but the judge denied their request. Murdaugh spoke at prior to sentencing and maintained his innocence.
54 year-old Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison for the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh and their youngest son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh.
Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh to two life terms to be served consecutively. Chief Prosecutor Creighton Waters says he’s grateful the jurors gave a voice to the victims.
None of the family members wanted to give impact statements prior to sentencing.
Murdaugh, dressed in a prison uniform, denied the crimes, saying “I’m innocent. I would never hurt my wife Maggie and I would never hurt my son Paul Paul.”
The jury reached a verdict in less than three hours last night after being handed the case late yesterday afternoon.
The evacuation order is lifted for Parrottsville in Cocke County following a propane leak caused by an overturned propane truck which closed State Route 340 for hours at Allen Chapel Road.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says a one mile evacuation was ordered yesterday for homes on South Highway 340 and lasted for several hours. Many residents weren’t able to return home until after 7 last night.
Local volunteers needed to help track seasonal changes of trees
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is currently recruiting local volunteers to ‘Adopt-A-Plot’ and track the seasonal change of trees, also called phenology.
Members of the public who visit the Smokies often are encouraged to sign up to adopt a plot of trees near the roadside at Kanati Fork, Newfound Gap, Kuwohi (Dome Rd.), and other locations in the park.
Interested volunteers can attend a virtual orientation session on March 11, 2023, f 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST, and later field site orientations will follow. Volunteers can sign up to visit their “adopted” study plot weekly, and less during summer months, to monitor trees from the first bud in spring to the last leaf drop in fall. Volunteers will monitor when trees develop buds, leaf out, produce flowers and fruit, and when leaves change color.
Data collected by volunteers will be used in collective park-wide research to interpret how changing climate and length of day affect when seasonal changes occur. Researchers are noticing seasonal and annual shifts of the timing of phenophases, the stages of the life cycles of trees in the park. Early or late phenophases can affect entire forest ecosystems because all organisms are interconnected in the food web and depend on trees to survive.
If you are interested in this exciting volunteer opportunity, please email Angel Chaffin at [email protected] to register for the virtual phenology orientation.
For more information about phenology research efforts across the country, visit the National Phenology Network at https://www.usanpn.org/.
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 3 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…Southwest winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. * WHERE…Northern Plateau and Central Tennessee valley. * WHEN…From 10 AM this morning to 3 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The saturated ground will make conditions more susceptible to down trees.
Bedford, TN
Cannon, TN
Cheatham, TN
Clay, TN
Coffee, TN
Cumberland, TN
Davidson, TN
De Kalb, TN
Dickson, TN
Fentress, TN
Giles, TN
Grundy, TN
Hickman, TN
Houston, TN
Humphreys, TN
Jackson, TN
Lawrence, TN
Lewis, TN
Macon, TN
Marshall, TN
Maury, TN
Montgomery, TN
Overton, TN
Perry, TN
Pickett, TN
Putnam, TN
Robertson, TN
Rutherford, TN
Smith, TN
Stewart, TN
Sumner, TN
Trousdale, TN
Van Buren, TN
Warren, TN
Wayne, TN
White, TN
Williamson, TN
Wilson, TN
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING… * WHAT…South winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. * WHERE…All of Middle Tennessee. * WHEN…From 6 AM to 6 PM CST Friday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Winds will ramp up starting around 3 am CST. With grounds already wet, some trees will come down much easier leading to power outages. Be sure to fully charge cell phones tonight so you will be able reliably receive any additional Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Warnings that may be issued on Friday. Winds will begin to relax from west to east starting around sunset Friday evening.
