Hendon Hooker Earns Vols’ Highest Heisman Trophy Finish In 25 Years

Hendon Hooker Earns Vols’ Highest Heisman Trophy Finish In 25 Years

Posted on December 10, 2022

NEW YORK – He rewrote the Tennessee record books, changed the trajectory of the program and was the catalyst for a memorable Third Saturday of October 2022. On Saturday night, quarterback Hendon Hooker added to his legacy with the highest Heisman Trophy finish by a Volunteer in 25 years with fifth place.

Hooker, who earned 17 first-place votes, recorded 226 points in the final vote. He also was the recipient of the Nissan fan vote. USC’s Caleb Williams (2,031) captured the award followed in order by TCU’s Max Duggan (1,420), Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (539) and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett (349).

Hooker is Tennessee’s highest finisher since Peyton Manning took runner-up honors in 1997. Hooker is the sixth player in Vol history to secure a top-five finish. The others include: George Cafego (4th – 1939), Hank Lauricella (2nd – 1951), Johnny Majors (2nd – 1956), Heath Shuler (2nd – 1993) and Manning.

Hooker, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, was the captain of the nation’s No. 1 offense in leading the Vols to their first 10-win regular season since 2003. He accounted for 3,565 yards of total offense and 32 touchdowns this season. He was the only player in the nation with 25 or more touchdown passes and two or fewer interceptions.

The SEC Offensive Player of the Year as selected by the league’s coaches and Associated Press, Hooker led the conference in total offense (324.1), passing efficiency (175.51), completion percentage (69.6), points responsible for per game (17.6) and yards per pass attempt (9.53). He led the nation in yards per attempt and was second nationally in passing efficiency.

Tennessee Heisman Trophy Finishes
1938: George Cafego—Tailback (7th, 55 votes)
1939: George Cafego—Tailback (4th, 296 votes)
1940: Bob Suffridge—Guard (6th)
1951: Hank Lauricella—Tailback (2nd, 424 votes)
1956: Johnny Majors—Tailback (2nd, 994 votes)
1964: Steve DeLong—Middle Guard (8th, 176 votes)
1967: Bob Johnson—Center (6th, 76 votes)
1967: Dewey Warren—Quarterback (8th, 56 votes)
1969: Steve Kiner—Linebacker (9th, 109 votes)
1973: Condredge Holloway—Quarterback (14th, 98 votes)
1976: Larry Seivers—Wide Receiver (12th)
1993: Heath Shuler—Quarterback (2nd, 688 votes)
1995: Peyton Manning—Quarterback (6th, 109 votes)
1996: Peyton Manning—Quarterback (8th, 81 votes)
1997: Peyton Manning—Quarterback (2nd, 1543 votes)
2022: Hendon Hooker—Quarterback (5th, 226 points)

-UT Athletics

Vols QB Hendon Hooker / Credit: UT Athletics
Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wright State

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wright State

Posted on December 10, 2022

Tennessee (5-5) will try to surpass the .500 winning percentage mark for the first time this season on Sunday, as Wright State (1-7; 0-2 Horizon League) comes to Knoxville for a 2:02 p.m. ET matinee at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The contest marks the Lady Vols’ fifth of a six-game home stand and a stretch of nine out of 11 on The Summitt between Nov. 25 and Jan. 5.  Coach Kellie Harper‘s squad enters having won three of its last four contests, taking down Chattanooga by a 69-39 count Tuesday evening on the UT campus.

Tennessee played that game without two starters and a key reserve, as senior forward Rickea Jackson remained out due to coach’s decision, graduate forward Jasmine Franklin was inactive for her second game while in concussion protocol and senior center Tamari Key missed the first game ever in her career for what was later announced as the discovery of blood clots in her lungs after additional testing on Tuesday. She has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign.

Wright State arrives on Rocky Top as part of a two-game road swing. The Raiders were in Huntington, W.Va., on Friday night, where they suffered a 72-47 defeat at the hands of the Marshall Thundering Herd. WSU enters Sunday’s tilt with an 0-5 record in road games this season.

This will mark the first-ever meeting between these schools in women’s basketball.

Game Promotions

  • December Deal 4-Game Pack: Get two tickets to Lady Vol Hoops vs Chattanooga, Wright State, UCF and Wofford, plus two $10 concessions vouchers to each game. 
  • Weekend Family 4 Pack: Get four tickets & four $10 concessions vouchers starting at $72 (plus tax/fees).
  • Tickets are available at AllVols.com.

Broadcast Information

  • The game will be streamed on SECN+, with Michael Wottreng (PxP), Kamera Harris (Analyst) and Sarah Detwiler (Reporter) on the broadcast.
  • All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
  • The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice on the call and Andy Brock serving as studio host. 
  • A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
  • For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
  • Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
  • The Lady Vol Network broadcast also can be heard on satellite radio via SiriusXM channels 103 or 191, and via channel 962 on the SXM App.

Lady Vol Trending Topics

  • Over the past four games, Tennessee has a +19.8 scoring margin over foes, defeating them by an average score of 74.8 to 55.0.
  • During that stretch, the Lady Vols have out-shot foes 45.7 to 33.6 percent and out-rebounded them by a 46.0 to 30.5 count, which is +15.5 for the Big Orange.
  • Jordan Horston has been sensational during that four-game window of the season, averaging 19.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 55.4 percent from the field, 54.5 percent on three-pointers and 90 percent (9-10) from the charity stripe.
  • Jillian Hollingshead has played her best basketball of the season during that four-game stint, as well, producing 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting an impressive 68.4 percent from the field (13-19).
  • The Lady Vols have trimmed their opponents’ points per game average to a season-low 65.8 after holding foes to 51, 71, 59 and 39 over the past four outings after UT had allowed 77.0 ppg. to opponents over the first three games of the season.
  • Tennessee has held foes to single digits in six separate quarters over the past five games, including vs. four different opponents.
  • The Lady Vols had a run of three straight quarters where they held opponents below 10 in the final quarter vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (8) and the first two frames vs. Chattanooga (8, 7).
  • UT limited Tech to eight fourth-quarter points, 25 second-half points and 36 over the final three quarters, marking the lowest totals by a foe all season in those time frames until lowering the second-half number to 24 and the final three stanzas to 31 vs. Chattanooga.
  • Over the past four games, Tennessee has limited its foes to shooting 36 percent or lower.
  • The Lady Vols have held six of their past seven opponents under 40 percent shooting, with UCLA’s 43.5 effort serving as the exception.
  • Tennessee has forced an average of 17.4 turnovers per contest this season.
  • Through three contests, UT was barely out-rebounding opponents (39.3-38.0). They’ve now opened that margin up to +8.2 (41.8-33.6) after out-boarding Chattanoooga even without three of UT’s top four rebounders (Franklin, Jackson, Key), 38-27, on Tuesday.
  • Tennessee has improved to No. 43 nationally in rebound margin with that number.
  • Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson have both scored in double figures the past seven games they’ve played, with Jackson hitting for 10+ in every game but the first and Horston having done so in each game she played except for the UMass contest in which she was knocked out by an injury in the second quarter.
  • Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson have combined for six 20+ scoring games. Horston filled the nets with 20+ vs. Ohio State in the opener (20) and vs. Colorado (23) and Virginia Tech (26). Jackson has carded three 20+ scoring games, including 26 vs. Rutgers, 24 vs. UMass and 20 vs. Colorado.
  • Tennessee has had six different leading rebounders over the first 10 contests, including Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell, Marta Suárez, Jasmine Franklin and Jillian Hollingshead.
  • After averaging 20.8 turnovers over the first four games of the season, UT cut that number to 15.2 over the last six contests, including a season-low 12 vs. Eastern Kentucky and 13 vs. Chattanooga.

