Stories are starting to emerge of what artists have been doing with their time over the last year during the quarantine due to the COVID pandemic.
Ashley McBryde appeared on the show The Doctors to talk about her experience of being a Music Education Ambassador in connection with the CMA Foundation.
Ashley shared that music education was always important to her when she was younger, and she didn’t want today’s students to miss out on that experience. Although, she does admit that coming up with the video lesson plans was daunting. But in the end she said if she could help just one person find the same inspiration that she does from music, it would all be worth it.
Jimmie Allen got where he is today by getting some sound advice from friends, family and mentors…now he’s passing down a little helpful hints to fellow artists trying to make their mark in the music business…
Using the hashtag “MusicMatters” Jimmie posted this video with the message “YOU are the connection, songs are the connection.”
The music that matters to Jimmie and his fans these days is his new song with Brad Paisley, “Freedom Was A Highway” — listen to the track here…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Tamari Key turned in a triple-double to lead No. 20/22 Tennessee to a 79-65 win over Florida in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday.
Key totaled 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks, setting career highs in both points and blocks. It marks just the fourth triple-double in Lady Vol history, and the first since Jordan Reynolds notched one against UNCW on Dec. 29, 2016. Junior Rae Burrell also eclipsed the 20-point scoring mark for Tennessee (12-3, 6-1 SEC) with 21, while senior Rennia Davis finished with 14.
Florida (9-8, 2-7 SEC) was led by Kiara Smith and Lavender Briggs who each had 23. Smith added 10 rebounds to her point total to record a double-double.
Key came out hot, notching four points and a block in the first minute to give UT an early 4-2 lead. Florida bounced back and took the lead off a Smith free throw a minute and a half in and stretched it to seven points off back-to-back treys by Briggs before Burrell answered with a jumper to make the score 11-6 at the 6:52 mark. Burrell hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to three before the media break and picked up where she left off afterward, knocking down a 10-foot jumper on Tennessee’s first possession following the timeout. Briggs and Smith combined to build Florida’s lead back up to five with 1:51 left in the quarter, but Key and Jordan Walker combined to cut it to two with the Lady Vols trailing 21-19 at the end of the first.
Smith scored on a fast break at the outset of the second, but UT tied it up at 23-all two minutes into the period and reclaimed the lead 30 seconds later off a Horston jumper. Kasiyahna Kushkituah stretched the Lady Vols’ advantage to four points before Smith ended the drought for UF, making the score 27-25 at the media timeout. Briggs tied it up after the media break, but Kushkituah answered with a bucket on the next play, setting off a 7-0 run that put the Big Orange up 34-27 with just under two minutes left in the half. Tennessee would maintain a seven-point lead through the end of the half, taking a 38-31 advantage into halftime.
Davis got things started in the second half, scoring on a turnaround jumper 45 seconds in. The teams traded baskets through the opening minutes until Burrell set off a 6-0 run that put UT up by 13 at the 6:35 mark. Smith cut it to single digits with a pair of free throws for the Gators three minutes later, but Davis hit two free throws to stretch UT’s lead back to 11 on the next play, pushing the score to 56-45 with 3:01 left in the period. Briggs responded with a trey, and UF closed out the quarter with a 9-2 run to send the game into the final stanza with the Big Orange leading, 58-54.
Florida kept the pressure on in the fourth, pulling within one point by the 6:45 mark off a Smith fast-break layup, but Davis, Key and Burrell combined for six quick points to put the Lady Vols back up 66-59 by the final media timeout. Key and Burrell added two points each following the break to stretch the run to 10-0 and give UT an 11-point lead with 3:42 to go. Brynn Farrell hit two treys for UF in the closing minutes, but Tennessee poured in nine more points to earn a 79-65 victory.
Up Next: Tennessee hits the road to face No. 21 Mississippi State in a 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET matchup that will be streamed on SECN+.
Block Party: Sophomore Tamari Key blocked a career-high 10 shots against Florida, landing in the record book at number two for the most shots blocked in a game by a Lady Vol behind only Kelley Cain’s 12 blocked shots against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010. That is the third time her name appears on the list, with her previous career high of nine blocked shots at South Carolina on Feb. 2, 2020, ranking number three all-time, and her seven blocked shots against Kentucky on March 6, 2020, tying for sixth.
Elite Company: Key’s triple-double is just the fourth in program history. She joins the ranks of Jordan Reynolds (14 rebounds, 11 points, 10 assists vs. UNCW on Dec. 29, 2016), Shekinna Stricklen (17 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists vs. Oklahoma on Jan. 3, 2010) and Shelia Collins (18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 steals vs. Florida State on Feb. 8, 1985).
Cleaning The Glass: The Lady Vols outrebounded the Gators 57-42, turning that season-high total of rebounds into 22 second-chance points. UT has now outrebounded every opponent this season and holds a 46.6 rpg. to 31.8 rpg per game advantage.