Bell, KY
Clay, KY
Harlan, KY
Knott, KY
Leslie, KY
Letcher, KY
Perry, KY
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…South to southwest winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph at lower elevations. Across ridgetops and at elevations above 2,000 feet, winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts of 55 to 65 mph expected. The strongest wind gusts are expected between 2 PM and 10 PM. * WHERE…Bell, Harlan, Knott, Perry, Clay, Leslie and Letcher Counties. * WHEN…From 10 AM Friday to 1 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Scattered to widespread power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
Bledsoe, TN
Bradley, TN
Hamilton, TN
Marion, TN
McMinn, TN
Meigs, TN
Northwest Monroe, TN
Rhea, TN
Sequatchie, TN
West Polk, TN
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ THIS MORNING TO 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/ THIS EVENING… * WHAT…South winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. * WHERE…Southern Plateau and southeast Tennessee. * WHEN…From 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ this morning to 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/ this evening. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The saturated ground will make conditions more susceptible to down trees.
Blount Smoky Mountains, TN
Cocke Smoky Mountains, TN
Sevier Smoky Mountains, TN
Southeast Monroe, TN
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…South winds 30 to 50 mph with gusts up to 80 mph expected. * WHERE…Mountains of Southeast Tennessee including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. * WHEN…Until 1 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The saturated ground will make conditions more susceptible to down trees.
Hancock, TN
Hawkins, TN
Johnson, TN
Northwest Carter, TN
Northwest Greene, TN
Southeast Carter, TN
Southeast Greene, TN
Sullivan, TN
Unicoi, TN
Washington, TN
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…Southwest winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. * WHERE…Northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. * WHEN…From 10 AM this morning to 6 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The saturated ground will make conditions more susceptible to down trees.
Knox, KY
Laurel, KY
McCreary, KY
Whitley, KY
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…South to southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph expected. The strongest wind gusts are expected between 1 PM and 8 PM. * WHERE…Laurel, McCreary, Whitley and Knox Counties. * WHEN…From 10 AM Friday to 1 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Scattered to widespread power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
Lee, VA
Russell, VA
Scott, VA
Washington, VA
Wise, VA
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…Southwest winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. * WHERE…Northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. * WHEN…From 10 AM this morning to 6 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The saturated ground will make conditions more susceptible to down trees.
Pulaski, KY
Wayne, KY
…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY… * WHAT…South to southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph expected. The strongest wind gusts are expected between 11 AM and 8 PM. * WHERE…Pulaski and Wayne Counties. * WHEN…From 7 AM Friday to 1 AM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Scattered to widespread power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
INDIANAPOLIS – Tennessee football is prominently represented at the 2023 NFL Combine with seven participants, and first-team All-Southeastern Conference defensive lineman Byron Young kicked off the weekend with a dazzling performance on Thursday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Young’s numbers impacted the record books as he posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among defensive linemen with a 4.43. That mark was also the fourth-fastest time by a defensive lineman since 2003. Young, at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, tied for the best broad jump of the day at 11 feet to go along with the second-best vertical jump at his position (38.0). His 7.11-second three-cone drill was the fourth-best of the evening.
In 2022, Young led the Vols with seven sacks to go along with 12 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hurries. He finished with 83 tackles and 23.5 tackles for loss in his two-year career at UT, culminating with a two-sack performance vs. Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Young said Wednesday he credits much of his success to Vol defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
“When I look back, two years—it went by fast. I learned a lot. I feel like I developed really well as a player. Definitely Coach Garner—he helped me along the way, and he trusted me to be a captain on the team and a leader.”
Teammate Jeremy Banks excelled in drills with the linebackers. He had the second-best vertical jump among linebackers at 37.50 inches, and his broad jump of 10’7″ was the third-best at his position. Banks clocked a 4.53 40-yard dash, which was top eight among linebackers.
Of the 59 overall participants in the vertical jump on Thursday night, Tennessee produced two of the top four in Young (third) and Banks (fourth).
It’s a stellar start for the Volunteers as seven members from a team that won 11 games and capped the year with a victory in the Orange Bowl launch their professional careers. The seven participants are the most Tennessee has sent to an NFL Combine since they had 10 in 2018.
Punter and kickoff specialist Paxton Brooks participated in media interviews on Thursday in Indianapolis, and he will conduct his kicking and on-field workout on Friday. Quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman are scheduled for media appearances on Friday. Hyatt and Tillman will workout on Saturday.
