Vols HC Rick Barnes / Credit: UT Athletics and VFL Films
The Tennessee men’s basketball program has paused all team activities following multiple positive COVID-19 test results among its Tier 1 personnel, which consists of coaches, student-athletes, team managers and support staff. The positive test results were detected during routine COVID-19 surveillance testing, which is conducted three times a week in accordance with NCAA and SEC guidelines. The tests that returned as positive were conducted Sunday afternoon, and the program is getting retested today.
Head coach Rick Barnes is one of the individuals who returned a positive test, and he has entered isolation protocol.
The basketball program is following SEC, local and university public health guidelines to prioritize the health and safety of all student-athletes and staff as well as the campus and local community.
An update on the status of this week’s Volunteer Classic games will be provided by Tuesday.
Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins will co-host the 11th annual CMA Country Christmas TV special. The show, which was recorded in September without an audience, will air on ABC on Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. CT.
This year’s lineup features Thomas Rhett, Dan + Shay, Gabby Barrett, Lady A, Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, and Darius Rucker with Lindsey Stirling. This will be the first time TR and Lauren have hosted the event. Past emcees of the holiday extravaganza have included Trisha Yearwood (2019), Reba McEntire (2017-2018) and Jennifer Nettles (2010-2016).
Check out this year’s lineup and set list below.
Kelsea Ballerini: “Santa Baby”
Gabby Barrett: “The First Noel”
Lady A: “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Little Saint Nick”
Little Big Town: “Christmas Time Is Here”
Tim McGraw: “It Wasn’t His Child”
Darius Rucker with Lindsey Stirling: “What Child Is This?”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is hosting an online auction that will support the patients and families of St. Jude in its mission to fight childhood cancer and other life threatening diseases.
The St. Jude Gifts That Give Auction, which runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3, features dozens of exclusive celebrity experiences, including a number of packages from country music stars such as Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Lady A, Darius Rucker and more.
Thanks to generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
Check out some of the auction packages below.
Lady A will invite the winner, plus one guest, to enjoy a pre-show champagne toast backstage, with a photo opportunity for the winner and the band. As a special bonus, the winner and one guest will be invited to watch one song from the side stage, before enjoying the show with 2 lower level tickets. In addition, the winner will receive a box of Lady A merch.
Thomas Rhett (and, subject to availability, his wife Lauren), will host the winner and one guest for a VIP experience backstage at an upcoming 2021 Headline show. The winner and guest will have dinner with Thomas Rhett backstage before the show and will receive Premium Tickets to watch Thomas Rhett perform.
Take a trip to Las Vegas, and enjoy a VIP experience at Reba and Brooks & Dunn Together in Vegas show of your choice. Winner will receive 2 premium concert tickets along with meet and greets with Brooks and Dunn and Reba.
Jason and Brittany Aldean will meet the winner and “plus one” at E3 Chophouse in Nashville for a fabulous ranch to restaurant style socially distanced dinner.
Join Darius Rucker and his country superstar friends for his annual Darius and Friends concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Winner will receive two premium tickets to the show, two meet and greets with Darius and an autographed guitar signed by Darius and the other artists at the show.
The Grand Ole Opry will tally its 4,952nd consecutive Saturday night broadcast on Nov. 28 with a showcase featuring Trace Adkins, Matt Stell, John Conlee, Dusty Slay, Charlie McCoy and more.
A one-hour portion of the show will air live on Circle Television at 8 p.m. CT. The show will also stream live on Circle’s YouTube.
Tickets are on sale for a limited in-venue audience in compliance with operating plans developed with the Nashville Public Health Department that include socially distanced seating, mandatory masks for all guests and staff, and more.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 26 in New York City will feature a trio of country stars: Dolly Parton, Lauren Alaina and Brett Young. Additional performers include Bebe Rexha, Keke Palmer, Patti Labelle, Pentatonix, Tori Kelly and more.
The pandemic-altered parade is closed to the public and will feature a number of safety precautions for participants, but there will still be a bevy of balloons, floats and street performers along the abbreviated route.
Brett Young: Harvest in the Valley from Green Giant Float
Dolly Parton: Home Sweet Home from Cracker Barrel Float
Lauren Alaina: Mount Rushmore’s American Pride from South Dakota Tourism Float
The parade will air on Nov. 26 on NBC with hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT. Mario Lopez will host the online edition on Verizon’s Twitter and YouTube from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT.
The 2020 American Music Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on ABC on Nov. 22. The show honored artists in multiple musical genres, including country, pop, alternative, rap and more.
On the country music front, Dan + Shay took home three AMAs, including Favorite Duo/Group – Country, Favorite Song – Country for “10,000 Hours” and the all-genre Collaboration of the Year for “10,000 Hours” with Justin Bieber.
“Wow, this is absolutely incredible,” said Shay Mooney. “Thank you guys so much, this is a huge honor. Thank you to our wives . . . our team, my two little boys. To the Nashville songwriting community, thank you guys so much for inspiring us every single day. There are so many great songs written in Nashville every day and we know that. So the fact that you chose our song means the absolute world to us. To country radio, thank you for playing our music.”
“This has been the toughest year ever [because] we haven’t been able to be together in person . . . But I just wanted to say, music has such an incredible power to unify us. Music has power to change lives, to save the world. So to all of our fellow artists and nominees, everybody creating art at home: thank you for doing what you do. And the fans—everybody up there [or] watching at home, thank you for everything.”
Kane Brown picked up the award for Favorite Male Artist – Country, while Maren Morris copped the trophy for Favorite Female Artist- Country. Blake Shelton’s Fully Loaded: God’s Country was named Favorite Album – Country.
The American Music Awards winners were voted entirely by fans.