What’s Next?

  • The Lady Vols wrap up their six-game home stand on Weds., Dec. 14, as they welcome UCF to The Summitt for a 6:30 p.m. ET contest (SECN+).
  • Fans can take advantage of the Weekday Family 4 Pack Deal, with four tickets & four $10 concessions vouchers starting at $48 (plus tax/fees). 
  • Following the UCF game, Tennessee will head west to play at Stanford on Sun., Dec. 18 (3 p.m. ET/ABC), before a final pre-conference home match-up with Wofford on Tues., Dec. 27 (SECN+).

Home, Sweet Home

  • This is the 36th season that the Tennessee women’s and men’s basketball teams have called Thompson-Boling Arena home, and the Lady Vols own a remarkable 496-54 record (.902) in the mammoth venue.
  • The Lady Vols have built a combined 649-78 (.893) home mark in contests played at Thompson-Boling Arena, Stokely Athletics Center and Alumni Gym.
  • Kellie Harper is 44-9 overall, 25-5 vs. non-conference foes and 19-4 in SEC play in games played on The Summitt through the Chattanooga game.
  • Tennessee ranked No. 8 nationally in average home attendance through 18 contests a year ago at 7,477 and is currently averaging 7,540 to rank sixth.

Looking Back At The Chattanooga Game

  • The Tennessee Lady Vols got contributions throughout the lineup Tuesday night en route to a dominant 69-39 victory over UTC at Thompson-Boling Arena.
  • After posting perhaps its best effort of the season in a three-point loss to No. 9 Virginia Tech on Sunday, UT took more steps forward in the midweek contest vs. a long-time in-state rival. The Big Orange (5-5) dominated in nearly every facet of the game, capitalizing on opportunities when presented with them. 
  • The Lady Vols, despite playing without seniors Tamari Key, Jasmine Franklin and Rickea Jackson, outscored Chattanooga (6-5) by an 18-0 count in fast-break points and turned 21 UTC turnovers into 19 points while surrendering only four.
  • Of the 12 players to take the floor for the Lady Vols, 11 scored and the wealth was spread throughout the squad. Senior guard Jordan Horston led all scorers in the game, dropping 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and sinking both tries from beyond the arc. Horston also added two blocks and two steals in the contest.
  • Senior guard Jasmine Powell cleaned up the glass and secured six boards, all on the defensive end. She was followed closely by Jillian Hollingshead, who collected five rebounds go along with nine points.

Collegiate First

  • Sophomore Karoline Striplin made her first career start against Chattanooga and immediately made an impact, scoring UT’s first points of the game and leading the team in scoring at the half with seven points.
  • She finished with a 3-of-7 night from the field, including 1-of-2 shooting behind the arc, and tallied three rebounds, an assist, steal and block in 20 minutes.

Lockdown Defense

  • Tennessee limited Chattanooga to just eight first-quarter points, the fewest points scored by any Lady Vol opponent in an opening period this season. 
  • It was the first time the Mocs had been held below 10 points in a first quarter and just the third time they’d posted single-digit scoring in any quarter during the 2022 campaign.  

Defense Creates Offense

  • The Lady Vols forced 21 turnovers against UTC and turned those into 19 points. 
  • That was the second-highest number of turnovers UT has forced this season, only trailing Colorado’s 25 turnovers.

Balanced Attack

  • Eleven of UT’s 12 active players made it onto the score sheet against the Mocs, with seven Lady Vols tallying five or more points and nine grabbing three or more rebounds.  

Money From The Stripe

  • Junior Tess Darby has hit a pair of free throws in each of the last two games, keeping her career total a perfect 100 percent on 14-of-14 from the free-throw line. 

Specialty Stats Bests

  • Tennessee held Chattanooga to opponent season lows in three specialty stats categories.  
  • The Mocs generated only four points off turnovers, five second-chance points and none via fast breaks. 

A Look At The Raiders

  • Wright State is located in Dayton, Ohio, and is a member of the Horizon League.
  • The school is named for American aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright.
  • The Raiders are off to a tough 1-7 start, with their only victory a 98-37 home romp over Ohio Christian on Nov. 17. 
  • A common opponent is Ohio State, which handled Wright State by a 102-72 count in Columbus on Nov. 23. UT fell in the season opener to the Buckeyes by a score of 87-75 on Nov. 8.
  • WSU is giving up 80.5 points per game and scoring only 62.6 for a deficit of -17.9 points per contest.
  • Bryce Nixon is Wright State’s sole player scoring in double figures, putting up 10.5 ppg.
  • Nixon is hitting 46.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
  • The Raiders are coached by second-year skipper Kari Hoffman, who is 5-26 at WSU and 111-64 after a successful five-year run at nearby Cedarville University where she was 106-38.

Wright State’s Last Game

  • Wright State got outscored 25-12 in the first quarter and went on to fall to Marshall, 72-47, on Friday night at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W.Va. 
  • Bryce Nixon led the Raiders (1-7, 0-2 HL) in the loss with 10 points — all in the first half — to go along with two rebounds and two assists.
  • Isabelle Bolender scored nine points, while Makiya Miller totaled eight points, three assists, and two rebounds in her second collegiate start. Cara VanKempen chipped in with four points, a team-high four rebounds, and three assists. 
  • WSU was held to a 32 percent (19-of-59) shooting percentage, which included a season-low five 3-pointers on 27 attempts. 
  • The Raiders were limited to 13 or fewer points in all four quarters of the non-conference matchup vs. the Thundering Herd (5-3).

