KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6 Tennessee stayed perfect on the season with a 4-1 victory over ETSU in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,391 on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols’ pitching staff was exceptional once again, allowing just one run on five hits, to hold the Buccaneers dangerous lineup in check.
Zander Sechrist made his second consecutive midweek start and was impressive yet again, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six in 4.2 innings of work. Camden Sewell came on in relief of Sechrist in the fifth and got UT out of the jam, striking out Ashton King to strand the tying run on third.
The Cleveland, Tennessee, native picked up his second win of the year after tossing 3.1 shutout innings and setting a career high with seven strikeouts out of the pen.
Veteran lefty Redmond Walsh slammed the door to earn his first save of the year, retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth.
Buccaneers’ starter Landon Smiddy did well to hold the Vols’ potent lineup in check for the first three innings before running into some trouble in the fourth.
Reigning SEC Player of the Week Trey Lipscomb broke the 0-0 tie with his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the right-field wall in the bottom of the fourth inning.
ETSU (5-2) responded with a run of their own to cut the lead to one in the top of the fifth and looked poised to tie things up at two in the sixth, but Jordan Beck cut down the tying run at the plate to end the frame with a bullet from right field.
Tennessee pushed its lead back to two in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Jared Dickey before adding one more insurance run in the seventh on a two-out double down the line by Drew Gilbert to make it 4-1.
Despite his solid outing, Smiddy was stuck with the loss for ETSU, falling to 0-2 on the year, after giving up two runs on three hits in four innings.
UP NEXT: The Vols hit the road for the first time this season for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Tennessee will battle with top-ranked Texas on Friday night before taking on Baylor on Saturday and Oklahoma on Sunday.
All three games will be televised regionally by AT&T SportsNet SW and streamed nationally on Astros.com, the Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app. Tickets for the games can be purchased by clicking HERE.
NOTABLE
WALSH MOVES CLOSER TO SAVES RECORD: Graduate senior Redmond Walsh moved closer to Tennessee’s career saves record on Tuesday night, earning his 17th career save. The Louisville, Tennessee, native is one save away from tying Sean Watson (18) for second in program history and six away from tying Todd Helton (23) for the all-time lead.
SUPER SEWELL: Camden Sewell continued his impressive start to the year with another great outing out of the bullpen. Sewell improved to 2-0 on the year and set a new career high with seven strikeouts in just 3.1 innings pitched. The senior right hander has not allowed a run in 8.1 innings this season and has 11 strikeouts while walking just one batter.
ATHENS, Ga. – Bolstered by a second-half run and some timely stops on the defensive end, No. 13 Tennessee grabbed a road win at Georgia Tuesday night, 75-68.
Josiah-Jordan James scored a career-high 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and had a season-high five assists.
Kennedy Chandler added 16 points and had four steals, while John Fulkerson scored 12 on 5-for-8 shooting. Santiago Vescovi was the fourth Vol in double figures, finishing with 11 points.
Aaron Cook led Georgia with 17 points.
Vols G/F Josiah-Jordan James / Credit: UT Athletics
Trailing 44-43 after a corner three from Kario Oquendo with just under 16 minutes to go, Tennessee rattled off an 11-0 run—consisting of three 3-pointers from James.
The Vols extended their lead to as many as 15 points at 64-49 with 9:45 remaining before Georgia climbed its way back into the game—stringing together an 11-0 run of its own to cut Tennessee’s lead to four points.
Tennessee went to Fulkerson on two straight possessions and got two mid-range jumpers—extending its lead back to eight points at 68-60 with 3:23 to go.
After the Bulldogs cut the deficit to four points, Tennessee regained control by forcing Georgia to miss five consecutive field-goal attempts.
In the final minute, James hit three free throws, while Vescovi hit two to close out the game.
The Vols and Bulldogs went into the halftime break tied at 35 after a back-and-forth opening half.
Georgia shot 52 percent from the field during the first half, while Tennessee shot 39 percent. Tennessee and Georgia each led by as many as six points during the period, both leads sparked by identical 8-0 runs.
James and Vescovi each had a team-high nine points in the first half, with James nearly reaching a double-double by pulling down seven first-half rebounds.
UP NEXT: Tennessee is back at Thompson-Boling Arena one final time this season for Senior Day against No. 14 Arkansas Saturday. Tipoff is set for noon ET on ESPN.
VOLS GRAB W IN STEGEMAN: Tuesday’s triumph in Athens marked Tennessee’s first win at Stegeman Coliseum since 2011—snapping a six-game losing streak at that venue.
