Tennessee

No. 5 Tennessee can earn the Vols' first NCAA No. 1 seed by adding SEC Tournament title

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

No. 5 Tennessee can earn the Vols' first NCAA No. 1 seed by adding SEC Tournament title

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fifth-ranked Tennessee and coach Rick Barnes have a lot at stake at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

The Volunteers (24-7) start making a final argument for the program’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when they open play at the SEC Tournament on Friday. They are trying to add a tournament title to their SEC regular-season championship, which Tennessee hasn’t done since the 1942-43 season.

It won’t be easy.

“Now it’s you either win or you go home,” Barnes said of this time of the season.

This is the first time that Tennessee has been the lone No. 1 seed since the SEC revived the tournament in 1979 after sharing the East’s top seed in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Vols have reached the SEC Tournament final three of the past five events, with the only win in that span coming in 2022.

“We’ll be ready,” said Dalton Knecht, a Tennessee senior and both the AP SEC Player of the Year and the league’s newcomer of the year after the Northern Colorado transfer led the league in scoring.

Four SEC teams finished tied at 13-5, a game back of the Vols in league play. Kentucky (23-8), which has won this tournament 31 times, leads that pack as the No. 2 seed and is looking for its first title since 2018.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes yells to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky, Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. Credit: AP/Wade Payne

No. 19 Alabama (21-10) has won this tournament two of the past three years, and coach Nate Oats knows how much it means not having to play until Friday, when the Crimson Tide debut in the last game of the quarterfinals.

“Getting a bye to Friday makes it much more likely that you’ve got a chance to win that tournament,” Oats said.

No. 12 Auburn (24-7) earned the No. 4 seed and likely will face 15th-ranked and fifth-seeded South Carolina (25-6) if the surprising Gamecocks under SEC coach of the year Lamont Paris win their opener Thursday under their second-year coach.

“To win 13 games in the league this year is really something,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “This league was daunting, the best I’ve seen it.”

Kentucky head coach John Calipari, right, talks to guard Antonio... — Kentucky head coach John Calipari, right, talks to guard Antonio Reeves (12) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee, Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. Credit: AP/Wade Payne

The tournament, set for Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at least through 2030, starts Wednesday night with No. 12 seed Arkansas playing 13th-seeded Vanderbilt. No. 11 seed Georgia faces Missouri, which went winless in league play.

SCORERS

The SEC has a bunch of good scorers this season. Knecht was leading the league with 21.4 points a game, only to take that up once conference play began. Then he averaged 25.5 points to lead all Division I players in conference-only competition, edging out Purdue’s Zach Edey (25.4).

Knecht bested Alabama’s Mark Sears, who has scored at least 20 or more in 21 games this season.

Kentucky freshman Reed Shephard put on a show in the regular-season finale, knocking off Tennessee by nailing seven 3s and finishing with 27 points. Teammate Antonio Reeves has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games, the first player from Kentucky to do that since Jamal Murray in the 2015-16 season.

Auburn’s shooter is Denver Jones, the transfer from Florida International who is 21 of 33 outside the arc over the past five games. He has made at least a trio of 3s in each of those games, including going 7 of 9 in the regular-season finale over Georgia.

STREAKING

Kentucky has taken fans on a roller coaster ride this season, though now the Wildcats are pointed upward, going into this tournament winning five straight and seven of the last eight. The loss came by a point on a buzzer-beater at LSU.

The Wildcats have beaten three AP Top 25 teams in this span, the last an 85-81 win at Tennessee to finish the regular season.

INJURY UPDATE

Alabama got Latrell Wrightsell Jr. back from a concussion just in time. He helped Alabama snap a three-game skid with an overtime win over Arkansas to end the season and clinch the No. 3 seed. That means Alabama won’t play until the final game Friday night, giving starting guard Rylan Griffen time to heal the calf strain that kept him out of the regular-season finale.

Oats thinks missing Wrightsell, who is 27 for 27 at the free-throw line this season, cost Alabama dearly.

“We’d have a league championship if he hadn’t gone down,” Oats said. “But that’s some of the adversity we’ve got to fight through. We didn’t win a league championship, so let’s get ourselves back together and let’s compete for a tournament championship.”

___

AP Sports Writer John Zenor in Alabama contributed to this report.

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Tennessee

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE ― Vanderbilt women’s basketball won at Tennessee for only the second time in program history, beating the Lady Vols 87-77 at Food City Center on March 1.

The Commodores (27-3, 13-3) are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins March 4 in Greenville, South Carolina.

The regular-season finale featured multiple runs by both teams. Tennessee went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter and took a six-point lead into halftime. Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, then went a 10-0 run in the fourth to put the game away.

The Commodores, who shot 53% from the field, were led by Mikayla Blakes, who finished with 34 points. Aubrey Galvan had 24 points, four rebounds and five assists, and Sacha Washington had 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

“The season has been really special, to be able to end it here at Tennessee with a win and secure I think the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament,” coach Shea Ralph said. “So the double bye, it feels really cool. I’m happy for the team, but we are literally just getting started.”

Tennessee (16-12, 8-8) outrebounded Vanderbilt 32-29. The Commodores shot 17-for-20 on layups and had 27 fast-break points. Tennessee was 10-for-24 on layups.

Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament seed

The SEC Tournament will be held at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Vanderbilt will start play on March 6 and holds a bye into the quarterfinals, where it will play the No. 7 or No. 10 seed at approximately 5 p.m. CT.

Mikayla Blakes stats

Blakes put up another 30-point performance, her third straight and eighth in her past nine games. She added six rebounds and four assists, but also had six turnovers.

She made six 3-pointers, which ties her season high.

