Tennessee
Louisville basketball vs Tennessee preview, recruiting news, more in our latest mailbag
Louisville’s Pat Kelsey opens regular season with win vs Morehead State
Louisville basketball officially ushers in the Pat Kelsey era with a 93-45 victory against Morehead State as Cardinals win regular-season opener.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
This week’s Louisville basketball mailbag needs very little introduction.
On Saturday, the Cardinals (1-0) host No. 12 Tennessee (1-0) — a prime opportunity to deliver first-year head coach Pat Kelsey a signature win during Week 1 of the 2024-25 season, against a team coming off a trip to the Elite Eight this past spring.
“It’s going to be a great test for us,” Kelsey said Wednesday, during his radio show on WLCL 93.9-FM. “We’re really excited about the opportunity.”
Kelsey is 1-13 against ranked opponents across his 12-year career; the lone victory occurred Nov. 11, 2019, with Winthrop against No. 18 Saint Mary’s on the road. If he can orchestrate an upset in front of what’s sure to be a boisterous crowd at the KFC Yum! Center, U of L would make a strong case for cracking the AP Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 25, 2021.
Oh, and the early signing period is right around the corner. A busy time, indeed.
Now, let’s get to your questions:
Not so fast, my friend. A few things to consider:
Tennessee barely outscored Gardner-Webb in the paint, 38-34, during its 80-64 win Monday night. The Runnin’ Bulldogs outrebounded the Volunteers, 32-29, and, with a 10-8 advantage on the offensive glass, had a slim lead in second-chance points, 12-7.
After the game, coach Rick Barnes said starting forward Felix Okpara, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound junior who transferred in from Ohio State, is playing through a “pretty serious” hip pointer injury. Okpara tallied two points at the free-throw line, grabbed nine rebounds, picked up four fouls, turned the ball over three times and blocked one shot in 25 minutes of run against Gardner-Webb.
“He absolutely refuses to come out of practice and play,” Barnes said. “He’s going to play.
“I thought he was slow getting off the ball,” the coach continued. “He’s not normally slow at doing that. I’m really proud of the fact that (he’s playing through it) — if you’ve ever dealt with a hip pointer, you know what it’s like. I can show you film at practice where he’s almost trying to protect it with his hands. From a production standpoint, since I’ve known him, this might be the worst day he’s had; but he’ll work at it and he’ll get better.”
Barnes also said that Okpara’s backup, 6-11 sophomore J.P. Estrella, was not at 100% due to an ankle injury. He finished with four points, two rebounds, a block and a foul in 11 minutes.
The two other forwards on UT’s roster, 6-10 senior Igor Miličić Jr. and 6-9 sophomore Cade Phillips, combined for 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two fouls in 37 minutes.
Through two preseason exhibitions and its Game 1 win over Morehead State, Louisville has allowed its opponents to score 66 of their combined 158 points (41.8%) in the paint. But it might be catching the Vols at the right time.
To Jeff’s point, between Louisville’s two exhibitions and the Morehead State game, it has surrendered 46 points at the free-throw line. If its three opponents had shot 100% from the charity stripe, that number jumps to 72.
The Cards must limit those mistakes against Tennessee, which boasts the dangerous backcourt duo of North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Zakai Zeigler. The latter scored seven of his 13 points against Gardner-Webb at the line. The Vols made 16 of their 21 freebies.
Kelsey mentioned after Monday’s win how fouling too much can disrupt his team’s desired pace of play, which could loom large against the Vols. All of his teams dating back to 2015-16 have ranked among the top 100 in tempo on KenPom.com; while Barnes has had only two squads do so during that span.
But he also said he doesn’t want to limit his most instinctive defenders, citing Kasean Pryor and Chucky Hepburn by name.
“Sometimes, those guys kind of go out of the system a little bit, but you’ve got to let them be who they are,” Kelsey said. “You don’t want to put those guys in a box and take away some of their true gifts. Sometimes, they’ll get a little crazy and gamble a little bit, and it costs us on the backside; but again: I’d rather try to reel them back in a little bit.”
He might have to do some reeling Saturday if the fouls start piling up.
I’m fairly confident Kelsey won’t secure a top-50 recruit during the early signing period, which runs Nov. 13-20.
But there’s still a chance Louisville gets one before the 2025 cycle ends.
Mikel Brown Jr., a 6-3 point guard out of DME Academy in Florida, is the prospect to watch now. As of Thursday, he was the top-ranked floor general and the No. 10 overall talent in his class on the 247Sports Composite. And, for what it’s worth, he has an endorsement deal with Adidas.
Brown stopped by U of L on an unofficial visit in September, a couple of days before his official visit with archrival Kentucky. The former went so well that, a month later, On3’s Joe Tipton reported the Cards were one of two schools “carrying momentum” in his recruitment — the other being Alabama — and that Brown is tentatively planning to return for an official visit Dec. 8; when Kelsey’s team begins ACC play against Duke.
The catch is: Brown doesn’t appear to be in a rush to make his college decision. Tipton has said several times the point guard is “likely” waiting until the spring; so a lot can happen between now and then. But Louisville should be feeling good about where it stands with him — I’d venture to say more so than with any other uncommitted top-50 recruit it has offered.
Follow the instructions below to submit your question:
Questions can also be submitted via email (bholton@gannett.com) and X, formerly Twitter, to @brooksHolton.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The first measles case of 2025 has been confirmed in the state, and it’s in Middle Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Health officials said the infected person is recovering in their home, while doctors and people worry about the viral infection spreading.
