As the world of movies honors its best at the Academy Awards tonight, one of country music’s legends will be there to perform.
Reba McEntire‘s song “Somehow You Do” is nominated for its use in the Glenn Close and Mila Kunis movie Four Good Days. Reba says “It’s such an emotional movie about drug addiction. And this song gives hope which we always need. So, I’m very honored that Diane Warren asked me to sing the song, and we are both so thrilled to get nominated.”
Reba will be on stage at the Oscars to perform “Somehow You Do,” and she adds, “I definitely feel like the fans can relate to the overall message of this song. It does give hope when you’re down, depressed and you’re having problems in life. This song gives hope, and that’s what we all need.”
The Academy Awards air tonight, Sunday March 27th, at 8 ET /5 PT on ABC TV.
Check out Reba’s music video for “Somehow You Do” here…
WICHITA, Kan. – Senior Rae Burrell poured in a season-high 22 points for #18/17 Tennessee, but it wasn’t enough to overcome #4/4 Louisville in a hard-fought NCAA Sweet 16 setback Saturday at INTRUST Bank Arena, 76-64.
Graduate Jordan Walker joined Burrell in double figures for No. 4 seed UT (25-9), finishing with 10 on the day. Junior Tamari Key led UT in rebounds with 10.
No. 1 seed Louisville (28-4) was led by Hailey Van Lith and Emily Engstler, who had 23 and 20, respectively. Kianna Smith was also in double digits with 12.
Alexus Dye got UT on the board first, hitting a turnaround jumper from six feet out. Both teams started hot, with Tennessee hitting three straight jumpers and UL answering all three on the other end before back-to-back treys by Louisville put the Cardinals up 10-6 at the 5:16 mark. Walker responded with a layup for Tennessee, but Louisville kept up its hot shooting, launching into a 6-0 run that moved the score to 16-8 with just over two minutes left in the first. Kaiya Wynn ended the drought with a layup, and Burrell added a three as time ran down, with the teams swapping threes before the buzzer for a score of 19-13 after one.
Engstler opened the scoring in the second with another three and Van Lith followed it up with a layup to give UL an 11-point advantage less than a minute into the quarter. The Cardinals stretched its lead to 14 before Dye scored UT’s first points of the quarter with 7:09 left in the half. That set off an 8-2 run that pulled the Lady Vols back within 10 just over a minute later. Van Lith scored on a fast-break layup with 4:09 to play and added a free throw 30 seconds later. Burrell countered with a jumper on the other end, and the teams traded buckets through the end of the half, with Karoline Striplin hitting a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer to send Tennessee into the locker room trailing 39-28.
Burrell hit a layup just five seconds into the third quarter, kicking off an 8-3 run that pulled UT within seven just 40 seconds later. Van Lith put the Cardinals back up by 10 at the 7:16 mark, but a three by Tess Darby and a steal and score by Walker on the next two possessions whittled the deficit down to five with 6:32 to go in the third. Louisville rallied back to lead by double digits by the 3:04 mark, but Burrell closed out the period with a jumper and a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into the fourth with the Lady Vols within five at 55-50.
Tennessee crept within two just seconds into the final stanza when Dye converted on an old-fashioned three-point play, but Engstler and Kianna Smith rallied the Cardinals with eight straight points to stretch the lead back out to 10 with 6:38 left in the game. Burrell responded for the Lady Vols, hitting a 10-foot jumper and then turning a steal into a layup on the next play for a score of 63-57 at the media timeout. Engstler hit the second of a pair of free throws following the break, but Burrell knocked down a contested layup on her next trip down the court to pull UT back within five with just over four to play. Tennessee kept the deficit at five through the 3:26 mark, but a jumper by Van Lith set off a 6-1 UL run that had the Cardinals back on top by 10 with under two to go, and the Lady Vols couldn’t close the gap, falling 76-64 in Wichita.
NCAA BY THE NUMBERS: Tennessee, the only team to appear in all 40 NCAA Tournaments, exits the 2022 NCAA Tournament with an all-time record of 128- 32, having advanced the Sweet 16 on 35 occasions. UT’s record in the Sweet 16 is 28-7.
OWNING THE GLASS: The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Cardinals 52-36, marking the 15th time this season Tennessee pulled down 50+ boards. It was the 33rd time during Kellie Harper‘s tenure the Lady Vols grabbed 50 or more boards.
WINNING WAYS: With 25 wins during the 2022 season, Kellie Harper tied her career high during her 18 seasons as a head coach. She has now led two programs to Sweet 16 appearances and is one of just four coaches to take four different programs to an NCAA Tournament.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With a strong core of returning leadership, as well as key newcomers looking to take on roles at the skill positions, Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Goleshis set to further develop the dynamic Volunteer offense in his second spring on Rocky Top. Golesh met with the media Saturday afternoon following the Volunteers’ third spring practice and first in pads.
