Tennessee

A look back at Tennessee’s biggest political storyline this year

Published

2 years ago

December 29, 2022

A look back at Tennessee’s biggest political storyline this year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — So many large headlines and so many consequential tales in 2022. Among the many largest: one other shift in Tennessee’s political panorama. And all of it started with the rap of a gavel in January.

The 112th Basic Meeting of Tennessee lawmakers started in earnest in January with the Republican Supermajority able to flex their legislative muscle by re-drawing the state’s political map. It is a requirement each 10 years to theoretically to re-shape consultant boundaries to replicate a rising, shifting inhabitants.

“They take a look at the way in which these inhabitants facilities have modified and draw the strains accordingly. That is the way in which it occurs each 10 years,” mentioned Gov. Invoice Lee.

However politically, it is a chance — utilized by each events throughout the US — to realize voting benefits.

The proposed maps of Tennessee’s Congressional districts drew eyeballs on to Nashville — the place the fifth District, a longtime Democratic stronghold — morphed to incorporate a number of counties. The neighboring sixth and seventh Districts squeezed their manner into large chunks of Davidson County. Clearly, Republican leaders noticed an opportunity to dilute the fifth and switch it purple.

“It simply completely is senseless,” mentioned Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, mentioned.

“You realize three congressmen is best than one, that is our opinion,” Home Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, mentioned.

The writing on the maps led veteran Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper to see the writing on the wall, deciding to step down quite than run for a brand new time period — an uphill battle in a newly drawn district.

“My choice is 100% as a result of legislature’s gerrymandering. It is a unhappy day not for me, however for Nashville.”

Cooper’s choice triggered a cavalcade of candidates — speeding to prepare, fundraise, and enter the race. Amongst them: conservative Morgan Ortagus, a former State Division spokeswoman backed by former President Trump.

Within the weeks and months following, different Republicans joined the race, together with former Home Speaker Beth Harwell, retired Brigadier Basic Kurt Winstead and investor Baxter Lee. Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles jumped into the crowded discipline in March. Democratic activist Odessa Kelly, who thought of a major problem in opposition to Congressman Cooper, as a substitute shifted her focus to the seventh District to tackle incumbent Republican Mark Inexperienced.

Because the candidates started to prepare and fundraise, a shocker from the state Republican occasion occurred. On April 19, the GOP Govt Committee voted to take away three of the Republican candidates within the fifth District race: Ortagus, Lee, and Robby Starbuck, a music video producer who introduced his candidacy in 2021. At situation was whether or not the three met the necessities of being “bonafide” Tennessee Republicans, which features a constant voting historical past within the state. Authorized challenges to the choice fell quick.

That left three front-runners for the Republican nomination: Harwell, Winstead, and Ogles.

After a summer time crammed with assault advertisements from “outdoors” teams, the voters had their say within the Aug. 4 major.

Andy Ogles, the fiery conservative from Columbia, Tennessee, marched into the final election battle in opposition to Democratic challenger Heidi Campbell, a neighborhood state lawmaker.

Along with his preliminary select of the race, former President Trump endorsed Ogles, who spent the months earlier than November pitching his positions to a friendlier voters within the “new” fifth district. And by Election Day in November it turned clear: the brand new district designs would supply simply what state Republicans hoped: the colour “purple” shaded into one other of Tennessee’s 9 Congressional districts.

Ogles, together with incumbents John Rose and Mark Inexperienced within the sixth and seventh districts respectively, coasted to victory, leaving only one Democrat representing Tennessee in Congress: Steve Cohen within the ninth Congressional District.

Prime tales of 2022 in assessment:

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Tennessee

Tennessee college basketball is final undefeated team this season under coach Rick Barnes

Published

6 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee college basketball is final undefeated team this season under coach Rick Barnes

Tennessee basketball is the final undefeated team in Division I men’s college basketball this season.

The No. 1 Vols moved to 14-0 with a 76-52 win against Arkansas on Saturday, while Florida and Oklahoma lost in their SEC openers.