Meanwhile, offensive lineman Darnell Wright, whose stock continues to soar, will participate in drills and a workout with the offensive linemen on Sunday. Earlier this week, Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson called Wright the best offensive tackle he faced in college.
Tennessee’s NFL Combine representatives will be on hand for the program’s Pro Day on March 30 as they continue preparations for the NFL Draft, which begins April 27 in Kansas City.
NFL Combine Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times Among Defensive Linemen Since 2003 Amare Barno, Virginia Tech – 4.36 (2022) Nolan Smith, Georgia – 4.39 (2023) Montez Sweat, Mississippi State – 4.41 (2019) Byron Young, Tennessee – 4.43 (2023) Manny Lawson, NC State – 4.44 (2006) Isaac Hilton, Hampton – 4.44 (2004)
Twelfth-ranked Tennessee wraps up its regular season this weekend, traveling to take on Auburn on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
Tennessee (22-8, 11-6 SEC) is coming off a dominant 75-57 win over Arkansas on Tuesday during Senior Night. Senior Olivier Nkamhoua led the Vols with 16 points and seven rebounds, while senior Santiago Vescovi had 14 points along with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals in the all-around effort.
Saturday marks the second meeting this season between Tennessee and Auburn this season after the Vols posted a 46-43 win in Knoxville on Feb. 4. The Vols held the Tigers to 24 percent shooting from the field during the win, while senior Josiah-Jordan James turned in a monster 15-point, 14-rebound performance.
Following Saturday’s regular-season finale, Tennessee heads to Nashville next week for the SEC Tournament. Depending on the results of Saturday’s action around the SEC, Tennessee will open the SEC Tournament on either Thursday or Friday.
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads its all-time series with Auburn, 80-44, dating to 1927. • When the series is contested in Auburn, the Tigers hold a 30-23 advantage. • The Vols have fallen in each of their last three trips to Auburn’s Neville Arena, with UT’s last win there coming in 2017. • Tennessee won an ugly defensive struggle vs. Auburn in Knoxville on Feb. 4, 46-43. See note below for details from that game. • Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl coached the Tennessee program from 2006-11. His son and current Auburn assistant coach, Steven Pearl, lettered for the Vols from 2007-11 and is a UT graduate. • Among SEC teams over the last six seasons, Tennessee and Auburn have racked up a league-best 141 wins. • A Tennessee win Saturday secures a double-bye for the Vols in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.
SCOUTING REPORT • The Vols remain at No. 3 in the NCAA’s NET ratings after holding steady at No. 2 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 8. Tennessee has seven Q1 wins. • Tennessee and Baylor are the only teams in the country that own at least three wins over teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the NET ratings. • In his two games since returning from an ankle injury, Josiah-Jordan James is leading the Vols in scoring (14.5 ppg) and shooting .500 from 3-point range (5 of 10) while playing 25.0 minutes per game. • SEC assists leader and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist Zakai Zeigler suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s win over Arkansas. • The Vols haven’t played with the rotation fully healthy since Feb. 8. • Pending Saturday’s league-wide results, the Vols could land anywhere between the No. 3 and No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament.
THE NATION’S BEST DEFENSE • For the 14th straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 86.7 points per 100 possessions. • Tennessee owns Division I’s best 3-point defense (.251), second-best field-goal percentage defense (.359) and the nation’s third-best scoring defense (56.7 ppg). • 12 times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. No other Division I team has more than 10 such performances. • Only four teams have reached the 70-point mark against these Vols. • Only eight opposing players have scored 20 or more points against the Vols this season. • In SEC road games, Tennessee’s opponents are averaging just 60.4 points per game. The Vols own a +6.0 scoring margin, a +7.4 rebounding margin and a +1.3 turnover margin when playing league foes on the road.
