Today On Rocky Top: Butch Jones, Erik Spoelstra Friendship

Sep 22, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers marching band performs on the field prior to the game against the Akron Zips at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee defeated Akron 47-26. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

From Go Vols Xtra

"The Miami Heat had just clinched the NBA championship last summer and there amid the celebration, ushered from his courtside seats to the champagne-drenched Heat locker room, was Butch Jones.How did the then-Cincinnati football coach end up in Miami at courtside in Game 5 for the hottest ticket in the country?Like many things involving the first-year Tennessee coach, it came down to relationships, in this case one forged with Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra."

From Go Vols Xtra

"Who says the Rocky Top League isn’t good preparation for the real college basketballseason?Since he’ll be teaming with No. 1 draft pick Jordan McRae, incoming Tennessee signee Pops Ndiaye can use Knoxville’s popular summer league to get a head start on his duties for the Vols.Asked how he designed his draft Wednesday night, Campus Lights coach Brent Watts offered a simple explanation:“Get guys to get Jordy the ball. Rebound his shots and get him the ball.’’"

From All Vol Y’all

"The hits, they just keep coming. As if the Jenny Wright debacle wasn’t enough of a mule kick to the stomach of the relationship between student athletes and academics at the University of Tennessee, along comes APR gate.And on the surface, the UT football APR situation certainly appears to be a dire one.But first, what is APR? It stands for Academic Progress Rate and it’s the NCAA’s measure of a school’s academic standing as it pertains to its student athletes. Athletes who leave early and are not in good academic standing hurt a school’s APR, while athletes who stay the course and maintain their academic eligibility help a school’s APR."

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