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY Kane Brown WINNER
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert Maren Morris WINNER
FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY Dan + Shay WINNER
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Luke Combs “What You See Is What You Get” Blake Shelton “Fully Loaded: God’s Country” WINNER
Morgan Wallen “If I Know Me”
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber “10,000 Hours” WINNER
Maren Morris “The Bones”
Blake Shelton (Duet with Gwen Stefani) “Nobody But You”
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “Rockstar” Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber “10,000 Hours” WINNER
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé “Savage Remix”
Here’s a photo gallery, courtesy of SEC Media Portal, of Tennessee’s 30-17 loss at Auburn on Saturday. Click on any image to see it full size with the ability to scroll through.
Tennessee at Auburn
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Quarterback Harrison Bailey #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Linebacker Kivon Bennett #95 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Defensive lineman Matthew Butler #94 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Defensive lineman Kurott Garland #79 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy #55 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Linebacker Deandre Johnson #13 and Linebacker Kivon Bennett #95 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy #55 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Linebacker Henry To'o To'o #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Place kicker Brent Cimaglia #42 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Ramel Keyton #80 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Darnell Wright #72 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn held his postgame press conference to discuss the 30-17 win over Tennessee Saturday night. Hear his comments on the Vols and how the game played out. Video courtesy of the SEC Media Portal.
Gus Malzahn – Auburn HC / Credit: SEC Media Portal
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball standout Rennia Davis has been named in a vote by the media as a member of the Preseason All-SEC First Team, the league announced on Friday.
Joining Davis on the six-member squad are Unique Thompson, Auburn; Rhyne Howard, Kentucky; Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State; Aliyah Boston, South Carolina; and N’dea Jones, Texas A&M. Howard was the overwhelming choice for SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2 Lady Vol guard/forward was a first-unit choice by the coaches earlier this week as well.
In the race for the SEC regular season championship, meanwhile, the Lady Vols were predicted to finish sixth in the league standings by the media for the second straight season. A year ago, during Kellie Harper‘s inaugural campaign at the helm of the Lady Vols, Tennessee fashioned a 21-10 overall record and 10-6 league mark, good for a tie for third in the standings. It was UT’s highest league finish since taking first in 2014-15.
South Carolina, ranked No. 1 in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Preseason Polls, is predicted to win the 2021 SEC women’s basketball championship. Behind the Gamecocks are No. 6/7 Mississippi State, No. 11/12 Kentucky, No. 13/13 Texas A&M, No. 14/14 Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU rounding out the top half of the league. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Ole Miss complete the bottom half.
Tennessee returns four players who were regulars in the starting lineup at some point during the 2019-20 season. That group is headed by Davis, who is a two-time All-SEC and All-America honorable mention performer. The second-leading returning scorer in the SEC, she averaged 18.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 2019-20 while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 80.2 percent from the free throw line. In league play, Davis produced 19.9 ppg. and 8.0 rpg. while hitting 49.6% from the field and 82.8% at the charity stripe in 16 regular-season contests.
UT’s other players with significant starting experience include 6-1 junior guard/forward Rae Burrell (10.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 21 3FGs), 6-2 sophomore guard Jordan Horston (10.1 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 4.6 apg., SEC All-Freshman) and 6-5 sophomore center Tamari Key (7.3 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 2.8 bpg., 56% FG). Burrell was the team’s top reserve for the first 22 games before starting the final nine contests of the season. She averaged 12.3 ppg. and 5.7 rpg. during that end-of-year stint in the first five.
All told, UT returns five of its top six scorers and rebounders from 2019-20, including the top four in each category. Harper welcomes back 80.8 percent of her scoring, 76.4 percent of rebounds, 78.6 percent of blocks, 71.0 percent of steals and 64.8 percent of assists from a year ago. The Big Orange women also return 80.6 percent of their field goals, including 73.3 percent of their three-pointers, and 84.8 percent of free throws from last season.
In addition to returning Davis, Burrell, Key and Horston, the Lady Vols welcome back rotation regulars in 6-4 senior center Kasiyahna Kushkituah (5.4 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 49% FG, 31 games played), 5-8 sophomore guard Jessie Rennie (2.7 ppg., 25 3FGs, 46% 3FG, 30 games played) and 6-3 redshirt senior forward Jaiden McCoy (2.7 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 26 games played). Emily Saunders, a 6-5 sophomore center, saw action in only 10 games a year ago but averaged 3.7 ppg., 2.2 rpg. and 1.0 bpg. while shooting 71% on field goals.
Tennessee also welcomes a pair of highly-regarded graduate transfers in Keyen Green from Liberty and Jordan Walker from Western Michigan. Walker, an All-MAC guard with two seasons to play, brings experience, quickness and depth to the guard corps. The 5-8 redshirt junior averaged 16.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 2.5 apg. and 2.1 spg. while knocking down 66 three-pointers in 2019-20.
Green, meanwhile, is a 6-1 first-team All-ASUN forward/center who is expected to bolster UT’s inside presence. She averaged 13.9 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. last season and shot 59 percent from the field. ESPN ranked Green, who has one season to play, at No. 15 in its 2020-21 preseason Newcomer Impact Rankings.
UT’s three-member rookie class includes 6-0 guard Destiny Salary (four-star prospect, #57 by espnW HoopGurlz), 6-1 guard/forward Tess Darby (#86 by Blue Star Media, four-star prospect by ProspectsNation.com) and 6-2 guard/forward Marta Suárez (a four-star prospect by Blue Star Europe).
PRESEASON MEDIA PREDICTIONS
ORDER OF FINISH
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Kentucky
4. Texas A&M
5. Arkansas 6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Alabama
10. Florida
11. Missouri
12. Vanderbilt
13. Auburn
14. Ole Miss
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Rennia Davis, Tennessee
N’dea Jones, Texas A&M
