Connect with us

Tennessee

UNC basketball vs. Tennessee in ACC/SEC Challenge: Scouting report, prediction

Published

on

UNC basketball vs. Tennessee in ACC/SEC Challenge: Scouting report, prediction


play

UNC basketball will play Tennessee in the first ACC/SEC Challenge. 

The 17th-ranked Tar Heels (5-1) and the 10th-ranked Volunteers (4-2) meet Wednesday night (7:15 p.m., ESPN) at the Dean E. Smith Center. 

Advertisement

UNC is 10-2 in the all-time series, but Tennessee earned a 17-point win against UNC in 2021 on a neutral court. The Vols are 0-3 in Chapel Hill, including a 73-71 loss in 2016 at the Smith Center.

UNC’S PROS & CONS: Pros and cons about UNC basketball after three games at Battle 4 Atlantis

TAR HEELS RECRUITING: How UNC basketball recruit Drake Powell went from unknown to unleashed as an elite player

UNC has won nine of its last 10 games against top-10 nonconference opponents at the Smith Center, with its lone loss during that stretch coming in 2019 against Ohio State. 

Here’s a look at some things to know and a score prediction for the Tar Heels’ game against Tennessee.

Advertisement

Will UNC basketball’s Cormac Ryan play vs. Tennessee? 

UNC guard Cormac Ryan was in the starting lineup for the first five games, but an ankle injury kept him sidelined against Arkansas. After scoring 21 points across UNC’s first three games, Ryan heated up in the Bahamas with 15 points against Northern Iowa and a season-high 18 points against Villanova. Despite Ryan’s absence, UNC won by 15 against the Razorbacks. Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau stepped up with Ryan in a jumpsuit, and they may need to do it again Wednesday.

How will UNC deal with Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi? 

UNC has allowed a player to drop 30 points in back-to-back games. The Tar Heels need to be stingier against the Vols. Senior guard Santiago Vescovi is coming off a 21-point performance – including five 3-pointers – against Kansas and Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht has been Tennessee’s top scorer (17.5 ppg) through six games. If that duo gets going, it could be a long night for the boys in blue. 

Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram in spotlight vs. Tennessee’s elite defense

Tennessee’s offense remains a work in progress, but Vols coach Rick Barnes appears to have another elite defensive squad. As of Monday night, Tennessee is No. 1 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Purdue’s Zach Edey (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson (17 points, 20 rebounds) thrived against the Vols. If UNC is going to crack the code against Tennessee, it starts with big games from Armando Bacot (15.8 ppg, 11.7 rbg) and Harrison Ingram (14.2 ppg, 7.0 rbg).

UNC vs. Tennessee score prediction 

UNC 71, Tennessee 68: Tennessee hasn’t lost three games in a row under Rick Barnes since 2020, but the Heels have plenty of offense and they’re playing at home. The Smith Center transforms for big-time games, so I’ll roll with UNC in a close one.

Advertisement

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tennessee

Titans, Bengals Linked to Intriguing QB Trade

Published

on

Titans, Bengals Linked to Intriguing QB Trade


The Tennessee Titans need to find an answer at quarterback, as it’s looking more and more like Will Levis is not the answer for the future.

Yes, Levis played some solid football for a stretch this season, but he was recently benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, perhaps sealing his fate.

So, what will the Titans do under center?

The clearest path to landing a franchise quarterback would be drafting one, but Tennessee may not be in a position to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in April. Could that means the Titans may explore a trade?

Advertisement

Justin Melo of Titan Sized thinks so and feels that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning could be an option for Tennessee during the offseason, noting that Titans head coach Brian Callahan served as Browning’s offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.

“Browning showcased the ability to execute the Zac Taylor and Callahan offense,” Melo wrote. “[Joe] Burrow’s backup is under contract for next season, but the Titans shouldn’t have too much difficulty working out trade compensation should they decide to travel that route. If Carthon and Callahan prefer to avoid making a lucrative investment, Browning would make some sense.”

