Big Orange Report March 27, 2025

 


Sweet 16 Bound


Rick Barnes and his Tennessee men's squad are headed to Indianapolis for an appearance in the team's third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. The Volunteers faced very little adversity while polishing off their first two Big Dance opponents.
A UCLA rally in the closing minutes of last Saturday's encounter made the score (67-58) appear closer than it really was in a second half when UT once inflated the lead to 19 points. With two minutes remaining in the first half, the Vols grabbed the advantage and never looking back in the final 20 minutes of an impressive triumph over the Bruins.  
Sharp shooting Chaz Lanier kept the offensive motor humming after intermission when he drained four of five triples and was a perfect four for four at the charity strip. Lanier has tallied 49 points in the tournament to this point and is the eighth Volunteer to produce multiple 20 outings in a single NCAA tourney. He also shattered Tennessee's all time, single season record for made three pointers.
Veteran point guard Zakai Ziegler supported Lanier's sparkling performance with 15 points and a total of six assists. Ziegler has now tied the all-time Southeastern Conference record for career assists and when he gets one in the next game, he will own the mark all to himself.  
Is the Third Time the Charm?
The Vols will get an opportunity to rectify two disappointing losses on Friday in Indy. Tennessee will square off against the only team that beat UT twice this season, the Kentucky Wildcats. UK knocked off Illinois on Sunday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen faceoff with their ancient, traditional enemy. This one is going to be a fight to the finish for sure.
Make that Two for the Road
First year Coach Kim Caldwell has done an amazing job this season and no better proof of that than Sunday evening when the Lady Vols wrecked No. 4 seed Ohio State on their home floor in Columbus. Tennessee was dominate in the fourth quarter of the 80-67 victory. For the game, UT scored 37 points off Buckeye turnovers and the suffocating defense caused OSU to force up contested shots for much of the game.
Talaysia Cooper, the transfer from South Carolina,  was a warrior in this hugh victory which sends the Lady Vol program to its 37th sweet 16 in school history. Cooper poured in 19 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded an incredible seven steals. Zee Spearman was "lights out" with 17 points on 8 of 10 from the field to back Cooper's performance. When Tennessee was struggling early in the first half, Greenfield's own, Tess Darby, drained a trio of three pointers to keep the Lady Vols afloat until they took total control of the contest.
Tennessee's next opponent will be the winner of the Texas vs. Illinois game. If it is the Longhorns, we might recall that Texas squeezed out a four-point, home court win over the Lady Vols on Jan. 23rd while Coach Caldwell was out after giving birth to her baby boy. This game will be played on Saturday and it appears will be broadcast on the ABC network.
Back to Work
The Tennessee football squad has returned from spring break and will be in full gear for immediate contact work on the practice field. The staff will be seeking answers for the depth chart at several positions. At the top of that list will be wide receivers where the Vols return only three veteran players from last season. Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley played in 2024 and their combined numbers included 39 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns. Brazzell, the transfer from Tulane, is the most experienced while Matthews and Staley were true freshmen.
Matthews has spent an extended period of time working with Vol quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The two former five star recruits have developed a bond of trust during their practice sessions and are looking forward to Matthews playing a much bigger role for the UT offense this fall.
Three more younger players are also in the mix in the wide receiver room this year. Amari Jefferson spent one season at Alabama before returning to his home state and joining the Big Orange. He has been limited so far this spring while rehabbing an injury. Freshman Travis Smith (6-3, 205, 4.45) has been impressive in early workouts. Smith has prime time size and speed and is almost certain to work his way into the rotation. The joker in the deck might be sophomore Boo Carter, a starting defensive back, who has been getting some repetitions on offense and word is Carter dreams of being a two-way player for Tennessee this year. He is one of the top five pure athletes on this football team. 

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