Tennessee men’s basketball head coach Rick Barnes spoke to the media in the postgame after the Vols lost at Ole Miss 52-50.
WATCH: Barnes on loss to Ole Miss “Some of our turnovers were absolutely ridiculous”
UT goes 12:27 without a made FG in 2nd half, loses at Ole Miss 52-50
OXFORD, Miss. – Eleven second-half turnovers proved too costly to overcome as the 11th-ranked Tennessee basketball team fell on the road to Ole Miss, 52-50, on Tuesday at The Pavilion.
The Vols (12-4, 5-4 SEC) were solid defensively and shot 44 percent from behind the 3-point arc, but a lopsided second-half run from Ole Miss (9-8, 4-6 SEC) helped the Rebels snap UT’s five-game win streak in the series.
The Vols were led in scoring for the fourth consecutive game by senior Yves Pons, who scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting while knocking down two of his three attempts from 3-point range. Pons also pulled down four rebounds, recorded one steal and drew a pair of charges.
Freshman Keon Johnson scored 11 points and reeled in four rebounds on the night while hitting multiple late free throws when the Vols were struggling to convert field goals.
Off the bench, sophomore Josiah-Jordan James totaled 10 points, dropping in a trio of first-half 3-pointers, grabbing six rebounds and adding one block and a steal.
Tennessee controlled the early portions of the contest, jumping out to a 23-15 lead over the opening 12 minutes, with nine of those points coming on three 3-pointers from James.
Ole Miss held the Vols to just five points in the final eight minutes of the half, as UT held a slim, 28-23 edge heading into the halftime break.
UT opened the second half on a 10-4 run, extending its lead to 38-27 with just more than 15 minutes remaining.
Ole Miss responded with a 19-4 go-ahead run spanning more than nine minutes of game action and held a 46-42 lead at the under-four-minute media timeout.
The Vols knotted the score at 46 apiece before the Rebels delivered multiple baskets with less than two minutes to play to take a 51-46 advantage.
In the closing seconds, UT cut the Ole Miss lead to two points before James had a look at a buzzer-beating three that fell just short, cementing the night’s final score.
Up Next: Tennessee remains on the road for a Saturday night bout with border rival Kentucky. The opening tip from Rupp Arena is slated for 8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN.
-UT Athletics
Transcript: Kellie Harper Previews Texas A&M
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper took questions from the media on Tuesday afternoon in a Zoom interview session that covered the Lady Vols’ upcoming road games at No. 24/22 Mississippi State (8-5/3-4 SEC) and No. 7/7 Texas A&M (16-1, 7-1 SEC).
UT (12-3, 6-1 SEC), which has ascended to season-high rankings of No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 19 in the USA TODAY Coaches poll, is scheduled to play the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (7 CT/SECN+) and the Aggies in College Station, Texas, on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (2 CT/SEC Network).
Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper
On how she’s going to approach this road trip:
“I think, for us, it would be really easy for us to get caught up in who we’re playing and how good these teams are, but we are really going to try and focus on us. We are going to try and stay with ‘let’s be the best Tennessee team we can be.’ I don’t talk about defending our home court, never will. It’s my expectation when you go on the road, you want to win. So, I think for our team, understanding how we need to play, committing to that, then going out and executing is going to be the most important thing. Our players will be motivated. We’ll play hard, we just have to have great effort and great focus to get that executing piece against some really good teams.”
On how she expects her team to come out of the three-game road trip:
“Well, you know, I expect to be competitive. I want to come back with some wins. That’s our goal. I think the challenge each team presents is different, but they’re all really talented. Our team has to stay up. Regardless if it’s win or lose, we have to be able to get back up for the next game. It’s what we have had to do all year, and that doesn’t change now.”
On Coach Harper’s memories playing with Nikki McCray-Penson:
“We did not overlap (at UT). She graduated, and I came in. However, I did play against her one time, because my freshman year our first game was against the USA National Team, which Nikki was a part of. All I remember is Nikki guarded me. I held the ball, and she took it from me and went and got a layup. So, that was a ‘Welcome to college basketball at an elite level Kellie Jolly.’ Nikki was one of those players that I loved to watch. She played so hard. She had great effort. I know she was known for her defense, but I remember as a young high school kid thinking, ‘gosh, look how much better that player had gotten.’ I thought she had improved during her tenure here. I had a lot of respect for not only her when she was a Lady Vol, but who she is as a person. She is such a good person and, obviously, has been really successful as a head coach.”
On the importance of Black History Month to her team and anything special the team might have planned:
“We have a few things in the works for this month with our team. And we will roll those out as we go through the month. I think with everything that has happened this past year, I think it just kind of hits home a little harder. We want to make sure that we are not just talking about equality and racial injustice, but that we are also having an educational piece. There is a lot of history that I do not know, and a lot of people do not know, and it is on us to make sure that we are educating ourselves, and we have some plans to do that this month.”
On the challenges that Mississippi State will present to her team on Thursday night:
“Well, I think that their perimeter quickness and aggressiveness on both ends of the court with their guards is a challenge. And then they have some talented posts that can guard inside, but also that can score. So, I think they have pretty good balance as a basketball team. Again, to me, it is just their aggressiveness. They are really talented, and they have a broad skill set with those players. It is not just really one thing, this is a really solid team that is athletic, aggressive and gets after it on both ends.”
On Tamari Key’s growth since coming to Tennessee and where can she go from here:
“When we first got to work with her, we realized what a special talent she was. You know, her freshman year she really got thrown into things; we threw her in there. She had a lot of growing up to do her freshman year; it was tough at times. Being a young player in the SEC, period, is tough but doing what we asked her to do, I know it wasn’t easy. But I tell you, from year one to year two, great growth. I think we’re seeing now a confident Tamari who knows how she can affect the game on both ends of the court. I think she really wants the ball on the block, and she is confident in scoring. Her teammates are looking for her. I have joked that we’ve given her an opportunity, because we passed her the ball more and we know to get the ball inside. We do a better job of that now to give her those opportunities. Defensively, I think she still makes plays. She made plays last year, she makes plays this year. But she is in a better position this year. She has a better understanding of what her job is and where she needs to be. And where she can go? She can be one of the best players in the country. She really could. She is that talented, you know. And we just want to keep bringing her along, getting her a little bit better and a little bit better and a little more confident each game, each week. She has worked hard this year. She has gone up so much, and I am so proud of her. And that matters. How you practice matters, and I think she can see the benefits of that. I get so happy for her, because she really works at it, and I’m glad that she can see that success.”
On Tamari Key’s even expressions whether things are going good, bad or otherwise:
“Tamari, her facial expressions are pretty consistent. And I’ll tell you, that’s why after one of the games I walked up to her, and she had the biggest smile on her face. I was so happy to see that, because you really truly know where she’s at. But on the court, she’s pretty consistently even-keel.”
On Jordan Horston and Jordan Walker switching roles at point guard and wing, and Horston’s injury status:
“So, I think the benefit of having Horston and Walker in the game is you can move them around. We can slide them over to the wing. And honestly, you can throw Destiny Salary in that group as well. They all practice both the one and the two, so I think they’re confident playing either, and it gives me a little more flexibility when we have that. Really pleased with what we’re getting from them. Jordan (Horston), in terms of her health, is really going to be a day to day thing with her. We’re going to work with her and really get in with the rehab and see if we can get her ready for each game. But I think from this point on, it is really going to be a day-to-day decision with Jordan (Horston).”
On Rennia Davis being on the latest Wooden Watch List:
“Well, that’s an elite list. Nationwide, you’re going to see obviously, the best of the best on that list, and I think Rennia deserves to be on there. I’m excited she made that final list. Obviously, for her that’s really good. The fact that she’s on it means she’s played well, which is really good for our basketball team.”
On what things the team needs to do to stay strong through the rest of the season:
“We are a completely different team than last year, I’ll definitely say that. I have no idea what our record is going to be from here on out. Our team has a great mindset and a great attitude about how we need to approach these games. I think we are at a better position right now to handle both success and failure, if we’re to have those within the next few games. So, what we have to do is still focus on us. I really do believe that we’ve got to continue to find ways to be the best Tennessee team we can be. That means we are going to get in the gym and shoot extra, it means we’re going to watch film together, learn, grow, try to correct some things and build on the positives. We want to try to get the ball in the paint. You look at our stats, and you can tell that’s part of who we are. We’ve got to stay hungry, which we will. We’ve got to stay focused on our execution.”
