The Tennessee Vols men’s basketball team no longer being No. 1 in either poll leads our Volunteers news for Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019.
A rough weekend for the Tennessee Vols men’s basketball team and the fallout from that was the talk of the town on Monday. And that specific sport is the main source of news for today in three different ways.
Our morning update on Rocky Top includes new men’s rankings, a preview of the next men’s game and comments from a Monday press conference. But men’s basketball is not the only storyline to focus on.
Baseball season is still in full swing, and we have an update to bring you on that front. Also, a track and field news story and recap of a women’s golf event are on the table. Let’s bring you all of this, starting with the basketball news.
Tennessee basketball drops to No. 5 – Grant Ramey, GoVols247
After a blowout loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, the Tennessee Vols men’s basketball team fell from No. 1 to No. 5 in the AP Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Duke Blue Devils moved to No. 1 in both polls.
"Before the four weeks spent at No. 1, the Vols were the No. 3 team in the country for six weeks. Tennessee started at No. 6 in the preseason AP poll, spent two weeks at No. 5 and one week at No. 7."
Rick Barnes addresses media – Noah Taylor, VolsWire.com
Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes spoke with the media Monday following his team’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats and looking ahead to this week. Barnes said his team didn’t play hard enough Saturday, but he said it’s easier to get the focus back after a loss. Here is a bit of that statement.
"“I felt like it had been building. We kept using the words, ‘it’s going to bite us if you guys don’t understand at any point.’ And it did, really really hard. We’ve talked about it for at least two weeks.”"
Tennessee basketball hosts Vanderbilt – WVLT TV
The Tennessee men’s basketball team will host the Vanderbilt Commodores Tuesday night. At 23-2 and 11-1 in the SEC, they are coming off their first loss since November from last Saturday and will be looking to rebound against a team that is 9-16 and 0-12 in the SEC.
"Tennessee escaped Memorial Gym with an overtime win over the Commodores last month. And it took a heroic performance by Grant Williams for the Vols to keep their number one ranking at the time."
Tennessee baseball moves up time vs. Northern Kentucky – UTSports
Coming off a sweep over the Appalachian State Mountaineers to open the season, the Tennessee Vols baseball team will host Northern Kentucky Tuesday afternoon. Initially scheduled for 4:30 p.m., inclement weather has forced this game to move up to 3:05 p.m.
"The game will still be streamed live online via SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN App. There will also be a live audio stream on UTSports.com."
Tennessee softball game postponed – UTSports
While the Tennessee Vols baseball team has moved up its game with Northern Kentucky due to weather, the Tennessee Lady Vols softball team have postponed their game with ETSU. The two teams will meet again on April 16, with a time announcement coming at a later date.
"The Lady Vols will be back in action this weekend as they welcome Kansas, Virginia, Bradley, Louisville and Tennessee State to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium for the Tennessee Classic (2/22-24). All Tennessee games will feature a live radio broadcast on UTSports.com and the UT Gameday App. The games will also be available for viewing on SECN+/WatchESPN App."
Lady Vols dominate FAU Winter Warm Up – UT Daily Beacon
The Tennessee women’s golf team set a school record over the weekend at the FAU Winter Warm Up by winning the tournament with their largest margin of victory in school history, 41 strokes. They were the only team to shoot under par at the event.
"Mariah Smith was a standout for the Lady Vols, recording a collegiate low 67 in the first round, and ended the weekend as the 7-under-par winner. She was the clubhouse leader after the first day. This is the sophomore’s first collegiate tournament win."
Men’s track signing class announced – UTSports
The Tennessee Vols men’s track & field recruiting class for 2019 was announced on Monday. Program director Beth Alford-Sullivan announced 15 new signees.
"The class includes a plethora of national champions, All-Americans, state champions and all-state performers. Mid-year enrollee Jonathan Sacoor stands out as an IAAF U-20 World Champion in the 400m dash, clocking a time of 45.03 to take gold in the summer of 2018. That mark would rank third in Tennessee history outdoors. Two-time Illinois state champion Brayden Hamblen also joins the Vols as a mid-year transfer, while the rest of the class will arrive on campus in the fall of 2019."