Brooks & Dunn are hitting the road with their Reboot 2022 tour!
Ronnie Dunn says, “It is our full intent to step onto the stage each night and throw down like the wildest honky tonk you’ve never been to…yet.”
Kix Brooks shared, “Damn, it feels good to be back with ya! Bring it! We’ll meet you there!”
Ronnie added, “Don’t be concerned about the mess left afterwards, y’all just enjoy yourselves and we’ll worry about that later.”
Special guests on the tour include Jon Pardi, Walker Hayes, JordanDavis, Gabby Barrett, Riley Green, Tenille Townes, Tyler Booth, Morgan Wade, Jackson Dean, King Calaway, Dillon Carmichael and Tyler Braden.
Brooks & Dunn’s Reboot 2022 tour schedule;
5/5/22 Evansville, IN – w/ Jon Pardi, Tyler Booth 5/6/22 Grand Rapids, MI – w/ Jon Pardi, Tyler Booth 5/12/22 Brandon, MS – w/ Walker Hayes, Morgan Wade 5/13/22 Huntsville, AL – w/ Walker Hayes, Morgan Wade 5/14/22 Knoxville, TN – w/ Walker Hayes, Morgan Wade 5/20/22 Wichita, KS – w/ Jordan Davis, Jackson Dean 5/21/22 Tulsa, OK – w/ Riley Green, Jackson Dean 5/22/22 Springfield, MO – w/ Jordan Davis, Jackson Dean 6/3/22 Estero, FL – w/ Gabby Barrett, King Calaway 6/4/22 Jacksonville, FL – w/ Gabby Barrett, King Calaway 6/9/22 Lafayette, LA – w/ Jordan Davis, Dillon Carmichael 6/10/22 Bossier City, LA – w/ Jordan Davis, Dillon Carmichael 6/11/22 San Antonio, TX – w/ Jordan Davis, Dillon Carmichael 6/16/22 Savannah, GA – w/ Jordan Davis, Tyler Braden 6/17/22 Greenville, SC – w/ Jordan Davis, Tyler Braden 6/18/22 Nashville, TN – w/ TBD, Tyler Braden* 6/23/22 Charleston, WV – w/ TBD, Tenille Townes 6/24/22 Toledo, OH – w/ TBD, Tenille Townes 6/25/22 Detroit, MI – w/ TBD, Tenille Townes *On Sale date is March 18
The Chicks recently announced a 27-date tour that will start in St. Louis in mid-June and wrap in Washington State on August 13th.
They posted “Excited to announce our 2022 tour! We can’t wait to see you all again! We’ll be joined by Patty Griffin and Jenny Lewis at select dates. Tickets on sale Friday, March 4th at 10am local.”
Not long after their tour starts The Chicks will take a little detour to Manchester, Tennessee to play the Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival on Friday June 17th.
Congrats to Carly Pearce as she was named to the 2022 class of inductees into the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame.
Carly will join fellow Kentuckians Pete Goble, Paul Yandell, Norah Lee Allen, Tommy White and Marty Brown at the induction ceremony on October 28th 2022.
Carly says, “Kentucky is where I learned to love Country music and the incredibly talented musicians who wove their stories and texture throughout the genre. Their influences have driven my music. I am so excited and grateful to be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum this Fall.”
Watch the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame Class of 2022 announcement here…
It was nearly a year ago that the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame & Museum featured an exhibit honoring Carly – who was on hand for the unveiling, and also performed at the event – which you check out here…
Before she gets inducted into the Hall Of Fame, Carly will be looking to see if she’s a winner at the 57th ACM Awards as she is a 4-time nominee this year.
The ACM Awards will be handed out in Las Vegas on Monday and Carly, along with Ashley McBryde will on there to not only see if their song “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” will be a winner, but they will also perform the Top-15 (and climbing) hit.
Photo Courtesy of Carly Pearce and the Kentucky Hall Of Fame & Museum
Elvie Shane‘s current single “County Roads” is about hitting the backroads he grew up driving on – but now he’s going a little faster as the artwork for his debut album Backslider, is featured on Jason Rupert‘s funny car this season.
Elvie shared with the National Hot Rod Association, “The biggest win for me is to do all this successfully enough to support my hot rod habit. Music and cars are a common thread in my life, and you can hear nods to different cars through the entire Backslider record. I can’t wait to see what 300 mph looks like from the starting line.”