With Burrow having the quarterback position locked down for the Bengals, Browning won’t get an opportunity to start in Cincinnati, barring an injury.

Remember: last year, Browning replaced an injured Burrow midseason and was very impressive, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 70.4 percent of his passes and posting a 98.4 passer rating over nine appearances and seven starts.

The 28-year-old played his collegiate football at Washington and went undrafted, but he eventually made his way to the Bengals’ practice squad in 2021.

Advertisement

Browning has clear talent and should be able to start somewhere, and Tennessee could represent a perfect destination for the Folsom, Ca. native.

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



Source link

Continue Reading

Tennessee

Tennessee man held on $1M bond after Adair County fatal crash

Published

on

Tennessee man held on M bond after Adair County fatal crash


COLUMBIA, Ky. (WBKO) – One of two men charged in a fatal crash in Adair County last weekend remains jailed on a $1 million cash bond.

Joel Hammack, 46, of Crossville, Tennessee, appeared in court Monday morning for arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol.

The crash, which occurred Dec. 21 near Adair Elementary School in Columbia, involved two vehicles. Several individuals were injured, and a child was killed.

In court, Hammack reportedly expressed remorse, telling the courtroom, “I am sorry for all this. I am. I am truly sorry,” according to the Adair Community Voice.

Advertisement

Police who detained Hammack at the scene found three open beer containers in his truck. He was arrested and taken to TJ Samson Hospital in Columbia, where a blood test was administered.

Hammack, who has at least three prior DUI convictions in other states over the past decade, is set to appear in court again on Dec. 30 for a preliminary hearing. If the judge determines probable cause exists, the case will proceed to a grand jury for possible indictment.

A public defender has been appointed to represent Hammack.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tennessee

Urban Meyer gives blunt response to Tennessee fans turnout at Ohio Stadium

Published

on

Urban Meyer gives blunt response to Tennessee fans turnout at Ohio Stadium


Tennessee fans showed up to Columbus Stadium over the weekend for the First Round of the College Football Playoff, the Volunteers certainly didn’t meet expectations when taking the field against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Despite a massive representation of Tennessee orange in the crowd, Ohio State dismantled the Volunteers, defeating the SEC program by a score of 42-17 — but it felt like even more of a blowout than that. Regardless of the result, former Buckeyes leader Urban Meyer was surprised by the takeover of fans from Knoxville, even going as far to say he was alarmed by the development.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

“First time I’ve ever seen that in that stadium. A little alarmed by it,” Meyer proclaimed, via The Triple Option. “But the Buckeyes came out, what was it, 42-10? It was worse than that.”

Advertisement

While it certainly was a surprising turn of events, the result was still the desired one for the Buckeyes. Now, their fanbase can focus on gearing up and making the trip for the Rose Bowl in the Quarterfinal of the CFP.

Moreover, the high turnover of Tennessee fans actually made Ohio State’s domination of the Volunteers more impressive to some pundits, including Paul Finebaum. He made sure to heap some praise on the Buckeyes after their eye-opening performance.

“What I was so impressed with was the resiliency of Ohio State.” Finebaum stated, via SportsCenter. “They heard the noise, especially from the pundits, like me, about Ryan Day’s future and they blocked it out. That was what was so impressive. They just went right to it. Tennessee is a good football team but you wouldn’t have known it last night because Ohio State beat them in every facet of the game — except one. Tennessee actually did the most trash talking coming in. They had almost 35 or 40 percent of the fans. It did not make any difference because of what Ohio State did on the field.

“Credit to Ryan Day. He blocked it out as well. He did not let it get to him. The Michigan loss was nowhere to be found and now they have a chance, again, to make a run.”

The job certainly isn’t finished for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, and the road only gets more difficult from here. With the Oregon Ducks on the docket, Urban Meyer and the rest of Ohio State’s incredible fanbase will be roaring when New Year’s Day rolls around.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending