Today On Rocky Top: Lunch Time Links

Feb 8, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of Thompson-Boling Arena before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and South Carolina Gamecocks. The Pat Summitt Plaza is located in the lower left. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

From Bleacher Report

"Check out analysis from Bleacher Report on the Vols’ new basketball coach."

From FootballTime.com

"Coming off a Sweet 16 run at a university with top-notch facilities and an average attendance that has ranked among the Top 10 in the nation for the better part of a decade, head basketball coach of the Tennessee Volunteers would seem to be a coveted position. However, after Cuonzo Martin left to take a lateral (if not sub-lateral) position with the California Golden Bears, it became clear that it would be the Volunteers who had to sell themselves to prospective coaches and not the other way around.Late last night, they finally made the sale when former Morehead State and Southern Mississippi head coach Donny Tyndall agreed in principle to become the new rosy-cheeked face of Tennessee basketball. And while Donny Tyndall brings SEC assistant coaching experience to the table and a history of winning at every head coaching stop he’s made along the way, the fact of the matter remains that the Tennessee job will present Tyndall with a slew of new challenges.Under Cuonzo Martin, the Vols made an unexpected run deep into the NCAA Tournament, coming up a questionable charge call–and let’s be honest… a lackluster possession–short of an Elite Eight run that would have matched their furthest trip into the postseason in school history. However, with seniors Jordan McRae, Jeronne Maymon, Antonio Barton and D’Montre Edwards out of eligibility and junior Jarnell Stokes declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft, the Vols will lose 72% of their scoring and 64% of their rebounding from last season."

Follow along on UTSports.com as Donnie Tyndall arrives on Rocky Top

From the UT Daily Beacon

"Basketball implemented “Make a STATEment.” Football continually stressed the importance of in-state recruiting and made countless declarations of “owning the state.”Turns out locking down the borders of Tennessee has found its way onto the Tennessee baseball agenda as well.“That was one of the goals coming into this year,” head coach Dave Serrano said. “We want to start taking control of the state and winning all the games we play against the in-state schools.”And while the Volunteers (25-13) have, for the most part, succeeded in that mission — they own a 4-2 record against Tennessee schools this season — there’s still one in-state rival just north of Knoxville that left Lindsey Nelson Stadium completely unscathed in 2014.But fortunately for the Vols, they’ll get a second crack at East Tennessee State (19-18) tonight in Johnson City, Tenn., beginning at 7:05 p.m. inside the Buccaneers’ Thomas Stadium."