Elvie’s album cover has already been taken for a ride – check out this run Jason had in Pomona, California at the Lucas Oil Winternationals…
While a win was not in the cards that day – the fully car did look good.
Elvie Shane’s debut album features 15 tracks including his current single “County Roads” and his number-one hit “My Boy” – which helped Elvie score a New Male Artist Of The Year nomination for this year’s ACM Awards.
Check out the music video for “County Roads” by Elvie Shane.
Kenny Chesney is getting ready for his Here And Now tour as he shared with fans that rehearsals for his shows have started…
Kenny – just like his fans – can’t wait for the first date in Tampa on April 23rd when he plays Raymond James Stadium with Dan + Shay, Old Dominion & Carly Pearce.
In between the stadium shows Kenny and Carly will be hitting a bunch of amphitheaters this summer as well…
Check out the full Here And Now 2022 tour schedule here…
April 23 Tampa, Fla. || Raymond James Stadium April 30 Charlotte, N.C. || Bank of America Stadium May 5* Noblesville, Ind. || Ruoff Music Center May 7 St. Louis, Mo. || Busch Stadium May 14 Milwaukee, Wis. || American Family Field May 19* Orange Beach, Ala. || The Wharf Amphitheater May 21 Atlanta, Ga. || Mercedes-Benz Stadium May 25* Charleston, S.C. || Credit One Stadium May 26* Huntsville, Ala. || Orion Amphitheater May 28 Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium June 2* The Woodlands, Texas || Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 4 Arlington, Texas || AT&T Stadium June 8* Canandaigua, N.Y. || CMAC June 9* Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio || Blossom Music Center June 11 Pittsburgh, Pa. || Heinz Field June 15* Virginia Beach, Va. || Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater June 16* Bristow, Va. || Jiffy Lube Live June 18 Philadelphia, Pa. || Lincoln Financial Field June 23*/** Cincinnati, Ohio || Riverbend Music Center June 25 Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field June 29* Brandon, Miss. || Brandon Amphitheater June 30* Rogers, Ark. || Walmart AMP July 2 Kansas City, Mo. || GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium July 9 Bozeman, Mont. || Bobcat Stadium July 12* Stateline, Nev. || Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s July 13 * Stateline, Nev. || Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s July 16 Seattle, Wash. || Lumen Field July 19 * Bend, Ore. || Hayden Homes Amphitheater July 20 * Bend, Ore. || Hayden Homes Amphitheater July 23 Inglewood, Calif. || SoFi Stadium July 27 * Boise, Idaho. || Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater July 28 * Salt Lake City, Utah || USANA Amphitheatre July 30 Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High August 6 Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium August 10* Columbia, Md. || Merriweather Post Pavilion August 11* Syracuse, N.Y. || St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview August 13 East Rutherford, N.J. || MetLife Stadium August 18 Columbus, Ohio || Historic Crew Stadium August 20 Detroit, Mich. || Ford Field August 26 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium August 27 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium * lineup for these dates is Kenny Chesney and Carly Pearce only
For more information and to purchase tickets to all dates, visit www.KennyChesney.com.
Kenny will be playing this one all summer long – it’s his current single at country radio “Everyone She Knows”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6 Tennessee caps its eight-game homestand to open the season with an in-state showdown against ETSU on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols are coming off a three-game demolition of Iona this past weekend as they outscored the Gaels 68-3 in the series sweep to improve to 7-0 on the year.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
For the most updated gameday information related to Tennessee baseball, please visit our Gameday Central page by clicking HERE. The baseball Gameday Central page contains info in regard to tickets, parking, stadium policies and more.
Vols OF Christian Scott / Credit: UT Athletics
TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets for this season are SOLD OUT. However, single-game tickets for all home games through March 15 are still available at AllVols.com or by calling the Tennessee Athletic ticket office at 865-656-1200.
Single-game tickets for SEC games and the remaining midweek contests will go on sale Tuesday, March 1.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to either transfer your tickets to someone else (Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday’s contest will be streamed on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app with Andy Brock calling the action. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Fans can also listen to the live audio call by Vince Ferrara on UTSports.com and the UT Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 68-20 In Knoxville: UT leads, 38-10 In Johnson City: UT leads, 29-10 Neutral Sites: UT leads, 1-0 Last Meeting: W, 9-6 in 10 inn. (March 16, 2021)
The Vols won the only meeting between the two teams last season, coming away with a 9-6 victory in extra innings thanks to a Jordan Beck walk-off three-run homer in the 10th inning.
