Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Whataburger is listing Knoxville as an upcoming location for their expansion.
The group is planning to build 90 locations across East Tennessee and North Alabama.
Whataburger opened its first location in 1950, and since then it’s become one of the legends of burger joints in the U.S.
At latest count, Whataburger has more than 1,000 locations across the country.
At this time, there’s no specifics on where in Knoxville the new location will be built.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two men are facing more than a decade behind bars after being convicted of raping a woman at a home in South Knoxville.
Thirty-one year old Donjae (Don – JAY) Bell was convicted of two counts of aggravated rape, and 30-year-old Cornelius Alvino plead guilty to rape.
Investigators say the two approached a woman at the Cotton Eyed Joe in April of 2023 then took an Uber to the residence on Woodlawn Pike.
Shortly after their arrival, investigators say Bell and Alvino raped the victim.
Bell is due for sentencing in January; he is facing 15 to 25 years in prison. Alvino has already been sentenced to 17 years behind bars.
Game Recap: Football | November 23, 2024
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 11 Tennessee overcame a slow start, exploding for 28 second-quarter points on its way to a 56-0 shutout of UTEP in front of a sellout crowd of 101,915 on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium.
UT running back Dylan Sampson, the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker semifinalist, finished with 77 yards and a score on 11 carries and two receptions for 25 yards. With his second-quarter touchdown run, the junior from Baton Rouge, La., passed Gene McEver for the most TDs (22) and points (132) in a season by a Vol. Those respective school records were both established 95 years ago by McEver (21 touchdowns, 130 points) during the 1929 campaign.
With the win, the Vols (9-2) improved to 7-0 on their home turf this season and recorded their 14th-consecutive triumph over a non-conference opponent. The Miners, who outgained UT in total yards in the first quarter, 76-37, before the home team started clicking, fell to 2-9 on the season.
After struggling to find its rhythm over the opening 10 minutes, the Big Orange hit its stride in the second period to put the game away. It dominated UTEP in total yardage, 189-52, averaging nine yards per play and tallying four touchdowns. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava went 10 of 12 passing during that spree, racking up 133 yards and three scoring tosses. The redshirt freshman signal-caller finished the day 17 of 23 for 209 yards with a career-high four passing TDs.
Redshirt senior wide receiver Bru McCoy led the Tennessee receiving corps with four catches for 37 yards and two scores. Not only did McCoy record his first touchdown of the season, he carded the first multi-touchdown game of his career. Freshman running back Peyton Lewis joined McCoy in the two-score club, rushing for a pair while carrying seven times for 46 yards.
Defensively, the Vols limited the Miners to 230 total yards and only 81 on the ground, racking up four sacks, five quarterback hurries and 15 tackles for losses. Junior LEO James Pearce Jr. had two sacks to run his season total to 7.5 and his career tally to 19.5. Sophomore cornerback Jermod McCoy and sophomore safety John Slaughter came up with interceptions, while freshman STAR Boo Carter had a team-high six tackles and aided special teams with 61 yards on three flashy punt returns.
After UTEP’s Joe Bowman came up well short on a 49-yard field goal attempt with 1:22 to go in the first quarter, the game went into the second frame scoreless. The Vols were finally able to get on the scoreboard, however, punctuating a nine-play, 68-yard drive that began with that missed kick. Sampson’s 14-yard, record-setting scamper up the middle was the capper, and Max Gilbert’s PAT gave the Vols a 7-0 lead with 13:22 left in the half.
The defense set their offensive teammates up for another score midway through the second period, when sophomore Vols cornerback Ricky Gibson III stripped the ball from receiver Trey Goodman, and redshirt senior defensive end Dominic Bailey was there to recover at the UTEP 36. Four plays later, Iamaleava fired a screen pass to junior wideout Squirrel White in the flats, and White raced nine yards into the end zone. Gilbert’s point-after boosted the advantage to 14-0 with 7:33 remaining before the half.
Tennessee put points on the board again after an 18-yard punt return from Carter set the Vols up at the UTEP 19 with 2:40 on the clock. After snaring a pass from Iamaleava and rumbling down to the one-yard-line, redshirt freshman tight end Ethan Davis scored on the next play via a one-yard TD toss. Gilbert’s PAT made it 21-0, Big Orange, with 2:19 remaining in the second period.