UT/WSU Notes

  • This will mark the first-ever meeting between Wright State and Tennessee. 
  • Sunday’s clash will mark the second time a Kellie Harper-helmed unit has faced the Raiders.
  • When Harper was at Western Carolina, the Catamounts dropped a 65-63 decision to Wright State in regular-season tournament action on Nov. 27, 2005. 
  • WSU last played in the state of Tennessee at the Nashville Tournament during the 2018-19 season, according to the school’s game notes.
  • The Raiders went 3-0 in the tourney with wins over Hofstra (93-64), Stetson (57-44), and Marist (76-60). 
  • Tennessee is 5-0 vs. teams currently in the Horizon League, including 2-0 vs. Green Bay, 1-0 vs. Oakland and 2-0 vs. Youngstown State.
  • The Lady Vols’ most recent contest vs. a program from that conference came on March 18, 2016, in the NCAA First Round, when UT defeated Green Bay, 59-53, at Wells Fargo Arena, in Tempe, Arizona.

-UT Athletics

lady Vols Hoops / Credit: UT Athletics
Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wright State

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wright State

Posted on December 10, 2022

Tennessee (5-5) will try to surpass the .500 winning percentage mark for the first time this season on Sunday, as Wright State (1-7; 0-2 Horizon League) comes to Knoxville for a 2:02 p.m. ET matinee at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The contest marks the Lady Vols’ fifth of a six-game home stand and a stretch of nine out of 11 on The Summitt between Nov. 25 and Jan. 5.  Coach Kellie Harper‘s squad enters having won three of its last four contests, taking down Chattanooga by a 69-39 count Tuesday evening on the UT campus.

Tennessee played that game without two starters and a key reserve, as senior forward Rickea Jackson remained out due to coach’s decision, graduate forward Jasmine Franklin was inactive for her second game while in concussion protocol and senior center Tamari Key missed the first game ever in her career for what was later announced as the discovery of blood clots in her lungs after additional testing on Tuesday. She has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign.

Wright State arrives on Rocky Top as part of a two-game road swing. The Raiders were in Huntington, W.Va., on Friday night, where they suffered a 72-47 defeat at the hands of the Marshall Thundering Herd. WSU enters Sunday’s tilt with an 0-5 record in road games this season.

This will mark the first-ever meeting between these schools in women’s basketball.

Game Promotions

  • December Deal 4-Game Pack: Get two tickets to Lady Vol Hoops vs Chattanooga, Wright State, UCF and Wofford, plus two $10 concessions vouchers to each game. 
  • Weekend Family 4 Pack: Get four tickets & four $10 concessions vouchers starting at $72 (plus tax/fees).
  • Tickets are available at AllVols.com.

Broadcast Information

  • The game will be streamed on SECN+, with Michael Wottreng (PxP), Kamera Harris (Analyst) and Sarah Detwiler (Reporter) on the broadcast.
  • All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
  • The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice on the call and Andy Brock serving as studio host. 
  • A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
  • For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
  • Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
  • The Lady Vol Network broadcast also can be heard on satellite radio via SiriusXM channels 103 or 191, and via channel 962 on the SXM App.

Lady Vol Trending Topics

  • Over the past four games, Tennessee has a +19.8 scoring margin over foes, defeating them by an average score of 74.8 to 55.0.
  • During that stretch, the Lady Vols have out-shot foes 45.7 to 33.6 percent and out-rebounded them by a 46.0 to 30.5 count, which is +15.5 for the Big Orange.
  • Jordan Horston has been sensational during that four-game window of the season, averaging 19.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 55.4 percent from the field, 54.5 percent on three-pointers and 90 percent (9-10) from the charity stripe.
  • Jillian Hollingshead has played her best basketball of the season during that four-game stint, as well, producing 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting an impressive 68.4 percent from the field (13-19).
  • The Lady Vols have trimmed their opponents’ points per game average to a season-low 65.8 after holding foes to 51, 71, 59 and 39 over the past four outings after UT had allowed 77.0 ppg. to opponents over the first three games of the season.
  • Tennessee has held foes to single digits in six separate quarters over the past five games, including vs. four different opponents.
  • The Lady Vols had a run of three straight quarters where they held opponents below 10 in the final quarter vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (8) and the first two frames vs. Chattanooga (8, 7).
  • UT limited Tech to eight fourth-quarter points, 25 second-half points and 36 over the final three quarters, marking the lowest totals by a foe all season in those time frames until lowering the second-half number to 24 and the final three stanzas to 31 vs. Chattanooga.
  • Over the past four games, Tennessee has limited its foes to shooting 36 percent or lower.
  • The Lady Vols have held six of their past seven opponents under 40 percent shooting, with UCLA’s 43.5 effort serving as the exception.
  • Tennessee has forced an average of 17.4 turnovers per contest this season.
  • Through three contests, UT was barely out-rebounding opponents (39.3-38.0). They’ve now opened that margin up to +8.2 (41.8-33.6) after out-boarding Chattanoooga even without three of UT’s top four rebounders (Franklin, Jackson, Key), 38-27, on Tuesday.
  • Tennessee has improved to No. 43 nationally in rebound margin with that number.
  • Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson have both scored in double figures the past seven games they’ve played, with Jackson hitting for 10+ in every game but the first and Horston having done so in each game she played except for the UMass contest in which she was knocked out by an injury in the second quarter.
  • Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson have combined for six 20+ scoring games. Horston filled the nets with 20+ vs. Ohio State in the opener (20) and vs. Colorado (23) and Virginia Tech (26). Jackson has carded three 20+ scoring games, including 26 vs. Rutgers, 24 vs. UMass and 20 vs. Colorado.
  • Tennessee has had six different leading rebounders over the first 10 contests, including Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell, Marta Suárez, Jasmine Franklin and Jillian Hollingshead.
  • After averaging 20.8 turnovers over the first four games of the season, UT cut that number to 15.2 over the last six contests, including a season-low 12 vs. Eastern Kentucky and 13 vs. Chattanooga.

What’s Next?

  • The Lady Vols wrap up their six-game home stand on Weds., Dec. 14, as they welcome UCF to The Summitt for a 6:30 p.m. ET contest (SECN+).
  • Fans can take advantage of the Weekday Family 4 Pack Deal, with four tickets & four $10 concessions vouchers starting at $48 (plus tax/fees). 
  • Following the UCF game, Tennessee will head west to play at Stanford on Sun., Dec. 18 (3 p.m. ET/ABC), before a final pre-conference home match-up with Wofford on Tues., Dec. 27 (SECN+).