-UT Athletics
Key earns SEC Co-Player of the Week acclaim
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee sophomore center Tamari Key has been selected as the SEC Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday. She shares the honor with senior guard Chelsea Dungee of Arkansas.
Key turned in only the fourth triple-double in the history of the UT program last week, as the Lady Vols went 2-0 and improved to 12-3 overall and held tight to third place in the SEC standings with a 6-1 mark in league play.
The Cary, N.C., native entered the week averaging 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest and elevated those numbers to 15.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg. and 6.0 bpg. in wins over Ole Miss and Florida and shot 68.4 percent from the field.
The bulk of Key’s work came vs. Florida, when she dropped a 23-point, 10-rebound and 10-block triple-double on the Gators, shooting 83.3 percent (10 of 12) from the floor. The sophomore tallied nine points, five boards and four swats in the fourth period alone as UT broke open a four-point game with a 21-11 final-period burst to win by 14, 79-65.
Key posted career bests in points, field goals and blocks vs. UF and a season high in rebounds. Her blocks total bested her previous career high of nine and was the second-most ever by a Lady Vol behind Kelley Cain’s 12 vs. LSU in 2010 and is tied for third in SEC women’s basketball history.
The triple-double was the first by a Lady Vol that involved blocks and the second by a sophomore, with Key tallying hers in the 15th game of her sophomore season while Shekinna Stricklen did so in game 14 of her sophomore campaign.
Key had fewer opportunities vs. Ole Miss, but she tallied seven points on 3-of-7 shooting and chipped in five rebounds and two blocked shots over 26 minutes in a 68-67 victory.
This week’s SEC honor by Key is the third recognition this season for the 18th-ranked Lady Vols. Previously, Rennia Davis was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 23, while Marta Suárez was chosen as SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 26.
-UT Athletics
Tennessee Baseball Season Tickets Available Now at AllVols.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the 2021 Tennessee Baseball campaign approaches, fans will be met with new changes at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Fans will be permitted at games, however, ticketing and seating will be reduced to align with state and local social-distancing guidelines for public gatherings. The ticketing process for 2020 MVP and Season Ticket Holders is now complete, leaving a very limited number of season tickets available to the general public this season. Season tickets may be purchased at AllVols.com until capacity limit is met.
Fans with questions about season tickets are encouraged to call the Tennessee Ticket Office at 865-656-1200 or speak to a representative via live chat on AllVols.com.
Before visiting the ballpark this season, fans are encouraged to familiarize themselves with 2021 gameday guidelines and procedures located at gameday central, HERE.
Face coverings (over the nose and mouth) will be required for all fans and gameday staff and must remain in place when entering, moving around and leaving the stadium, as well as any time guests are unable to maintain the recommended physical distance from others who are not in their same household. Fans are encouraged to utilize facial coverings while in their seats if not eating or drinking.
In adherence with the guidelines provided by the Southeastern Conference, a buffer zone has been established, which includes the elimination of the first row of seating in the lower-level of Lindsey Nelson Stadium as well as the Third Base Patios down the left field line.
The fan-favorite Porch area is also subject to capacity limitations. Per policy, every-other Porch will be unavailable for use this season in order to create proper physical distancing between patrons. Each Porch is also limited to 10 total tickets. Porches are extremely limited in availability and are available for purchase by contacting Maggie Coates at 865-974-9579 or [email protected].
For the 2021 season, the Lindsey Nelson Stadium Playground will be closed, providing an opportunity to introduce a new seating area, The Deck. Fans can enjoy similar amenities to the Porch, but with conveniences to the main grandstand. With a view of right field, each Deck includes 10 tickets, two metal picnic tables, a grill, rocking chairs, and the option to bring in food and beverages, including alcohol. The Deck is available for all 2021 games and can be purchased by contacting Maggie Coates at 865-974-9579 or [email protected].
Student tickets will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis until all 80 student tickets have been claimed. Tickets are free for all UT students with an I.D. Students may present their I.D. at the student gate to receive a ticket to the game.
