Today On Rocky Top: Volunteers Practice Updates

Nov 30, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Devrin Young (19) runs the ball against Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Blake McClain (24) and safety Ashely Lowery (5) in the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

From Nooga.com

"It’s never easy to come back to work after a long break.And that’s even more true on the football field, where spring break might’ve meant no official practice for Tennessee’s players for the last week, but the expectations for their physical and mental conditioning didn’t change.“In terms of practice today, we spoke prior to leaving for spring break that I thought the maturity of our football team would show coming back,” Jones said after UT’s practice on Tuesday afternoon. “Overall, I did like our mental approach.“But also, it was very glaring, some individuals are more mature than others. Some individuals prepared more than some individuals coming back. But I thought it was very, very productive practice. Probably our most physical practice of spring so far since we’ve been back, but long, long way to go.”The players reconvened on Sunday, had some meetings on Monday and hit the field in full pads on Tuesday. Jones was active on the microphone during the open portion of practice, calling out players who were loafing and telling the defense that it looked like it was going through a walk-through at times."

From The Times Free Press

"Tennessee resumed spring football practice Tuesday with a question mark at quarterback still intact.There’s one just as big still out there, too.Coach Butch Jones dubbed kicker Michael Palardy the MVP of his first team, and since Palardy handled field goals, punting and kickoffs very well in 2013, the Volunteers must replace one player three times.At kicker, it’s an opportunity Knoxville native George Bullock is trying to grab this spring.“I’m just trying to work as hard as I can every day,” he said after Tuesday’s practice. “No matter who’s here, I’m trying to work as hard as I can each and every day. Having [Palardy] here was great. He’d help me and coach me a little bit, but having him gone doesn’t make a difference between what I do.”As a senior, Palardy was a consistent 14-of-17 on field goals and became a weapon for Tennessee as a punter by averaging 44.5 yards on 63 boots and pinning 33 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line."

From Fox Sports

"Following the Tennessee Volunteers‘ second loss of the season to lowly Texas A&M on Feb. 22, which dropped them to 7-7 in Southeastern Conference play, Coach Cuonzo Martin’s team sure appeared in need of a quick fix if it was going to make the NCAA Tournament.Whatever the antidote for their inconsistent and sometimes lethargic play, the Vols are better now. They won four straight games before barely losing to top-ranked Florida in a SEC tourney semifinal, then parlayed that surge by winning three NCAA tourney games to land in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010.“There’s no magic tricks,” said Martin, whose 11th-seeded Vols (24-12) play No. 2 seed Michigan (27-8), the defending national runner-up, in a Midwest Region semifinal Friday night in Indianapolis, Ind.After beating fellow No. 11 seed Iowa (78-65 in overtime) in the First Four, Tennessee followed that with convincing wins over 6-seedUMass (88-67) and 14-seed Mercer (83-62) to make the Sweet 16 round for the seventh time in program history."