The Tennessee basketball program continues its stretch of elite recruiting under head coach Rick Barnes, as five-star forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield signed with the Vols Thursday.
A native of Clarksville, Tennessee, Huntley-Hatfield recently reclassified to the Class of 2021. He plans to enroll at UT this summer and will be a freshman in 2021-22. Prior to his reclassification, the 6-10 Huntley-Hatfield was rated by ESPN as the nation’s fourth-best overall prospect in the Class of 2022.
“We’re all really excited about Brandon’s decision to stay in state and develop as a Vol,” Barnes said. “He’s a highly skilled forward who is a terrific passer and has the ability to stretch the defense with his shooting. It’s clear he’s all about doing whatever it takes to help his team win. We’re all looking forward to putting in the work with him to help him reach his full potential.”
Huntley-Hatfield is the fifth five-star signee for the Vols since November of 2018.
Huntley-Hatfield attended IMG Academy in Florida for two years before transferring to Scotland Campus Prep in Scotland, Pennsylvania, for the 2020-21 academic year. He was coached there by Chris Chaney.
Jerry Meyer, national basketball analyst for 247sports.com, describes Huntley-Hatfield as a power-based athlete who “has a quintessential power forward body with length, strength and density.” Meyer also noted Huntley-Hatfield’s versatile scoring ability as well as his potential to be a dominant rebounder.
Huntley-Hatfield played his AAU ball with the BMaze Elite program, founded by former Tennessee point guard Bobby Maze (2008-10).
Huntley-Hatfield joins a highly-ranked Tennessee basketball 2021 signing class that includes Jonas Aidoo, Kennedy Chandler, Quentin Diboundje and Jahmai Mashack.
Vols STC/LB coach Mike Ekeler / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football wrapped up its 10th practice of the spring on Thursday evening as the Volunteers prepare to hold their second scrimmage on Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
This Saturday’s scrimmage is closed to the public. First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel leads his squad into the Chevrolet Orange & White Game at 4 p.m. ET on April 24 in Neyland Stadium. Admission is free.
Ekeler, who returns to the SEC this season, discussed his outside linebackers and special teams units with members of the media following Thursday’s practice. The Vols return senior punter and kickoff specialist Paxton Brooks, who averaged 43.6 yards per punt last fall.
“From our placekickers, we have a really good battle going right now,” Ekeler said. “Then you have Paxton (Brooks) from a punting perspective the other day he was just banging them out there. I think on six punts, he was averaging about 55 yards, and he’s putting them right exactly where we want them. I’m pleased with it every day those guys are coming to work and working on their craft.”
Junior college outside linebacker Byron Young continues to impress in practice alongside sophomore Bryson Eason.
“(Byron Young) has really made a ton of improvement,” Ekeler said. “He’s got some speed off the edge that you’re looking for. Bryson Eason has more power, and he’s done a great job. Those guys pack their lunch pail every single day. They have got an unbelievable attitude and the bottom line is they love ball. Every single day, they raise their game.”
Season tickets for the 100th year of Neyland Stadium and the start of the Josh Heupel era are on sale now at AllVols.com. Season tickets start as low as $300, with the Vol Pass and payment plan options offered. Fans can experience the Neyland Stadium 3D map to select tickets based on preference. Fans with questions related to seats, views and options can utilize the live “CHAT” feature on AllVols.com.
Special Teams Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach Mike Ekeler
April 15, 2021
On his OLB group …
“(Byron Young) has really made a ton of improvement. He’s got some speed off the edge that you’re looking for. Bryson Eason has more power, and he’s done a great job. Those guys pack their lunch pail every single day. They have gotten better every single day. They have got an unbelievable attitude and the bottom line is they love ball. Every single day, they raise their game. Those two guys I have been really, really pleased with.”
On the momentum and productivity …
“Again, what I’m noticing right now is that we have a bunch of guys that love to play. They believe in what coach (Tim) Banks is doing defensively, and they’re flying around and getting used to the tempo of our offense. Our offense, they play faster than heck now. It’s a process of putting in a new defense and then playing with that sort of tempo, you have to make split-second decisions and those guys are understanding now they have to beat them back to the ball. They have to get the call. They have a second to process what their responsibility is and then they go execute. Again, it’s been a process, but every single day we’ve seen these guys take steps forward. Every single day they just love to go out there. They’d practice every day if we’d let them.”
On the returners and the return game …
“Well, it’s kind of funny I’ve been joking around with coach (Kodi) Burns, who’s coaching our returners. The other day we had 119 catches of punts. It was rapid fire out there. I told him that’s pretty disappointing we didn’t get 120. Come on man.’ We’re evaluating a lot of guys. From a special teams standpoint, spring practice especially when you’re new, all you’re doing is taking every single player on your roster and evaluating their skill set every single day. We’ve got a big spreadsheet, and we literally talk about the six different phases and say, ‘alright Tommy can do this, he’s probably not going to be on this one.’ Marking their skill set, plugging them and putting together the pieces of the puzzle.”
“In that position, it’s really kind of a hybrid position. We will be moving them around a lot of times. Sometimes they’ll be a stacked backer. Sometimes they’ll be out wide in the boundaries. Sometimes they’ll be in the field. They’ll be running all kinds of blitzes, all kinds of stunts. Really the idea is not to let the offense find them. With (Byron Young)’s skill set, he’s got unbelievable speed. The guy is extremely fast and he’s bends really well so he can hit that corner and dip and rip and rub and beat them to the edge. He’s really doing a good job working on his counter moves, and I’m really excited about him. That guy, he really truly every single day just coming out and competing. I love the guy.”
On the kicking game …
“From our placekickers, we have a really good battle going right now. We’ve really looked at everyone and I think Chase (McGrath) today was 5-of-6. Toby (Wilson) is doing a nice job. Then you have Paxton (Brooks) from a punting perspective the other day he was just banging them out there. I think on six punts, he was averaging about 55 yards, and he’s putting them right exactly where we want them. I’m pleased with it every day those guys are coming to work and working on their craft. I think we have a talented group.”
“He’s got a really, really quick first step. He’s got great short area quickness. He’s extremely tough. He’s really just learning what it’s like to play on the line or play outside linebacker. Every single day, you are seeing big strides from him. He’s getting more and more confidence. It’s been fun to watch him grow and see his confidence level raised every single day.”
On embracing the community and city of Knoxville …
“I don’t mean this as disrespect to everywhere else I’ve been because I have loved every spot I have been, but I absolutely feel like I have died and gone to heaven here now. This place is everything I love. It’s got the mountains. It’s got water everywhere. I tell you what, I can’t wait to get my boat here. I am still looking for a place on the river. I want to ski to work every day. I love this place, great town, unbelievable town. People are so friendly, and I hope to be here a long time. I love it.”
As she’s getting ready to co-host this weekend’s ACM Awards with Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton made a stop by CBS This Morning to talk with Gayle King.
After the interview, Mickey said “Thank you Gayle King! Just 2 years ago I was ready to let this all go. I’m so glad I didn’t. It really goes to show when you’re at your lowest is when you can have your biggest breakthrough.”
In the emotional interview Mickey admits that “I try to act like I’m strong…but, I’m not always strong.”
Mickey also shares that while she received negative messages from people about her song “Black Like Me”, she says “I got so much support for this song…from all walks of life. There’s so many loving messages from people that showed me that I was doing the right thing.”
Mickey added “As weak as I felt, I still feel strong because I know that I’m standing up for people that don’t necessarily have that ability”
Check out the segment right here where Mickey shares with Gayle the challenges she faces in her career in country music…
As Dan + Shay head into this weekend’s ACM Awards where they are nominated for Duo of the Year — they released an acoustic version of their new hit song “Glad You Exist.”
The nominated pair will also be performing the song on the show Sunday night…but right now you can check out the lyric video for the acoustic version of “Glad You Exist” here…
Make sure to watch the 56th ACM Awards, this Sunday at 8/7 c on CBS and Paramount+
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 3 Tennessee hosts No. 2 Vanderbilt for a top-five in-state showdown at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend.
This weekend’s series marks the first time in the longstanding series between the Vols and Commodores that both teams are ranked in the top five nationally.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Relying on the expertise of public health authorities, the state of Tennessee, appropriate university and government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are implementing a number of new initiatives at Tennessee Baseball gamedays this spring. The well-being of our student-athletes, fans and staff are our top priorities and guide our decisions. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.
The Southeastern Conference in August released several conference-wide fan health and safety guidelines for all member institutions this fall. The Tennessee-specific measures outlined on this page are in line with, and in addition to, the SEC’s guidelines.
Parking
Baseball parking is located primarily in Lots GF1, G16, and C1.