Vols OC Alex Golesh / Credit: UT Athletics
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Alex Golesh March 26, 2022
On evolving the offense…
“I think, being in in this league for a year now and having a really good feel for how people are going to play you, we’re always trying to attack from a multitude of different ways, from a tempo standpoint, a spacing standpoint. Now, how do we grow and change as people have a year on us? There’s going to be four new defensive coordinators that we have to play against. How will they attack us? Just continuing to create variation, whether it’s in tempo, whether it’s formational, but continue to create different ways essentially, at the end of the day, to get our playmakers the ball. As we study people in the offseason, we’re going to continue to grow. What are people like us doing? What’s going on in the NFL? What are they doing that’s been successful? I think we have to continue to evolve and change. We looked different a year ago then we did our last year at the previous place (UCF). At the end of it, who are our guys? There’s a bunch of new guys here. How can we get those guys the football and be successful? I think we’re going to continue to evolve, continue to change, with the core of it staying the same.”
On what he is looking for from the wide receivers…
“We didn’t play a ton of guys there. As the season went, we kind of settled in with who we felt really comfortable with and I thought we got better when we did that. Now, we have to replace a couple guys. Those freshmen have been really, really impressive. Chas Nimrod stands out. He’s a guy, through three days, that said, ‘Get me the ball.’ Jimmy Holiday has made incredible growth. Jimmy Calloway has made incredible growth. Ramel Keyton has made incredible growth. I was just telling Bill (Martin) walking in here, what a difference a year makes. These guys know what they’re doing now, so they actually have a chance to show you what they’re capable of. I think, a year ago, they were still learning and playing slow. It was really hard to evaluate at that point. So, we’re looking for six to seven guys on the perimeter that can get open and make a difference for us. There’s no secret to that part of it. If we have more than that, man, we’ll be cooking. Right now, we’re trying to get to six and seven outside guys that can help us do that.”
On quarterback Hendon Hooker’s impact on the offense right now…
“You know who the guy is going into it, so it helps you as you game plan. Him and Joe (Milton) really aren’t drastically different in terms of skillset, so we didn’t have to change drastically there when that change happened. In terms of input in the offense, he now has a really good understanding of it. He’ll speak up. He’s not a big ask you for things guy, more of a tell you what he doesn’t want guy. He has the same input he had a year ago. If there’s something he doesn’t like, we won’t do it. Obviously, it’s all about him being comfortable back there.”
On early impressions of freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson…
“Tayven Jackson just had a really, really good day. Tayven is really, really fun to watch. He’s a really good athlete. He’s got a really quick release. He’s really grasped the offense through three days, well. It’ll be interesting to see as things pile up as you go into (days) four, five and six – pads on today – what he actually looks like. It’ll be interesting when we scrimmage next week and coaches are off the field what he looks. (He’s) a superb athlete, has a really good understanding and has a really quick trigger. Everything we kind of hoped he would be, he certainly has been that so far. We’ve got to continue to put more on him and he’s got to continue to grow. We talked with him (about) consistently stringing days together. Can he be better tomorrow than he was today? I know this sounds a little bit cliché but, wipe it clean, play the next play, wipe it clean play the next play. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by a whole lot. He’s just kind of having fun. That kid won a ton of games in high school. He’s a winner, which is exactly what you want to recruit at that spot.”
On the learning curve for the early enrollees…
“It’s huge for them to be here early, obviously. They just went through seven weeks, going into spring ball, of install. That’s been awesome, the NCAA allowing us now, whenever that was four or five years ago, to actually be able to be in a classroom with them in the offseason. They’ve been superb. All those freshmen have been awesome in terms of, they’ve got the base fundamentals down. But similar to what we’re talking about with Tayven, now they’ve got to string days together. This is the first time for them. There’s class, there’s study table and now there’s football on top of that. There’s meetings. It’s just, for them, learning what it is to be a college football player. Being here, being early is awesome because they’ve got a feel for what that’s actually like. Just all of it at the same time – waking up early, eating, going to sleep, going to study. I think those guys – there’s such a level of maturity. I’m so excited about that freshman class we signed on our side of the ball. There’s this level of maturity, level of consistency with that crew. They came in here and they came in here to play, so that’s how they’ve attacked it. There’s a professionalism among that group that’s really, really superb. It’s been really cool to see.”
“Both of those guys, Jacob and Princeton, both of them now have a year in the system. That’s a tough spot to play in this offense. You’re moving around. You’re playing a bunch of different places. Same as everybody else, there’s a year of it now under their belt. A year ago, you coach so much scheme and just understanding what’s actually happening. Now they can play fast. Jacob has gotten bigger. He’s up to 254. Princeton’s in the 240s. Their bodies are right. They’re both healthy. They have a really good understanding of what’s going on. In that room, for us right now, we really just have to find a three and a four. That’s what we didn’t have a year ago and we struggled at times because of that. Being able to get big and play in bigger sets at times, cost us a couple times. So, beyond those two, it’s finding a three and a four there, that way we can get big and change formations based on personnel there.”
On the next step in the evolution of the run game…
“I think being able to execute into multiple different looks. Again, because of how we play, people play us differently from what you see on film a lot of the time. It’s being able to adjust within the game – being able to get to the right things earlier in games and being able to adjust earlier in games. The quarterback run game, you know, with a healthy Hendon we look different. People have to defend us different. With a banged-up Hendon, you take that dimension out of the game and we’re uniquely different. So, continuing to develop the quarterback run game, continue to keep Hendon healthy. That gives us another dimension. And then just us, up front, as we continue to build to what should look like the starting five, those guys playing together is going to be huge in the run game.”
