KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 2021 baseball season is right around the corner and leading up to opening day, UTSports.com will preview each position group for this year’s team.

First up are Tennessee’s outfielders.

The Volunteers will need to replace a pair of 2020 MLB Draft picks in Alerick Soularie and Zach Daniels but with four returners and a couple of new faces, UT should have plenty of depth and talent ready to step in and produce at a high level.

Returners (Listed Numerically)

#1 Drew Gilbert – Sophomore – 5-9 / 182 – Stillwater, Minn.
Career Stats (1 Season): 15 GP, 10 GS, .350 AVG, 40 AB, 15 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .500 SLG, 7 BB, 6 K, .490 OBP

One of Tennessee’s prized recruits from its 2020 signing class, Gilbert certainly lived up to expectations during his first season on Rocky Top. The Minnesota native finished the shortened 2020 season ranked third on the team in batting average, runs scored and on-base percentage while starting 10 games.

Gilbert, who also pitches for the Vols, is likely to be the opening day starter in center field and will look to provide a spark at the top of the lineup as he strives to build off his early-season success from a year ago.

#6 Evan Russell – Senior – 5-11 / 195 – Lexington, Tenn.
Career Stats (3 Seasons): 113 GP, 98 GS, .268 AVG, 343 AB, 63 R, 92 H, 16 2B, 11 HR, 74 RBI, .423 SLG, 55 BB, 78 K, .375 OBP, 9 SB

Russell is one of the most experienced players on UT’s roster with 113 career games played and 98 starts under his belt. He will once again be relied upon to play a significant role in the Vols’ outfield rotation and is likely an opening day starter.

The senior from Lexington, Tennessee brings a solid mix of power and plate discipline and is a reliable defender that can play left or right field. Russell is also one of the team’s leaders on and off the field. He is a 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-American and three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.

#8 Christian Scott – Junior – 5-9 / 175 – Clarksville, Tenn.
Career Stats (2 Seasons): 34 GP, 8 GS, .310 AVG, 42 AB, 10 R, 13 H, 3 2B, 4 RBI, .381 SLG, 10 BB, 14 K, .434 OBP, 2 SB

Scott has put up solid numbers during limited action over his first two seasons at UT. The Clarksville, Tennessee native, is one of the team’s best athletes and is a very good defensive player. Scott has impressed this offseason and will look to earn a larger role as he enters his junior year.

#27 Jordan Beck – Sophomore – 6-3 / 213 – Hazel Green, Ala.
Career Stats (1 Season): 16 GP, 10 GS, .275 AVG, 40 AB, 10 R, 11 H, 5 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .475 SLG, 8 BB, 11 K, .396 OBP

One of Tennessee’s potential breakout stars, Beck will look to build off a solid freshman campaign. The Hazel Green, Alabama, native played in 16 games and made 10 starts in his debut season, batting .275 with five doubles, one home run and nine RBI. He was named to the Round Rock Classic All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Vols to wins over No. 1 Texas Tech, Houston and No. 25 Stanford.

Beck has the potential to be one of UT’s most dangerous hitters and is considered one of the top sophomore pro prospects in the Southeastern Conference, coming in at No. 5 on D1Baseball.com’s 2022 College MLB Draft SEC Prospects list. He is one of the favorites to land a starting spot in Tennessee’s outfield on opening day.

Newcomers (Listed Numerically)

#12 Kyle Booker – Freshman – 5-10 / 175 – Southaven, Miss.

Booker was one of the highest-rated signees in UT’s 2021 recruiting class after a standout prep career. The Mississippi native was rated as the 224th best prospect in the nation by Perfect Game after helping lead DeSoto Central High School to a pair of state championships and the 2020 Perfect Game High School Showdown title.

Booker was recently named an SEC Impact Freshman by D1Baseball.com, coming in at No. 18 on that list. The speedy lefty will look to earn some early playing time as a true freshman this season.

#18 Hunter Ensley – Freshman – 6-1 / 185 – Huntingdon, Tenn.