Additional on-street parking is located in C10 along Todd Helton Dr. and Chamique Holdsclaw Dr. and along West Volunteer Blvd.
Handicap parking is located in marked handicap spaces on Pat Head Summitt St. and in the G16 Volunteer Blvd. garage. The 2021 parking map can be seen HERE (PDF).
For more information and gameday info, visit the Tennessee Baseball Gameday Information page by clicking HERE.
TICKET INFORMATION
Lindsey Nelson Stadium continues to operate with reduced capacity to align with state and local social-distancing guidelines for public gatherings. A limited number of single game tickets will be available for walk-up sales for this weekend’s games beginning 90 minutes prior to first pitch, until tickets sell out.
Single-game tickets may be available for select games based on visiting team ticket returns, as well. Fans are encouraged to call the Ticket Office at 865-656-1200 for individual game availability. For weekend series, please contact the Ticket Office on Fridays before 5:00 p.m. Single-game tickets can also be purchased through Vivid Seats by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible during a season with limited capacity, 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), sell them on VividSeats (information available at UTSports.com/cantmakethegame) or participate in our new Seats for Student program (Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
Friday’s series opener will be televised on ESPNU and Saturday’s contest will air on the SEC Network as Clay Matvick (PxP) and Chris Burke (color) call the action. Sunday’s finale will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Bob Kesling (PxP) and Charlie Puleo (color) on the call.
Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio call for all three games on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990), as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app. John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara will describe the action.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (5-0) vs. RHP Kumar Rocker (7-1) Game 2: LHP Will Heflin (2-1) vs. RHP Jack Leiter (7-0) Game 3: RHP Blade Tidwell (4-1) vs. RHP Patrick Reilly (3-1)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 176-163-2
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 94-58-1
In Nashville: Vanderbilt leads, 100-75-1
Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 5-3
Site Unknown: Teams tied, 2-2
Last Meeting: W, 7-6 (March 31, 2019)
The Vols and Commodores have split the past 10 meetings in the series. Tennessee has played and beaten Vanderbilt more than any other opponent in program history.
NOTABLE
Volunteer State Showdown
Tennessee and Vanderbilt enter this weekend’s series tied atop the SEC eastern division standings at 9-3, which is also tied with Arkansas for the best record in the league. The Vols will look to improve on their 7-2 record against ranked opponents this season, as well. Since Tony Vitello took over the program in 2018, UT has posted 25 wins over ranked foes and won seven series over top-25 teams.
Making History
The Vols have continued to reach new heights this season and set another new standard on Monday, earning their highest ranking in program history. UT is ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Top 25 and Perfect Game top 25 poll.
Impressive in SEC Play
Tennessee’s 9-3 record through 12 SEC games is its best since 2004. The Big Orange are currently tied for first in the eastern division, and with their series win over the Gators last weekend, the Vols have secured a win in each of their first four conference series for the first time since 1970.
SEC East Success
After winning two of three games against No. 9 Florida last weekend, UT is now 15-9 against fellow SEC eastern division foes since 2019, including a 4-2 record this season. The Vols went 11-7 against eastern division opponents in 2019, marking their first winning record against divisional foes since going 8-7 back in 2010. Tennessee’s third place finish in the east in 2019 was its highest since finishing second back in 2005.
Aussie On Base Liam Spence is coming off another impressive week where he batted .429 and drew five walks. The senior from Geelong, Australia has reached base in 34 consecutive games played dating back to last season. Spence leads the SEC in batting average (.405) and on-base percentage (.538) and was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday afternoon.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Vanderbilt Commodores
2021 Record: 20-9 (5-4 SEC)
Rankings: D1Baseball.com (#2), USA Today (#2), CBN (#2), NCBWA (#2), Baseball America (#6), Perfect Game (#7)
2019 Postseason: College World Series (Champions)
Head Coach: Tim Corbin (19th season) // Has led Vandy to two National Titles (2014 & 2019)
Predicted SEC Finish: 2nd (Eastern Division)
Preseason All-SEC Selections:
Kumar Rocker (1st Team – SP)
Jack Leiter (2nd Team – SP)
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Dominic Keegan (.391)
Runs: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (28)
Hits: Carter Young (39)
Home Runs: Carter Young (7)
RBI: Dominic Keegan (30)
Stolen Bases: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (21-22)
Wins: Kumar Rocker & Jack Leiter (7)
ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Jack Leiter (0.55)
Innings Pitched: Jack Leiter (49.0)
Strikeouts: Jack Leiter (84)
Notable: Lead the SEC in batting average, doubles, ERA, hits allowed/9 innings, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, triples and WHIP.
