Tennessee
Women's basketball Bracket Watch: What seed does Tennessee deserve?
(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)
After a whirlwind week across conference postseason play, we’re on the eve of the official Selection Sunday bracket reveal. If that doesn’t have you ready to run through a wall, man, I have no idea what will.
Ivy Madness has lived up to the hype, Penn and Harvard giving Princeton and Columbia a run for their money. Louisiana Tech had Middle Tennessee on the back foot much of the game until the Raiders pulled away late. Maine, one of my favorite mid-majors, waltzed into its first tournament appearance since 2019 and third under coach Amy Vachon. Top-seeded Hawaii fell to UC Davis in the Big West tournament, advancing the Aggies to a championship meeting against UC Irvine. A win for the Anteaters would push them to their first NCAA Tournament since 1995.
Across every corner and region of basketball, history is being made and excitement is rising. March is in full swing.
| Last four in | First four out | Next four out | Last four byes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Marquette |
Columbia |
Saint Joseph’s |
UNLV |
|
Texas A&M |
Mississippi State |
Villanova |
Michigan |
|
Arizona |
Washington State |
VCU |
Vanderbilt |
|
Miami |
Penn State |
Washington |
Auburn |
Multi-bid conferences
| Conference | Bids |
|---|---|
|
ACC |
9 |
|
SEC |
8 |
|
Big Ten |
7 |
|
Big 12 |
7 |
|
Pac-12 |
7 |
|
Big East |
3 |
|
WCC |
2 |
Impaction of MACtion?
Ball State and Toledo combined for a 33-3 record in the MAC, and they split the season series. The Cardinals’ only loss outside of Toledo in the MAC came on the road in overtime to Northern Illinois.
Then March happened. Instead of the expected showdown in the MAC tournament finals between the Cardinals and Rockets, upsets set a new stage. In Friday’s MAC tournament semifinals, Buffalo took down Toledo and Kent State shocked Ball State.
Buffalo and Kent State will tip off at 11 a.m. (ET) Saturday for the MAC tournament title in Cleveland (home of this season’s Final Four). As has been said many times, many ways, this is March!
The Golden Flashes have been successful under coach Todd Starkey, finishing with a winning record in seven of his eight seasons, including two regular-season MAC championships. They’re one game away from making the Big Dance for the first time since 2002. Buffalo, on the other hand, has made the NCAA Tournament four times in the last decade, enjoying the school’s best run with Felisha Legette-Jack (now Syracuse’s head coach). Becky Burke is in her second year leading the Bulls and is on the brink of her first tournament appearance.
How does the unexpected impact the bracket?
Unfortunately for Ball State and Toledo, they’re both a decent ways down the pecking order from an at-large bid. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way in conference tournament play, I’d safely say that both are likely WNIT bound. Similarly to how I explained Lamar’s case, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Ball State and Toledo put together tremendous seasons in the history of each school. But this is just part of the brutality of March.
Though I don’t expect the MAC to become a two-bid league, it does have a sizable impact in pushing some teams up a seed line. Neither Kent State nor Buffalo has the same level of resume as Ball State or Toledo. Rather than the No. 12 seed that’s been projected from the MAC, I would envision either team on the No. 14 seed line, and Fairfield moving to the last No. 12 seed.
What’s Tennessee’s ceiling?
Tennessee is one of the harder teams to project in this year’s field. Injuries significantly impacted the Lady Vols early: Transfer point guard Destinee Wells suffered a season-ending knee injury 10 games into the season, and star forward Rickea Jackson missed eight games with a lower leg injury.
How will the selection committee factor injuries into Tennessee’s slower start? The Lady Vols endured a 4-4 stretch with Jackson out of the lineup, including losses to Indiana, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Middle Tennessee.
It’s worth noting that was one of the toughest nonconference stretches anyone played in the country: Tennessee finished 11th in the country in nonconference strength of schedule and first in overall strength of schedule.
Tennessee played the best team in the country, South Carolina, tighter than just about anyone this season. The Lady Vols finished within 11 points twice in the regular season and were a 10-second stretch away from winning in the SEC tournament semifinals. Their win against Oklahoma early in the season stands out as a signature win from an overarching perspective, and blowing out Alabama in the SEC tournament to avenge one of their earlier losses goes a long way.
The Lady Vols don’t necessarily have the same level of quality wins as higher-seeded teams, but how much stock gets put into their play as they closed the year and found a groove? Given that teams in a similar range all have marquee wins against top-flight opponents, it feels difficult to move Tennessee ahead. Watching that game against South Carolina, Tennessee looked like a team capable of hosting in the tournament. That SEC tournament run seemed much stronger to me than a No. 8 seed, but Tennessee’s resume still is what it is, and it feels like a bit of a gray area to start projecting with the eye test.
I’m curious how the selection committee handles Tennessee as a case study because with respect to balancing the bracket, finding the right place to put the Lady Vols is challenging.
Seed list
| Seed | Team | Automatic qualifier | Lock |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
South Carolina |
AQ |
Yes |
|
2 |
USC |
AQ |
Yes |
|
3 |
Iowa |
AQ |
Yes |
|
4 |
Stanford |
||
|
5 |
Texas |
AQ |
Yes |
|
6 |
UCLA |
||
|
7 |
Ohio State |
||
|
8 |
LSU |
||
|
9 |
Notre Dame |
AQ |
Yes |
|
10 |
NC State |
||
|
11 |
UConn |
AQ |
Yes |
|
12 |
Oregon State |
||
|
13 |
Virginia Tech |
||
|
14 |
Indiana |
||
|
15 |
Colorado |
||
|
16 |
Kansas State |
||
|
17 |
Gonzaga |
||
|
18 |
Oklahoma |
||
|
19 |
Utah |
||
|
20 |
Syracuse |
||
|
21 |
Baylor |
||
|
22 |
Ole Miss |
||
|
23 |
Louisville |
||
|
24 |
West Virginia |
||
|
25 |
Duke |
||
|
26 |
Creighton |
||
|
27 |
Florida State |
||
|
28 |
Iowa State |
||
|
29 |
Nebraska |
||
|
30 |
Tennessee |
||
|
31 |
Michigan State |
||
|
32 |
Princeton |
AQ |
|
|
33 |
North Carolina |
||
|
34 |
Alabama |
||
|
35 |
Kansas |
||
|
36 |
Maryland |
||
|
37 |
UNLV |
AQ |
Yes |
|
38 |
Michigan |
||
|
39 |
Vanderbilt |
||
|
40 |
Auburn |
||
|
41 |
Marquette |
||
|
42 |
Texas A&M |
||
|
43 |
Arizona |
||
|
44 |
Miami |
||
|
45 |
Green Bay |
AQ |
Yes |
|
46 |
Middle Tennessee |
AQ |
|
|
47 |
Drake |
AQ |
|
|
48 |
Richmond |
AQ |
Yes |
|
49 |
FGCU |
AQ |
|
|
50 |
Fairfield |
AQ |
|
|
51 |
South Dakota State |
AQ |
Yes |
|
52 |
Marshall |
AQ |
Yes |
|
53 |
Eastern Washington |
AQ |
Yes |
|
54 |
Jackson State |
AQ |
|
|
55 |
Chattanooga |
AQ |
Yes |
|
56 |
Stony Brook |
AQ |
|
|
57 |
Maine |
AQ |
Yes |
|
58 |
Rice |
AQ |
Yes |
|
59 |
Kent State |
AQ |
|
|
60 |
Norfolk State |
AQ |
|
|
61 |
Cal Baptist |
AQ |
|
|
62 |
Portland |
AQ |
Yes |
|
63 |
UC Irvine |
AQ |
Yes |
|
64 |
Texas A&M-CC |
AQ |
Yes |
|
65 |
Holy Cross |
AQ |
|
|
66 |
Presbyterian |
AQ |
Yes |
|
67 |
Sacred Heart |
AQ |
|
|
68 |
Tennessee Martin |
AQ |
Yes |
The Bracket Central series is part of a partnership with E*TRADE.
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Kellie Harper and Tennessee: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
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.
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
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, 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.
“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.
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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