Home, Sweet Home

  • This is the 36th season that the Tennessee women’s and men’s basketball teams have called Thompson-Boling Arena home, and the Lady Vols own a remarkable 496-54 record (.902) in the mammoth venue.
  • The Lady Vols have built a combined 649-78 (.893) home mark in contests played at Thompson-Boling Arena, Stokely Athletics Center and Alumni Gym.
  • Kellie Harper is 44-9 overall, 25-5 vs. non-conference foes and 19-4 in SEC play in games played on The Summitt through the Chattanooga game.
  • Tennessee ranked No. 8 nationally in average home attendance through 18 contests a year ago at 7,477 and is currently averaging 7,540 to rank sixth.

Looking Back At The Chattanooga Game

  • The Tennessee Lady Vols got contributions throughout the lineup Tuesday night en route to a dominant 69-39 victory over UTC at Thompson-Boling Arena.
  • After posting perhaps its best effort of the season in a three-point loss to No. 9 Virginia Tech on Sunday, UT took more steps forward in the midweek contest vs. a long-time in-state rival. The Big Orange (5-5) dominated in nearly every facet of the game, capitalizing on opportunities when presented with them. 
  • The Lady Vols, despite playing without seniors Tamari Key, Jasmine Franklin and Rickea Jackson, outscored Chattanooga (6-5) by an 18-0 count in fast-break points and turned 21 UTC turnovers into 19 points while surrendering only four.
  • Of the 12 players to take the floor for the Lady Vols, 11 scored and the wealth was spread throughout the squad. Senior guard Jordan Horston led all scorers in the game, dropping 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and sinking both tries from beyond the arc. Horston also added two blocks and two steals in the contest.
  • Senior guard Jasmine Powell cleaned up the glass and secured six boards, all on the defensive end. She was followed closely by Jillian Hollingshead, who collected five rebounds go along with nine points.

Collegiate First

  • Sophomore Karoline Striplin made her first career start against Chattanooga and immediately made an impact, scoring UT’s first points of the game and leading the team in scoring at the half with seven points.
  • She finished with a 3-of-7 night from the field, including 1-of-2 shooting behind the arc, and tallied three rebounds, an assist, steal and block in 20 minutes.

Lockdown Defense

  • Tennessee limited Chattanooga to just eight first-quarter points, the fewest points scored by any Lady Vol opponent in an opening period this season. 
  • It was the first time the Mocs had been held below 10 points in a first quarter and just the third time they’d posted single-digit scoring in any quarter during the 2022 campaign.  

Defense Creates Offense

  • The Lady Vols forced 21 turnovers against UTC and turned those into 19 points. 
  • That was the second-highest number of turnovers UT has forced this season, only trailing Colorado’s 25 turnovers.

Balanced Attack

  • Eleven of UT’s 12 active players made it onto the score sheet against the Mocs, with seven Lady Vols tallying five or more points and nine grabbing three or more rebounds.  

Money From The Stripe

  • Junior Tess Darby has hit a pair of free throws in each of the last two games, keeping her career total a perfect 100 percent on 14-of-14 from the free-throw line. 

Specialty Stats Bests

  • Tennessee held Chattanooga to opponent season lows in three specialty stats categories.  
  • The Mocs generated only four points off turnovers, five second-chance points and none via fast breaks. 

A Look At The Raiders

  • Wright State is located in Dayton, Ohio, and is a member of the Horizon League.
  • The school is named for American aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright.
  • The Raiders are off to a tough 1-7 start, with their only victory a 98-37 home romp over Ohio Christian on Nov. 17. 
  • A common opponent is Ohio State, which handled Wright State by a 102-72 count in Columbus on Nov. 23. UT fell in the season opener to the Buckeyes by a score of 87-75 on Nov. 8.
  • WSU is giving up 80.5 points per game and scoring only 62.6 for a deficit of -17.9 points per contest.
  • Bryce Nixon is Wright State’s sole player scoring in double figures, putting up 10.5 ppg.
  • Nixon is hitting 46.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
  • The Raiders are coached by second-year skipper Kari Hoffman, who is 5-26 at WSU and 111-64 after a successful five-year run at nearby Cedarville University where she was 106-38.

Wright State’s Last Game

  • Wright State got outscored 25-12 in the first quarter and went on to fall to Marshall, 72-47, on Friday night at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W.Va. 
  • Bryce Nixon led the Raiders (1-7, 0-2 HL) in the loss with 10 points — all in the first half — to go along with two rebounds and two assists.
  • Isabelle Bolender scored nine points, while Makiya Miller totaled eight points, three assists, and two rebounds in her second collegiate start. Cara VanKempen chipped in with four points, a team-high four rebounds, and three assists. 
  • WSU was held to a 32 percent (19-of-59) shooting percentage, which included a season-low five 3-pointers on 27 attempts. 
  • The Raiders were limited to 13 or fewer points in all four quarters of the non-conference matchup vs. the Thundering Herd (5-3).

UT/WSU Notes

  • This will mark the first-ever meeting between Wright State and Tennessee. 
  • Sunday’s clash will mark the second time a Kellie Harper-helmed unit has faced the Raiders.
  • When Harper was at Western Carolina, the Catamounts dropped a 65-63 decision to Wright State in regular-season tournament action on Nov. 27, 2005. 
  • WSU last played in the state of Tennessee at the Nashville Tournament during the 2018-19 season, according to the school’s game notes.
  • The Raiders went 3-0 in the tourney with wins over Hofstra (93-64), Stetson (57-44), and Marist (76-60). 
  • Tennessee is 5-0 vs. teams currently in the Horizon League, including 2-0 vs. Green Bay, 1-0 vs. Oakland and 2-0 vs. Youngstown State.
  • The Lady Vols’ most recent contest vs. a program from that conference came on March 18, 2016, in the NCAA First Round, when UT defeated Green Bay, 59-53, at Wells Fargo Arena, in Tempe, Arizona.

-UT Athletics

lady Vols Hoops / Credit: UT Athletics
Hyatt Picks Up FWAA First Team All-America Acclaim

Hyatt Picks Up FWAA First Team All-America Acclaim

Posted on December 10, 2022

DALLAS – After becoming the first Biletnikoff Award winner in program history, Tennessee football wide receiver Jalin Hyatt reeled in Football Writers Association of America First Team All-America honors Friday afternoon.