NOTABLE
Offensive Explosion Tennessee flat out dominated its two opponents last week, outscoring UNC Asheville and Iona by a score of 84-4 over four games. The Vols scored at least 12 runs in every game and batted .438 as a team for the week while blasting 18 home runs. UT homered at least four times in every game last week as 10 different players went deep for the Big Orange.
Following last week’s offensive explosion, the Vols enter this week leading all of Division I in batting average (.395), runs per game (16.7), total runs (117), home runs (24), slugging percentage (.835), walks (71) and on-base percentage (.534).
Don’t Forget About the Pitching Staff As impressive as the bats have been in the early going, Tennessee’s pitching staff has been just as dominant, leading the nation in WHIP (0.75) while ranking third nationally in ERA (0.89) and fourth in shutouts (three) entering this week. The Vols posted a 0.79 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .132 batting average and racking up 53 strikeouts last week.
Starting Fast With its 4-0 record last week, the Vols improved to 7-0 on the year, marking the fourth consecutive season that they have started at least 7-0.
Lipscomb is Red Hot Trey Lipscomb has been on an absolute tear to start the season. The senior third baseman leads the SEC and ranks second nationally with 20 RBIs so far this season after a monster week. Lipscomb became just the fourth player in program history to hit for the cycle, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a homer in Friday’s series-opening win over Iona. He also had a career-high nine RBIs in the game, one shy of the single-game program record. Lipscomb followed that performance by finishing a double short of the cycle in Saturday’s game, going 3-for-4 with a triple, homer and three RBIs. The Maryland native capped his impressive week with another multi-hit and multi-RBI performance, going 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
For the week, Lipscomb hit .786 and led the team with three doubles, two triples, three homers, 16 RBIs, 27 total bases and a 1.929 slugging percentage on the way to earning SEC Co-Player of the Week honors.
OPPONENT SCOUT
ETSU Buccaneers
Record: 5-1 (0-0 SoCon)
2021 SoCon Finish: 2nd in Blue Division (5th Overall)
Colby Stuart – SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year & All-SoCon First Team
Bryce Hodge – Preseason First Team All-SoCon (DH)
Ashton King – Preseason Second Team All-SoCon (SS)
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Leo Jiminian (.667)
Runs: Noah Webb (9)
Hits: Noah Webb/Ashton King (9)
Home Runs: Noah Webb (3)
RBI: Noah Webb (10)
Stolen Bases: 4 players tied (1)
Wins: Hunter Loyd/Colby Stuart (2)
Saves: N/A
ERA (min. 1 IP/G): Multiple players tied (0.00)
Innings Pitched: Colby Stuart (11.0)
Strikeouts: Hunter Loyd (20)
GAME PROMOTIONS
Gameday promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
Fans are encouraged to download the My All App for their phones and devices this season. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and will allow fans to participate in in-game trivia, the custom filter selfie cam and more throughout the year.
NEW TO LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM
With a palpable excitement surrounding the program, Lindsey Nelson Stadium has added some new and improved seating areas and fan amenities to increase capacity and provide a better fan experience this season.
One of the first things fans will see upon arriving is an additional deck of porches behind the left-field wall as well as new chair-back bleacher seating down the left-field line.
All porches for the 2022 season are sold out, however, the left-field bleachers will be sold as general admission seating. Additional food and beverage options will be located next to the new bleachers throughout the year. For SEC games, a VolShop location and food trucks will be located in that area, as well.
UT has removed the playground down the right-field line and re-branded the area as “The Deck”, which will feature a standing room only area for UT’s students while also providing additional concessions options to help negate congestion throughout the main concourse. In order to enhance the gameday experience, a Petro’s Chili & Chips, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Gameday Sausage kiosk and a new beer kiosk have been added to the deck area.
Vol fans can look for Coca-Cola, popcorn and beer at kiosks on the Plaza located down the first-base line. The VolShop will have hats and merchandise available on the Plaza, as well. The Fan Experience Hub, your one-stop shop for game programs, posters, schedule cards, contest info and more, will also be located in the Plaza area.
Tennessee’s MVP season-ticket holders will also be greeted with a brand new, completely renovated MVP Room this season.
Friday SEC Fan Fest Starting with the SEC opener on March 18 against South Carolina, an exciting new area will be in place for fans this season. “Friday SEC Fan Fest” will take place for ticketed fans on Pat Head Summitt Street for every Friday SEC contest.