“I think both for Justin. Justin, again, has been here now for two months. He’s still figuring out how we’re playing. There’s a lot of things going on back there and there’s not a lot of time to think about it, do just getting reps. It’s different from playing wide out. You’re in a box and there’s just bodies everywhere. So, for him, his three days have been touch-and-go. He’s still trying to figure it all out. But, for him, if he can show the ability that he can protect the quarterback – beyond running the football – can you protect the quarterback before we’ll ever hand you the ball? Because that’s the one spot that, as a young guy at running back, that you’ll screw it up really, really fast. So, if he can protect the quarterback, his skill set is awesome. He’s already big. He’s already strong. He’s got great vision. He’s a good running back. The protection side of it is what’s got to come for him, for any young running back, but specifically for him right now. It’s kind of like swimming.”
On the running back room as a whole…
“Similar to the quarterbacks, (they’re) really healthy right now, which is really good. It’s the same deal for us there. We’ve got to find the rotation. Because of our tempo, because of how we play, you really have to have four guys that are ready to go. That was so huge for Justin to get here early. Len’Neth Whitehead looks like a different player. He’s finally healthy. Jaylen Wright is healthy. Jaylen Wright in year two should make monumental gains. So, for us, we’re still waiting on one to get here, in Dylan Sampson, but they have taken a huge step. Again, same coach, same system and then getting healthy … you should see a huge jump there. In terms of what the rotation looks like, I think those guys know there’s a bunch of open jobs there. They’re fighting like crazy to get in the rotation.”
On going through spring ball knowing the starting quarterback…
“It makes it a lot easier. You’re rotating less and you’re being less political about it. So, there’s less meetings with me and Joey (Hazle). We, last year, would have meetings daily on the rotation and what plays you can run with certain guys and, it was like a Wordle. I think that’s big right now, trying to figure it out. It’s certainly easier right now knowing who the one is, who the two is. I’ll say Joe Milton has made monumental strides, too. Joe has gotten his body right. He’s really put a ton into it. So, having healthy and all in Joe Milton also helps because it helps Hendon and the competition between those two is really, really fun. So those two guys, talk about the pros. They coach each other harder than anybody else. So just having those two guys bringing Hendon along and Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler in that group. That room is really fun right now. A year ago, like those guys are competing and you could say they’re competing and really helping each other. I don’t know that it’s was necessarily that way. So just having Hendon, he knows he’s a leader. Those guys look to him as a leader. He’s got to continue to grow as a leader, too. It’s made it much easier.”
“Yeah, it’s been fun. I’ve worked alongside Kelsey Pope for a year now. It’s so cool to see Kelsey kind of come out of his shell now. You know, there’s like this level of confidence that he’s always had, but you’re kind of in the background. You’re just kind of there to help. Just seeing him come out of his shell has been awesome. We interviewed Kelsey at the previous place. I’ve known Kelsey for a long time. It’s been just incredibly fun, and Kodi Burns and I are really close. I’m super excited for Kodi and his opportunity and that was a really fun year working with him because that’s a really, really smart young football coach there, too. How Kodi groomed Kelsey, and now you see Kelsey light up with his confidence. Those kids love him. He is so easy to communicate with and talk to. That group has just taken monumental strides, and Kelsey deserves a ton of credit for that.”
On competition at right tackle…
“Yeah, you know, we’ve played a lot with Darnell Wright, playing at right. That’s kind of his natural home. That’s kind of where he’s always wanted to be. Played a lot with him and really messing with the left tackle spot. That’s kind of natural too, for JJ (Jeremiah Crawford). You know, we’ve moved Dayne Davis around a bunch. I think Dayne can help us inside some, as well. So, that that’s a daily conversation piece. Is that guy here – when is Gerald Mincey going to grasp it fast enough to actually be able to compete? Gerald has made strides too, but we need JJ and Gerald and Dayne to all take a huge step. And that’s not saying Darnell doesn’t need to take a step. Darnell just has a bunch of experience now. He’s confident. He is the easiest one to move back to his kind of natural home and allow us to get those guys to compete at the left tackle spot. It may end up being that Darnell moves back and we end up over there, but I’d say that Mincey and JJ continue to grow. JJ has got a leg up. We were hoping JJ, coming in a year ago from junior college, that he would be ready to go. He had a spring season under his belt, but he got here at the end of July like, bullets flying. He really didn’t have a chance. So now JJ with an offseason, JJ with a strength offseason, a nutrition offseason. He seems to be really confident right now, too. At the same time bringing Gerald along to where he can have a chance to compete, as well. I think we’ll get there by practice 15. Right now, it’s super, super early.”