The recognition marks Hyatt’s second major All-America honor after being named a Walter Camp First Team All-American on Thursday, shortly after his name was called for the Biletnikoff. He is the first Vol to earn first-team All-America accolades from the FWAA since defensive back Eric Berry in 2009 and UT’s first player to earn first-team honors from multiple organizations since Derek Barnett in 2016.

ADVERTISINGThe junior from Irmo, South Carolina, dazzled all year long, finishing the year with five games where he recorded over 100 yards receiving. Similarly, he logged five games with multiple touchdown receptions and had a four-game stretch from LSU to Kentucky where he racked up 11 touchdown scores, a mark that would have ranked tied for fourth in program history had he played no games beyond those four.

For the season, Hyatt amassed 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. He set a single-game record for touchdown receptions with five against then-No. 3 Alabama and the 15 total receiving scores are a single-season program record. His game against the Crimson Tide also saw the speedy receiver rack up 207 yards, the sixth-most in a game in school history, on just six catches, an average of 34.5 yards per reception.

At the close of the regular season, Hyatt ranks second in school history in single-season yards, just 31 behind Robert Meachem’s 1,298-mark set in 2006. He earned the triple crown in the SEC by leading the league in all three major categories (receptions, yards, touchdowns), and demonstrated his explosive nature time and time again, leading the country in catches of 30 or more yards (15), 40 or more yards (11), 50 or more yards (7) and 60 or more yards (5).

The full FWAA All-America Teams can be found below, as well as a list of all postseason honors earned by Vols this year.

Football Writers Association of America All-America Teams

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL Steve Avila, TCU
OL Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
OL John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
DL Calijah Kancey, Pitt
DL Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DL Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
LB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
DB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
DB Clark Phillips III, Utah
DB Chris Smith, Georgia
DB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Christopher Dunn, N.C. State
P Tory Taylor, Iowa
KR Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State
PR Derius Davis, TCU
AP Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE:
QB Max Duggan, TCU
RB Israel Abanikanda, Pitt
RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
WR Josh Downs, North Carolina
WR Rashee Rice, SMU
TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame
OL Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
OL O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
OL Andrew Vorhees, USC
C Alex Forsyth, Oregon

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE:
DL Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
DL Tyler Davis, Clemson
DL Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
DL Mike Morris, Michigan
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
DB Erick Hallett II, Pitt
DB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
DB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
DB John Torchio, Wisconsin

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS:
K Joshua Karty, Stanford
P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
KR Milan Tucker, App State
PR Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
AP Chase Brown, Illinois

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
All-America Second Team – CBSSports.com/247Sports
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – AP, Coaches, USA Today
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – Walter Camp, FWAA, The Athletic, CBSSports.com/247Sports
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

KNOXVILLE, TN – October 22, 2022 – Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the UT-Martin Skyhawks and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Avery Bane/Tennessee Athletics
Hyatt Garners First Team All-America Honors from Walter Camp

Hyatt Garners First Team All-America Honors from Walter Camp

Posted on December 10, 2022

Walter Camp All-America Teams

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt continued to rack up the honors on Thursday night, garnering Walter Camp First Team All-America recognition as announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.  

Hyatt was also named the winner of the Biletnikoff Award during the show, which annually recognizes college football’s most outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award.

ADVERTISINGThe junior wideout had a breakout season for the Volunteers, achieving the SEC receiving triple crown—leading the league in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,267) and receiving touchdowns (15). His 15 scores also lead the FBS, while his 1,267 yards rank fourth nationally and are 31 shy of tying the program record set by Robert Meachem in 2006. Hyatt was recently named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, as well.

Hyatt is the first Tennessee player to earn first-team All-America honors at any position since defensive end Derek Barnett in 2016, who earned recognition from Walter Camp and the Associated Press that year. The Irmo, South Carolina, native is UT’s sixth first-team All-America wide receiver, joining the likes of Robert Meachem (2006), Carl Pickens (1991), Tim McGee (1985), Willie Gault (1982) and Larry Seivers (1975, 76).

Hyatt’s impressive season included five games with over 100 yards receiving – including four of his last seven games – and five games with multiple touchdown receptions. He became the first player in program history to ever record multiple touchdown catches in four straight games in a single season, doing so in a stretch of wins against LSU, Alabama, UT Martin and Kentucky. Hyatt’s legendary performance in the Vol’s victory over No. 3 Alabama will forever be etched in Tennessee football lore as he finished with six catches for 207 yards while setting a program record and tying the SEC record with five touchdown receptions.

This year marks the 133rd edition of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation’s oldest college football All-America team. The teams were selected by the 131 FBS head coaches and sports information directors.

The full 2022 Walter Camp All-America teams can be found HERE and a complete list of Tennessee’s postseason honors can be seen below.

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – AP
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – Walter Camp
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches 

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches 

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN – November 12, 2022 – Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Hyatt Garners First Team All-America Honors from Walter Camp

Hyatt Garners First Team All-America Honors from Walter Camp

Posted on December 10, 2022

Walter Camp All-America Teams

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt continued to rack up the honors on Thursday night, garnering Walter Camp First Team All-America recognition as announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.  

Hyatt was also named the winner of the Biletnikoff Award during the show, which annually recognizes college football’s most outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award.

ADVERTISINGThe junior wideout had a breakout season for the Volunteers, achieving the SEC receiving triple crown—leading the league in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,267) and receiving touchdowns (15). His 15 scores also lead the FBS, while his 1,267 yards rank fourth nationally and are 31 shy of tying the program record set by Robert Meachem in 2006. Hyatt was recently named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, as well.

Hyatt is the first Tennessee player to earn first-team All-America honors at any position since defensive end Derek Barnett in 2016, who earned recognition from Walter Camp and the Associated Press that year. The Irmo, South Carolina, native is UT’s sixth first-team All-America wide receiver, joining the likes of Robert Meachem (2006), Carl Pickens (1991), Tim McGee (1985), Willie Gault (1982) and Larry Seivers (1975, 76).

Hyatt’s impressive season included five games with over 100 yards receiving – including four of his last seven games – and five games with multiple touchdown receptions. He became the first player in program history to ever record multiple touchdown catches in four straight games in a single season, doing so in a stretch of wins against LSU, Alabama, UT Martin and Kentucky. Hyatt’s legendary performance in the Vol’s victory over No. 3 Alabama will forever be etched in Tennessee football lore as he finished with six catches for 207 yards while setting a program record and tying the SEC record with five touchdown receptions.

