Tennessee

Here's who Suns fans should be watching during March Madness

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2024

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.

Source link

Related Topics:Arizona Sports Now on 98.7 FM Featured Home Phoenix Arizona Sports News | Phoenix Breaking Sports News

Click to comment

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.

Source link

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.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Source link

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.”

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.

Source link