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s a difference in levels of coaching. If you’re asking about mine, I went from coaching defense to offense. So, I had no idea what was going on. I was coaching the running backs at Toledo and literally had no idea what was happening. So that was fun. Probably would have been an interesting mic’ed up segment. I had a guy in Matt Campbell that took me under his wing and taught me and gave me confidence. For Kelsey, Kelsey’s coached. I mean, he’s been a full-time coach for five years coming into this. I don’t think that matters. Where it’s different, at the Power Five level, and certainly at this level, is the recruiting. So, it’s not just, man you got this position group of these guys like ‘Hey, you better go sign three to four a year that are dudes.’ So, for him it’s that. It’s how do I manage the position and the recruiting. I think that’s why he’s here at five in the morning and doesn’t leave till midnight. It’s because he’s trying to figure all of that out. For me, having the confidence, because somebody gave me the confidence to do it and help bring me along. I’m trying to be that for Kelsey and literally, he’s not a player but every time something is good, like ‘Hey bro, you’re doing a great job.’ Every time is jacked up, ‘Hey bro like, we got to fix this.’ And he’s handled it all with such professionalism and class. He’s a high-end, intelligent, young guy that can communicate extremely well, and that’s really all you need. Being here for year, what’s helping him is he doesn’t have to learn the system. He knows the system, so now he can just continue to grow. He’s been really fun to watch come out of his shell and he’s just got a fun personality. You guys will get around him, super funny and has some Alabama jokes – like there’s some funny stuff in there. So, he’s been fun. But again, for me more than anything, just continuing to give him the confidence to be to be able to just go do his job. Coach (Josh) Heupel has done a great job. I think when you get an opportunity like that at this level, you get an instant bit of confidence, but there’s always a little bit of doubt right. Like, just like with any of us, there’s human nature to have doubt. As long as people keep pushing you and continue to push you forward. He’s had a ton of success recruiting early, too, right now, which I think will just continue to give them confidence and grow in that regard.”
OXFORD, Miss. – Scoring early and never relenting at the plate or on the mound, the No. 1/5 Tennessee baseball team defeated No. 1/1 Ole Miss, 12-1, Friday Night at Swayze Field in the series opener.
Chase Burns was electric on the mound in his first SEC road start. The true freshman did not give up a hit until the fifth inning and fanned a career-high 11 Mississippi hitters. He gave up just one run, a solo homer in the seventh, which was one of only two hits he conceded in a masterful performance.
Vols RHP Chase Burns / Credit: UT Athletics
The Vols (21-1, 4-0 SEC) totaled 14 strikeouts from their three pitchers. Mark McLaughlin K’ed a pair in the eight while Kirby Connell punched out one in the ninth.
UT’s power bats continued to dominate as the Big Orange smashed five home runs into the night sky and added a triple off the wall. The difference maker in the game was Tennessee’s ability to score walked batters. Four-of-five runners who reached via a walk eventually crossed the plate.
Notably, Tennessee’s last three home runs were to the opposite field. Two of these came when the Vols were behind in the count, emphasizing the quality of at bats Big Orange hitters are having this season.
Tennessee started the offensive in the second inning. The Vols drew two free bases, both walks, to set up the big top half. Evan Russell kicked off the scoring with a line drive single through the left side to score Drew Gilbert. After another walk, Cortland Lawson drove a ball halfway up the wall in right-center to clear the bags for a three-run triple. Jared Dickey kept the train rolling, smoking a first pitch hanging breaking ball over the wall in right field to cap a six-run second inning.
Luke Lipcius added on in the fourth, sending a mammoth shot out of Swayze Field. He saw a middle-in 2-2 change up and skied it over the seats in right field to increase the Volunteer lead to 7-0 after three and a half innings.
Again, using the long-ball, Tennessee plated another three runs in the fifth inning. Jordan Beck reached on an infield single to the right side, then Gilbert walked, setting up a Trey Lipscomb opposite field shot. Lipscomb waited on a down-and-away fastball, shooting it into the Rebels’ bullpen in right field for his 10th homer of the season, putting the Vols ahead by double-digits.
The Big Orange hitters weren’t done yet, as Dickey added his second blast of the game, another opposite field jack for UT. The left fielder took a middle-away fastball on 2-2 count into the Vols’ bullpen, which had yet to be used as Burns cruised through the Ole Miss lineup.
Ole Miss got in the score column in the seventh as Tim Elko sent a solo home run over the wall in center field. That marked the only Rebel run of the game.
In the closing inning, Blake Burke put a bow on the Tennessee offensive effort, with a pinch-hit big fly over the wall in left center to score the 12th and final Big Orange run of the game.
NOTABLE
RISING TO THE OCCASION Friday night starter Chase Burns has faced three Power 5 opponents this season – Texas, South Carolina and Ole Miss. In those three games he is averaging 10.0 strikeouts per game, double his average of 5.0 against non-Power 5 opponents.
GOING LOW Burns now holds an ERA of 0.80. Entering the day he was one of 18 players nationally with a sub-1.00 ERA.
DOUBLE DOWN DICKEY Redshirt freshman Jared Dickey hit multiple home runs in a game for the second time this season. He is the only Volunteer with two multi-home run games this year.
#ROADVOLS Last season, the Vols held the best road record in the SEC at 16-5. The Vols took care of business in their first true road game of the season, winning their second consecutive SEC road opener (defeated Georgia 11-6 last season).
Tennessee junior guard Josiah-Jordan James, along with freshman guard Kennedy Chandler, both earned postseason All-America honors, CollegeInsider.com announced this week.