Friday Fan Fests will feature music, giveaways, food/beverage options, VolShop sales locations and Vol Network Sponsor activations. Additionally, VFL Sterl the Pearl will join various SEC weekend games to add to the electricity in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
ON DECK
The Vols hit the road for the first time this season for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Tennessee will battle with top-ranked Texas on Friday night before taking on Baylor on Saturday and Oklahoma on Sunday.
All three games will be televised regionally by AT&T SportsNet SW and streamed nationally on Astros.com, the Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app. Tickets for the games can be purchased by clicking HERE.
On coming down from the win Saturday to take on Georgia… “They better. We came in yesterday and told them after the game that it was a big win for us, enjoy it Saturday night. But know that you come in yesterday focused with laser focus knowing that we have another big game Tuesday night. We came in yesterday and went through the things we did not do very well. The message was today is the most important day we have. We have to come out and practice hard today and we have to be focused as we have been for the most part all year long. We have to play good basketball.”
On impressions on Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and the next steps for him… “Consistency. After the game, we talked about how Brandon was one of the first guys we congratulated in the locker room. His mental preparation for the game has gone to a different level in the last week. He came in a couple of games ago and did it again wanting to know exactly what was expected of him on the defensive end. I think that is where he has changed. Most young players coming in have a way of looking at the game from an offensive side of the ball as opposed to realizing that there is so much more that goes into the guts of this game. You have to do away from the ball on each play and there is a responsibility. That is where he has really embraced it. I think he is really wanting to learn the game in a whole different way. It is fun to watch him do it. Now, we told him that he is showing what he can do, with what we have known you can do all along. You have to give him credit for really buying into it. I have told him that there is more there, we are going to get it. I think he is excited about what he has done but knows he has to continue to get better.”
Vols F-C Uros Plavsic / Credit: UT Athletics
On if this is the best rebounding team he has coached at Tennessee… “I do not know if I can say that. It is something we have dialed in. I guess numbers will bear that out one way or another in the end. We look at each day with our guys and each team saying what does this team need to do to get better? We talked about a week ago that we had to get better with our ball-screen defense with both our guards and post players. We talked about rebounding and if we are going to give teams two to three shots we cannot get done what we want to get done. On the other end, we do think we can score the ball but there are going to be nights. We have had games where we had great looks but it did not go in. We have to be able to go in and rebound it at a high level. Exactly what we do not want teams to do to us is what we need to do to them by getting those second shots. It takes a lot of effort and work on each player. You know we have great respect for every team we play against and the coaches. We play against coaches that know what they are doing and they are going to say, you have to keep them off the board. They are going to block out and will you make those second or third effort plays to go get the ball on both ends? That is an area I can always tell you we need to get better in.”
On Tennessee’s consistent focus this season… “I want to appreciate them because they are doing their part. I have said before that we have the best coaching staff in the country. I know how hard they work with these guys. It is not just a voice that they hear from me in practice. I know it goes on behind the scenes every day from the time we start early in the morning to the guys individually. I know how hard these guys work to prepare and in practice. We do spend a lot of time with our players. They are getting the right message from a coaching staff that has been around. They know what goes into this and they are doing their part.”
On where he thinks the change of focus came from in Brandon Huntley-Hatfield… “I don’t know. I think you would have to ask him that. Brandon was one of the first guys that got here and made the jump from high school. He could still be in high school. I do remember back and it seems like a long time ago. As a coaching staff has poured a lot into Brandon, a lot. We love him as a person and we knew that he would come in with a lot of expectation and pressure in a lot of different areas. Sometimes you wish as a coaching staff it was not like that, but that is a process you have to go through. Young people only know what they know and what they have been told until they get into the thick of it. It is always harder than you think, it is harder. Unless you have been through it, it is really difficult. He has some teammates that have stuck with him all of the way. Olivier (Nkamhoua) was able to share with him, ‘Hey man, I have been here three years and these are the ups and downs I have gone through’. Josiah (James) and Santi (Vescovi), every one of these guys have had to deal with the ups and downs of understanding what college basketball is about. It goes back to where I have said this all along, I think these guys like each other and from day one want to be a good basketball team. With every team, you go through issues you have to deal with internally that sometimes come from outside people thinking they know more than what is going on in the in-house every single day. That is part of it and the part you deal with. These guys have not given up on anybody at any point in time. They have told Brandon from day one, ‘We need you’. It takes time, it does. But give him credit because he has stayed with it and he knows it has not been easy. What he is getting right now we are happy for him because he has stayed after it.”