Stopping Them In The Fourth: Florida stars Kiara Smith and Lavender Briggs each finished with 23 points, but Tennessee held the duo to only two combined points in the final stanza. Smith was one of five shooting in the fourth period for two points, while Briggs was zero for five in the final frame. That effort enabled UT to outscore the Gators 21-11 in the fourth and claim the win.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A 53 percent shooting performance and a dominant rebounding effort pushed the 18th-ranked Tennessee basketball team past No. 15 Kansas, 80-61, on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. The victory clinched this year’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge for the SEC, 5-4.
The Volunteers (12-3) ripped down 38 rebounds, out-rebounding the Jayhawks by 15 and holding Kansas (11-6) to zero second-chance points.
Tennessee was also lights out from both 3-point range (8 of 13) and the foul line (16 of 17).
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons dropped in a team-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while draining both of his attempts from 3-point range and pulling in five rebounds to help spark UT at multiple key moments.
Fellow senior John Fulkerson scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, pulled down six rebounds and dished off three assists.
In his first start since returning from injury, Tennessee freshman Jaden Springer tallied 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Springer was also a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
The Vols’ reliable stat-sheet stuffer, Josiah-Jordan James, totaled nine points while logging a game-high 11 rebounds, dishing out four assists and adding one block.
Off the bench, junior Victor Bailey Jr. scored 11 second-half points to help the Vols extend their lead after halftime. Bailey also finished the night with four assists, a pair of rebounds and a steal.
Tennessee dominated for large stretches of the night’s opening 12 minutes, using a 12-4 run over a five-minute stretch to take a 21-12 lead with under eight minutes to play in the opening half.
The Vols continued to pour it on as the half concluded, stretching their lead to as many as 16 before taking a 40-26 advantage into the halftime break.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Tennessee stretched its lead to 21 in the frame’s first five minutes, knocking down six of nine shot attempts.
The remainder of the half was an abundance of riches for the Vols, who continued to knock down shots at an efficient clip while making stop after stop on the defensive side of the floor, walking away with the 19-point triumph.
Pons Performs vs. Jayhawks: After turning in the top scoring performance by a Vol in UT’s all-time series with Kansas last season—totaling 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks during Tennessee’s loss at Allen Fieldhouse— Pons followed that performance with 17 massive points on Saturday, which ranks as the sixth-best scoring output for a Vol against the Jayhawks. In three career games against KU, Pons averages 11.0 points (33 total) and 4.3 rebounds (13 total).
NABC Suits and Sneakers Games are Good for the Vols: Tennessee went a perfect 2-0 this week during the NABC’s annual “Suits and Sneakers” week. The Vols are now 18-6 all-time in Suits vs. Sneakers games, dating to 2004. That includes an impressive 12-2 mark at home. This year’s kicks of choice for the Tennessee coaching staff were Nike black anthracite flyknit Air Force 1s.
Up Next: Tennessee returns to action when it hits the road for the first time in nearly two weeks when it travels south to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on Ole Miss Tuesday night. Tipoff from The Pavilion is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Southeastern Conference has announced a schedule for women’s basketball games on Feb. 7 as a result of game postponements during the 2020-21 season due to the impact of COVID-19.
The No. 20/22 Lady Vols will travel to College Station to take on No. 8/7 Texas A&M at 3 p.m. ET (2 CT) a week from Sunday at Reed Arena in a contest slated to be carried by SEC Network. That match-up was originally scheduled to be the league-opener for both teams on Dec. 31.
The SEC also has reset the Missouri at Auburn game for Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network. It had previously been scheduled for Jan. 10.
In addition, the Ole Miss at South Carolina game originally scheduled for December 31 is tentatively scheduled for February 25, at a time to be determined.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity adn Medical Guidance Task Force, are available on SECSports.com (PDF).
Feb. 7 Revised SEC Women’s Basketball Schedule
Missouri at Auburn (1 p.m. ET / SEC Network)
Tennessee at Texas A&M (3 p.m. ET / SEC Network)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 20/22 Tennessee (11-3, 5-1 SEC) closes out its four-game home stand Sunday with a Southeastern Conference match-up vs. Florida (9-7/2-6 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena.
UT, which is third in the standings and one of only three SEC teams with one loss or fewer in league play (along with South Carolina and Texas A&M), tips it off on The Summitt against the Gators at 2:02 p.m. ET.
Tennessee enters this contest after carding its second one-point victory of the season in three such games, coming from 13 points down and then holding on for the win over Ole Miss, 68-67, on Thursday night in Knoxville.
The Lady Vols find themselves with an opportunity to improve to 6-1 in league play for the second season in a row and preserve a two-game lead over four teams tied for fourth in the standings.
