Tennessee
Here's who Suns fans should be watching during March Madness
Believe it or not, the Phoenix Suns are slated to have a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and they could end up selecting one of the stars of the NCAA Tournament which starts this week.
As things currently stand, Phoenix still holds four first rounders between the 2024 and 2030 drafts, although they don’t have sole possession of any.
For 2024, the Suns will take the least favorable first rounder between the Memphis Grizzlies’ pick, the Washington Wizards’ pick and their own. Right now, the least favorable of the three is their own, sitting at No. 19 after the loss on Sunday to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here are some players who could have a big impact in March Madness before being in play at No. 19 — or wherever the Suns’ pick ends up.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, No. 13 on ESPN’s Top 100
Knecht has the best chance to knock off Purdue big man Zach Edey for National Player of the Year with how he’s led Tennessee this season.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound wing has worked his way up through junior college to low-major Northern Colorado and now to Tennessee where he led the Volunteers to the SEC regular season title.
The fifth-year senior enters the tournament averaging 21.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists on a career best 39.7% on 6.2 3s per game.
First March Madness matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s on Thursday at 6:20 p.m. on TNT.
Ryan Dunn, Virginia, No. 20 on The Athletic’s mock draft (to Phoenix at the time)
The 6-foot-8, 216-pound sophomore doesn’t offer a ton offensively, but he may be the best defender in the country, with the toughness to hang with bigger players as well.
Dunn is a career 24% shooter on 3s but is a much better 61.9% on 2s. He also blocks nearly 2.5 shots per game in just 27.6 minutes, including five against Duke a couple weeks ago.
First March Madness matchup: No. 10 Virginia vs. No. 10 Colorado State on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. on truTV.
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, No. 25 on The Athletic’s mock draft
After starring at Millennium High in Goodyear and AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Holmes has dominated the A-10 for three seasons now, showing a smooth and versatile game that not many bigs have.
This season, Holmes added a 3-point shot and is hitting 38.5% on 2.5 attempts at 6-foot-10. He attempted just 26 over his first two seasons combined. Averaging over 20 points and two blocks per game, he’s poised to take the Flyers on a run.
First March Madness matchup: No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on TBS.
Phoenix is without a second-round pick in this draft because it was rescinded after the league found the Suns to have tampered in acquiring Drew Eubanks last summer.
They do have to fill out a G League roster for next season though, so general manager James Jones may end up bringing in undrafted rookies, something he hasn’t really done in his tenure.
Here are some players Jones and the Suns could be looking at in the tournament.
Alex Karaban, UConn, No. 50 on ESPN’s Top 100
Shooting is the big draw for this 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who shot 39.8% on nearly 350 attempts over the two seasons he played for the Huskies, with a chance to have championship rings in each season.
UConn’s offense is probably the closest to an NBA offense in all of the field, and Karaban’s ability to connect within that offense — career 3.1 assists per 100 possessions — should endear him to NBA front offices.
First March Madness matchup: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson on Friday at 11:45 a.m. on CBS.
Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon, unranked
One of the best stories in college basketball because of the medical hardships he has endured, the 6-foot-7 wing is versatile on offense and obsessive on defense.
Grant-Foster is one of the best in the country at getting to the line and creating his own shot in the mid-range, averaging over three stocks (steals plus blocks) on the other end.
He would make for a great marquee headliner for the Suns’ G League team as he develops into a potential difference-maker for the Suns, where his cousin Ish Wainright is on a two-way contract.
First March Madness matchup: No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 St. Mary’s on Friday at 7:05 p.m. on truTV.
The Tennesseee Titans have ruled out starting running back Tony Pollard for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
The #Titans downgraded RB Tony Pollard to out for Sunday vs. Jacksonville.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 28, 2024
Pollard was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report due to an ankle injury, but according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he planned to play through it. Rather, his absence stems from him dealing with the flu, which will reportedly prevent him from travelling with the team on Saturday.
#Titans RB Tony Pollard has the flu, jeopardizing his status for Sunday at Jacksonville, per source. He is not expected to travel with the team today. He was on the injury report with an ankle issue but had planned to play through that.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 28, 2024
After arriving from the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, Pollard has enjoyed a solid first season in the Music City. In 15 games, the 27-year-old has rushed for 1,017 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He’s also been a decent check-down option with 41 receptions for 238 yards.
With Pollard sidelined, the Titans will look for second-year back Tyjae Spears to carry the load in the backfield. The former Tulane star has had a disappointing sophomore season, rushing for 217 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.4 yards per carry, so the Titans will hope to get him going before the season ends.
Joshua Kelley, who hasn’t played for Tennessee since his arrival in late October, could also get some looks as well.
The Titans and Jaguars kick off from EverBank Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
The Tennessee Titans continue to play out the string of the 2024 season with Sunday’s Week 17 game at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tennessee’s 38-30 loss at Indianapolis last Sunday was the team’s fourth straight defeat, the last three against teams with a losing record.
Jacksonville (3-12) was one of those losses, with the Jaguars winning 10-6 on Dec. 8 in Nashville. Mac Jones continues to be the team’s starting quarterback as it sputters to the finish.
Here’s how The Tennessean’s experts pick Sunday’s Week 17 NFL game:
Titans vs. Jaguars picks
Nick Suss, Titans beat reporter
Titans 27, Jaguars 13
Yes, it’s a little bit crazy to think these Titans can beat anyone by 14 points. But look: They had ample opportunities to beat Jacksonville a couple of weeks ago. The Titans’ offense has looked better in the red zone these past two weeks, and if they can actually finish off some of the drives they stalled in last time, this should be a winnable game.
Gentry Estes, columnist
Jaguars 17, Titans 10
The Jags may not have much, but their pass rushers were a problem for the Titans last time. No reason to expect that’ll be any different.
Nick Gray, trending reporter
Jaguars 6, Titans 3
Nothing would surprise me, except a clean, flawless Titans victory.
Tom Kreager, sports director
Jaguars 28, Titans 17
Titans are doing their part to help themselves with their 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Starting in 2025, bartenders and servers in Tennessee will be required to take part in trainings with the goal to make everybody feel safe while out on the town.
“Requirement for these server permits to holders to be trained in understanding the role of alcohol and sexual assault and harassment and recognizing the role of drugs and assault and strategies that can hopefully help prevent patron drugging and establishments,” Russell Thomas, the Executive Director of Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission said.
The trainings will teach servers what signs to look out for, as well as what they need to do whenever they notice something that doesn’t look right.
“To identify people that might be in distress or how to deal with conflict resolution as far as customers being inside your establishment and needing some assistance to feel safe,” Yee-Haw Brewery General Manager Charles Ellis said.
Places such as Yee-Haw Brewery have a safe bar initiative. This means they train their staff to look out for those signs and have measures in place for anybody who feels unsafe at the bar.
“All of our staff has been trained on how to spot somebody in need of assistance,” Ellis said. “If there seems kind of fishy, or if they need some help with some domestic issues, we’re trained to be able to help them out.”
One of the big changes this year will be the length of how long one can hold a serving license. The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission says instead of every five years, they will need to renew every two years.
“By increasing the frequency of training that would increase the focus on preventing some of these things from occurring,” Thomas said.
Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.
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