On what concerns him most about Georgia… “I have a lot of respect for Tom Crean. I have known Tom for a long time, and I can assure you he is coaching that basketball team like tomorrow is the Super Bowl. I know Tom is very competitive and he is going to do everything he can, offensively, they really do a good job in getting you to spread out and excellent in running back cuts on you. If you watch them, they are a well-coached team, they really are. When you are in this league, and I tell everybody, you can throw out the records. Anybody, in this league, top to bottom, has a chance to put together a great game. It all goes back to focus, and I think every coach in this league will tell you when we get ready to play, we are more concerned with our team and what we have to do. I can assure you Tom Crean will have his team ready to play with a game plan against us with exactly what he thinks it will take to beat us.”
On if some of the team will be injury managed this week… “We will probably have to manage some. The one thing is, maybe playing Tuesday this week will give us a little more time. This time of year, I believe we all have to manage that. It is a concern, and I think you saw in the game Saturday, the three guys we had to manage were a little sluggish to start the game, which you would expect. I am a big believer in that when you get in a rhythm and that rhythm gets broken, it might be subtle, but sometimes it takes you a little bit longer. All three of those guys got better as the game went on.”
On how you has seen Kennedy Chandler develop… “I think Kennedy’s biggest improvement, since the Texas game, his defense has gotten so much better. He has become more locked in defensively and because of that he has gotten so much better with it. His preparation, knowing at that spot all eyes are on him, and if you are going to be out front and do the things that we need that position to do it takes a great deal of preparation. Kennedy, since the Texas game, has been a different player too in terms of his defense. I thought the other day, and I told him this yesterday, it was my fault because I thought I kept him out there too long, at the end of the game I felt like he had gotten fatigued a little bit. The fact is, he has improved a lot.”
On Brandon Huntley-Hatfield’s growth and how that changes the team… “We will see. As we know, it’s a game of matchups. Brandon showed me a lot, he was running down rebounds and making those extra effort type of plays. It is fun to watch when you see a guy when the game starts out, and the specific couple things you give him, you can tell that he is locked into doing that. It was neat watching Brandon do that, and the effort he made to rebound and run down balls because Brandon has really good hands. We got some guys on our team, Josiah has great hands, Brandon does, Zakai (Zeigler), and Kennedy do. We have guys that have good hands and when they get them working, we can break things loose. Brandon running down the rebounds is something that he did not do a month ago, but now he is making all those plays and that all goes back into practice. He is coming into practice with a much better focus. I do think that these guys realize that practice is the most important thing that we do until the ball goes up and what we do to prepare prior to that is really important, and again, he has figured that out.”
On the first game of his Tennessee career being at Georgia in 2020, and how far he’s come since then… “I do remember that game well. That was my first game after I was cleared by the NCAA. At that point, I was missing basketball a lot. I didn’t play for a while and was just going through practices with my teammates, seeing them compete, and not being able to help them on the court. Stepping into that game, I had a lot of emotions. I was just waiting for the moment to happen and ready to play basketball, but once it started it was just another game for me.”
On how Tennessee is able stay focused no matter who the opponent is… “I feel like that comes from the maturity of this team and the leadership from our older guys teaching the younger guys how to switch your mind from winning a big game at home, to going on the road against Georgia. Can you prepare for every single opponent differently than you prepared from your last game? You have to make sure you’re locked into the scouting report and what coaches show you. It’s hard winning on the road in the SEC and you have to be prepared for whoever is in front of you.”
On if he had any idea on how loud Thompson-Boling Arena can get before he arrived at Tennessee… “I had no idea before I got here. The most people I’ve played in front of is about 500 people, so playing in front of 22,000 is unbelievable. When you get to the point where you’re on the floor, and you’re trying to tell your teammates something, you have to start screaming from five feet away so they can hear you. That just tells you how great this environment is and when you see the students camping out in front of the gym in the cold to get the best seats possible is amazing. I appreciate them and the amount of support and love they’ve shown us this year is amazing. We haven’t lost a game at home—that just shows you how great this environment is, and I don’t think there is a better home court advantage in college basketball.”
The 13th-ranked Tennessee basketball team is on the road one final time in the regular season Tuesday, traveling to Athens, Georgia, to take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Tuesday’s game on SEC Network and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Tom Hart (play-by-play), Dane Bradshaw (analysis) and Alyssa Lang (reporter) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp calling the action. The broadcast is also available on channel 133 on Sirius, channel 190 on SiriusXM and channel 961 on the SiriusXM app.
