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.
Tennessee
Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel remains a hot name, and he may have another head-coaching job as soon as next season.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently named a bunch of potential candidates for the New York Jets job in 2025, and Vrabel was at the top of his list.
“Mike Vrabel makes the most sense to me, mostly because he won’t stand down to an owner, and that’s exactly what the New York Jets need,” Breer wrote.
The problem with that is Jets owner Woody Johnson is known to be a meddler, so he a Vrabel-Johnson partnership may never actually come to fruition.
Still, Vrabel could end up being a perfect fit for the Jets from a stylistic perspective given that New York is built upon a strong defense.
It’s not the first time that Vrabel has been linked to Gang Green, either.
Vrabel actually did a very solid job during his time with the Titans, going 54-45 while making three playoff appearances—including a pair of AFC South titles—across five seasons.
Things went south over Vrabel’s final two years in Tennessee, with the Titans going just 13-21 during that span. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the problem was not with Vrabel.
Vrabel is currently serving as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns, but it seems like only a matter of time before he lands a better job elsewhere.
The 49-year-old also had a 14-year NFL playing career from 1997 through 2010, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and also made a Pro Bowl with the squad in 2007.
The Jets have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season, as they are just 3-8 in spite of having one of the most star-studded rosters in the sport.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Tennessee
Tennessee man convicted for Jan. 6 riot found guilty of plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him
A Jan. 6 rioter who breached the U.S. Capitol was convicted of trying to have law enforcement personnel, including the FBI agents and employees who were investigating him, murdered, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, who was convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers and other crimes during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat.
The jury agreed on a verdict after an hour of deliberation following the three-day trial, WBIR-TV reported.
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Federal prosecutors at his trial in Knoxville, Tennessee, said Kelly developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6 while awaiting trial for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
He distributed the list, as well as videos containing images of FBI employees identified on the list, to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission,” authorities said.
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Kelley’s co-defendant Austin Carter, who pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to kill FBI agents and is awaiting sentencing, testified that Kelly said he needed to “take out” the FBI. He said that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI Field Office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones.
He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
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Recording introduced by prosecutors showed Kelley directing the plan, and giving instructions to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. He was also recorded stating: “Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt,” authorities said.
Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025. He faces up to life in prison.
Tennessee
How Tennessee Makes The College Football Playoff
The Tennessee Volunteers are currently ranked 11th on the latest College Football Playoff rankings. However, because of automatic bids, if the College Football Playoff rankings were finalized today, Tennessee is the first team out, overlooked by the Big 12 champ and Boise State. Now, good news for the (10-2) Tennessee Volunteers, there’s still a way for them to make the CFP. Though, there are going to need some help.
Note: ESPN’s CFP Prediction Machine gives Tennessee an 88% chance to make the CFP if they simply win out.
Any regular season loss by a (2) loss SEC Team
Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia all share a two-loss record at this point in the season, and though Tennessee has a head-to-head win over Alabama, their pair of losses (Arkansas and Georgia) is deemed worse by the committee at this point in the rankings. Any loss by any of those three team would likely free Tennessee up for a entrance to the playoff.
Indiana Is Destroyed by Ohio State
Indiana is a threat to Tennessee at this point, and would be even at an (11-1) record with a presumed loss this weekend to Ohio State. However, if Indiana is blown out in the contest, they will more than likely drop behind Tennessee who has just UTEP and Vanderbilt left on the schedule. Indiana has one top-25 opponent all season, this weekend at Ohio State, if they are walked off the field, it will open Tennessee’s door.
Notre Dame Loses to Army or USC
It’s a long shot, Notre Dame is a heavy favorite in both football games… as they were against Northern Illinois — the 8th ranked team in the MAC. If Notre Dame were to drop another football game over the next two weeks, there’s a likelihood that Tennessee gets in the playoff.
Texas A&M Loses to Texas
If Texas A&M wins out, and has a top-3 win over the Texas Longhorns to end the regular season and goes onto the SEC Championship game, the committee has shown they have tremendous amounts of recency bias. A win-out situation for Texas A&M is something that the Vols should hope to avoid.
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