ABOUT AUBURN • Auburn (19-11, 9-8 SEC) has dropped two straight games entering Saturday’s regular-season finale, most recently a 90-85 overtime loss at No. 2 Alabama on Wednesday. • After starting the season with a 16-3 record, Auburn has lost eight of its past 11 games. • The Tigers are ranked No. 37 in the NET rankings and are 2-9 in Quadrant 1 games this season, with the lone wins coming at a neutral site over Northwestern in November and at home over Arkansas on Jan. 7. • Despite recent struggles, Auburn has maintained a stellar homecourt advantage at Neville Arena—posting a 13-2 home record this season. The Tigers’ only two home losses have come to the top two teams in the SEC standings—Texas A&M and Alabama. • Sophomore forward and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome has made an immediate impact for Auburn this season, leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg) and blocks (2.3 bpg). Last season at Morehead State, Broome was named All-OVC First Team and OVC Defensive Player of the Year. • Auburn’s trio of guards—Wendell Green Jr., Allen Flanigan and K.D. Johnson—combine to average 32.0 ppg and attempt 25.5 field goals per game. • Green Jr. is Auburn’s second-leading scorer (13.6 ppg) and leader in assists (4.2 apg). • As a team, Auburn ranks 18th in Division I in field-goal percentage defense (.400) and fourth in 3-point percentage defense (.283). The Tigers are also fourth in the nation in blocks per game (5.2). • According to KenPom.com, Auburn ranks 22nd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and 71st in adjusted offensive efficiency.
LAST CLASH WITH AUBURN • An outstanding defensive performance and a clutch 4-point play in the final minutes helped lift second-ranked Tennessee to a 46-43 win over No. 25 Auburn Feb. 4 at Thompson-Boling Arena. • After the Tigers clawed their way back to cut it to a two-point game despite offensive woes, Santiago Vescovi delivered a strike from beyond the 3-point arc on the left wing while also drawing a foul. The senior converted the 4-point play with 2:33 left in the game to give the Vols a 44-38 advantage. • Auburn refused to go away, cutting the lead to one point with less than 20 seconds left, but Zakai Zeigler ended the Tigers’ late rally by knocking down a pair of free throws to restore a three-point cushion. • A clean and effective vertical contest by Olivier Nkamhoua on a buzzer-beating 3-point attempt by Tigers guard Wendell Green Jr. ensured that the potential game-tying shot missed the mark, sealing Tennessee’s second straight win over Auburn. • Defensively, Tennessee held AU to 24 percent (13-of-56) shooting from the field and 3-of-27 from beyond the arc. During a staggering stretch of 20:05 of game play, the Volunteers defense shut down the Auburn offense, allowing 1-of-26 shooting between 15:40 in the first half and 15:35 in the second half. • UT held the Tigers to a season-low-tying 43 points, which also marked the fewest points in an SEC game by an Auburn squad during the Bruce Pearl era. • Josiah-Jordan James recorded the fifth double-double of his career with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
HEARTBREAK FOR ZEIGLER, VOLS • Tennessee sophomore Zakai Zeigler, the SEC’s leading assists man, was named one of 10 national semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award on Feb. 28 just hours before suffering a season-ending left ACL tear in the third minute of UT’s home win over Arkansas. • Zeigler was averaging 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals while also owning a 2.37 assist/turnover ratio—all career-bests. • During SEC play, Zeigler leads the league in assists (6.5 apg) and ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.92) and sixth in steals (1.76 spg). • Zeigler had five points/assists double-doubles this season, which ties the program career record. Rodney Woods had five from 1972-75. • He becomes only the seventh Vol ever to average 10.0+ points and 5.0+ assists for a season (10.7 ppg, 5.4 apg).
OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS • After Zakai Zeigler went down in the third minute of UT’s win over Arkansas Tuesday, Jahmai Mashack and Santiago Vescovi took over point guard duties. Both finished with a game-high five assists. Vescovi ran the point often for the Vols as an underclassman. Mashack had not manned the point since playing some “point-forward” in high school. • Spanning the last six games, Uros Plavsic is shooting 13 for 14 from the field (.929). • As injuries have limited Tennessee’s depth this month, true freshman guard B.J. Edwards has seen meaningful minutes in recent games vs. Missouri, at Kentucky, at Texas A&M and vs. South Carolina. • Over the last six games, the Vols are shooting an uncharacteristic .658 from the free-throw line (75 of 114). While UT has shot 114 free throws, its opponents have shot 135 and made 95.