A multi-sport star from Huntingdon High School, Ensley brings a well-rounded skill set to the Vols’ outfield group. Like Booker, Ensley was a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school as Perfect Game rated him as the 292nd best prospect in the nation and ninth best player from the state of Tennessee. He was a two-time Tennessee Mr. Baseball finalist and was a 2019 MaxPreps Small Schools First Team All-American.

Ensley was also a standout on the gridiron for Huntingdon High, earning All-State honors while leading the Mustangs to a 13-1 record and an appearance in the Class A state semifinals in 2019. As a senior, Ensley was named a finalist for Tennessee Class A Mr. Football, becoming the first athlete in Huntingdon High School history to be named a finalist for Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball during his career.

Other Possible Outfielders

Returners Max Ferguson and Ethan Payne are primarily infielders but could also see time in the outfield this season. Ferguson has been named a preseason All-American by three different outlets and is poised for a breakout junior campaign. Payne did not see action as a freshman last year due to the shortened season but can play first base or outfield. He was a dynamic two-sport athlete at Germantown High School, where he was a star on the Red Devils’ baseball and football teams.

-UT Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 11th-ranked Tennessee basketball team remains on the road for a Saturday showdown with SEC foe, Kentucky. The opening tip from Rupp Arena is slated for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Fans can catch Tuesday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Bob Wischusen and Dick Vitale will have the call.

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

Last time out, Tennessee dropped a hard-fought road contest with Ole Miss, 52-50. The Vols were led in scoring for the fourth consecutive game by senior Yves Pons, who scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Pons also reeled in four rebounds and recorded a steal.

A victory on Saturday would be the Vols second consecutive victory at Rupp Arena and would be the Orange & White’s sixth win in their last nine tries against the Wildcats.

Up next, Tennessee returns to Knoxville for a rematch with the 22nd-ranked Florida Gators on Wednesday evening. Tipoff from Thompson-Boling Arena is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 156-74, dating to 1910.
• The Wildcats have a 91-18 edge when the series is played in Lexington.
• Overall, the Vols have won five of their last eight games vs. Kentucky.
• Tennessee will host the Wildcats in Knoxville in two weeks on Feb. 20.

A WIN WOULD…
• Be Tennessee’s sixth victory in its last nine games against Kentucky.
• Be UT’s seventh all-time win at Rupp Arena.
• Give Rick Barnes three head coaching victories at Rupp Arena.

LAYUP LINES
• Kentucky big man Olivier Sarr is one of Yves Pons’ closest friends. Both grew up in France, and they often played against one another before becoming teammates at INSEP Academy and on the French National Team.
• Pons is averaging a team-best 15.8 points while shooting .632 from the field and .467 from 3-point range (7-15) over the last four games.
• Last week, Pons was named a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Award and one of 15 candidates for Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year.
• Tennessee is No. 13 in the latest NCAA NET ratings, with four wins over teams in the top 30.
• Tennessee dominated #15 Kansas last Saturday for an 80-61, wire-to-wire win that clinched the SEC/Big 12 Challenge for the SEC (5-4).
• The Volunteers have been outscored 25-0 on fast-break points over the last two games.
• Over its last two games, Tennessee is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (16 for 32).

DEFENSE WINS
• Tennessee ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just 58.9 points per game.
• According to KenPom, the Vols lead the NCAA in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 86.0 points per 100 possessions. College teams typically average close to 70 possessions per game.
• The Vols are forcing 16.1 turnovers per game while converting those turnovers into 17.3 points per game. Tennessee’s turnover margin stands at +4.6 (11th nationally).
• Tennessee has forced 13 of 16 opponents to turn the ball over on 20 percent or more of their possessions.
• Tennessee has allowed only one opposing player to score 20 points all season. See Page 3.
• Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons has 20 blocks through UT’s first nine SEC games. Pons has 100 blocks in his last 47 games.