Vols G-F Josiah-Jordan James / Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee (21-7, 12-4 SEC) is coming off its third win of the season over a top-10 team, having defeated No. 3 Auburn on Saturday, 67-62.
All-SEC candidate Santiago Vescovi led Tennessee scorers with 14 points and sank all six of his free-throw attempts. Fellow All-SEC hopeful and SEC Freshman of the Week Kennedy Chandler, along with SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate Zakai Zeigler, each tallied 13 points.
The victory marked the sixth win in the Rick Barnes era over an AP top-five opponent. Tennessee is 4-0 under Barnes when facing top-five teams at home.
Tennessee is searching for its first win at Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum since Jan. 18, 2011, having lost six straight games against the Bulldogs in Athens.
Up next, Tennessee is back at Thompson-Boling Arena one final time this season for Senior Day against No. 14 Arkansas. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads the all-time series with Georgia, 97-61, dating to 1913. This is the 159th meeting overall and the only regular-season meeting set for the 2021-22 campaign. • The Bulldogs have dominated this series in recent years, winning seven of the last 11 meetings. • The Bulldogs hold a 40-33 edge when the series is contested in Athens and have won six straight over the Volunteers at Stegeman Coliseum. Tennessee’s last win at UGA came in 2011. • During their six-game losing streak at Stegeman Coliseum, the Vols are averaging only 61.2 ppg. • In last season’s lone meeting, UT freshman and eventual first-round NBA Draft pick Jaden Springer scored a game-high 30 points to propel the Vols to an 89-81 win in Knoxville. • Tennessee is riding a 13-game win streak on the SEC Network, dating to last January. Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw each called seven of those games (five as a tandem).
LAYUP LINES – TEAM • Tennessee stands at No. 8 in the NCAA’s latest NET ratings. Each of UT’s seven losses are Quad 1. • The Vols have faced 10 AP Top 25 opponents so far this season and own wins over the teams ranked Nos. 2, 5 and 7 in this week’s poll. • With a win Tuesday, Tennessee will finish SEC play with a winning record in conference road games. • According to KenPom, the Vols rank third in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 87.3 points per 100 possessions. • Tennessee’s scoring defense of 65.9 ppg in SEC play is tied for tops in the league. The Vols have held their last seven SEC opponents to fewer than 65 points. • The Vols rank eighth among all Division I teams in steals per game (9.6 spg), 17th nationally in turnovers forced per game (16.46 tpg) and 18th in turnover margin (+4.0).
LAYUP LINES – PLAYERS • All-SEC candidate Santiago Vescovi is the league’s top 3-point shooter during SEC play, hitting at a .440 clip from long range. • Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award candidate Kennedy Chandler’s 2.22 steals per game rank 18th in Division I and second nationally among true freshmen. • During SEC play, Vols freshmen Zakai Zeigler (2.44 spg) and Chandler (2.27 spg) rank first and tied for fourth, respectively, in steals per game. • A leading candidate for the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award, Vols freshman Zakai Zeigler is the team’s third-leading scorer during SEC play (10.4 ppg) while leading the league in steals and free-throw percentage in conference games. • True freshman forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has a team-high nine offensive rebounds over Tennessee’s last two games.
