Tennessee

Three Things to Know: Mizzou Faces Top Ranked Tennessee

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2025

Three Things to Know: Mizzou Faces Top Ranked Tennessee

The No. 15 Missouri Tigers have another challenge in the SEC in front of them, this time against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Tennessee, despite its four SEC losses, plays basketball like one of the best teams in the country, hence the ranking. They held the top spot in the AP Poll for five weeks until a blowout loss to the Florida Gators, one that took many by surprise. They added three more SEC losses after that, but despite the defeats, are still playing at a high level.

Beating anyone in Knoxville will not be easy. They have only one loss at home to the Kentucky Wildcats by a narrow 78-73 margin. Outside of that game, Tennessee has done as good a job as anyone, including the Missouri Tigers, at protecting home court.

That being said, here are three things to know about the fourth-ranked Volunteers ahead of Missouri’s road test against them:

Simply put, the Volunteers are one of the best defensive teams in the country. In fact, KenPom lists them as the top defensive team in the nation with the best defensive efficiency ranking of 85.4 with a three-score advantage over the second-place team.

The Volunteers are also allowing the lowest points per game of any team in the SEC at 58.6. They force 13.4 turnovers per game as well. Tennessee’s defensive intensity and desire to play hard-nosed defense is impressive and legitimately better than everyone in the country. There’s a catch to that intense defense, however.

That catch is on the offensive side of the ball. The Volunteers are not as talented when it comes to scoring the ball as others in the SEC, scoring the second-lowest points per game in the conference. KenPom also lists them as the No. 40 best defense in the country.

The vast difference between the levels of play on both sides of the ball for Tennessee is puzzling and is probably what is holding them back from turning those wins into losses. They have talented scorers in the likes of Chaz Lanier, Jordan Gainey and Igor Milicic Jr. but still struggle to put the ball in the hoop.

In a conference where scoring is so important, it’s impressive that Tennessee has hung around and dominated like they have nationally and in the SEC. Not doing that at a high level will hold them back late in SEC play and in March Madness, two areas Tennessee would presumably like to find success in.

As of now, with a lone injury and a surprising mid-season transfer, the Volunteers have eight players who consistently earn minutes each game. The core starting five of Zakai Zeigler, Gainey, Lanier, Milicic and big man Felix Okpara are a solid group of five to lean on with Darlinstone Dubar, Cade Phillips and Jahmai Mashack to fall back on.

Milicic and Zeigler were both injured in a 20-point blowout against and were both kept off the initial injury report for the game. A group of eight players isn’t bad for the SEC, but when injuries plague them, life gets harder.

The Missouri Tigers are the exact opposite. At certain points, each scholarship player on the roster was playing in a given game. That number has narrowed out to 10 or 11 players now but head coach Dennis Gates is absolutely not afraid to dig into his bench.

The Volunteers were undefeated and deemed the top team in the country for a five-week stretch before a shocking blowout loss against Florida. They dropped another 11 days later in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores, then lost two more back-to-back against Auburn and Kentucky.

Vanderbilt was the only unranked team they’ve lost to so far. They played arguably the best they have all season and Tennessee simply wasn’t ready for it. The win also thrust Vanderbilt into the top 25 for a week.

The point being, Tennessee has shown vulnerabilities in conference play. It will take a Mississippi State-tier offensive performance for the Tigers to leave Knoxville with a victory, something they’ve proven they can do. Another road win for the Tigers would certainly legitimize its season and would send a scare to the Volunteers,

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Tennessee

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

Published

4 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WSMV) – Three Memphis voters, through the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee leaders, claiming the state’s new congressional maps are discriminating against Black voters.

The ACLU announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying that three organizations — the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Equity Alliance, are also part of the lawsuit that was filed against Sec. of State Tre Hargett, Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins and several others.

“In May 2026, over the course of mere days, a White-dominated supermajority of the Tennessee General Assembly redrew Tennessee’s congressional map to crack the predominantly Black city of Memphis into three pieces and destroy the only district in which Black voters are able to elect representatives of their choice, shutting Black voters completely out of power in federal elections in Tennessee,” the filing states.

The ACLU and the other plaintiffs echo arguments made by Democrats while the maps were being debated during last week’s special session: “The cracking of Memphis unlawfully targeted Black voters.”

“The new plan carves through the center of Tennessee’s second largest city, dividing neighborhoods that have voted together for decades, splitting numerous counties and precincts, and cutting the Black population into thirds with suspect precision,” the lawsuit says. “The districts then run hundreds of miles east towards the Nashville suburbs, snaking through predominantly White and rural counties to dilute the voting power of now-divided Black Memphians.”

Gov. Bill Lee signed the new congressional map into law last week. The new map splits Shelby County, home of Memphis, into three districts.

Republicans have said the map modernizes the districting process and removes “racial data from the mapmaking process entirely.” Democrats, on the other hand, say that the move is meant to dismantle the Black-majority district.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R) told WSMV that Republicans “have been very clear” on their intention to secure a ninth Republican seat in the state. He has said the map would help “ensure the state’s representation in Washington reflects its conservative values.”

The lawsuit draws significant attention to the racial makeup of Tennessee lawmakers, describing, “White control over Tennessee politics.” Plaintiffs allege that a white majority “faction” of state leaders “gave bizarre, robotic answers to the most basic questions about the map they were sponsoring.”

“None of the sponsors of the plan would admit who actually drew it, and the lead Senate sponsor—a White legislator with over a decade of service in the Tennessee General Assembly who had attended law school in Memphis — would not say whether Memphis was predominantly Black and claimed not to know that Congressional District 9 was a majority- Black district,” the filing says.

They seem to be referencing Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon), who was asked during the special session if he was aware that the majority of the residents in the ninth district are Black.

“I’m not aware,” he responded. “I know how the map is divided, but I don’t know the racial makeup of the map.”

Stevens got his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The three Memphis residents who took part in the lawsuit are Amber Sherman, a lifelong resident of Memphis and the lead Tennessee regional organizer for Black Voters Matter Fund, Rachael Spriggs, a Memphis resident for more than 20 years who is the director of Power Building for the Equity Alliance, and Kermit Moore, a nearly lifelong resident of Memphis who is the president of the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute.

The lawsuit claims intentional discrimination in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments, as well as retaliation for protected expression and association in violation of the First Amendment.

Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the newly drawn map is unconstitutional and restore district lines before primary elections proceed.

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Tennessee

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Published

16 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.

The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.

“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”

In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.

It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.

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What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.

The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.

Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.