ABOUT KENTUCKY
• At the midway point of the 2020-21 season, Kentucky is in the midst of an uncharacteristic season. Through 16 games, the Wildcats are 5-11 and 4-5 in SEC play and have dropped five of their last six contests.
• Despite the rough road, UK boasts an immensely talented crop of newcomers, led by freshman forward Isaiah Jackson. Jackson has been a do-it-all performer, leading the team and ranking eighth in the SEC in rebounding with 7.1 per game, while averaging an incredible 3.0 blocks per game. That average leads the team, the SEC and ranks sixth in the nation. Jackson has also been solid on the score sheet, contributing close to seven points per game.
• Another versatile producer for Kentucky has been senior Olivier Sarr. An alum of France’s INSEP Academy (like UT forward Yves Pons), Sarr is Kentucky’s second-leading scorer (10.3 ppg), rebounder (5.6 rpg) and shot blocker (1.1 bpg), while playing just 23.8 minutes per night.
• In the scoring department, UK has been led by freshman guard Brandon Boston Jr., who’s averaging 12.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in all but four games for the Wildcats. Boston is also Kentucky’s third-leading rebounder, averaging 5.3 boards per game, and he leads the team in steals, averaging 1.3 per contest (21 total).
• A little known fact about the University of Kentucky’s women’s basketball program (started in 1902) is that it predates the storied men’s program, which was formed a year later in 1903. A key difference is that the women’s team did not become an official varsity sport at UK until 1974.

LAST MEETING WITH KENTUCKY
•  A career-high 27 points from junior John Fulkerson, a massive 29-9 second-half run and a dominant defensive effort in the final 20 minutes propelled Tennessee to an 81-73 comeback victory over sixth-ranked Kentucky on March 3, 2020, at Rupp Arena.
•  The win was Tennessee’s second in its last three trips to Lexington and made Rick Barnes the first UT coach ever to win multiple games at Rupp Arena.
•  The Vols trailed by as many as 17 points, marking the second time on the season UT came back to win when trailing by 15 or more. Tennessee’s 51 second-half points were the most the Vols scored in a half all season.
•  Entering the game, the last time Kentucky blew a lead of 17 or more points was when Barnes’ Vols erased a 21-point deficit to post an 84-77 triumph in Knoxville on Feb. 2, 2016.
•  Fulkerson’s 27 points came on a career-high-tying 10 made field goals and a 7-of-7 effort from the foul line.
•  Josiah-Jordan James also was huge for the Vols, scoring all of his season-high 16 points in the second half. James finished 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range while also pulling in seven rebounds and dishing off five assists.
•  SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons delivered a clutch performance on the offensive end, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second half. Pons concluded the night 6-of-9 from the field and drilled all three of his 3-point attempts.
•  Junior Jalen Johnson came off the bench to help keep UT within striking distance in the first half, knocking down two 3-pointers to cut UK’s early 13-point lead to seven.
•  A balanced opening eight minutes had Kentucky holding a slim 14-11 lead at the under-12 media timeout. Fulkerson was on fire for the Vols, knocking down each of his first four field goal attempts and scoring nine points.
•  Down the stretch of the opening half, the Wildcats briefly took control, increasing their lead to 42-31 at the halftime break. Kentucky continued to pour it on to begin the second half, stretching its advantage to 51-34 just three minutes in.
•  The Vols then responded with a 9-0 run, spearheaded by five points and an assist from James to cut the Wildcat lead to just eight points with 13:57 remaining.
•  The Vols later expanded their run to 29-9 during a 10-minute stretch with balanced scoring and a number of defensive stops to take a 63-60 advantage, which was their first lead since the 15:53 mark of the first half.