The measles is an infection some people said they weren’t too surprise was spreading, Breanna Thomas said she almost expected it.
“I’m going to be honest I wasn’t too shocked because a lot of mothers and fathers are very hesitant to vaccinate their children,” Thomas said.
Doctor Joseph Gigante with the Monroe Carole Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt said the spread of measles seemed to be moving fast.
“Unfortunately, the most recent outbreak that started in west Texas has now spread,” Dr. Gigante said.
The Tennessee Department of Health announced a measles case was found in Middle Tennessee in March on Friday.
“This is where you get really worried and really concerned,” Dr. Gigante said.
Tennessee health officials said measles is highly infectious. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes.
Officials said the person in Middle Tennessee was infected in early March, but they’re investigating to find out where or how they got the virus.
“It’s a tragedy, but it’s so easy to prevent measles. The best thing parents could do is to vaccinate your child,” Dr. Gigante said.
Doctors said watch out for symptoms of small bumps, high fever, cough and a runny noise. Measles can also be fatal.
“There could definitely be a mini epidemic here in Tennessee for sure,” Thomas said.
The department reports that there’s an active national measles outbreak with over 300 cases in 11 states, including two deaths.
“I would hope that the cases are quarantined very well and even put in isolation rooms if they do have to go unfortunately to the hospital,” Thomas said.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
UCLA vs. Tennessee Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness Round 2
The UCLA Bruins (23-10) take the court against the Tennessee Volunteers (28-7) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Lexington, KY.
UCLA thumped Utah State, 72-47, on Thursday in the first round. Eric Dailey, Jr. and Skyy Clark paced the Bruins’ attack with 14 points apiece. UCLA was 10-24 from beyond the arc (41.7%).
Tennessee advanced to Saturday’s second round with a decisive victory of their own, dominating Wofford, 77-62. Chaz Lanier had 29 for the Vols in the win and the Tennessee defense allowed Wofford a mere 27 first half points.
The winner of this game earns a ticket to the Sweet 16.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch UCLA vs. Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 9:40PM EST
- Site: Rupp Arena
- City: Lexington, KY
- Network/Streaming: TBS / truTV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for UCLA vs. Tennessee
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: UCLA Bruins (+170), Tennessee Volunteers (-210)
- Spread: Volunteers -4.5
- Total: 132.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for UCLA vs. Tennessee
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Bruins & Volunteers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Tennessee -4.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 132.5.
UCLA vs. Tennessee: Top betting trends and recent stats
- UCLA has covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 games
- UCLA Game Totals have cashed to the OVER in 3 of their last 4 games
- Tennessee did not cover as 18.5-point favorites against Wofford
- Tennessee is now 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
- The OVER has cashed in 5 of Tennessee’s last 6 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
LEXINGTON, Ky. − Tennessee basketball and UCLA are playing for a spot in the Sweet 16.
The No. 2 seed Vols (27-8) face the No. 10 seed Bruins (23-10) at 9:40 p.m. ET on Saturday on TNT/TruTV at Rupp Arena.
Tennessee advanced with a 77-62 win against No. 15 Wofford on Thursday then the Bruins walloped No. 10 Utah State 72-47. UT is playing for its third straight trip to the Sweet 16 under coach Rick Barnes, including last season’s Elite Eight berth. It also went to the Sweet 16 in 2019.
How Tennessee basketball advanced in the NCAA Tournament
Chaz Lanier starred in his first NCAA Tournament game. He scored 29 points, which is the third-most in an NCAA Tournament game UT history. He hit six 3-pointers, which matched Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi and Chris Lofton for the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a Vol.
Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and 12 assists. He broke Johnny Darden’s career assists record with his second assist against Wofford.
Jahmai Mashack had nine points and seven rebounds.
How UCLA advanced in the NCAA Tournament to face Tennessee
The Bruins easily handed Utah State in the nightcap Thursday. Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 points each. Kobe Johnson had eight points and eight rebounds.
UCLA limited the Aggies to 4-for-31 3-point shooting, while hitting 10-for-24.
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.
DC police identify remains found in Anacostia River as 17-year-old missing since January
How to Watch: No. 2 Alabama Basketball vs. No. 7 Saint Mary’s in NCAA Tournament Round of 32
No. 9 Bears Split Rematches With No. 12 LSU, No. 10 Texas – California Golden Bears Athletics
Tip off time, channel for Alabama basketball’s next March Madness game
Alaska libraries, minority businesses face grim reality of DOGE federal funding cuts
-
World1 week agoUkraine accepts 30-day ceasefire in US talks: What it means for Russia war
-
News1 week agoUnruly Passenger Swallows Rosary Beads on American Airlines Flight
-
News1 week agoEducation Department's major cuts to its staff. And, a proposed Ukraine peace deal
-
Technology1 week agoI outsourced my memory to an AI pin and all I got was fanfiction
-
World1 week agoTurkey should play key role in peace in Ukraine, says Polish PM
-
San Francisco, CA1 week agoSan Francisco Muni stabbing victim, suspect both ID'd as minors
-
News1 week agoSudiksha Konanki’s disappearance echoes Natalee Holloway case. Is it affecting travel?
-
Lifestyle1 week agoNBA Stars Like Jalen Brunson Enlist Social Media Surrogates to Expand Reach in China