No. 5 Florida fell 106-100 to No. 11 Kentucky at Rupp Arena for its first loss after a 13-0 start. No. 10 Oklahoma tumbled 107-79 to No. 6 Alabama at Coleman Coliseum after the Sooners also started 13-0.

Drake (12-1), which entered 2025 without a loss, was beaten by UIC 74-70 on Jan. 1.

The Vols (14-0, 1-0 SEC) play at Florida (13-1, 0-1) on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPNU).

Tennessee’s start is tied for the best in program history. The 1922-23 Vols also opened 14-0 in a 17-game season.

UT has been ranked No. 1 for four straight weeks, which is tied for the longest streak in program history. It likely will hold the top spot Monday for a record fifth week. The Vols also were ranked No. 1 for four weeks in the 2018-19 season.

UT was ranked No. 12 in the preseason coaches poll, and moved up to No. 9 after starting the season 2-0 with wins against Gardner-Webb and at Louisville. It stayed No. 9 after going 4-0.

Tennessee rolled through the Baha Mar Championship with wins against Virginia and Baylor to reach 6-0 and rise to No. 6. It hopped to No. 3 after beating UT Martin before ascending to No. 1.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

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Inside Igor Milicic Jr’s 18-rebound game for No. 1 Tennessee basketball vs Arkansas

Published

16 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

Inside Igor Milicic Jr’s 18-rebound game for No. 1 Tennessee basketball vs Arkansas

John Calipari’s first observation about this Tennessee basketball team compared to last year’s is the Vols are a year older.

The second was about “the transfer in.”

The Arkansas coach was talking about Igor Milicic Jr., which was readily apparent as Calipari detailed what that unnamed transfer did Saturday. He stretches the floor for Tennessee. He helps the Vols.

He had double-digit rebounds, the key facet of Calipari’s description as Milicic had the best rebounding performance by a player in coach Rick Barnes’ decade at Tennessee.

“Igor was spectacular,” Barnes said.

Milicic grabbed 18 rebounds with six offensive boards and 13 points as No. 1 Tennessee (14-0, 1-0 SEC) pounded Arkansas (11-3, 0-1) on Saturday at Food City Center. It was his career best and the best by a Vol under Barnes.

Igor Milicic explains his 18 rebounds for Tennessee vs Arkansas

Milicic provided a simplified explanation for his rebounding success. His teammates block out and clear the way for him.

“I just need to go jump and get it,” Milicic said. “It’s not that hard, honestly.”

Milicic made it look that easy against Arkansas. The 6-foot-10 forward had nine rebounds before halftime, notched his 10th rebound 33 seconds into the second half, and kept going.

The Charlotte transfer is the fourth Vol in the past 20 years to have at least 18 rebounds in a game.

Milicic preached consistency as a key to being a good rebounder. You have to keep crashing the boards even when you are tired. You have to accept contact.

Barnes credited Milicic for his anticipation skills, quickness and good hands. He added more credit to his effort. He got that overall against Arkansas as Tennessee outrebounded Arkansas 51-29 with 24 offensive rebounds.

Milicic was the tone-setter because he makes it a priority, guard Zakai Zeigler said.

“Even if he is not shooting the ball well, I can count on him to go get 10 rebounds or go get five O-boards,” Zeigler said. “It is just really impressive he does it day in and day out.”

Why rebounding is fun to Igor Milicic Jr.

Tennessee knew Milicic was a good rebounder coming from Charlotte, where he averaged 8.5 rebounds last season.

His offensive rebounding has impressed. The Vols play faster than Charlotte, which means more rebounding opportunities. They also put more of an emphasis on offensive rebounding than Charlotte, which Milicic has enjoyed.

“It just another opportunity to score,” Milicic said. “It is all of us. We get extra opportunities to score and it shows with the shooting that we have here. It is really fun — and of course sometimes you get a putback, right?”

Milicic is averaging 8.9 rebounds after his 18-rebound game. The only other Vol to average that many in a season in the past 20 years is Jarnell Stokes, who had 9.6 per game in 2012-13 and 10.6 in 2013-14.

The Croatian has three straight games with at least 10 rebounds. He has double-digit rebounds in four of the past five games and six of the past eight. He had nine in one of those games.