Florida, meanwhile, comes to Knoxville in similar fashion as Ole Miss, with a record that belies its ability to compete with any team in the conference. The Gators are coming off a three-point loss to Missouri on Thursday night, 61-58, that snapped a two-game UF winning streak. One of those victories was a 10-point triumph over Ole Miss in Oxford. Florida also had a four-point loss at Arkansas on Jan. 14. That same Razorback team knocked off UConn on Thursday night in Fayetteville, 90-87.
Following Sunday’s game, there are only two more Lady Vol home games scheduled, including the “Live Pink, Bleed Orange” game vs. South Carolina on Feb. 18 (7 p.m./SEC Network) and Senior Day vs. Auburn on Feb. 28 (SEC Network).
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday’s game will be televised by ESPNU with Sam Gore (PxP) and LVFL Tamika Catchings (analyst) on the call.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
Institutions also can produce for SEC Network+ (SECN+) any conference and non-conference games that are not otherwise televised. Those are available on the ESPN app and SECSports.com.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone. Now calling the action for his 22nd season, Dearstone is joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
Single game tickets are on sale, starting at just $5. Go to AllVols.com to purchase.
NOTHING BUT NET (RANKINGS)
Tennessee climbed to a season-best NCAA NET Ranking of 13th on Jan. 26 and now stands one spot down at No. 14 after the win over Ole Miss.
That rating is the second highest in the SEC (South Carolina is No. 3).
Tennessee started at No. 28 on Jan. 4, when the first-ever ranking was released. The rating tool replaces the previous RPI formula that was used for helping determine NCAA Tournament invitations and seeding.
The Lady Vols have wins over NET No. 10 Indiana, No. 20 Kentucky, No. 24 Arkansas, No. 29 Alabama and No. 53 Ole Miss.
UT has three close losses, including to No. 2 UConn, No. 17 Georgia and No. 22 West Virginia.
UT will face top-60 NET foes in No. 3 South Carolina, No. 17 Georgia (in Athens), No. 15 Texas A&M (possibly twice), No. 20 Kentucky (in Lexington), No. 39 Mississippi State (in Starkville), No. 44 Missouri (in Columbia) and No. 60 Florida.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE LADY VOLS
Tennessee has posted three victories over ranked teams (No. 13/13 Arkansas, No. 15/15 Indiana, No. 12/12 Kentucky), marking the most by the program in a season since 2017-18 when it had seven.
The Lady Vols have done so starting a freshman (Marta Suárez), two sophomores (Jordan Horston, Tamari Key), a junior (Rae Burrell) and senior (Rennia Davis). They have played together as a quintet for 10 total games, with Key and Horston being inserted into the starting lineup for the contest at Indiana (12/17/20).
UT is led in scoring in all games by junior guard Rae Burrell (16.6 ppg.) and senior forward Rennia Davis (14.5 ppg.), with sophomore point guard Jordan Horston contributing 8.7 and classmate and center Tamari Key chipping in 8.5.
In SEC play, four Tennessee players are scoring in double figures, including Davis (17.7 ppg.), Burrell (16.3), Key (11.5) and Horston (10.3 ppg.).
Davis (8th) and Burrell (10th) make UT one of two schools with two players ranked in the top 10 on the SEC’s conference-games-only scoring list. Alabama (Jordan Lewis, Jasmine Walker) is the other.
Rennia Davis leads the team with a 9.1 rebound average for the season, but she has raised that to 10.2 rpg. in league play to average a double-double vs. SEC foes.
Davis, who is on all of the preseason awards watch lists (Wade, Wooden, Naismith, Cheryl Miller), the Wooden Midseason List and a projected All-SEC First Team pick by the coaches and players, is averaging 17.8 ppg. and 13.8 ppg. vs. ranked teams in four games this season.
Davis has climbed to 16th on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,603 points, surpassing Mercedes Russell (16th, 1,597) and standing 18 behind Dana Johnson (15th, 1,621).
On the all-time rebounding list, Davis also stands in 16th place with 862. She surpassed Daedra Charles (16th, 858) and is 22 behind Dana Johnson (15th, 884).
Sophomore Tamari Key has scored in double figures in five of the past six contests (12/14/15/10/19/7). That 19-point effort vs. Kentucky was a career best. Her scoring average over the past six games is 12.8 ppg. along with 6.0 rpg.
The team’s 45.6 shooting percentage, which ranks third in the SEC, currently rates as UT’s highest since the 2013-14 squad knocked down shots at a 45.7 rate.
The 45.86 per game rebound average that stands 10th nationally and second in the SEC, ranks as the fifth-best in school history at this point.
Tamari Key ranks No. 1 in the SEC in field goal percentage in conference games (65.2), with Rennia Davis (4th, 53.8) and Rae Burrell (12th, 47.5) making the Lady Vols the only school to have three players ranked in the top three of that statistical category.