Preseason Notables
After posting a 15-2 record during the shortened 2020 season, the Vols begin their 2021 campaign ranked No. 19 in the Baseball America and D1Baseball.com preseason polls.
UT featured one the nation’s most high-powered attacks last season, leading the country with 180 runs scored while ranking second nationally with 31 home runs. The pitching staff was equally as impressive, ranking fifth in the nation with a 2.00 ERA. Tennessee will be led by an experienced returning core that features four preseason All-Americans in Max Ferguson, Jake Rucker, Connor Pavolony and Jackson Leath.
The Vols home slate features eight weekend series and a host of midweek games, providing fans plenty of opportunities to get out to the ballpark. Tennessee’s SEC home slate is especially exciting and features matchups against four teams that enter the year with preseason top-10 rankings in No. 7 LSU (March 26-28), No. 1 Florida (April 9-11), No. 2 Vanderbilt (April 16-18) and No. 8 Arkansas (May 14-16).
The full 2021 schedule can be found HERE.
-UT Athletics
Carly Pearce Hits The Billion Mark with Her Music, and Appears On The Ellen Show
Carly Pearce is sharing news that blew her away…her music has been streamed a billion times!
Carly shared “I don’t know where to begin so I’ll start with THANK YOU! To each and every one of you who have listened to, connected with and supported my music these years…thank you. My music has officially surpassed 1 BILLION streams worldwide which is crazy!!!! Love y’all so much”
Carly’s new song “Next Girl” is helping to increase that streaming number as it’s becoming a fan favorite. She appeared on The Ellen Show this week performing the track…Watch it now.
Photo Credit: John Shearer
Dan + Shay Are “Glad You Exist” – New Music Arriving Friday!
Dan + Shay dropped a hint this past weekend that something new was on the way from them this Friday.
Now we have a song title.
The guys revealed the track name as “Glad You Exist,” and they posted this message as well, “to us, ‘glad you exist’ is more than just a song. it’s a message of gratitude and hope. a message to everyone in our lives: our fans, our friends, our families, to remind them all how grateful we are to be on the planet at the same time. it’s truly remarkable when you think about it. we’ve spent the majority of the past year, like many others, searching for answers and a sense of normalcy, but finding comfort in memories of better days (that we all know will return soon). concerts, bonfires, road trips with friends, even the simple things like date night at a restaurant, or beers at a bar during a football game. this song has taken on new meaning not being able to see our loved ones in person, but throughout history, music has always had a special way of bringing people together, even when we are furthest apart . these words hold a special place in our hearts, and hopefully they will in yours too. we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again (and again). we’re just so glad you exist. every. single. one of you. 
“
We still don’t know what it sounds like…but it seems like we’ll be getting clues everyday from Dan + Shay all the way up until the full reveal on Friday, the 5th!
Photo Courtesy of Dan + Shay
Mickey Guyton Makes Her Late-Night TV Debut On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Mickey Guyton appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week. In his introduction, Stephen Colbert noted that Mickey is the first black solo female artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category.
Mickey’s nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for her song “Black Like Me” – which is also what she performed on the show.
You can watch Mickey make her late night TV debut right here…
Photo Courtesy of UMG Nashville
Jimmy’s blog: Kevin White lists 2 keys to being effective athletic director
(This is the second in a two-part series regarding an exclusive interview with Kevin White, father of Tennessee’s new athletic director Danny White. To listen to the interview, go to 991thesportsanimal.com)
By Jimmy Hyams 
The job of an athletic director is complex.
It requires wearing a variety of hats.
You have to be able to hire good coaches, raise money, balance a budget, field good teams and steer clear of NCAA violations.
Kevin White, outgoing athletic director at Duke, has been in athletic administration for 38 years. He has worked in the Northeast, the South, the West and the Midwest.
White’s middle son, Danny, was hired recently as Tennessee’s fifth athletic director in less than 10 years.
White was asked which of the above five qualities are most important in an athletic director.
His answer: None.
So how would Kevin White define a good athletic director?
“I’ve tried to get my head around this question and I’ve come up with a pretty simple response as of late,’’ Kevin White said in an exclusive interview with WNML radio.
“I think it’s really about two things. It’s about managing the competing political forces. You can not be a successful athletics director unless you’re able to do that.