He rocketed past those impressive games with his best one yet Saturday. That prompted Calipari’s attention and an understatement when he stated Milicic is “pretty good.”

A more fitting description is the compliment that followed: Milicic is doing what Calipari wishes his players would do. He’s an all-out rebounder and he’s one of the best at it.

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No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 23 Arkansas: Game information, lineups, notes

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 23 Arkansas: Game information, lineups, notes

Tennessee emerged from its non-conference slate unbeaten and has topped the major polls for four-straight weeks.

Now, the No. 1 Vols (13-0) begin their biggest challenge: SEC play.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Tennessee opens league action against No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the first of back-to-back games against ranked teams and one with a number of intriguing storylines.

The Razorbacks, winners of four-straight, are led by a familiar face in John Calipari, who is in his first season after leaving Kentucky where he went up against the Vols in several notable games in the previous 15 years. Saturday also marks the return of former Vols forward Jonas Aidoo, now on the visitors side.

Aidoo will be facing a few of his former teammates, but Tennessee’s impressive start has been helped by the addition of two transfers of their own in starting guard Chaz Lanier and forward Igor Milicic Jr.

Lanier leads the Vols in scoring with 19.6 points per game and has scored 20-plus in six of 13 games, while Milicic is the team’s top rebounder, pulling down 8.2 per game.

The staples of Tennessee’s roster that were key in winning the league one year ago will again be key in its success in an SEC that has 10 teams ranked in the polls and 13 projected to reach the NCAA Tournament.

That includes the league’s assists leader in Zakai Zeigler and one of its most stingy defenders in Jahmai Mashack. And the bench, tested after the loss of JP Estrella to a season-ending injury and the abrupt exit for Cam Carr, has at least two proven options in Jordan Gainey and Cade Phillips.

How all of their contributions translate to what has proven to be the best conference in college basketball after a month and a half will soon be determined.

Here is everything you need to know about Tennessee’s SEC opener.

GAME INFORMATION

Who: No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) at No. 1 Tennessee (13-0)

When: Saturday, Jan. 4 | 1 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center | Knoxville

TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, play-by-play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst)

Radio: Vol Network (Bob Kesling, play-by-play; Bert Bertelkamp, analyst)

Series: 49th meeting all-time (Tennessee leads, 26-22)

KenPom: Tennessee 76, Arkansas 64

PROJECTED LINEUPS

NUMBERS EDGE

POINTS PER GAME

Arkansas 82.5

Tennessee 80.1

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

Arkansas 51.5%

Tennessee 48.9%

THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE

Arkansas 36.8%

Tennessee 35.5%

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Three thoughts ahead of Tennessee basketball’s SEC opener vs. Arkansas

ASSISTS

Tennessee 16.8

Arkansas 16.8

REBOUNDS

Tennessee 38.9

Arkansas 36.2

BLOCKS

Arkansas 5.7

Tennessee 5.5

PREGAME NOTES

— Rick Barnes and John Calipari are meeting again as two of the winningest active head coaches in college basketball. Calipari is No. 1 among Division I coaches with 824 victories while Barnes is second with 819. Barnes is 13-12 vs. Calipari in head-to-head match ups.

— Tennessee will look to continue its success as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Vols are 13-2 all-time as the top-ranked team in the poll, and 12-1 under Rick Barnes, including a five-game win streak since jumping to No. 1 four weeks ago.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Rick Barnes assesses Tennessee basketball ahead of SEC play

— Tennessee and Arkansas’ non-conference schedule included three common opponents. The Vols went 3-0 vs. Baylor, Illinois and Miami, winning by an average margin of victory 10.0 points while the Razorbacks went 1-2 against those teams, beating Miami and losing to Baylor and Illinois at neutral sites.

— Arkansas guard Johnell Davis was listed as “probable” on the initial SEC availability report on Friday night. Davis hasn’t played since Dec. 14, sidelined by a wrist injury. Davis began his career at Florida Atlantic. He scored 15 points against Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in 2023. He is averaging 9.2 points with the Razorbacks.

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