James garnered Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America team honors and was named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I basketball.
Vols G Kennedy Chandler & G-F Josiah-Jordan James / Credit: UT Athletics
Chandler was named to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-America team and is a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman in Division I college basketball.
James was a solid presence for Tennessee all year on the defensive end, effectively guarding positions one through four. The SEC All-Tournament team selection recorded 46 total steals on the season and a team-high 34 blocks. The junior also led the team in rebounding with 6.0 per game.
Chandler burst onto the scene during his freshman season on Rocky Top, earning second-team All-SEC honors and being named SEC Tournament MVP. Chandler finished the season with team-high averages of 13.9 points, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
The Memphis native also recorded 74 steals, which ranks second on Tennessee’s all-time single-season steals list and is the most in program history by a freshman.
Chandler’s 161 total assists during the 2021-22 season led to 392 points. Along with his 473 points scored, the freshman had a hand in 33.6 percent of Tennessee’s scoring on the year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 14th-ranked Tennessee softball team is set for its third consecutive SEC weekend series against a top-10 opponent as the Lady Vols travel to Gainesville, Florida, for a three-game set against the No. 6 Gators. Friday and Saturday’s games are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 1 p.m. ET, respectively, and first pitch for Sunday’s series finale will fire off at 2 p.m. from UF’s Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
BROADCAST INFO: The first two games of the series will be broadcast online via SEC Network+, with Kyle Crooks (play-by-play) and Francesca Enea (analyst) on the call from Gainesville. Sunday’s weekend finale will be nationally televised on ESPNU as Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and former Alabama softball standout Kayla Braud (analyst) call the game remotely.
Kiki Milloy – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
A live audio stream for all three games will be available on UTSports.com as voice of the Lady Vol softball team Brian Rice describes the action. Broadcast links for all three games this weekend can be foun on the 2022 Tennessee softball schedule page.
COMING OFF A WIN: Tennessee rounded out its SEC home-opening series vs. No. 10 Arkansas with a 6-2 win on Sunday, marking UT’s fourth victory over a ranked opponent this season. Sophomore infielder Zaida Puni went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in all six runs for the Big Orange, highlighted by a no-doubt grand slam in the bottom of the second.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Lady Vols are 4-0 on the road this season with doubleheader sweeps at FIU and No. 8 Mizzou. Two weeks ago in Columbia, Missouri, Tennessee opened conference play with back-to-back victories over the nationally ranked Tigers by scores of 14-3 (6 Inn.) and 5-4.
WELCOME TO THE SEC: Tennessee has seen a pair of newcomers thrive during the first two weekends of SEC play. Sophomore infielder Zaida Puni leads the squad with three home runs and 10 RBIs in conference games, while graduate transfer pitcher Erin Edmoundson touts a 3-1 record with three complete games and 20 strikeouts against league foes.
AYALA BALLIN’: Super senior outfielder Amanda Ayala shined for the Lady Vols last week offensively, leading the team with a .500 average, eight hits, fives runs, two home runs and a 1.500 OPS. For the season, the Bloomfield, New Jersey, native tops the squad with a .359 batting clip, 33 hits, nine doubles and two triples.
THE EDMOUNDSON SHOW: Graduate transfer pitcher Erin Edmoundson has had a phenomenal start to her Lady Vol career, posting a team-best 13-2 record in 19 appearances with a 1.56 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 89.2 innings. Her 13 victories rank fifth in the country and second in the SEC, and the Deer Park, Texas, native is six Ks away from notching her 600th career strikeout.
NOTING THE OPPOSITION: Florida has won five of its last six games and is off to a 4-2 start in SEC play with series wins at home against Mississippi State and on the road at Texas A&M. The Gator pitching staff boasts the top ERA in the conference at 1.61 and also leads the league with 11 shutouts this season. Redshirt junior Skylar Wallace is UF’s top weapon offensively with a 1.336 OPS and a conference-best 36 runs scored and 23 stolen bases this year.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return to Knoxville for a four-game homestand, beginning Wednesday, March 30, with a midweek bout against Lipscomb before hosting a three-game conference set vs. Mississippi State Friday to Sunday, April 1-3, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 18/17 Tennessee (25-8) returns to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 35th time in history and for the first time since 2016.
Kellie Harper joins her college head coach Pat Summitt and college assistant coach Holly Warlick among UT skippers who’ve led the Big Orange into the Sweet 16, and she makes her second career appearance in the NCAA Regional Semifinals, having taken Missouri State in March 2019 before being hired at Tennessee that April.
Lady Vols HC Kellie Harper / Credit: UT Athletics
Harper’s No. 4 seed Lady Vols will meet No. 4/4-ranked Louisville (27-4), the No. 1 seed in the Wichita Regional, on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) at INTRUST Bank Arena in downtown Wichita, Kansas. No. 3 seed Michigan (24-6) and No. 10 South Dakota (29-5) will match up on the other side of the bracket, tipping off approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the UT/UL contest.
Tennessee survived and advanced in the 2022 Big Dance with a thrilling 70-67 home victory over in-state foe and No. 12 seed Belmont on Monday night at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The Lady Vols got a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double from Alexus “Snoop” Dye and 18 points from Tamari Key, but a go-ahead corner trey by Sara Puckett with just under 18 seconds left put UT up for good and accounted for the icing on the freshman’s 12-point night.