VOLS RESILIENT THROUGH INJURIES • Tennessee has dealt with a barrage of injuries in recent weeks, and the team’s 4-5 record in the month of February reflects that. • Three key players have combined to miss 10 games this month, as Josiah-Jordan James (ankle) missed four, Julian Phillips (hip) missed four and Tyreke Key (ankle) has missed two. • That trio has 48 starts between them this season and all rank among the team’s top six scorers. • Now, Zakai Zeigler is out for the postseason push.
SCORING DEFENSE AMONG UT’s BEST • Tennessee’s scoring defense of 56.7 ppg this season is tracking to be among the best in program history.
Twelfth-ranked Tennessee wraps up its regular season this weekend, traveling to take on Auburn on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
Tennessee (22-8, 11-6 SEC) is coming off a dominant 75-57 win over Arkansas on Tuesday during Senior Night. Senior Olivier Nkamhoua led the Vols with 16 points and seven rebounds, while senior Santiago Vescovi had 14 points along with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals in the all-around effort.
Saturday marks the second meeting this season between Tennessee and Auburn this season after the Vols posted a 46-43 win in Knoxville on Feb. 4. The Vols held the Tigers to 24 percent shooting from the field during the win, while senior Josiah-Jordan James turned in a monster 15-point, 14-rebound performance.
Following Saturday’s regular-season finale, Tennessee heads to Nashville next week for the SEC Tournament. Depending on the results of Saturday’s action around the SEC, Tennessee will open the SEC Tournament on either Thursday or Friday.
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads its all-time series with Auburn, 80-44, dating to 1927. • When the series is contested in Auburn, the Tigers hold a 30-23 advantage. • The Vols have fallen in each of their last three trips to Auburn’s Neville Arena, with UT’s last win there coming in 2017. • Tennessee won an ugly defensive struggle vs. Auburn in Knoxville on Feb. 4, 46-43. See note below for details from that game. • Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl coached the Tennessee program from 2006-11. His son and current Auburn assistant coach, Steven Pearl, lettered for the Vols from 2007-11 and is a UT graduate. • Among SEC teams over the last six seasons, Tennessee and Auburn have racked up a league-best 141 wins. • A Tennessee win Saturday secures a double-bye for the Vols in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.
SCOUTING REPORT • The Vols remain at No. 3 in the NCAA’s NET ratings after holding steady at No. 2 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 8. Tennessee has seven Q1 wins. • Tennessee and Baylor are the only teams in the country that own at least three wins over teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the NET ratings. • In his two games since returning from an ankle injury, Josiah-Jordan James is leading the Vols in scoring (14.5 ppg) and shooting .500 from 3-point range (5 of 10) while playing 25.0 minutes per game. • SEC assists leader and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist Zakai Zeigler suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s win over Arkansas. • The Vols haven’t played with the rotation fully healthy since Feb. 8. • Pending Saturday’s league-wide results, the Vols could land anywhere between the No. 3 and No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament.
THE NATION’S BEST DEFENSE • For the 14th straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 86.7 points per 100 possessions. • Tennessee owns Division I’s best 3-point defense (.251), second-best field-goal percentage defense (.359) and the nation’s third-best scoring defense (56.7 ppg). • 12 times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. No other Division I team has more than 10 such performances. • Only four teams have reached the 70-point mark against these Vols. • Only eight opposing players have scored 20 or more points against the Vols this season. • In SEC road games, Tennessee’s opponents are averaging just 60.4 points per game. The Vols own a +6.0 scoring margin, a +7.4 rebounding margin and a +1.3 turnover margin when playing league foes on the road.