ABOUT GEORGIA • Georgia (6-23, 1-15 SEC) enters Tuesday’s game on a nine-game losing streak. The Bulldogs last won on Jan. 25 over Alabama, 82-76. • Despite struggling this season, Georgia has recorded two home wins over potential NCAA Tournament teams—the win over Alabama and a Dec. 1 win over Memphis, 82-79. The Bulldogs also took then-No. 1 Auburn to the wire on Feb. 5, falling by a score of 74-72. • The Bulldogs are in their fourth season under the direction of former Marquette and Indiana head coach Tom Crean. Georgia has posted a 47-72 (.395) record under Crean. • Florida SouthWestern State transfer guard Kario Oquendo leads the Bulldogs in scoring (15.3 ppg) and ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.4 rpg). Oquendo is averaging 18.5 points per game in conference play—a mark that ranks fourth in the SEC. • Oquendo is also shooting 46.3 percent from the field during SEC play, which ranks fifth in the league (second among guards). • Graduate transfer guard Aaron Cook, who played at Southern Illinois and Gonzaga before transferring to Georgia, is averaging 10.1 points and 5.6 assists per game. Cook ranks 18th in the nation and second in the SEC in assists per game. • KenPom.com ranks Georgia 209th in the country—95th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 309th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
LAST MEETING WITH GEORGIA • A season-high 30 points from freshman Jaden Springer and an efficient night from the field pushed 16th-ranked Tennessee past Georgia, 89-81, on Feb. 10, 2021, at Thompson-Boling Arena. • Georgia was led in scoring by K.D. Johnson, who closed the night with 22 points and three rebounds. • Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James scored a career-high 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting and also added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. • Santiago Vescovi added 19 points and six rebounds while converting on all eight of his attempts from the free-throw line—with multiple makes at the charity stripe in the game’s closing moments. • Reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Keon Johnson contributed 11 points. His performance was highlighted by a SportsCenter Top-10 poster dunk to help spark the Vols in the second half. • Tennessee controlled the game’s opening 15 minutes, holding Georgia to 36 percent shooting. The Vols, meanwhile, shot 58 percent en route to a 31-21 lead. • The remainder of the half saw a flurry of baskets for UT, which outscored Georgia 13-5 over the final five minutes to take a 44-26 lead into the locker room. • Tennessee made 10 3-pointers on the night to tie its season-high. The Vols made eight in the first half. • The Volunteers continued to dictate the pace in the second half, stretching their lead to as many as 23 in the first 10 minutes after halftime. • UT withstood Georgia’s late push, remaining steady at the foul line to walk away with the eight-point win.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST GEORGIA • Austin “Red” Robbins had arguably the best performance in UT history at the time with 35 points and 20 rebounds on Feb. 7, 1966, as UT routed Georgia 100-71 at old Armory-Fieldhouse in Knoxville. • Bernard King made 18 field goals at Georgia on Feb. 1, 1975. King had 42 points and 18 rebounds in that 105-69 Vol victory. • The 12,666 paying customers who packed UT’s Stokely Athletics Center on Feb. 10, 1979, got their money’s worth, as Ellenwood, Georgia, native Reggie Johnson totaled 36 points and 13 rebounds, playing every minute of a three-overtime thriller as UT topped Georgia 87-81. Terry Crosby also played all 55 minutes, adding 21 points • Future NBA Lottery Pick Marcus Haislip paced the Vols with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Vincent Yarbrough added 17 points as UT outscored the 16th-ranked Dawgs 11-3 in overtime to take a 71-63 win in Knoxville on March 2, 2002.
DOUBLE-BYE IN TAMPA SECURED • Tennessee has secured a double-bye in the SEC Tournament in Tampa. The top-four seeds earn automatic placement in Friday’s quarterfinal round. • If the tournament started today, the Vols would enter as the No. 3 seed. UT’s remaining games are at last-place Georgia and home vs. second-place Arkansas.
VOLS BEST IN NATION AT DENYING SECOND-CHANCE POINTS • Per analytics website Haslametrics.com, Tennessee leads the nation in defensive second-chance point conversion percentage. • The Vols’ defensive SCC% of 2.26 is a result of dividing the field goal conversions that occur five seconds or less after an offensive rebound by the total number of opponents’ missed field goals. • Tennessee’s active hands on defense often lead to a block or strip steal after offensive boards by the opposing team.
AS POSTSEASON APPROACHES, VOLS CRASHING OFFENSIVE GLASS • After pulling down 21 offensive rebounds in the win over No. 3 Auburn, Tennessee has risen to 28th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (12.4). • At the end of January, the Vols ranked 50th nationally in offensive rebounding. • Tennessee is averaging 11.8 orpg during SEC play and has totaled 10 or more offensive boards in 13 of 16 SEC games this season.
GUP STEPPING UP IN TIME FOR MARCH • Another true freshman forward, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (known to his teammates as “Gup”), is playing his best basketball of the season as the Vols enter March. • A starter for each of the last six games, BHH averaged 5.5 points, 7.0 rebounds (4.5 offensive) and one block spanning last week’s wins over Missouri and No. 3 Auburn.
NUMBERS PROVE TENNESSEE HAS NATION’S MOST PASSIONATE FANS • Tennessee yet again is on pace to be the only school in America to rank in the top 10 in average home attendance for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. • In football, the Vols ranked ninth with an average home attendance of 86,386 in 2021. • In hoops, the Vols and Lady Vols currently rank fifth (17,971) and sixth (7,728), in the NCAA, respectively.
THE LANG EFFECT • A meaningless but still incredible note… Alyssa Lang of the SEC Network has been part of the TV broadcast team for six Tennessee basketball games as well as four Tennessee football games dating to 2019, and the Vols are undefeated in those contests (10-0).