This year marks the 133rd edition of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation’s oldest college football All-America team. The teams were selected by the 131 FBS head coaches and sports information directors.

The full 2022 Walter Camp All-America teams can be found HERE and a complete list of Tennessee’s postseason honors can be seen below.

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – AP
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – Walter Camp
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches 

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches 

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN – November 12, 2022 – Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Hoops Preview: #7 Tennessee vs. #13 Maryland

Hoops Preview: #7 Tennessee vs. #13 Maryland

Posted on December 10, 2022

The seventh-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team heads north this weekend to take on No. 13 Maryland on Sunday at the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational in Brooklyn, New York.

Fans can catch Sunday’s game on FOX Sports 1, online at FOXsports.com or on any mobile device through the FOX Sports app. Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Jim Jackson (analysis) will have the call.

ADVERTISINGFans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.

Tennessee (8-1) won its seventh consecutive game on Wednesday, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 84-49. The Vols held the Colonels to just 22.1 percent shooting (15-for-68) on the evening, the second-lowest mark by an opponent during the Rick Barnes era and lowest since Nov. 6, 2018. Freshman forward Julian Phillips led the way for Tennessee with his first career double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Sunday marks the Vols’ fourth trip to New York City under Barnes and third appearance at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center. It also marks Tennessee’s fifth all-time meeting with Maryland—fourth at a neutral site—and first since 1984.

Following Sunday’s game in Brooklyn, Tennessee is back on the road—heading west to take on Arizona in Tucson on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee is designated as the visiting team Sunday.
• This is Tennessee’s fourth trip to New York City under head coach Rick Barnes and third appearance at the Barclays Center (2015 Barclays Center Classic, 2018 NIT Season Tip-Off).
• Tennessee is 2-2 all-time against Maryland and 24-37 all-time vs. current members of the Big Ten.
• The last time Tennessee and Maryland met, Len Bias led the Terps to victory. See “Last Meeting” note below.
• Vols sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler hails from nearby Long Island, New York, just east of Barclays Center. Freshman forward Tobe Awaka grew up in Hyde Park and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School.
• This marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that Tennessee has been invited to participate in a neutral-site event administered by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

SCOUTING REPORT
• All-SEC senior Santiago Vescovi has missed UT’s last two games with a left (shooting) shoulder sprain. Vescovi remains day-to-day.
• After shooting .440 from the field in UT’s first four games, Olivier Nkamhoua has shot .667 over the last five outings.
• The Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country, allowing only 82.6 points per 100 possessions.
• Seven times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. Tennessee has now done that 27 times during the Barnes era (2015-present).
• Zakai Zeigler (10th) and Santiago Vescovi (17th) both rank among the Division I top 20 in steals per game.
• Tennessee has yet to trail at the break this season and is outscoring its opponents 34.1 ppg to 23.0 ppg (+11.1 ppg) in first-half action.

BIG APPLE BITES
• Tennessee owns an all-time record of 9-19 in the state of New York. In New York City, the Vols are 7-18.
• The Vols own a 1-3 all-time record at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with previous appearances in 2015 (0-2) and 2018 (1-1).
• Tennessee has produced five basketball All-Americans from New York: Ed Wiener (Brooklyn), Ernie Grunfeld (Forest Hills), Bernard King (Brooklyn), Howard Wood (East Hampton) and current 76ers star Tobias Harris (Dix Hills).
• Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer and New York Knicks great Allan Houston is planning to attend Sunday’s game.
• Several current Brooklyn Nets stars suffered losses vs. Tennessee during their college careers: Kevin Durant (2006), Markieff Morris (2010), Joe Harris (2013), Ben Simmons (2016) and Nic Claxton (2018 and 2019).
• Durant played for Rick Barnes at Texas in 2006-07 and was the national player of the year.

ABOUT MARYLAND
• After winning eight straight games to start the season, Maryland (8-1) dropped its first contest of the year Tuesday night at Wisconsin, 64-59. Prior to falling to Wisconsin and a five-point win over No. 16 Illinois, the Terps had won each of their first seven games by at least 15 points.
• Maryland has already recorded two Quad 1 wins this season, taking down Miami and Illinois.
• The Terrapins are ranked No. 13 in this week’s AP Poll—their highest AP ranking since the final poll of the 2019-20 season. Maryland also debuted at No. 6 in the NCAA’s NET rankings prior to Tuesday’s loss.
• Maryland is in its first season of the Kevin Willard era. Willard stepped into the Maryland job following 12 seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall, where he posted a 225-161 (.583) record and led the Pirates to the 2016 Big East title and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Willard is the first head coach in Maryland’s program history to lead the team to an AP Top 25 ranking during his first season and also the first head coach in program history to lead the Terps to an 8-0 start.
• In his first season at Maryland after transferring from Charlotte, graduate guard Jahmir Young is the Terps’ leading scorer with a 15.3 ppg average. Young was a two-time first-team All-Conference USA selection at Charlotte and the league’s freshman of the year in 2020. Young has scored in double figures during all but one game this season and had a season-high 24 points during Maryland’s win over No. 16 Illinois.
• Maryland has four players averaging at least 12.0 points per game—Young (15.3), senior forward Donta Scott (14.7), senior guard Hakim Hart (12.8) and sophomore forward Julian Reese (12.3).

LAST MEETING WITH MARYLAND
•  Maryland handed Tennessee a lopsided 72-49 loss at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage on Nov. 25, 1984, capping a 1-2 showing at the event for the Vols under head coach Don DeVoe.
•  Two-time ACC Player of the Year Len Bias (later the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft) led the Terps with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Keith Gatlin scored 14 and current ESPN hoops analyst Adrian Branch added 13 points.
•  Tennessee great Tony White, then just a sophomore, logged 12 points and was the only Vol to score in double figures. White later went on to finish his career as UT’s second-leading scorer of all-time, with 2,219 points.
•  Maryland shot .519 from the field (27-52), while the Vols shot .386 (22-57).
•  Three Tennessee turnovers late in the first half enabled the Terps to score the last eight points of the half and take a 28-15 lead into the break.