ABOUT AUBURN • Auburn (19-11, 9-8 SEC) has dropped two straight games entering Saturday’s regular-season finale, most recently a 90-85 overtime loss at No. 2 Alabama on Wednesday. • After starting the season with a 16-3 record, Auburn has lost eight of its past 11 games. • The Tigers are ranked No. 37 in the NET rankings and are 2-9 in Quadrant 1 games this season, with the lone wins coming at a neutral site over Northwestern in November and at home over Arkansas on Jan. 7. • Despite recent struggles, Auburn has maintained a stellar homecourt advantage at Neville Arena—posting a 13-2 home record this season. The Tigers’ only two home losses have come to the top two teams in the SEC standings—Texas A&M and Alabama. • Sophomore forward and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome has made an immediate impact for Auburn this season, leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg) and blocks (2.3 bpg). Last season at Morehead State, Broome was named All-OVC First Team and OVC Defensive Player of the Year. • Auburn’s trio of guards—Wendell Green Jr., Allen Flanigan and K.D. Johnson—combine to average 32.0 ppg and attempt 25.5 field goals per game. • Green Jr. is Auburn’s second-leading scorer (13.6 ppg) and leader in assists (4.2 apg). • As a team, Auburn ranks 18th in Division I in field-goal percentage defense (.400) and fourth in 3-point percentage defense (.283). The Tigers are also fourth in the nation in blocks per game (5.2). • According to KenPom.com, Auburn ranks 22nd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and 71st in adjusted offensive efficiency.
LAST CLASH WITH AUBURN • An outstanding defensive performance and a clutch 4-point play in the final minutes helped lift second-ranked Tennessee to a 46-43 win over No. 25 Auburn Feb. 4 at Thompson-Boling Arena. • After the Tigers clawed their way back to cut it to a two-point game despite offensive woes, Santiago Vescovi delivered a strike from beyond the 3-point arc on the left wing while also drawing a foul. The senior converted the 4-point play with 2:33 left in the game to give the Vols a 44-38 advantage. • Auburn refused to go away, cutting the lead to one point with less than 20 seconds left, but Zakai Zeigler ended the Tigers’ late rally by knocking down a pair of free throws to restore a three-point cushion. • A clean and effective vertical contest by Olivier Nkamhoua on a buzzer-beating 3-point attempt by Tigers guard Wendell Green Jr. ensured that the potential game-tying shot missed the mark, sealing Tennessee’s second straight win over Auburn. • Defensively, Tennessee held AU to 24 percent (13-of-56) shooting from the field and 3-of-27 from beyond the arc. During a staggering stretch of 20:05 of game play, the Volunteers defense shut down the Auburn offense, allowing 1-of-26 shooting between 15:40 in the first half and 15:35 in the second half. • UT held the Tigers to a season-low-tying 43 points, which also marked the fewest points in an SEC game by an Auburn squad during the Bruce Pearl era. • Josiah-Jordan James recorded the fifth double-double of his career with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
HEARTBREAK FOR ZEIGLER, VOLS • Tennessee sophomore Zakai Zeigler, the SEC’s leading assists man, was named one of 10 national semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award on Feb. 28 just hours before suffering a season-ending left ACL tear in the third minute of UT’s home win over Arkansas. • Zeigler was averaging 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals while also owning a 2.37 assist/turnover ratio—all career-bests. • During SEC play, Zeigler leads the league in assists (6.5 apg) and ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.92) and sixth in steals (1.76 spg). • Zeigler had five points/assists double-doubles this season, which ties the program career record. Rodney Woods had five from 1972-75. • He becomes only the seventh Vol ever to average 10.0+ points and 5.0+ assists for a season (10.7 ppg, 5.4 apg).
OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS • After Zakai Zeigler went down in the third minute of UT’s win over Arkansas Tuesday, Jahmai Mashack and Santiago Vescovi took over point guard duties. Both finished with a game-high five assists. Vescovi ran the point often for the Vols as an underclassman. Mashack had not manned the point since playing some “point-forward” in high school. • Spanning the last six games, Uros Plavsic is shooting 13 for 14 from the field (.929). • As injuries have limited Tennessee’s depth this month, true freshman guard B.J. Edwards has seen meaningful minutes in recent games vs. Missouri, at Kentucky, at Texas A&M and vs. South Carolina. • Over the last six games, the Vols are shooting an uncharacteristic .658 from the free-throw line (75 of 114). While UT has shot 114 free throws, its opponents have shot 135 and made 95.
VOLS RESILIENT THROUGH INJURIES • Tennessee has dealt with a barrage of injuries in recent weeks, and the team’s 4-5 record in the month of February reflects that. • Three key players have combined to miss 10 games this month, as Josiah-Jordan James (ankle) missed four, Julian Phillips (hip) missed four and Tyreke Key (ankle) has missed two. • That trio has 48 starts between them this season and all rank among the team’s top six scorers. • Now, Zakai Zeigler is out for the postseason push.
SCORING DEFENSE AMONG UT’s BEST • Tennessee’s scoring defense of 56.7 ppg this season is tracking to be among the best in program history.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Riding an eight-game winning streak, No. 2/3 Tennessee baseball looks to keep it going with another weekend series on Rocky Top, hosting Gonzaga for a three-game set on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Volunteers (8-2) have been on fire at the plate thus far during the homestand, recording double-digit hits in five of the seven games. That offensive charge continues to be spearheaded by Blake Burke who has homered in Tennessee’s last three games and leads the team in hits, average and runs batted in.
The pitching staff has been equally as locked in all season, combining for a 1.27 team ERA, a 0.74 team WHIP and a .148 team batting average against. The weekend rotation of Chase Dollander, Chase Burns and Drew Beam each hold individual WHIPs under 1.00 and have allowed 7 combined earned runs in 32.2 total innings of work.
TICKET INFORMATION
Limited tickets for the weekend series are available on a first come, first serve basis at the ticket booth two hours prior to first pitch.
BROADCAST INFO
All three games of the weekend series will stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock (PxP) on the call Friday night and Roger Hoover (PxP) in the booth Saturday and Sunday. Cody Hawn will serve as the analyst for all three games. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, and Vince Ferrara call the action for all three games on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) or via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 1-0 in Knoxville: 0-0 in Spokane: 0-0 at Neutral Sites: 1-0 Last Meeting: W, 3-1 (March 13, 1992, in Seattle, Washington)
NOTABLE
BURKE POWERING THE OFFENSE EARLY ON Sophomore slugger Blake Burke is off to a red-hot start this season, leading the team in batting average (.417), OPS (1.434), hits (15), home runs (6), RBIs (16), total bases (35) and slugging percentage (.972). Burke’s six homers rank third nationally and second in the SEC behind Florida’s Jac Caglianone (8). His 16 RBIs are tied for 13th in the nation, as well.
During this week’s two midweek contests against Charleston Southern, Burke totaled five hits, including a pair of home runs, and drove in nine of the team’s 14 runs.
After blasting 14 homers in just 95 at-bats as a freshman in 2022, Burke is already up to 20 big flies in his Tennessee career as just a sophomore and is currently averaging a home run every 6.7 at-bats for his career.
THE LNS EFFECT Tennessee has been extremely tough to beat at home over the past two-plus years thanks in large part to having one of the best home field advantages in college baseball. The Vols are 88-16 when playing at Lindsey Nelson Stadium since the start of the 2020 season and continue to set attendance records along the way.
UT sold out 29 of its 45 home games last season and set new program records for total (181,517) and average attendance (4,221). The Big Orange has sold out four of their seven home games already this season and has posted an attendance of over 4,000 in all seven of those contests.
PITCHING PROWESS ON FULL DISPLAY Tennessee’s pitching staff has been the driving force behind the team’s early-season success. The Vols enter this weekend’s series vs. Gonzaga leading the country in ERA (1.27), WHIP (0.74), shutouts (three) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.45) while also ranking fourth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.57).