OTHER MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST KENTUCKY
• Kevin Punter Jr.’s 27 points were the most scored by a Vol against the Kentucky in 10 years as Tennessee defeated the Wildcats, 84-77, Feb. 2, 2016, in Knoxville. The senior point guard made three 3-pointers and was 11-of-12 at the free-throw line.
• Chris Lofton reeled off 31 points, Major Wingate scored 12 and longtime NBA point guard C.J. Watson added 10 as No. 11 Tennessee beat Kentucky 75-67 at Rupp Arena on Feb. 7, 2006.
• Beating the Wildcats was three times as nice during the 1978-79 season. UT notched program win No. 900 in Lexington on Jan. 20, 66-55, before topping UK 101-84 in Knoxville on Feb. 17. Then the Vols won the 1979 SEC Tournament with a 75-69 win over UK in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 3. Current Vol Network radio analyst Bert Bertelkamp was a junior on that Tennessee team.
• As Bernard King walked off the court at Memorial Gym after a deflating 88-82 loss on Jan. 13, 1975, a Kentucky fan flipped a lit cigarette into the Tennessee legend’s hair. Outraged, King vowed he would never lose to Kentucky again. He vigorously carried out that promise, finishing his career 5-1 against the Wildcats.

SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
• The Kentucky series is UT’s oldest and most-played among SEC opponents. The Vols and Wildcats first met on Feb. 5, 1910, and have clashed 230 times over the years.
• No program in college basketball has logged more wins over Kentucky than Tennessee (74).
• The Vols have beaten the Wildcats just six times at Rupp Arena, posting victories in 1977, 1979, 1999, 2006, 2018 and 2020.
• Tennessee has 15 all-time wins over the Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena, including four straight between 2016-19.
• Kentucky is one of only two SEC schools (along with Alabama) to lead its all-time series against the Volunteers.
• Four Tennessee All-Americans were Kentucky natives: Allan Houston, Chris Lofton, Danny Schultz and Paul “Lefty” Walther.
• Saturday is only the 12th meeting in the series for which Tennessee is ranked in the AP top 25 and Kentucky is not. Kentucky holds a 7-4 edge in such matchups.

RIVALRY RECHARGED
• Since Rick Barnes‘ arrival on Rocky Top, the border rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats has been recharged in a major way.
• Barnes has led the Volunteers to a 7-5 overall record against the Wildcats, including at least one win in each of the last five seasons.
• Since current UK head coach John Calipari has led the program in Lexington, Tennessee is the only program to have logged wins over Kentucky for five consecutive seasons. Tennessee is the first program to defeat Kentucky at least once for five straight seasons since Florida and North Carolina both did so from 2005-09.
• Spanning the first five years of the Barnes era at UT, the Vols are 4-1 against Kentucky in Knoxville, 2-3 vs. the Cats in Lexington and 1-1 against UK in neutral-site clashes at the SEC Tournament.

CALIPARI AMONG TENNESSEE’S MOST-FACED ACTIVE COACHES
• On Saturday, John Calipari will coach his 30th career game against the Vols. Among active college coaches, he has the most career meetings against Tennessee.

Coach                                     Meetings                                        UT’s Record vs.

John Calipari                           29                                                    12-17

Tubby Smith                            26                                                     7-19

Frank Martin                            14                                                    10-4

Mark Gottfried                         13                                                     4-9

VOLS HAVE NINE WINS AGAINST CALIPARI 2.0
• Since UK coach John Calipari returned to the college game in 2000-01, Tennessee has dealt him 12 losses. No team has more wins over Calipari-coached teams during that span.

Team                                                            Wins

Tennessee                                                    12

Florida                                                            8

Louisville                                                        8

Auburn, Cincinnati, Kansas                           5

-UT Athletics

Tennessee basketball assistant coach Desmond Oliver met with the media on Thursday morning to recap the Ole Miss game and preview UT’s Saturday matchup with Kentucky.

On how to be more effective in transition:
“We have to run more. That’s something we’ve been talking about. Personally, every time I’ve done the scouting, I’ve talked about it. I know Coach English has talked about it. Coach Schwartz and Coach Barnes—is that we’ve urged our guys to run more, pass ahead and there’s no reason why from game to game we shouldn’t be able to get 15 or 20 points in transition. We talk about the difference of three to four baskets more per half to do that. I think that’s certainly an emphasis. It is something we must work on and get better at. It starts today in practice by making sure our guys get the message, because now instead of averaging 65 points a game, if you add 15 more points toward where we are around 80 points a game. If we are in the 80s, no one’s going to beat us. We are losing close games a lot of times because our offense is stalled, and I think that’s the difference between us really having a chance to be a special team as opposed to just being a good team.”

On biggest takeaway watching the film against Ole Miss:
“My biggest takeaway—and I plan on sitting out after this zoom and spending time with some of the guys individually, especially our guards—was I was very surprised that at this level that our guards from a mental standpoint allowed an opposing team to take their aggressiveness away and not see the court. It’s like in football when quarterbacks are blitzed by the defense that this guy’s wide open that can make plays and because it’s happening so fast and you’re on your heels and then you put this pressure on yourselves that simple plays aren’t so simple. Watching the video—I mean that one-v-one was not as tough as it seemed for those guys. We had guys diagonal skip pass, lobs, Yves Pons is on the weak side against a 6’1 guard who can’t jump high enough to touch his chest, let’s play above the rim, and our guards didn’t throw it. Sometimes when the play doesn’t work, you have to put your head down and drive a gap and get by people off the dribble and go make a play at this level. So, that’s what surprised me most. Our inability mentally to just be aggressive and attack the basket. I thought Keon Johnson got going late in the game and just put his head down and made plays. We need more guys against gimmick defenses like that to just go make a play at this level.”

On what makes transition offense so effective:
“First and foremost, in order to run effectively we have to continue to get stops and first-time rebounds. For the most part we’ve been doing that against most of our opponents. Then the next part of it is running. It’s our first big down, we call it running the pipe. Then our wings have to run and then the guard that gets the rebound either has to advance it off the pass or if the defense is matching up and guarding those guys, advance it off the dribble with the intent to score. The intent can’t be to run the court hard, run it fast and then we will run a play. I think right now, we look like a team that wants to go run to play every time. I know for a fact that’s not what Coach Barnes wants. We are disciplined enough to be a team that executes at a high level, but he wants to go out there and get easy baskets. It just comes down to our guys mentally buying into that, being more comfortable doing it, and being more aggressive to make those plays happen.”

On the importance of rebounding:
“I think a lot of it comes down to our personnel. Against Kansas, for the most part, John Fulkerson was really good in that game. So, our frontline wasn’t compromised by going small.  John played close to 30 minutes. Yves Pons played pretty good minutes. So, when John and Yves are in the game and now, we have Josiah Jordan-James, our big guards, Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer in the game—even Santiago Vescovi and Victor Bailey in the game—we have enough size on the perimeter in a normal frontline to be a pretty challenging opponent on the glass. When we go small ball, the reality is our best players, our best offensive players, might end up being our guards. Playing small ball may help us on offense, but our guards aren’t the same physical, athletic rebounders that may be John Fulkerson or Yves Pons are; especially on the defensive glass. I think that the discrepancy is when our offense is failing and when we are trying to put our five best and most skilled guys in the game. Maybe it helps our offense but we haven’t really figured out how to get those guys to rebound at a high level.”

On how often they tell Josiah to continue to be aggressive after he had two different kinds of halves in the game the other night:
“It’s funny—certainly Josiah is a good player, a really good player, a really good defender, has got great size, and he’ll play in the NBA one day and be a really good role player in the NBA for sure. However, our biggest challenge with Josiah has been trying to ignite that fire to score because he can. He’s a tremendous three-point shooter, he’s got a good pull up game when he uses it, and he can get to the glass and go rebound offensively. It’s trying to allow him to understand that it’s his role on our team to take and make those open shots, and not turn down a shot with 17 or 13 on the shot clock. He turns down an open skip three, to pass it one more time, and now we’re shooting the ball with two seconds left, and that shot is contested vs taking the open shot. So really, it’s a mindset. He’s been a player his entire life that has been a pass first, assist oriented, ball handling point guard in high school, but for us he’s been playing off the ball more, and we are asking to do something he hasn’t done early in his career, but he is good at it. So, we’re still trying to figure out our roles. Sometimes when you have talent, you get anointed in the preseason as this great team. We have great players, and we have a really good staff that is going to coach our guys at a high level, but great teams are great because they play together, they’ve developed, and they’ve earned that. We had a solid group that returned from last year. We have two big time freshman that came in with some hype. We had a really good transfer that came in with some hype. All of the sudden we are supposed to be this great team coming in day one, but we’re working at that, and it’s a work in progress. I still think we’re really good, can beat anybody in the country, but we have proven if we aren’t locked in as one and playing the right way, we can lose to anybody in the country as well.”

