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Tennessee Vols morning report: Director’s Cup, preseason power ranking

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Vols’ Director’s Cup standing and their preseason football SEC power ranking lead our morning news for Monday, July 2, 2018.

July has arrived, and the 2017-2018 academic sports year has come to an end. It concluded with a football season Tennessee Vols fans would love to forget and a basketball season that has them incredibly excited about the future.

As we get set to bring you today’s news on Rocky Top, the end of that academic year is going to be the lead story in our morning report. After all, it was a crazy one in Knoxville, and it deserves a bit of a recap.

On top of that, though, there’s a lot to look ahead to. News on a UT recruit, a preseason power ranking and catching up with a former Lady Vol all are in our news today. So let’s begin with the recap.

Tennessee Vols finish 35th in Director’s Cup – NACDA online

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics released their final Director’s Cup standings over the weekend. After a 4-8 football season and second round exits in the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament, the Tennessee Vols came in at No. 35 among Division I schools with 624.5 points. That was good for only 11th in the SEC, just ahead of the Ole Miss Rebels, and the Vanderbilt Commodores. But with Phillip Fulmer now at the helm for a full year, maybe things will turn around.

"Stanford finished out the year atop the final 2017-18 Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings with 1442.00 total points. The Cardinal recorded four national championships this year – men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving and women’s tennis. In addition, Stanford tallied 12 top-10 finishes."

Tennessee football No. 11 in SEC Power Rankings – Brad Crawford, 247Sports

The Tennessee Vols came in at No. 11 in 247Sports’s 2018 football preseason SEC Power Rankings. They were only ahead of the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Vanderbilt Commodores.

"Tennessee is a program on the verge of great things under its new regime, but the rebuild at one of the top jobs in the SEC must be met with patience and a power brass willing to buy in. And two months out from Jeremy Pruitt’s first game, it appears those in Knoxville are doing so, getting behind a team in transition no matter how ugly the 2018 season may become."

Brian Maurer talks UT commitment – Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

Tennessee football three-star quarterback commitment Brian Maurer is recruiting for the Vols at The Opening. He also opened up about not going to the Ohio State Buckeyes and how they misled him by recruiting dual-threat quarterback Dwan Mathis, who has since committed to them, flipping from the Michigan State Spartans.

"Maurer, who was offered by Ohio State that Saturday morning before Mathis’ flip, committed to Tennessee on Wednesday.In about 36 hours, Maurer took a crash course in Recruiting 101."

Candace Parker helping UT alumni – Dan Fleser, Knoxville News Sentinel

Former Tennessee Lady Vols star Candace Parker remains a major face in the WNBA. But the Los Angeles Sparks forward is also focused on helping other UT graduates as somebody who is now a veteran in the league, including making a point this season to visit with Diamond DeShielts.

"“You always put your arm around a Lady Vol,” she said last week during a league teleconference. “I want them to know I’m here to talk.”"

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