UT has not allowed more than three earned runs in any game this season and has posted eight straight games allowing two of fewer runs scored. The Big Orange held Dayton to just three runs on nine combined hits over three games last weekend.
Tennessee plays host to Boston College for a midweek on Tuesday, March 7 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The game will mark the Vols’ first midweek against a Power Five opponent since April 16, 2013, when they played Virginia Tech in the Hokie-Smokey Classic in Greenville, Tennessee. It will be the first midweek game against a major conference opponent played on Rocky Top since March 11, 2009, when UT hosted Louisville.
Tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased at AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Riding an eight-game winning streak, No. 2/3 Tennessee baseball looks to keep it going with another weekend series on Rocky Top, hosting Gonzaga for a three-game set on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Volunteers (8-2) have been on fire at the plate thus far during the homestand, recording double-digit hits in five of the seven games. That offensive charge continues to be spearheaded by Blake Burke who has homered in Tennessee’s last three games and leads the team in hits, average and runs batted in.
The pitching staff has been equally as locked in all season, combining for a 1.27 team ERA, a 0.74 team WHIP and a .148 team batting average against. The weekend rotation of Chase Dollander, Chase Burns and Drew Beam each hold individual WHIPs under 1.00 and have allowed 7 combined earned runs in 32.2 total innings of work.
TICKET INFORMATION
Limited tickets for the weekend series are available on a first come, first serve basis at the ticket booth two hours prior to first pitch.
BROADCAST INFO
All three games of the weekend series will stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock (PxP) on the call Friday night and Roger Hoover (PxP) in the booth Saturday and Sunday. Cody Hawn will serve as the analyst for all three games. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, and Vince Ferrara call the action for all three games on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) or via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 1-0 in Knoxville: 0-0 in Spokane: 0-0 at Neutral Sites: 1-0 Last Meeting: W, 3-1 (March 13, 1992, in Seattle, Washington)
NOTABLE
BURKE POWERING THE OFFENSE EARLY ON Sophomore slugger Blake Burke is off to a red-hot start this season, leading the team in batting average (.417), OPS (1.434), hits (15), home runs (6), RBIs (16), total bases (35) and slugging percentage (.972). Burke’s six homers rank third nationally and second in the SEC behind Florida’s Jac Caglianone (8). His 16 RBIs are tied for 13th in the nation, as well.
During this week’s two midweek contests against Charleston Southern, Burke totaled five hits, including a pair of home runs, and drove in nine of the team’s 14 runs.
After blasting 14 homers in just 95 at-bats as a freshman in 2022, Burke is already up to 20 big flies in his Tennessee career as just a sophomore and is currently averaging a home run every 6.7 at-bats for his career.
THE LNS EFFECT Tennessee has been extremely tough to beat at home over the past two-plus years thanks in large part to having one of the best home field advantages in college baseball. The Vols are 88-16 when playing at Lindsey Nelson Stadium since the start of the 2020 season and continue to set attendance records along the way.
UT sold out 29 of its 45 home games last season and set new program records for total (181,517) and average attendance (4,221). The Big Orange has sold out four of their seven home games already this season and has posted an attendance of over 4,000 in all seven of those contests.
PITCHING PROWESS ON FULL DISPLAY Tennessee’s pitching staff has been the driving force behind the team’s early-season success. The Vols enter this weekend’s series vs. Gonzaga leading the country in ERA (1.27), WHIP (0.74), shutouts (three) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.45) while also ranking fourth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.57).
UT has not allowed more than three earned runs in any game this season and has posted eight straight games allowing two of fewer runs scored. The Big Orange held Dayton to just three runs on nine combined hits over three games last weekend.
Tennessee plays host to Boston College for a midweek on Tuesday, March 7 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The game will mark the Vols’ first midweek against a Power Five opponent since April 16, 2013, when they played Virginia Tech in the Hokie-Smokey Classic in Greenville, Tennessee. It will be the first midweek game against a major conference opponent played on Rocky Top since March 11, 2009, when UT hosted Louisville.
Tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased at AllVols.com.
