Tennessee

LSU women’s basketball at Tennessee Lady Vols: Score prediction, scouting report

Published

9 months ago

February 25, 2024

LSU women’s basketball at Tennessee Lady Vols: Score prediction, scouting report

Who’s behind No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC has been a question for weeks.

LSU women’s basketball could supply the official answer by taking down Tennessee on the road inside Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday (11 a.m. ESPN).

A win would secure one of the SEC Tournament’s top 4 seeds for the No. 13 Tigers (23-4, 10-3 SEC) and would put them squarely in the driver’s seat for No. 2. They need two wins out of their final three games to lock up the 2-seed for the conference tournament, which starts March 6 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Kim Mulkey and LSU have won five straight games, including a physical matchup with Auburn on Thursday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU women’s basketball must limit Rickea Jackson

You don’t shutdown Lady Vols senior star Rickea Jackson. You can only hope to limit her.

Mulkey said earlier this week that she believes Jackson is one of the top draft choices in this spring’s WNBA Draft. Jackson’s play, and what she’s meant for Kellie Harper and Tennessee, have proven as much.

The 6-2 combo player is second in the SEC in scoring behind Angel Reese at 18.9 points per game. Jackson also records 7.9 rebounds per game. Her versatility and offensive prowess makes her the focal point of any team’s scouting report for the Lady Vols but her skill set can’t be completely stopped.

Angel Reese will want to get Tennessee C Tamari Key in foul trouble

LSU’s best shot at success in Knoxville will be to feed the ball early and often to Reese inside for a number of reasons.

Yes, Reese is the league’s top scorer and rebounder, posting 19.4 points and 12.8 rebounds and has only seen her impact, looks and usage expand during conference play.

But the 6-4 forward will play a heavy role in LSU’s gameplan as it’ll want to get Tennessee center Tamari Key in foul trouble. Key is a vital part to the Lady Vols’ success and what they want to do in games, especially contests like this. The 6-6 shot-blocker is one of the top rim protectors in women’s college basketball and if LSU can force her to pick up some early fouls, the path to victory becomes much easier.

How Mikaylah Williams can swing the game for Kim Mulkey, LSU

Inside the post will be where all eyes gravitate to in the LSU-Tennessee matchup. And rightly so, Reese-Key and Aneesah Morrow likely guarding Jackson will be popcorn-worthy television.

That’s where LSU having someone on the perimeter having a big scoring outing could be pivotal. To me, freshman Mikaylah Williams could be a matchup that Mulkey and her staff exploits on the offensive end.

Williams, with her bigger frame and ability to create space off the dribble, will be hard for Tennessee to handle on the wings. And Williams is an above average passer as well so if the Lady Vols crash on her, she can find the open teammate. She had six assists in the South Carolina game earlier this year.

ANGEL REESE’S LEADERSHIP How Angel Reese’s intensified leadership is steering LSU women’s basketball down stretch

LSU WBB NCAA TOURNAMENT PROJECTIONS LSU women’s basketball bracketology: Are Kim Mulkey’s Tigers locked in as No. 4 seed?

The past couple of games have been a struggle for Williams, but the freshman is primed for a breakout and she loves the big games.

LSU women’s basketball score prediction at Tennessee

LSU 72, Tennessee 68: Much like the Auburn game, this one will be ugly, physical and gritty for LSU. But thanks to its much-improved defense, LSU gets just enough stops on Rickea Jackson late to fend off the Lady Vols.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

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Tennessee

Country music singer arrested for drug possession in Tennessee

Published

2 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

Country music singer arrested for drug possession in Tennessee

Jamey Johnson was arrested for drug possession and speeding in Williamson County, Tennessee, on Sunday.

Saving Country Music was first to report the news, and TMZ confirmed it.

The arrest took place just more than a week after the release of his first album in 14 years, “Midnight Gasoline.”

News Channel 5 reports Johnson posted a $5,000 bond before he got out of jail Monday.

“We can confirm that Jamey Johnson was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Williamson County. The incident is still under investigation,” the Tennessee Highway Patrol wrote in a statement.

Johnson has served as a Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Strait and others.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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Tennessee

Lions Sign Former Titans LB

Published

9 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

The Detroit Lions are adding a former Tennessee Titans draft pick to the practice squad ahead of Week 12.

Detroit announced Monday that former Titans linebacker David Long Jr. has signed with the team’s practice squad after standout linebacker Alex Anzalone was placed on injured reserve due to an arm injury.

Long Jr. started out the season with the Miami Dolphins but was waived on Nov. 13. He sat out due to injury when the Titans beat Miami as Hard Rock Stadium in Week 4. In six starts and eight appearances for Miami this season, Long Jr. totaled 38 tackles (26 solo).

Originally a sixth-round pick by the Titans in the 2019 NFL Draft, Long Jr. spent four years in Tennessee and proved to be a consistent presence for head coach Mike Vrabel’s defense. During his time with the team, he played in 50 regular-season games and made 26 starts while posting 230 total tackles (15 for loss), two forced fumbles, 14 pass breakups and four interceptions.

He also started two of five playoff appearances for Tennessee while tallying 27 total tackles and a sack in the postseason. Long Jr. played in the Titans’ AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 Playoffs.

He then signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Miami ahead of the 2023 campaign. Long Jr. immediately became an impact player for McDaniel, finishing his debut season with the Dolphins with a career-best 113 total tackles to go along with one sack and one forced fumble.

Though Miami decided to move on from his this season, Long Jr. now has a chance to eventually contribute to arguably the best team in the NFL. The Lions are currently 9-1 and coming off a 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. This matched their point total from the 52-14 win over the Titans on Oct. 27.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Tennessee Volunteers Football: Are they Out of the Playoffs?

Published

17 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee Volunteers Football: Are they Out of the Playoffs?

Are the Tennessee Volunteers out of the college football playoff race?

The Tennessee Volunteers earned their second loss of the season this weekend as the Georgia Bulldogs defeated them by a final score of 31-17. Tennessee jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first half, but it was all Georgia for the remainder of the game. The Volunteers would fail to score a single point in the second half.

That now puts Tennessee in the two-loss club in the SEC, which is getting lengthier by the weekend it seems. That also means they are no longer in as good of a position to make the playoffs this year and will be at the mercy of the committee at the end of the regular season to see if they made the top-12. So was Tennessee’s loss to Georgia enough to keep them out of the race?

The short answer is no. Tennessee certainly still has a chance to make the college football playoff this season, but fans are probably going to have to hold their breath. Because with there being so many two-loss SEC teams this season, someone is going to have to be left out of the mix.

Georgia is one of these teams. They have multiple wins over ranked opponents and their only two losses on the season came on the road against ranked opponents. Alabama has a loss to Vanderbilt and Tennessee but wins against Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. Ole Miss has losses to Kentucky and LSU but has wins against Georgia and South Carolina. Tennessee has losses to Arkansas and Georgia but has a win against Alabama.

And that’s the potential problem for Tennessee. They have one signature win on the schedule thus far. The rest of it is teams like NC State, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Teams that have struggled a lot this season. The win against Florida certainly looks better as the season progresses, but when their schedule gets matched up against the rest of the SEC, it might cause some concerns from the committee. However, the win against Alabama could very well earn them a spot in the top-12.

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