GAME PROMOTIONS
Upcoming 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.
ON DECK
The Vols remain home to take on another in-state opponent next Tuesday in Tennessee Tech. First pitch against the Golden Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper offered her comments about changes on Thursday to the Lady Vol staff.
Long-time Harper assistant coach Jennifer Sullivan, who has spent the past two seasons on Rocky Top, was announced as head coach at Florida Atlantic University, while fellow second-year UT assistant Lacey Goldwire departed to pursue other opportunities.
“I am so excited for Jennifer to get this much-deserved opportunity to become a head coach,” Harper said. “She has worked so very hard and is prepared to lead her own program. It has been wonderful to work alongside her for several years, and I can’t wait to see the impact she is going to have on the FAU program, both on the court and off.
“We also express our thanks to Lacey as she concludes her time with our program. I appreciate her contributions here as an assistant and recruiting coordinator the past two seasons and wish her the very best as she makes the next step in her career.”
The Tennessee basketball program added significant size to its 2021-22 roster Wednesday when 7-foot forward Jonas Aidoo signed with the Volunteers.
A consensus national top-70 prospect from Durham, North Carolina, Aidoo (pronounced uh-DOO) plans to enroll at UT this summer and will be a freshman next season.
He is rated as high as No. 33 nationally in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, and he was tabbed as the top prospect in the state of North Carolina by the 247sports.com composite.
“Jonas comes from a wonderful support system, led by his mother, Regina,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “He’s a high-character young man and will fit our program well in that respect. I love that he is hungry to develop—both as a player and a person. He has set an extremely high standard for himself. He’s a very versatile player with a high basketball IQ, and he’s going to be fun to coach.”
Aidoo is currently completing a postgrad prep year at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was coached by Michael Wright. He averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks this season while shooting 68 percent.
Just last month at the Phenom HoopState Championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Aidoo posted a three-game scoring average of 17.3 points while leading Liberty Heights to the championship game.
As a high school senior in 2019-20, Aidoo averaged 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game at Durham Voyager Academy.
A growth spurt prior to his sophomore year saw Aidoo add five inches to his frame.
He played his AAU ball with Pro Skills Basketball’s Team Curry program, coached by Sim Frazier.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An impressive 18 strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work from junior righty, Ashley Rogers and timely runs pushed the No. 16 Tennessee softball team past Tennessee State in Wednesday’s twin bill at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The Lady Vols (31-6) victories kept them undefeated in their all-time series with Tennessee State (8-24).
Game One Tennessee 2 Tennessee State 1
The Lady Vols pitched by committee in Game one, giving up just one run on four hits, with that run being unearned and coming in the third inning.
Davis led the way at the dish with a pair of hits and a home run in the fourth to give UT a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Tennessee scored the contests opening run when sophomore Kiki Milloy roped her first triple of the season down the right field line and later scored on a groundout by senior Chelsea Seggern. The hit was Milloy’s first extra-base-hit of the season that wasn’t a home run.
Two innings later, TSU responded and knotted things up at 1-1, on an errant throw from third base with a pair of runners on.
In the fourth, Davis blasted one over the wall in left field to give UT its one-run lead back at 2-1.
Rogers came in, in the sixth inning to slam the door, striking out the final six batters to give the Lady Vols win No. 30.
Game Two Tennessee 3 Tennessee State 0
Rogers was nothing short of dominant in game two, pitching 6.2 shutout innings, while giving up just one hit, one walk and striking out 12 batters.
Her performance was her eighth double-digit strikeout performance of the season, while the win upped her season-long record to 18-4.
Milloy led the way at the plate for the Orange & White, slapping a hit in both plate appearances and scoring the would-be winning run in the first inning.
The Lady Vols stormed out of the gates in game two, piling on a trio of runs in the opening inning.
Milloy started things off by scoring on a throwing error after stealing third base. A few batters later, graduate student Cailin Hannon scored on a Sac fly to center, before freshman Rylie West crossed the plate on a fielders’ choice to give UT an early 3-0 lead.
Despite not scoring the rest of the way, Rogers was electric in the circle to finish off the combined shutout and the doubleheader sweep.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns to SEC play with a three-game set at South Carolina April 17-19 in Columbia. Game one is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