VFLs MADE THEIR NAME IN NYC
•  Three former Vols who advanced to play in the NBA made a big splash in New York City.
•  Bernard King (native of Brooklyn), Ernie Grunfeld (native of Forest Hills) and Allan Houston each enjoyed years of success for the New York Knicks in roles as players and in the front office.
• Bernard King — Ranks second in Knicks franchise history with a 26.5 career scoring average … Led the Knicks in scoring three times, including a club record 32.9 points per game in 1984-85 … Owns the franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage (57.2 in 1983-84) … On Christmas Day 1984, he scored a Knicks franchise record 60 points against New Jersey … Holds the franchise record for points in a playoff game (46 in back-to-back games against Detroit in 1984) … Two-time All-NBA Team selection (1984 and 1985) while playing for the Knicks … Was one of seven all-time Knicks greats honored on Legends Awards Night at Madison Square Garden on May 27, 2009.
• Ernie Grunfeld — Spent 17 seasons with the Knicks as a player (1983-86), coach (1989-90) and broadcaster before eventually settling in as general manager (1991-99), where he built teams that appeared in the NBA Finals in 1995 and 1999 … later served as president and GM of the Washington Wizards.
• Allan Houston — Spent nine of his 12 professional seasons with the Knicks, finishing his career as one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters … Fourth all-time leading scorer in Knicks history with 11,165 career points and is second with 921 3-pointers … Team captain for six seasons (1999-2005) … His running one-hander with 0.8 seconds to play beat top-seeded Miami in game five of the first round of the playoffs and set the Knicks on the path to the 1999 NBA Finals … In 2001, he set a club record with his 90.9 free throw percentage … Now works as the Knicks’ Vice President for Player Leadership & Development.

BACK IN THE DAY, BARNES WON BIG EAST TITLE IN THE BIG APPLE
• In his sixth and final season as the head coach at Providence, Rick Barnes led the Friars to the 1994 Big East Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden.
• After dispatching No. 5 seed Villanova and top-seeded and second-ranked UConn, fourth-seeded Providence defeated Georgetown, 74–64, in the title game on March 13.
• Michael Smith won the Dave Gavitt Trophy as tournament MVP, while fellow Friars Rob Phelps and Dickey Simpkins (who went on to win three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls) also made the six-man All-Tournament Team.
• It was Providence’s first-ever Big East Tournament title. The Friars’ only other BET title came in 2014.

VOLS SEEKING 23rd RANKED WIN UNDER BARNES
• Under Rick Barnes, the Vols have logged 22 victories over AP ranked opponents, including 10 wins over top-10 teams.

FRESHMAN PHILLIPS LEADING SEC IN FREE-THROW ATTEMPTS
• Last season, NBA Draft pick Kennedy Chandler led the Vols in free-throw attempts with 99 (in 34 games).
• This season, UT’s new five-star freshman, Julian Phillips, leads the SEC and ranks 19th nationally with 61 attempts—through only nine games!
• Phillips attempts 6.8 free throws per game and is making them at a .787 clip.
• Using his current average of 5.3 FT makes per game, Phillips is on pace to make 165 free throws by the end of the regular season.
• After each of the last two seasons, Tennessee’s leader in free-throw attempts was selected in the NBA Draft: Chandler in 2022 and Keon Johnson in 2021.

VOLS LEAD NATION IN ASSIST RATE
• Tennessee has assisted on 71.6 percent of its made baskets thus far. That assist rate is tops among all Division I teams.
• Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi lead the way with 33 (3.7 apg) and 24 (3.4 apg) assists, respectively.

POLINSKY FAMILIAR WITH NETS, BARCLAYS CENTER
• Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky served in various scouting roles with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets for 19 years—including tenures as director of college scouting (2004-08) and director of player personnel (2008-18). He first joined the organization in 1999.

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN – October 12, 2022 – Guard Tyreke Key #4 of the Tennessee Volunteers portrait taken during 2022 Photo Day at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Hoops Preview: #7 Tennessee vs. #13 Maryland

Hoops Preview: #7 Tennessee vs. #13 Maryland

Posted on December 10, 2022

The seventh-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team heads north this weekend to take on No. 13 Maryland on Sunday at the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational in Brooklyn, New York.

Fans can catch Sunday’s game on FOX Sports 1, online at FOXsports.com or on any mobile device through the FOX Sports app. Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Jim Jackson (analysis) will have the call.

ADVERTISINGFans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.

Tennessee (8-1) won its seventh consecutive game on Wednesday, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 84-49. The Vols held the Colonels to just 22.1 percent shooting (15-for-68) on the evening, the second-lowest mark by an opponent during the Rick Barnes era and lowest since Nov. 6, 2018. Freshman forward Julian Phillips led the way for Tennessee with his first career double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Sunday marks the Vols’ fourth trip to New York City under Barnes and third appearance at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center. It also marks Tennessee’s fifth all-time meeting with Maryland—fourth at a neutral site—and first since 1984.

Following Sunday’s game in Brooklyn, Tennessee is back on the road—heading west to take on Arizona in Tucson on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee is designated as the visiting team Sunday.
• This is Tennessee’s fourth trip to New York City under head coach Rick Barnes and third appearance at the Barclays Center (2015 Barclays Center Classic, 2018 NIT Season Tip-Off).
• Tennessee is 2-2 all-time against Maryland and 24-37 all-time vs. current members of the Big Ten.
• The last time Tennessee and Maryland met, Len Bias led the Terps to victory. See “Last Meeting” note below.
• Vols sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler hails from nearby Long Island, New York, just east of Barclays Center. Freshman forward Tobe Awaka grew up in Hyde Park and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School.
• This marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that Tennessee has been invited to participate in a neutral-site event administered by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

SCOUTING REPORT
• All-SEC senior Santiago Vescovi has missed UT’s last two games with a left (shooting) shoulder sprain. Vescovi remains day-to-day.
• After shooting .440 from the field in UT’s first four games, Olivier Nkamhoua has shot .667 over the last five outings.
• The Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country, allowing only 82.6 points per 100 possessions.
• Seven times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. Tennessee has now done that 27 times during the Barnes era (2015-present).
• Zakai Zeigler (10th) and Santiago Vescovi (17th) both rank among the Division I top 20 in steals per game.
• Tennessee has yet to trail at the break this season and is outscoring its opponents 34.1 ppg to 23.0 ppg (+11.1 ppg) in first-half action.

BIG APPLE BITES
• Tennessee owns an all-time record of 9-19 in the state of New York. In New York City, the Vols are 7-18.
• The Vols own a 1-3 all-time record at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with previous appearances in 2015 (0-2) and 2018 (1-1).
• Tennessee has produced five basketball All-Americans from New York: Ed Wiener (Brooklyn), Ernie Grunfeld (Forest Hills), Bernard King (Brooklyn), Howard Wood (East Hampton) and current 76ers star Tobias Harris (Dix Hills).
• Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer and New York Knicks great Allan Houston is planning to attend Sunday’s game.
• Several current Brooklyn Nets stars suffered losses vs. Tennessee during their college careers: Kevin Durant (2006), Markieff Morris (2010), Joe Harris (2013), Ben Simmons (2016) and Nic Claxton (2018 and 2019).
• Durant played for Rick Barnes at Texas in 2006-07 and was the national player of the year.