“You’ve got the acumen. You’ve got (to have) the skill set, the relationship capacity to be able to manage all of the competing political forces. And quite frankly, (you have to have) the street sense, the street instincts.
“The other one … you can delegate a lot of sub-functions within an athletic department, what I call collegiate franchise, at the highest level. A lot of those sub-functions can be delegated. But you can not, you absolutely can not delegate being the face, being the leader, of being the person that, at the end of the day, is the person responsible.
“Managing the political forces and being the leader, I think, it’s a pretty simple recipe. If you’re 2-for-2, and you’re strongly 2-for-2 in those two realms, you’ve got a chance to be pretty good.’’
Where Danny White goes 2-for-2 in those realms remains to be seen.
Tennessee has had split political forces, going back to the ouster of head football coach Johnny Majors and the promotion of Phillip Fulmer in 1992.
There were differences in the more recent hiring of athletic director John Currie, the aborted hiring of football coach Greg Schiano, the firing of Currie and the hiring of Fulmer as athletic director.
That isn’t the only challenge Danny White faces. He will have to deal with the likely adoption of Name, Image and Likeness, a one-time transfer rule, escalating coaches’ salaries, buyouts, and possible realignment.
What does Kevin White see as the most difficult challenges?
“At the end of the day,’’ White said, “a lot of them have some kind of financial element tied to them. I continue to worry about the economic model around college athletics. I think that is by far and away the largest challenge that’s facing this generation of athletic directors and administrators. And I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon.
“We need to continue to find more ways to generate more resources to provide these world-class experiences for these young people. That’s what they sign up for. And when these coaches are in their living rooms and encouraging young people to come to some of the best institutions in the country, we’ve not only got to deliver that promise, we’ve got to over-deliver. And there is a financial reality to all of that.’’
Kevin White is convinced his son has the skill set to be a successful athletic director at Tennessee.
Danny White did a marvelous job of hiring coaches at his two previous stops: Bobby Hurley, Nate Oats and Lance Leipold at Buffalo; Scott Frost, Josh Heupel and Johnny Dawkins at Central Florida.
What’s the key to making good hires?
“Homework,’’ Kevin White said. “You’ve got to be able to understand the market place in which you’re operating and perhaps where your institution fits into that respective market place at that moment.’’
While admitting his parental prejudice, Kevin White said son Danny is a “natural leader. he’s incredibly empathetic. He’s highly task oriented. Adaptive. He’s flexible. He’s really passionate, if not intensely passionate. I think for coaches that are equally as aspirational, they’re attracted to somebody like that. I think that’s the package Danny has.
“I think it’s authentic. I don’t think it’s contrived. I think he kind of finds people that are pretty darn compatible with who he is and what’s he’s trying to do.’’
Kevin White said it takes a “village’’ to have a successful athletic department, and that means the school president, chancellor, board of trustees and everyone is “jogging down the same pathway. I know that may sound Pollyanna, but the really great programs in our country have done a really good job of doing just that.’’
Danny’s older brother, Mike, is the men’s basketball coach at Florida.
Could Mike work for Danny?
“Not a chance,’’ Kevin White said. “Not a chance. You grow up in a family of five and you’re the middle of two brothers, not a chance. A lot of blood (shed) playing 1-on-1 (basketball) in the driveway.’’
Kevin White has called the Tennessee athletic department a “magical place’’ and he believes his son can restore the shine that has dimmed in the last decade.
And the father can’t wait to come to Knoxville to watch his son’s sports programs.
“There is no question about that,’’ Kevin White said. “I can’t wait to get over there … and attend some athletic contests.’’
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
LANCO’s New Hit is a “Near Mrs.”
LANCO recently celebrated the three anniversary of the release of their album Hallelujah Nights with a live stream event.
During that online show, the guys treated fans to some new songs mixed in with their fan favorites. One of those new tracks is “Near Mrs.” which is the guys next single…arriving this Friday, the 5th.
Check out this sneak peek video LANCO shared on their socials…
Photo Courtesy of Sony Music Nashville
Country News
Luke Combs’ “Back In The Saddle” Cracks Top 10 On Country Airplay, While Shaboozey’s “Good News” Leads For Second Week
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