“She had 34 but her biggest buckets were when we had to happen,” Ralph said. “Her biggest moments in this game were when we had to happen. That kid shows up every time.”

Third straight rivalry win

Vanderbilt now has three straight wins over the Lady Vols, beating them last season in Nashville and once in the SEC Tournament.

“I think Tennessee is a great team,” Ralph said. “They will be for as long as women’s basketball exists. Playing here in front of this crowd is tough. It’s tough. So I was really proud of our team for being able to figure it out the second half and win, especially here at Tennessee.”

The Commodores have their most SEC wins in program history.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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Tennessee

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates: Highlights, TV channel

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates: Highlights, TV channel

ARLINGTON, TX — Tennessee baseball is trying to wrap up the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series on a good note against Virginia Tech today.

The 19th-ranked Vols (7-3) lost to UCLA and beat Arizona State for a split at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers. They’re finishing this trip against Virginia Tech (7-3), a game that began at 11:30 a.m. ET (FloCollege streaming).

Virginia Tech lost 10-0 by run rule to Texas A&M in Game 1 and lost 15-8 to Mississippi State in Game 2.

Lefthander Evan Blanco (1-1, 2.00 ERA) got the start for the Vols. Right-hander Ethan Grim (0-0, 3.75 ERA) started for Virginia Tech.

Follow live updates here from Arlington.

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates

Sam Grube struck out. Nick Lucorto singled to CF. Ethan Ball was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second. That ended UT starter Evan Blanco’s outing. Blanco allowed one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, walked one and hit three batters, tossing 91 pitches.

Left-hander Mark Hindy replaced Blanco. Hindy struck out Treyson Hughes. Hudson Lutterman fouled out to end the threat. 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 2 LOB

Chris Newstrom grounded out. Manny Marin flied out to CF. Ariel Antigua popped out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Top 5th inning: Tennessee 1, Virginia Tech 1

UT starter Evan Blanco made quick work of the Hokies, getting a strikeout, groundout and flyout. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB

Bottom 4th inning: Tennessee 1, Virginia Tech 1

Levi Clark grounded out. Reese Chapman flied out to RCF. Tyler Myatt flied out to CF. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Nick Lucorto hit a solo home run, driving a 1-2 pitch over the LF wall to tie the game 1-1. Ethan Ball was hit by pitch. Treyson Hughes fouled out. Hudson Letterman reached on fielder’s choice, but UT couldn’t turn the double play. Owen Petrich flied out to RF. 1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.

Chris Newstrom flied out. Manny Marin popped out. Ariel Antigua reached on an infield single when he hit a grounder to the first baseman and beat the pitcher to the bag. Jay Abernathy walked to put two runners on base with two outs. Henry Ford singled through the middle to score Antigua from second and move Abernathy to third. Vols lead 1-0. Blaine Brown struck out to end the inning. 1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB.

Anderson French struck out. Pete Daniel walked and advanced to 2B on a balk. Sam Gates lined out. Sam Grube grounded out, stranding a runner on 2B. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.

Levi Clark smashed a long flyout to the CF warning track, traveling more than 400 feet. Reese Chapman struck out. Tyler Myatt struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

UT starter Evan Blanco only needed 12 pitches to get through a 1-2-3 inning, including two strikeouts. Treyson Hughes struck out. Hudson Lutterman flied out. Owen Pettrich struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Bottom 1st inning: Tennessee 0, Virginia Tech

Jay Abernathy struck out. Henry Ford flied out. Blaine Brown struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Top 1st inning: Virginia Tech 0, Tennessee 0

UT starter Evan Blanco hit leadoff hitter Sam Grube with a pitch. Nic Locurto flied out to RF. Grube was thrown by stealing by catcher Levi Clark. Ethan Ball struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech on today?

TV channel: FloSports app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, etc.
Live stream: FloCollege streaming (for subscribers)

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech time today

11:30 a.m. ET at Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech probable pitchers

Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (1-1, 2.00 ERA)
Virginia Tech: TBD

Tennessee in Amegy Bank College Baseball Series schedule

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Tennessee

Tennessee senator with Iranian roots calls for diplomacy following U.S.-Israel attack on Iran

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee senator with Iranian roots calls for diplomacy following U.S.-Israel attack on Iran

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A Tennessee state senator who is half-Iranian is calling on the Trump administration to pursue diplomacy and involve Congress following Saturday’s U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari(Action News 5)

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves as Senate Minority Leader, said the strikes have stirred complicated emotions within the Persian-American community.

“My father came to Memphis to go to the University of Memphis in 1977 from Iran. It’s always been a country that I’ve heard beautiful things about, but I’ve certainly not been able to experience it because of the regime that’s in place,” Akbari said.

Akbari said Iranians have long been waiting for an end to the authoritarian dictatorship in the country, but the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has left questions about how Iran will stabilize in the aftermath of the attacks.

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader,... — In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of people and officials in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 21, 2025.(Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

“There’s hope but there’s also fear. There’s excitement but there’s also this deep sense of anxiety. What will this look like? We’ve seen in other Middle Eastern countries when regimes are removed and there’s this terrible period of instability,” she said.

Akbari said she hopes she will one day be able to visit the country her father was born in.

“That’s literally the other half of my heritage, and I think for all Iranian Americans, for Iranians who have left Iran and come to America, they hope for a free Iran,” she said.

Persian American community(Action News 5)

Akbari urged the administration to proceed deliberately and avoid casualties among both American troops and Iranian civilians.

“There is a key difference between the Iranian governmental regime and the people of Iran,” she said. “Keeping their humanity in mind, making sure there’s proper aid, and also trying to mitigate any sort of civilian loss of life.”

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