RECAPPING UT’S LAST GAME
The No. 20/22 Lady Vols held off an upset-minded Ole Miss team on Thursday night, earning a 68-67 win in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Senior Rennia Davis led Tennessee (11-3, 5-1 SEC) with 21 points and seven rebounds, and junior Rae Burrell logged 17 points and three rebounds. Sophomore Jordan Horston was also in double figures, managing 13 points and three assists.
Donnetta Johnson was the high scorer for Ole Miss (7-6, 1-6 SEC) with 19 points, and Shakira Austin and Snudda Collins were close behind with 16 and 13, respectively.
Tennessee overcame trailing by 13 points in the second quarter to defeat Ole Miss, matching a Kellie Harper era comeback of 13 in last year’s SEC Tournament to Missouri on March 5, 2020.
It was the largest regular-season comeback made by a UT team since erasing a 20-point, third-quarter deficit against Stetson on Dec. 5, 2018.
The Lady Vols were a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and were 16 of 19 for the game.
Their free-throw percentage of 84.2 percent against Ole Miss was the highest by UT since having the same exact performance against the Rebels on Feb. 27, 2020, at 16 of 19 (84.2).
ABOUT FLORIDA
Florida is led by the dynamic guard tandem of sophomore Lavender Briggs (19.2 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) and redshirt senior Kiara Smith (16.4 ppg., 6.2 rpg.)
The Gators won at Ole Miss by 10 last Sunday and only lost by four at Arkansas on Jan. 14
Cameron Newbauer is in his fourth year as head coach, leading the Gators to a 43-65 record during his tenure.
UT-UF SERIES NOTES
Tennessee holds a 53-4 all-time record vs. Florida, dating back to Feb. 8, 1980, winning five straight and 16 of the past 17 meetings.
UT is 23-2 vs. UF in games played in Knoxville, 8-0 at neutral sites and 3-1 in overtime contests vs the Gators, including 3-0 in Gainesville in those extra-frame affairs.
UT is 22-2 all-time in games played in Gainesville, winning the past seven trips there and in 13 of the past 14 visits, including 78-50 on Jan. 16, 2020.
Kellie Harper is 1-1 vs. the Gators, suffering a 66-64 neutral site loss as North Carolina State’s head coach on Nov, 23, 2012, and starting her UT career, 1-0, with last season’s 78-50 victory.
Tennessee has managed to hold Florida to 50 points or fewer in the past three meetings, including exactly 50 the past two seasons.
UT’s record for most free throws made in a game (40-46) came at Florida on Feb. 3, 2005.
Sunshine State native Rennia Davis is averaging 16.0 ppg. and 8.3 rpg. in three games vs. Florida. The product of Ribault High School in Jacksonville had an 11/10 effort in Gainesville as a freshman in 2018, a 19/10 performance in Knoxville as a sophomore in 2019 and an 18/5 showing in 2020 in Gainesville.
RECAPPING THE GATORS’ LAST GAME
Florida fell in a hard-fought battle to visiting Missouri Thursday night inside Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, dropping a 61-58 decision despite outscoring the Tigers in the second half.
In a back-and-forth contest, Florida (9-7/2-6 SEC) crept within a single possession on several occasions late in the game but could not break through as its two-game winning streak came to an end.
Sophomore Lavender Briggs, finishing with her third double-double of the season and 10th of her career, tallied a game-high 19 points to go with 11 boards while senior guard Kiara Smith scored 14 and added six rebounds.
Ladazhia Williams led MU with 16 points, while Aijha Blackwell added 14 points and 16 rebounds.
THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
The No. 24/25 Lady Vols picked up their third-straight SEC win on Jan. 16, 2020, defeating the Gators in Exactech Arena, 78-50.
Junior Rennia Davis, playing in front of family and friends who made the drive down from Jacksonville, led the effort for Tennessee (14-3, 4-1 SEC), finishing the day with 18 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Rae Burrell was also in double digits with 11 points.
Freshmen Lavender Briggs and Brylee Bartram led Florida (11-7, 2-3 SEC) with 11 points each.
LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE
Sophomore Rennia Davis (19/10) and redshirt senior forward Cheridene Green (15/10) each posted double-doubles to propel Tennessee (14-7/3-5 SEC) to victory over Florida on Jan. 31, 2019, in Thompson-Boling Arena, 67-50.
The Gators (5-16, 1-7 SEC) were led by redshirt senior guard Funda Nakkasoglu, who finished with 18 points, and sophomore Kiara Smith, who notched 11.
WHAT’S NEXT
After enjoying a four-game home stand, UT will hit the road for a Thursday game in Starkville against No. 21/19 Mississippi State at 7 CT/8 ET (SECN+).
Florida is not slated to play again until Feb. 11 at LSU 7 ET/SECN+) after its Feb. 4 game vs. Vanderbilt was canceled.