On how encouraging it was to see Keon not back down from the moment in the last game, and how much going forward will they play through him and Jaden more in those situations:
“Well, certainly if we can get our transition game going, and get our guys to buy in to playing harder, faster, and getting off the ball by passing ahead and balling ahead, it’s going to help those two. Keon is maybe the most athletic guard in the country, and certainly one of the top four or five best athletes in the country. So, him attacking the rim is always going to be a good thing for Tennessee. The reality is, that one-three-one zone and that two-three zone slowed us down some, and made our guys overthink it. He was the only guy that had enough confidence it seemed to go one against two, be shifty off the dribble, and go create and attack the goal. We clearly have enough guys that can do it. Santi can get it done at a high level. VJ Bailey can get it done, as well as Josiah, and Springer, but it’s a matter of doing it. Again, it’s a young group of guys. A sophomore in Santiago that’s playing his first full season, and Jaden’s a freshman, so it’s a learning process with a team that has played together for the first time this year. I think we are going to start the peak very soon, but it starts with getting these guys to run and be more aggressive on offense. It’s taking the shots that defenses are giving to us, and really being aggressive.”

On facing a Kentucky team who is having an underwhelming season:
“Well, Kentucky is Kentucky. Despite their record, they still probably have the most talented roster in the SEC. Certainly one or two—I’m going to say them and Florida. They’re still Kentucky. No one is going in there thinking that because of their record or whatever that they’re not a team that can go out there and blow you out and beat you pretty badly. I like the matchup because the reality is, it’s more of a normal matchup for us, in the sense of we’re not playing against a small ball team. I think several teams that we’ve played against this year end up playing four guards and now you’re in a position where, do you play your normal lineup and play Fulky and Yves, because they’re guarding a smaller guy, or go small ball? Kentucky historically has always had two front-line guys that have great size, so I think it’ll be a typical Tennessee-Kentucky slugfest with two big front lines going at it. And, really, I’m looking for John Fulkerson, who is our veteran leader. John, the last 10-to-12 games of the season last year in the SEC, in my opinion, was one of the top two or three best players in the conference. And sometimes, when you come back the following year—and again, everyone is putting you in the Grant Williams category, you’re on the Wooden list, the all-American preseason list, player of the year list in the conference—and you go from being the third or fourth option to being the number one option, and mentally it takes its toll when your team struggles some and when your numbers don’t indicate that you’re that guy. We’re trying to get John to understand that being that guy doesn’t constitute putting up big numbers, it just means you’re the same hard-playing, blue collar, athletic, skilled Fulky that we’ve always known, and just be aggressive. I do feel like pressure—a lot of what you’re seeing with these young people struggling and having bad moments against press is because of pressure. It’s the pressure to live up to being the best team in school history, and we’re not, we haven’t earned that, we haven’t proven that. So, we’re trying to get these guys to be hungry like our team was in 2017-18. We were picked thirteenth in the conference, and they had a chip on their shoulder. We’re trying to build that chip despite being nationally ranked. I think we will.”