Also worth noting, Key became the school’s all-time career blocked shots record-holder as a junior, surpassing Candace Parker’s 110-game total of 275 with 276 in only 89 contests.
UT took care of Buffalo, 80-67 in the first round last Saturday.
Louisville earned its trip to the Sunflower State by rolling past Albany, 83-51, in the first round and scooting by Gonzaga, 68-59, with both games taking place at the home of the Cardinals, the KFC Yum! Center.
The Cards, who are making their eighth Sweet 16 appearance since 2013, got 21 points from sophomore Hailey Van Lith, 12 from Emily Engstler and Kianna Smith and 11 from Olivia Cochran to take care of the Zags.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Pam Ward (play-by-play), Stephanie White (analyst) and Christy Winters Scott (reporter) will have the call for ESPN2.
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 Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone for his final regular-season home game. He will be joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
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 contest also will be available via NCAA broadcast partner Westwood One, with Phil Constantino and Kristen Kozlowski calling the action.
The broadcasts can be heard on Westwood One affiliates across the country and via satellite radio on SiriusXM channel 138 or 205 and on the SXM app on channel 968.
THE ONLY SCHOOL IN ALL 40
The Lady Vols are enjoying their 40th appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and UT is the only program to appear in all 40 tournaments.
Tennessee was an at-large qualifier for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, finishing third in the SEC regular season for the third-straight season and bowing out in the semifinal round of the league tourney to No. 7 seed Kentucky, the eventual champion.
UT earned a No. 4 seed for only the second time ever and has a 5-1 record in that role after defeating Iowa, Georgia and LSU before falling to USC in the NCAA Final Four semifinals in 1986 in Lexington, Ky., and adding first- and second-round wins over Buffalo and Belmont in 2022.
The Lady Vols are 128-31 in NCAA Tournament play, and they rank first in games played (159) and victories (128) in NCAA tourney history.
Tennessee is second behind UConn in winning percentage at .805 in tourney play.
UT is 3-1 in NCAA play under Kellie Harper, making its first appearance with her at the helm in 2021 after the tourney was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) global health pandemic.
UT has advanced to the NCAA regional round on 35 occasions now, owning a 28-6 mark in the Sweet 16.
The only seasons UT did not make the regional level were in 2009 and from 2017 to 2021. UT lost its opening round contest as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 Ball State in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009. No. 5 seed UT lost its second-round game at No. 4 seed Louisville in 2017. No. 3 seed UT lost its second-round game to No. 6 seed Oregon State in Knoxville in 2018. No. 11 seed Tennessee fell to No. 6 seed UCLA in the first round at College Park, Md., in 2019. No. 3 seed UT dropped a 70-55 second-round decision to No. 6 seed Michigan in 2021.
UT has made the Elite Eight 28 times and in five of the past 10 tournaments, posting an 18-10 record in that round.
The Lady Vols have seen their season ended in the regional championship game in five of the past 10 years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
UT has advanced to 18 NCAA Final Fours and won eight of them (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008), ranking second to UConn.
Tennessee has finished second in the nation five times and third on five more occasions.
In facing Buffalo and then Belmont, UT played its 89th and 90th different opponents during all rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
HARPER NCAA HISTORY AS A COACH
Kellie Harper is making her seventh overall NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach and second with UT. She also went to the tourney four other times as an assistant coach.
This marks her second Sweet 16 appearance, following a 2019 trip with Missouri State.
Last year’s Lady Vol squad was a No. 3 seed, marking her highest seeded team in the NCAA Tournament. That group advanced to the NCAA Second Round before exiting. This year’s seeding is the second highest of her career.
Kellie Harper is 5-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, including 3-1 while at Tennessee.
She is 2-0 at home (2-0 while at UT), 1-2 away and 2-4 at neutral sites (1-1 while at UT).
She is 3-4 in NCAA First-Round games (1-0 at home/0-2 away/2-2 neutral), 2-1 in NCAA Second-Round games (1-0 at home/1-0 away/0-1 neutral) and 0-1 in the Sweet 16 (0-0 home/0-0 away/0-1 neutral).
After the 2020 tourney was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Harper led Tennessee to the tournament a year ago, finishing 1-1. The Lady Vols beat Middle Tennessee, 87-62, in the opening round in Austin, Texas, before falling to Michigan, 70-55, in the second round in San Antonio.
During the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament, Harper piloted #11 seed Missouri State to the Sweet 16, beating #6 seed DePaul and #3 seed Iowa State before falling to #2 seed Stanford by nine en route to 2019 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year acclaim.
Harper’s previous entries fell in first-round match-ups: #16 Western Carolina at #1 Tennessee in 2005, #13 Western Carolina vs. #4 Vanderbilt in Albuquerque in 2009, #9 NC State vs. #8 UCLA at Minneapolis in 2010 and #13 Missouri State at #4 Texas A&M in 2016.
HARPER’S STAFF EXPERIENCE
In addition to this being Kellie Harper‘s seventh NCAA Tournament berth as a head coach and 11th occasion overall including time as an assistant (Chattanooga-3, Auburn-1), UT’s coaching staff has plenty of postseason experience.