ABOUT MARYLAND
• After winning eight straight games to start the season, Maryland (8-1) dropped its first contest of the year Tuesday night at Wisconsin, 64-59. Prior to falling to Wisconsin and a five-point win over No. 16 Illinois, the Terps had won each of their first seven games by at least 15 points.
• Maryland has already recorded two Quad 1 wins this season, taking down Miami and Illinois.
• The Terrapins are ranked No. 13 in this week’s AP Poll—their highest AP ranking since the final poll of the 2019-20 season. Maryland also debuted at No. 6 in the NCAA’s NET rankings prior to Tuesday’s loss.
• Maryland is in its first season of the Kevin Willard era. Willard stepped into the Maryland job following 12 seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall, where he posted a 225-161 (.583) record and led the Pirates to the 2016 Big East title and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Willard is the first head coach in Maryland’s program history to lead the team to an AP Top 25 ranking during his first season and also the first head coach in program history to lead the Terps to an 8-0 start.
• In his first season at Maryland after transferring from Charlotte, graduate guard Jahmir Young is the Terps’ leading scorer with a 15.3 ppg average. Young was a two-time first-team All-Conference USA selection at Charlotte and the league’s freshman of the year in 2020. Young has scored in double figures during all but one game this season and had a season-high 24 points during Maryland’s win over No. 16 Illinois.
• Maryland has four players averaging at least 12.0 points per game—Young (15.3), senior forward Donta Scott (14.7), senior guard Hakim Hart (12.8) and sophomore forward Julian Reese (12.3).

LAST MEETING WITH MARYLAND
•  Maryland handed Tennessee a lopsided 72-49 loss at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage on Nov. 25, 1984, capping a 1-2 showing at the event for the Vols under head coach Don DeVoe.
•  Two-time ACC Player of the Year Len Bias (later the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft) led the Terps with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Keith Gatlin scored 14 and current ESPN hoops analyst Adrian Branch added 13 points.
•  Tennessee great Tony White, then just a sophomore, logged 12 points and was the only Vol to score in double figures. White later went on to finish his career as UT’s second-leading scorer of all-time, with 2,219 points.
•  Maryland shot .519 from the field (27-52), while the Vols shot .386 (22-57).
•  Three Tennessee turnovers late in the first half enabled the Terps to score the last eight points of the half and take a 28-15 lead into the break.

VFLs MADE THEIR NAME IN NYC
•  Three former Vols who advanced to play in the NBA made a big splash in New York City.
•  Bernard King (native of Brooklyn), Ernie Grunfeld (native of Forest Hills) and Allan Houston each enjoyed years of success for the New York Knicks in roles as players and in the front office.
• Bernard King — Ranks second in Knicks franchise history with a 26.5 career scoring average … Led the Knicks in scoring three times, including a club record 32.9 points per game in 1984-85 … Owns the franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage (57.2 in 1983-84) … On Christmas Day 1984, he scored a Knicks franchise record 60 points against New Jersey … Holds the franchise record for points in a playoff game (46 in back-to-back games against Detroit in 1984) … Two-time All-NBA Team selection (1984 and 1985) while playing for the Knicks … Was one of seven all-time Knicks greats honored on Legends Awards Night at Madison Square Garden on May 27, 2009.
• Ernie Grunfeld — Spent 17 seasons with the Knicks as a player (1983-86), coach (1989-90) and broadcaster before eventually settling in as general manager (1991-99), where he built teams that appeared in the NBA Finals in 1995 and 1999 … later served as president and GM of the Washington Wizards.
• Allan Houston — Spent nine of his 12 professional seasons with the Knicks, finishing his career as one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters … Fourth all-time leading scorer in Knicks history with 11,165 career points and is second with 921 3-pointers … Team captain for six seasons (1999-2005) … His running one-hander with 0.8 seconds to play beat top-seeded Miami in game five of the first round of the playoffs and set the Knicks on the path to the 1999 NBA Finals … In 2001, he set a club record with his 90.9 free throw percentage … Now works as the Knicks’ Vice President for Player Leadership & Development.

BACK IN THE DAY, BARNES WON BIG EAST TITLE IN THE BIG APPLE
• In his sixth and final season as the head coach at Providence, Rick Barnes led the Friars to the 1994 Big East Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden.
• After dispatching No. 5 seed Villanova and top-seeded and second-ranked UConn, fourth-seeded Providence defeated Georgetown, 74–64, in the title game on March 13.
• Michael Smith won the Dave Gavitt Trophy as tournament MVP, while fellow Friars Rob Phelps and Dickey Simpkins (who went on to win three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls) also made the six-man All-Tournament Team.
• It was Providence’s first-ever Big East Tournament title. The Friars’ only other BET title came in 2014.

VOLS SEEKING 23rd RANKED WIN UNDER BARNES
• Under Rick Barnes, the Vols have logged 22 victories over AP ranked opponents, including 10 wins over top-10 teams.

FRESHMAN PHILLIPS LEADING SEC IN FREE-THROW ATTEMPTS
• Last season, NBA Draft pick Kennedy Chandler led the Vols in free-throw attempts with 99 (in 34 games).
• This season, UT’s new five-star freshman, Julian Phillips, leads the SEC and ranks 19th nationally with 61 attempts—through only nine games!
• Phillips attempts 6.8 free throws per game and is making them at a .787 clip.
• Using his current average of 5.3 FT makes per game, Phillips is on pace to make 165 free throws by the end of the regular season.
• After each of the last two seasons, Tennessee’s leader in free-throw attempts was selected in the NBA Draft: Chandler in 2022 and Keon Johnson in 2021.

VOLS LEAD NATION IN ASSIST RATE
• Tennessee has assisted on 71.6 percent of its made baskets thus far. That assist rate is tops among all Division I teams.
• Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi lead the way with 33 (3.7 apg) and 24 (3.4 apg) assists, respectively.

POLINSKY FAMILIAR WITH NETS, BARCLAYS CENTER
• Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky served in various scouting roles with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets for 19 years—including tenures as director of college scouting (2004-08) and director of player personnel (2008-18). He first joined the organization in 1999.

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN – October 12, 2022 – Guard Tyreke Key #4 of the Tennessee Volunteers portrait taken during 2022 Photo Day at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

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