On what jumps out when scouting Kentucky:
“So, it’s not my scouting, I haven’t watched a ton of them, but I watched their game last night. The thing that jumps out to me is that they’re desperate. Like Tennessee right now, they’re desperate for a win. So, we’re going to get the best version of Kentucky, and secondly, is that they’re talented. They’ve got guys that are going to play in the NBA who are just young right now and trying to figure their way out in terms of how to play and how to win games, but they’re dangerous. They’ve got great size—if and when they put it all together, they’re going to be very tough to beat for a lot of people. It’s our job on Saturday to go in there and try to keep the pressure on and get better and find a way to win that basketball game.”

On why Olivier (Nkamhoua) didn’t play in the second half against Ole Miss:
“Well, we felt like, and sometimes it’s just a feel with players, when (Luis) Rodriguez had the run-out dunk and he dunked on Olivier in transition, his body language, we just felt like he didn’t respond the way that we wanted to see him respond. So, in the second half, we knew the game might come down to a one possession game, and we’re saying again, do you rely on your young guys? And our young guys were in the backcourt and kind of struggling a little bit, or do you give a guy like E.J Anosike a chance, who is a veteran, who has played in big games, and put up big numbers in big games. Do you give your veteran a chance to bring some physical toughness, some rebounding? Again, we were getting beat on the glass by a bunch. So, E.J is by far the best and most consistent rebounder that we have on our basketball team, day in and day out in practice. He’s lost some playing time because of his offense, and he’s missed layups that he’s got to make at this level, where Olivier makes those layups. At that point, it came down to rebounding, that veteran post player presence that we had to get, and just trying to search for answers.”

-UT Athletics

Tennessee men’s basketball assistant coach Desmond Oliver spoke to the media to preview Saturday’s game at Kentucky.

Catchers

No battery is complete without the players behind the plate. And Tennessee is charged up about its catching lineup that will be catapulted with the return of junior Ally Shipman (Valencia, Calif.) and a pair of talented underclassmen.

Shipman has yet to play a full season on Rocky Top after the 2020 season was halted and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2019 season, her first season in Knoxville, was plagued by a season-ending injury – both which occurred on March 12 of their respective year. Last season, Shipman was on her way to a breakout campaign, co-leading the Lady Vols with a .403 batting clip, 25 hits, seven doubles and two triples along with infielder Chelsea Seggern. Shipman started all 23 games, predominantly behind the plate and was critical in the Lady Vols’ hard-fought Tennessee Invitational title. She tallied 12 hits in 16 at-bats for a .750 average, recording 3+ hits in three of the five outings. She also concluded that weekend with four extra-base-hits and six RBIs.

A year later those efforts did not go unnoticed as the Lady Vol has pulled in plenty of preseason recognition. Shipman was named a D1Softball Preseason All-American second team member and was ranked the No. 13 best junior in the nation and No. 37th overall best player in the country by Softball America recently.

“Ally is fully recovered from the knee injury that shortened her freshman season and much stronger after the Covid-19 layoff,” said co-head coach Ralph Weekly. “She was off to a great offensive start in 2020 when the season ended abruptly.  Ally has all the tools to be one of the best catchers and hitters in the country.”

Shipman will be backed by sophomore Josie Willingham (Medon, Tenn.) and freshman Rylie West (Eastvale, Calif.). Willingham appeared in 15 games last season and contributed seven RBI, five runs and four hits, including a home run. She also stole a pair of bases in her efforts.

“Josie is tremendously athletic – she’s very quick behind the dish and has a big-time arm,” Weekly said. “Her athleticism allows her to play a lot of positions and that kind of versatility is huge, especially in a year like this with so many unknowns.”

Tennessee also hopes to get a quick boost from newcomer West, who was ranked 21st in the nation among catchers by Extra Inning Softball.

“Rylie has a high softball IQ and commands the field like a veteran,” said Weekly. ” Her intelligence translates to the plate as well, and she will be a key pinch hitter off the bench.  She also provides depth in the outfield.”

The No. 23/24 Lady Vols begin the season on Feb. 12 in Conway, S.C., in a first-time matchup with UConn.

Stay tuned for more position previews. Up next – infielders.

-UT Athletcs