After a Pearce Jr. sack of quarterback JP Pickles ended a late UTEP drive at the UT 46 with 1:01 to go, Tennessee needed only six plays to tack on to its second-quarter outburst. Iamaleava found McCoy open in the back corner of the end zone from 18 yards out, and Gilbert’s kick increased the gap to 28-0 to close out the first half.
The Big Orange scoring frenzy continued in the third frame with a repeat McCoy score, this time on a seven-yard pass with 13:32 remaining. UT added a three-yard run from Lewis at the 8:09 mark and his second score with 1:30 to go to take a 48-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
Tennessee padded its margin in the final frame, as sophomore running back Cameron Seldon recorded his first career touchdown on a three-yard run to make it 56-0 and close out the game’s scoring.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will be in Nashville next Saturday to take on Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in the final game of the regular season. Kickoff is slated for noon ET (11 a.m. CT) with the contest televised by ABC and carried on the Vol Network via radio stations statewide as well as on UTSports.com.
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | November 22, 2024
NASSAU, Bahamas – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team scored 16 of the first 18 points Friday night against No. 13/14 Baylor in the Baha Mar Championship final and never looked back, en route to a commanding 77-62 triumph.
No. 11/9 Tennessee (6-0) claimed its second trophy in the Bahamas in the last three years—it won the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis—behind a game-high 25 points from fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier, all in the first half alone. His dazzling start helped the victors lead wire-to-wire, including by 20-plus for nearly 19 consecutive minutes, at the Baha Mar Convention Center.
The Volunteers immediately grabbed control of the game, grabbing a 16-2 advantage after just 3:53 of action behind a scintillating 5-of-5 long-range barrage from Lanier that included three straight makes in 74 seconds.
Tennessee upped its run to 16-2 over 5:42 to extend its edge all the way to 19, 23-4, with 11:40 on the first-half clock. Baylor (4-2) scored the next five points, but senior guard Jordan Gainey then drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to make it a 20-point margin, 29-9, with 8:20 left in the frame, pushing the team’s 3-point ledger to 8-of-17. Lanier added a layup to make it an 8-0 run in 2:10 and push it to 31-9 with 7:34 on the ticker.
The Volunteers stretched the cushion as high as 28, 42-14, with 3:47 to go in the session after scoring nine straight points in 2:47 and holding the Bears without a point for 3:55. It marked Tennessee’s fifth run of 7-0 or better—two were 9-0 and another was 8-0—in the opening 20 minutes.
Baylor scored six of the next eight points, but Lanier closed the frame with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send Tennessee into the intermission with a 27-point lead, 47-20. He dropped 25 first-half points on 9-of-13 shooting, including an eye-popping 7-of-8 mark from 3-point range that already tied him for the fifth-most in a full game in program history.
Tenth-year head coach Rick Barnes‘ team shot 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) from deep in the first half and held Baylor to a 2-of-10 (20.0 percent) mark. It also had 13 assists and conceded just two, plus committed only four turnovers and forced nine.
Tennessee’s second-half lead did not drop below 21 until fewer than eight minutes remained, as Baylor cut it to 18, 66-48, with 7:38 to go. The Bears cut it to 17, 67-50, with 5:40 left, but Gainey hit his 3-pointer of the night just 36 seconds later to snap a drought of 8:58 without a field goal and push the margin back to 20.
The final differential of 15 points marked the lowest of the last 28-plus minutes in the thoroughly convincing decision. Tennessee led by at least a dozen points for the final 36 minutes of the contest, as its authority over the result was never seriously challenged.
Lanier took just three shots in the second half, including two on the same possession, as the Bears adjusted their defensive gameplan following his sensational opening half. The Nashville, Tenn., native, who had 17 points on 6-of-7 field-goal shooting in the first six minutes alone, chipped in four rebounds and two steals to his final line on his way to collecting Baha Mar Championship MVP plaudits.
Gainey registered 16 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the line and 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, with 10 of his points after the break. Sophomore forward Cade Phillips amassed 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 field-goal clip, adding a 3-of-4 ledger at the line, along with four rebounds and one block. Senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., scored 10 points, shooting 3-of-4 on field goals and 4-of-6 on free throws.
Jahmai Mashack pulled down a team-best six rebounds and garnered Baha Mar Championship All-Tournament Team designation for a two-game performance that featured tremendous defense. Fellow senior guard Zakai Zeigler had a season-best nine assists and a co-season-high three steals, with both numbers pacing all players.
Fifth-year forward Norchad Omier recorded 22 points on 8-of-10 field-goal shooting, including 17 on a perfect 6-of-6 clip in the second half, as well as pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds. Freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe, a Bahamas native, scored 20 points in the defeat, including 16 after the break. Only one other Bear had greater than four points, as fifth-year guard Jeremy Roach totaled eight on a 4-of-9 clip from the floor.
The Volunteers shot over 51.0 percent in both halves and finished the night with a 52.2 percent (24-of-46) tally, including a 44.4 percent (12-of-27) mark from 3-point range. At the other end, they limited Baylor to 27.3 percent (6-of-22) shooting from beyond the arc, plus accumulated a 30-7 margin in bench points. Barnes’ team also allowed zero fast-break points for the fourth time in six contests.
Tennessee returns home to wrap up the first month of the season with a Wednesday matinee, as it hosts UT Martin at 4 p.m. at Food City Center, live on SEC Network+.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Barnes now possesses 181 victories over programs with a national championship, including 41 in his 10 years at Tennessee and three already—Louisville, Virginia and Baylor—this season.
• Barnes, who spent 17 years coaching in the Big 12, improved to 168-99 against the league’s current membership, including 31-9 versus Baylor and 10-8 at Tennessee.
• The Volunteers moved to 32-31 all-time against current Big 12 teams and, after their first-ever matchup versus Baylor, have now faced every program in the league at least once.
• Playing in the Baha Mar Championship for the first time, the Volunteers improved to 9-2 all-time in the Bahamas, now possessing six straight wins, with each of the first nine games coming in the prior 10 seasons at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
• The Volunteers are now 12-10 across nine multi-team events in Barnes’ 10 years, including 9-5 outside the continental United States and 7-1 in the Bahamas.
• This is Tennessee’s 15th non-home in-season tournament championship, joining the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis, 2010 NIT Season Tip-Off, 2000 Rainbow Classic, 1988 McDonald’s Classic, 1980 Sugar Bowl Classic, 1978 Cable Car Classic , 1975 Sugar Bowl Classic, 1974 Big Sun Invitational, 1965 Gulf South Classic, 1963 Gulf South Classic, 1963 Virginia Tech Tournament, 1958 Midwestern Invitational, 1949 Corn Bowl and 1941 Sugar Bowl Classic.
• In total, Tennessee now possesses 35 in-season tournament crowns, as they won 20 of the 24 editions of the Volunteer Classic, which it hosted each year from 1966-67 to 1989-90.
• Tennessee has won their first six games of the season for the second time in the last five campaigns, joining 2020-21 (7-0).
• Dating to a Dec. 22, 2021, victory over sixth-ranked Arizona, the Volunteers are now 16-5 in their last 21 games versus AP top-15 teams, including 10-1 when the opponent is in the No. 10-15 range and 6-3 when playing at a neutral site.
• Friday marked Tennessee’s fourth win by 15-plus points over an AP top-15 team under Barnes, joining triumphs over No. 18 Kansas (80-61 on Jan. 30, 2021), at seventh-ranked Missouri (73-53 on Dec. 30, 2020) and versus seventh-ranked Kentucky (71-52 on March 2, 2019).
• The Volunteers played without both sophomore guard Cameron Carr (left thumb) and sophomore forward J.P. Estrella (left foot).
• Tennessee has held a lead of 26-points in each of its six contests this season and still has not faced a deficit larger than three.
• Through six games this year, the Volunteers have led for 228:13 and trailed for just 4:39 of a possible 240 minutes.
• All six of Tennessee’s wins are by 15-plus points, with three of them away from home over Power Five opponents.
• Lanier, who averaged 25.5 points per game in the event, earned Baha Mar Championship MVP recognition and Mashack collected All-Tournament Team status, with the duo joined by Omier, Roach and St. John’s’ R.J. Luis Jr.
• Tennessee scored its quickest opening basket of the season, as Lanier connected on a 3-pointer just nine seconds into the contest.
• Lanier’s 25 first-half points put him two shy of the record by a Volunteer in the Barnes era, a mark held by both Dalton Knecht (second half against Auburn on Feb. 28, 2024) and Kevin Punter Jr. (Jan. 23, 2016, against South Carolina).
• In the first half alone, Lanier recorded the 19th occurrence of a Volunteer making seven 3-pointers in a full game and he also personally outscored the Bears by five points in the frame.
• Just nine prior Tennessee players have made seven-plus 3-pointers in a game: Chris Lofton (seven times), Allan Houston (three times), Brandon Wharton (two times), Jordan McRae, Victor Bailey Jr., Lamonté Turner, JaJuan Smith, Vincent Yarbrough and Tony Harris.
• Lanier is the third Volunteer in the Barnes era to make seven 3-pointers in a single game, alongside Bailey (7-of-10 on Feb. 17, 2021, versus South Carolina) and Turner (7-of-11 Dec. 6, 2016, versus Presbyterian).
• A Volunteers has now scored 20-plus points in a half eight times and 25-plus thrice over the last two seasons, as Dalton Knecht achieved the feat on seven and two occasions, respectively, in 2023-24.
• Before Lanier, Knecht was the last Volunteer to score 25-plus points in back-to-back games doing so in Detroit in the final two games of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as he had 26 versus Creighton (March 29, 2024) and 37 versus Purdue (March 31, 2024).
• Phillips scored in double figures for the second time as a collegian, with his prior such outing on Nov. 17, 2024, when he tallied 13 points versus Austin Peay.
• Gainey has recoded 15-plus points in three of the first six games of the 2024-25 season after hitting that mark five times in 2023-24, his first year at Tennessee.
The Knoxville Police Department has released the pertinent body-camera footage from the police shooting that happened in the 2600 block of Fairview Street last Tuesday.
Just before 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Knox County 9-1-1 received multiple calls concerning an active disturbance involving a man armed with an axe. Minutes later, KPD officers Eric Smith and Alexandra Burns arrived at the scene and confronted the subject of that disturbance, who has since been identified as 52-year-old Christopher Arons. Arons was armed with a small axe.
After shots were fired, responding officers rendered medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and transported Arons to the UT Medical Center for further treatment. Arons is expected to recover from his injuries.
Arons has since been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of vandalism.
A link to the video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com.mcas.ms/watch?v=3wdmQjABoOI . The video release includes one of the 9-1-1 calls and body-camera footage that begins upon Officer Smith’s arrival at the scene. The video shows graphic images that could be disturbing to some viewers and viewer discretion is advised.
The shooting is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, per standard protocol, while the KPD’s Office of Professional Standards is also conducting an internal administrative investigation. Both of those investigations are still ongoing. Officers Smith and Burns remain on routine administrative leave.
Per department policy, in the event of a critical incident, the Office of Public Information in coordination with the Technical Services Unit and other appropriate department personnel, will immediately begin preparing a video of said incident for public release. The purpose of the video release is to inform the community of the circumstances that led to the incident in a timely fashion. The department strives to release critical incident video to the public as expeditiously as possible, in coordination with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
First-year head coach Kim Caldwell has confirmed that five highly-regarded high school players from the class of 2025 have signed Institutional Financial Aid Agreements to attend the University of Tennessee and represent the Lady Vol basketball program.
Making it official by submitting their paperwork were 5-foot-6 “Twin Backcourt” point guards Mia and Mya Pauldo of Denville, N.J., the first players to commit to Caldwell and her staff, as well as 6-foot-2 guard/forward Deniya Prawl of Toronto, the first-ever Canadian player to sign with the Big Orange, 6-0 guard Jaida Civil of Vero Beach, Fla., and 6-3 guard Lauren Hurst of Cleveland, Tenn.
Mia and Mya Pauldo are rated No. 11 and No. 56, respectively, in the espnW 100, while Prawl is the No. 14 ranked player by that organization, Civil checks in at No. 32 and Hurst is rated No. 42. The group represents Tennessee’s first signing class since 2017 with two or more top-15 prospects and the first with three rated among the top 35 since the Lady Vols inked three top-12 high school standouts en route to the nation’s No. 1 overall group in 2017.
Additionally, this marks UT’s first group with four top-50 rated signees since landing four in 2018 and its first class with five high school players inking paperwork since the program reeled in six scholarship players (all in the top 35) back in 2008.
As of Nov. 21, Tennessee’s current five-member class is ranked No. 1 by 247Sports and No. 2 by ESPN and World Exposure Report. It marks the first time the Lady Vols have been ranked in the top 10 by any organization since 2019 (No. 9/ESPN), in the top five since 2018 (No. 4/ESPN) and in the top two since 2017 (No. 1/ESPN). UT is the only school currently listed with five signees during the early signing period.
“From the time that these five young ladies came on their visits, it just felt right,” Caldwell said. “It felt like they were supposed to play here. They got along with our staff, and they got along with our players really well.”
Caldwell credited her staff with its efforts in signing one of the nation’s most dynamic classes despite being on campus a little over six months.
“I’m really proud of the staff’s hard work,” Caldwell said. “I think that we all came together and learned a lot in a short period of time. We had really great visits that were genuine and authentic, and we were just ourselves.
“I think we presented what our culture is in the best way we possibly could, and our staff just did a really good job of hitting the ground running, working and getting out on the road. We had some really good people in (on visits), and the class we signed is terrific. I can’t wait to get to work with them and see what they do together over their four years here. It’s going to be special.”
Caldwell also was complimentary of the role the current Lady Vols played in the recruiting process.
“Our team did a great job during recruiting visits displaying our team chemistry, and they were just themselves and authentic,” Caldwell said. “One of our biggest selling points is how genuine our team is, how well everyone gets along, how much they value basketball and winning, and what their goals are for Tennessee.
“I think for every visit we had, our team hit a home run, and they really sold that and connected with the players we had on campus.”
“Mia is a significant scorer. She can score at three levels. She is fast, she is scrappy and she is full of energy. Mia is the exact type of player I want — someone who can create a shot for herself as well as for others.”
“Mya is a very good three-point shooter, and she also can create a shot for herself and for her teammates. She’s incredibly scrappy, defensively. She and Mia both are, and that’s something that we need is two hard-nosed defenders who can press full court and still get steals in half court. They’ll be huge for us on both ends of the floor.”
“Deniya is an all-around phenomenal athlete. She has the ability to have a great four years here and can come in and help us right away. She can shoot threes. She can shoot mid-range. She can score, and she can guard.”
“From the moment I saw Jaida play, I wanted to coach her. She is perfect for our style of play. She is a great full-court defender and can score from anywhere on the floor. She has an aggressive mindset that will instantly make us better.”
“Lauren is a great transition player who can play multiple positions for us. Her size, mixed with her skill set, separates her from others in her class and makes Lauren a great fit here. She is a wonderful person and already feels like family.”
(Story courtesy of KNOXVILLE, TN WVLT) – The City of Knoxville is offering many holiday events as we get ever closer to the most wonderful time of year.
The city hosts yearly activities for those looking to get into the holiday spirit, and 2024 is no exception.
So far, the city has planned all the following:
New Year’s Eve at the Sunsphere
MEDIC Regional Blood Center is still behind in the 37th Orange and Blue Blood Drive against Kentucky Blood Center.
Tennessee is trailing Kentucky by 263 units after the forth day of the competition which runs through today (Friday).
A big change for this year, the event is appointment only. Please go to medic blood dot org to schedule yours today.
MEDIC has lost to the Kentucky Blood Center the past two years.
Donors will receive a special edition hoodie and coupons for various local organizations.
NASSAU, Bahamas – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team opened the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship with a 64-42 victory Thursday night over Virginia.
Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier paced all scorers with 26 points, including 18 in the final 18 minutes, for No. 11/9 Tennessee (5-0) at the Baha Mar Convention Center.
The Volunteers used an 11-2 run in 4:23, including eight straight points in just 1:52, to take a 17-10 lead with 7:17 on the first-half timer. They held Virginia (3-1) without a field goal for 6:21, a span that included 4:09 without a point.
Tennessee took an eight-point edge, 22-14, with 2:51 to go in the frame, but the Cavaliers scored the final seven points of the session, including a 3-pointer right before the buzzer, to make it a 22-21 ledger at the break. After being held to a 2-of-13 field-goal start with eight turnovers through 13-plus minutes, Virginia went 5-of-11 down with just one giveaway the stretch of the session. Neither side shot over 30.0 percent in the opening 20 minutes, but Tennessee had the edge in 3-point connections (four to two), while Virginia did so in free-throw makes (five to zero).
The Volunteers opened the second half on a 15-3 run to go ahead by a then-game-best 13 points, 37-24, with 13:06 to go. They got 11 straight points on four consecutive made field goals, including a trio of 3-pointers, from Lanier—that put him over 1,000 points as a collegian—to begin the surge, which also featured nine straight points in 2:46.
Virginia responded shortly thereafter with an 8-0 run in just 1:32—it also made four straight field goals after starting 8-of-30 through 27 minutes—to pull within five, 39-34, with 10:48 to go. However, the Volunteers quickly regained complete control.
Tennessee soon went on a dominant 18-0 spurt in just 5:16 to go ahead by a game-high 26 points, 64-38, with 1:43 to go. The stretch came during a period in which it limited the Cavaliers to 1-of-13 shooting, with eight misses in a row, after its four consecutive makes. The Volunteers held Virginia without a point for 6:22 and without a field goal for 7:06.
The Cavaliers scored the last four points, giving Tennessee a final margin of 22 points, its fourth consecutive victory by at least that many.
Lanier finished with 26 points, the most by a Volunteer this season, on 10-of-23 shooting, including a 6-of-12 long-range clip, and pulled down four rebounds. Senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., who spent his freshman year at Virginia in 2021-22, totaled 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. He shot 5-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-3 beyond the arc and 2-of-2 at the line, plus dished out three assists.
Senior guard Jahmai Mashack filled the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, a career-high-tying four steals and two blocks. He also served as the primary defender on Virginia junior guard Isaac McKneely, who had just four points on 1-of-6 field-goal shooting after entering the night averaging a team-best 16.0 per game.
Sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames was the lone Cavalier to reach double figures, ending the contest with 12 points.
Tennessee limited Virginia to just 28.6 percent (14-of-47) shooting on the night, including a 27.6 percent (8-of-29) ledger from inside the arc. It also recorded a spectacular 30-2 margin in points off turnovers, forcing 18 and committing only seven. The Volunteers, for the third time in 2024-25, did not concede a fast-break point.
The 42 points for Virginia tied the second-lowest point total by a Power Six foe against Tennessee in head coach Rick Barnes‘ 10 years at the helm. Additionally, Tennessee went without a live-ball turnover for the third time in the last 20 seasons (2005-25), as the Cavaliers did not register a single steal.
The Volunteers are back in action Friday at 9:30 p.m. in the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship title game against No. 13/14 Baylor, live on CBS Sports Network.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Thursday’s game started at 10:25 p.m., 55 minutes after its scheduled time, as the preceding Baylor/St. John’s contest went to double-overtime, and it ended Friday after midnight.
• Barnes now possesses 180 victories over programs with a national championship, including 40 in his 10 years at Tennessee.
• Barnes improved to 13-5 against ACC schools—based off the current membership—during his Tennessee tenure, including 12-2 versus all schools other than North Carolina.
• The Volunteers moved to 123-101 all-time versus current ACC institutions, including 6-1 over the last four seasons (2021-25).
• Competing at the Baha Mar Championship for the first time, the Volunteers improved to 8-2 all-time in the Bahamas, now possessing five straight wins, with each of the prior nine games coming in the prior 10 seasons at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
• The Volunteers are now 11-10 across nine multi-team events in Barnes’ 10 years, including 8-5 outside the continental United States and 6-1 in the Bahamas.
• Tennessee has now won its first five games of the season for the third time in the last six campaigns, joining 2019-20 (5-0) and 2020-21 (7-0).
• As announced prior to tip-off, Tennessee played without sophomore guard Cameron Carr, who is out 4-6 weeks with a left thumb injury, and sophomore forward J.P. Estrella, who is continuing to be evaluated for a left foot injury.
• The Volunteers are now 22-0 under Barnes when holding their opponents to 30.0 shooting or below, with this the 11th time it has achieved that feat against a Power Six foe.
• In addition, this is the 17th time a Barnes-led Tennessee team has held its opponent under 29.0 percent shooting, with this the eighth time versus a Power Six team and the second—it has done so against both ACC schools it has played—in 2024-25.
• Tennessee moved to 30-0 under Barnes when holding its opponent under 50 points, with this the 12th time it has held a Power Six team below that figure in his tenure.
• Additionally, the Volunteers have now held their foe to 45 or fewer points 20 times under Barnes, including the ninth time against a Power Six team.
• Virginia’s 42 points tied for the eighth-fewest by a Tennessee opponent in the Barnes era, including matching the second-lowest point total by a Power Six team, matching the mark at South Carolina on Jan. 7, 2023, and trailing just the 41 versus Georgia on Jan. 25, 2023.
• Thursday marked the seventh time in the Barnes era the Volunteers have allowed 42 or fewer points and conceded a field-goal clip of 28.0 percent or below, including just the second time against a Power Six team, alongside a Jan. 7, 2023, outing at South Carolina.
• The lone two other times in the past 20 years (2005-25) the Volunteers conceded zero steals were Feb. 26, 2015, against Vanderbilt and Feb. 26, 2008, at Vanderbilt.
• Tennessee has won both its game against ACC foes this year by exactly 22 points, as it won at Louisville, 77-55, on Nov. 9.
• Fifth-year senior guard Darlinstone Dubar, who missed the first four games of the season due to a personal matter, made his Tennessee debut with 15:00 on the first-half clock and 20 seconds later, on his first offensive possession, threw down a putback dunk, en route to finishing with four points and three rebounds.
• Neither team scored for nearly the first three minutes, as Mashack put the first points on the board with 17:04 on the timer.
• Lanier scored Tennessee’s first eight points of the second half, connecting on three straight shots to give him 16 in the game at that time, pushing his career total at 1,000, reaching that tally on a baseline jump-shot with 15:52 remaining.
• For Lanier, Thursday marked the ninth 25-point showing of his career, including his first as a Volunteer.
• Miličić has totaled at least 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists in each of the last three contests.
• Senior guard Zakai Zeigler led all players with six assists, the 50th time in his career he has posted five-plus.
• Senior guard Jordan Gainey pulled down seven rebounds, tying a career high he recorded five times during his tenure at USC Upstate, most recently on Dec. 20, 2022, at Kennesaw State.
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Great Smoky Mountains for Thursday night into late Friday morning prompting a number of road and trail closures.
The advisory began Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and goes until 10:00 a.m. Friday.
Officials with the National Park Service say the following roads are impacted:
NPS officials say they will assess conditions Friday morning and make a decision whether or not to reopen.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Whataburger is listing Knoxville as an upcoming location for their expansion. The group is planning to build 90 locations across East Tennessee and North Alabama. Whataburger opened its first location in 1950, and since then it’s become one of the legends of burger joints in the U.S. At latest count, Whataburger has…… Continue Reading
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two men are facing more than a decade behind bars after being convicted of raping a woman at a home in South Knoxville. Thirty-one year old Donjae (Don – JAY) Bell was convicted of two counts of aggravated rape, and 30-year-old Cornelius Alvino plead guilty to rape. Investigators say the two approached…… Continue Reading
Game Recap: Football | November 23, 2024 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 11 Tennessee overcame a slow start, exploding for 28 second-quarter points on its way to a 56-0 shutout of UTEP in front of a sellout crowd of 101,915 on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium. UT running back Dylan Sampson, the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker semifinalist, finished…… Continue Reading
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | November 22, 2024 NASSAU, Bahamas – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team scored 16 of the first 18 points Friday night against No. 13/14 Baylor in the Baha Mar Championship final and never looked back, en route to a commanding 77-62 triumph. No. 11/9 Tennessee (6-0) claimed its second trophy in…… Continue Reading
The Knoxville Police Department has released the pertinent body-camera footage from the police shooting that happened in the 2600 block of Fairview Street last Tuesday. Just before 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Knox County 9-1-1 received multiple calls concerning an active disturbance involving a man armed with an axe. Minutes later, KPD…… Continue Reading
First-year head coach Kim Caldwell has confirmed that five highly-regarded high school players from the class of 2025 have signed Institutional Financial Aid Agreements to attend the University of Tennessee and represent the Lady Vol basketball program. Making it official by submitting their paperwork were 5-foot-6 “Twin Backcourt” point guards Mia and Mya Pauldo of Denville, N.J.,…… Continue Reading
(Story courtesy of KNOXVILLE, TN WVLT) – The City of Knoxville is offering many holiday events as we get ever closer to the most wonderful time of year. The city hosts yearly activities for those looking to get into the holiday spirit, and 2024 is no exception. So far, the city has planned all the…… Continue Reading
MEDIC Regional Blood Center is still behind in the 37th Orange and Blue Blood Drive against Kentucky Blood Center. Tennessee is trailing Kentucky by 263 units after the forth day of the competition which runs through today (Friday). A big change for this year, the event is appointment only. Please go to medic blood dot…… Continue Reading
NASSAU, Bahamas – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team opened the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship with a 64-42 victory Thursday night over Virginia. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier paced all scorers with 26 points, including 18 in the final 18 minutes, for No. 11/9 Tennessee (5-0) at the Baha Mar Convention Center. The Volunteers used an 11-2…… Continue Reading
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Great Smoky Mountains for Thursday night into late Friday morning prompting a number of road and trail closures. The advisory began Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and goes until 10:00 a.m. Friday. Officials with the National Park Service say the following roads are impacted:…… Continue Reading