UT assistant coach Jon Harper has been on his spouse’s staff for all of seven of her NCAA appearances, including Western Carolina (2), NC State (1), Missouri State (2) and Tennessee (2). He also went as an assistant at Chattanooga (3) for 10 total.
First-year Lady Vol assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Samantha Williams has gone to 17 NCAA Division I Tournaments as part of staffs at Auburn (1), DePaul (3), Duke (4), Louisville (8) and Tennessee (1).
First-year Lady Vol assistant Joy McCorvey has gone to six NCAA Tournaments as part of staffs at St. John’s (1), Michigan (2), Florida State (2) and Tennessee (1).
WILLIAMS FAMILIAR ON BOTH BENCHES
UT’s Samantha Williams finds herself on the opposite bench from the previous two meetings between Tennessee and Louisville.
Williams was on Jeff Walz’s staff at UL from 2011-19, helping build that program with her coaching and recruiting efforts.
Williams and Louisville advanced to the Final Four in 2013 after defeating Baylor and Britney Griner, 82-81, and then Tennessee, 86-78, in the Oklahoma City Regional.
In 2017, the Cardinals held off the Lady Vols, 75-64, in a second-round match-up in Louisville.
Among other staff members, Williams worked alongside assistant Sam Purcell, who was recently named head coach at SEC school Mississippi State and will be a regular opponent of Williams and company.
POSTSEASON MOVES
During the postseason (SEC and NCAA Tournament), Tennessee has a trio of players leading the charge from a scoring standpoint.
Alexus Dye is heading that group with 20.0 ppg. and 11.5 rpg. while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Rae Burrell and Tamari Key are next, contributing 15.3 and 11.8 ppg., respectively, with each pulling down 5.5 rpg.
Dye, Burrell and Key are all over their individual season scoring averages of 10.2, 11.8 and 10.7 ppg.
Jordan Walker has dished out 25 assists vs. seven turnovers and at 5-foot-8 matches the 6-1 Burrell and 6-6 Key for rebounds at 5.5 while tallying 6.8 ppg.
RECAPPING THE LAST GAME
No. 18/17 Tennessee advanced to the Sweet 16 on Monday night, defeating in-state foe Belmont in Thompson-Boling Arena, 70-67.
It will be the Big Orange’s 35th trip to the Sweet 16 and first since 2016. Lady Vol head coach Kellie Harper will be taking her second team to that stage, having led Missouri State to the 2019 Sweet 16 before being hired by UT after the season.
The fourth-seeded Lady Vols (25-8) were led by graduate Alexus Dye who posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Tamari Key and freshman Sara Puckett were also in double figures with 18 and 12, respectively. Puckett hit a corner-three with just under 18 seconds remaining to put the Lady Vols ahead for good.
Destinee Wells was the high scorer for the 12th-seeded Bruins (23-8) with 22, while Madison Bartley contributed 16.
NOTABLES FROM OUR LAST CONTEST
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DYE: Graduate Alexus Dye recorded her fourth straight double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds against Belmont. She’s managed a double-double in all four of UT’s postseason games thus far.
TK ON TOP: With three blocks against the Bruins, Tamari Key rose to the top of Tennessee’s career blocks list, moving her total to 276 to pass Candace Parker (275). She did so in a shorter amount of time, needing 89 games to Parker’s 110. Earlier this season, Key also took down the UT season record that was previously held by Kelley Cain.
PUCKETT GETS BUCKETTS: Freshman Sara Puckett hit a clutch 3-pointer in the closing seconds to secure the win for Tennessee and move her total for the day to 12 points. It’s her seventh game with 10+ points on the season and first since logging 10 against Arkansas on Jan. 31.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Tennessee committed just nine turnovers against Belmont, the fewest of any game this season. It is the first time a UT team has posted single-digit turnovers since Dec. 18, 2018, when the Lady Vols turned it over just eight times against Stanford.
UT/LOUISVILLE NOTES
This marks the fifth meeting in a series that dates back to only 2009, with Tennessee and Louisville deadlocked at 2-2.
UT and Louisville are meeting for the third time in the postseason, with the Cards holding a 2-0 advantage in those contests.
Louisville, with current UT assistant Samantha Williams on staff, defeated Tennessee for the first time in three meetings, 86-78, in the 2013 NCAA Elite Eight in Oklahoma City to advance to the Final Four.
Williams was still onboard in 2017 when the Cardinals knocked UT out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round in Louisville by a 75-64 count.
The only previous time these teams played in Louisville was when the Lady Vols faced off vs. the Cardinals for the first regular-season game played in the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Fourth-ranked UT won that season-opening bout by a 63-50 count on Nov. 12, 2010.
The initial meeting between the Lady Vols and Cards came on Dec. 16, 2009, as the No. 3/3 Big Orange raced to a 30-point victory by an 86-56 margin in Knoxville.
Tennessee is 1-0 this season vs. ACC foes, getting a solid win in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, 64-58, on Dec. 5.
All-time, the Lady Vols are 112-29 vs. schools currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
During postseason play, Tennessee possesses a 17-6 mark against the ACC.
Kellie Harper is 1-1 all-time vs. Louisville, defeating the Cardinals in Cullowhee, N.C., 77-72, while head coach at Western Carolina on Nov. 17, 2007, and falling to the Cards, 91-49, on Dec. 3, 2013, in Louisville during her tenure at Missouri State.
A LOOK AT LOUISVILLE
Louisville is led by the trio of Hailey Van Lith (14.0 ppg.), Kianna Smith (11.9 ppg.) and Emily Engstler (11.7 ppg., 9.1 rpg.). Smith (59), Van Lith (43) and Engstler (29) are notable three-point threats.
The Cardinals have a scoring margin of +17.4 (72.39-53.58) and out-shoot foes 45.8-36.3 pct. on field goals and 72.1-70.6 pct. on free throws.
The squad has recorded 306 steals and forced 587 turnovers by foes on the season, for averages of 9.9 and 19.3.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH
Jeff Walz is in his 15th season as the head coach at Louisville and has a 412-112 record there.
Walz claims 10 trips to the NCAA Sweet 16, six visits to the Elite Eight and three Final Fours, with a pair of runner-up finishes.
UL’S LAST GAME
Hailey Van Lith scored 21 points. and Louisville advanced to the Sweet 16 after a 68-59 win over Gonzaga on Sunday night in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Van Lith, who made 8 of 17 shots, was one of four Louisville players in double figures. Emily Engstler overcame a 3-for-13 shooting performance to post 12 points, 11 rebounds and five steals. Kianna Smith scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half, and Olivia Cochran added 11 on 5-of-8 shooting.
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
Jaime Nared had 28 points and 11 rebounds and Mercedes Russell added 11 points and 13 boards, but Tennessee could not survive Louisville’s fourth-quarter surge as the No. 5 seed Lady Vols fell to the No. 4 seed Cardinals, 75-64, in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum! Center.
Tennessee (20-12) held a 47-46 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Lady Vols missed their first 12 shots of the final 10 minutes of the game while Louisville (29-7) swung momentum in its favor.
Nared’s 28 points were the most she has ever scored in an NCAA Tournament game and her 11 boards tied for her most in NCAA play.
Russell logged her 19th double-double of season and had three assists and two blocks. Diamond DeShields added 15 points.
Asia Durr led the way for Louisville with 23 points, while Mariya Moore added 19.
On the heels of the Tennessee men’s basketball team’s 27-win campaign, highlighted by an SEC Tournament championship, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White on Thursday announced that he has extended Rick Barnes‘ contract through the 2026-27 season.
Barnes has now led the Volunteers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. This year’s SEC Tournament title was just the fifth in program history—and the first since 1979.
Vols HC Rick Barnes / Credit: UT Athletics
“Rick has built an incredible culture within our men’s basketball program that has spread throughout Vol Nation,” White said. “I’ve had a blast watching the best fanbase in the country embrace this team and create the most electric environment in college basketball. Coach Barnes’ leadership is steady, and his players exude high character. They take pride in representing our university and the state of Tennessee with class and an unrivaled competitive drive.
“Having played and coached the game, basketball has a special place in my heart. To that end, I can’t overstate how fortunate we are to have Rick Barnes leading our program. I am unbelievably excited about our bright future as we chase future championships on the hardwood.”
In program history, Tennessee has six seasons of 26 or more wins, and Barnes has been the Vols’ head coach for three of those six campaigns (2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22).
“After meeting with our players this week, I’m energized and eager to get back in the gym preparing for next season,” Barnes said. “Our family is blessed to be a part of the University of Tennessee family, and we appreciate the alignment of our administration. There are so many wonderful things happening on campus and throughout the community that we’re excited to support and participate in. It’s a great time to be a Tennessee Volunteer.”
For the second time in Barnes’ seven-year tenure, the Vols (27-8) spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25—ascending as high as No. 5 in the postseason poll.
Also for the second time during the Barnes era, Tennessee never lost back-to-back games all season.
Tennessee tied a single-season school record this year by defeating four opponents ranked in the top 10 (tying the 1976-77 SEC Championship team). The Vols now are the only program in the SEC to have finished with single-digit losses in four of the last five seasons.
Each of Barnes’ last two recruiting classes have been rated consensus top-five nationally, and five Vols have been selected in the NBA Draft since 2019.
With 754 career victories—including 150 in seven seasons at Tennessee—Barnes ranks seventh nationally among active head coaches in career Division I wins. Under his direction, the Vols have spent 73 weeks in the AP Top 25 and have defeated multiple “blue blood” programs, including Kentucky (10 times), Kansas, Gonzaga, Purdue, North Carolina and Arizona.
With Barnes on the bench, fan support at Thompson-Boling Arena has continued to rank among the most fervent in the country, with Tennessee finishing in the top five nationally for average home attendance for the each of the last three non-COVID-impacted seasons. The Vols will enter next season riding a 17-game home winning streak that dates to February of 2021.
Fans interested in securing new Tennessee basketball season tickets for the 2022-23 campaign can receive priority seat selection prior to the public on-sale by clicking HERE and making a $50 deposit.
