Gamecocks Lose Starting Center                        UK Takes Heat for Hiring Johnson's Dad

    Ridley: Biggest (sur)Prize of '98?              Henderson Confident About Latest ACT Attempt
 
    1998-99 Men's B-ball Schedule Released                       Appeals Court Clears LSU RB Faulk

    98-99 UT Men's Basketball Preview                        Pitching-Poor Vols Sign JUCO Hurlers

     Oregon St Players Charged With Sexual Abuse       Dubose:  Tide Still at Least a Year Away 

First 10 Picks of NBA Draft  (25 Jun 98)
    See Link above for more information.
    1.  L.A. Clippers: Michael Olowokandi, C, 7-1, Pacific
    2.  Vancouver Grizzlies:  Mike Bibby, G, 6-2, Arizona
    3.  Denver Nuggets: Raef Lafrentz, F, 6-11, Kansas
    4.  Toronto Raptors:  Antawn Jamison, F, 6-9, North Carolina (traded to Golden St)
    5.  Golden St Warriors:  Vince Carter, G, 6-7, North Carolina (traded to Toronto)
    6.  Dallas Mavericks:  Robert Traylor, F, 6-8, Michigan (traded to Milwaukee)
    7.  Sacramento Kings:  Jason Williams, G, 6-1, Florida
    8.  Philadelphia 76ers:  Larry Hughes, G, 6-5, St. Louis
    9.  Milwaukee Bucks:  Dirk Nowitzki, F, 6-10, DJK Wurzburg, GE (traded to Dallas)
   10. Boston Celtics:  Paul Pierce, G, 6-7, Kansas

Men's Hoop Schedule Still Disappointing  (24 Jun 98)
    The University of Tennessee released the men's basketball schedule for this coming season yesterday.  While it is a slight improvement over last season, the non-conference slate is still somewhat soft and disappointing.  UT Head Coach Jerry Green admitted as much yesterday.  "I think it's a much better schedule than we had a year ago.  It's still not where we want to be, but it is a more competitive schedule."  
    The Vols took a definite step in the right direction by arranging a matchup with 1997 National Champion Arizona in the Black Coaches Classic at Albuquerque, N.M. on Nov 13.  That game will be the Vols' season opener.  Other decent non-conference opponents are Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Pittsburgh, and South Florida.  The Vols also have potentially easy matchups at home against Tennessee State, UT Chattanooga, Western Carolina, and UNC-Greensboro.  The other foes on the 11-game non-conference worksheet are Cal State-Northridge and St. Joseph's.  The SEC regular season begins Jan 2, 1999 when the Vols play at Auburn.  See the article at link above for more information.

Reports from High School All-Star Games  (22 Jun 98)
    This weekend the All-Star games between Tennessee-Kentucky, Mississippi-Alabama, and Florida-Georgia were played.  Here is a brief recap of each.
Tenn-Ky
    The Tennessee stars defeated the Kentucky stars 22-16 on Friday night in Lexington's Commonwealth Stadium.  As is often the case in these games, where coaching staffs have only a short time to develop a cohesive offense, the defenses dominated.  Tennessee's first punt in the game was fumbled by Kentucky, and the orange-clad squad turned the miscue into a quick TD.  Tennessee's other two scores were on the return of a fumble for a TD (by Alabama signee Victor Ellis), and an interception that was returned for a TD (by Tennessee signee Tony Styles).  Kentucky's Joseph Jefferson (WKU signee) also returned an intercepted pass 79 yards for a score, drawing the Kentucky squad to within 16-13.  But Tennessee running back Chris Elam burst free for a 40-yard TD run with 1:39 remaining to put the game out of reach.
    There was good news and bad news for Kentucky out of the contest.  The best player on the field, linebacker Bernard Jackson, was on the Kentucky side.  That's the good news.  He was credited with 12 tackles in the game and was all over the field.  The bad news (for Kentucky) is, Jackson signed with the VOLS in February!
Ga-Fla
    Georgia defeated Florida 23-21 on a last-second field goal by Chance Gwaltney, a kicker who wasn't offered a football scholarship.  The most valuable player for Georgia was defensive back Tim Wansley, who was dominant on defense, and also starred on offense, scoring a TD on a 69-yard reverse and catching a crucial pass on the game-winning drive.  Wansley signed with Georgia in February.
    Florida signee Marcus Johnson was the MVP for the Florida side.  He looks like another great DE/OLB in the mold of Jevon Kearse and Thad Bullard, as he had 2 solo tackles, including a big sack, and blocked a Georgia PAT kick.
Miss-Ala
    The least exciting game of the weekend was the Mississippi-Alabama affair, which the Mississippi squad won 9-0.  It was also a defensive struggle.  It's notable that Tyler Watts, Alabama signee who played quarterback for the Alabama stars, did not look impressive.  However, as noted above, it's difficult to install a high-powered offense in just a few days for one of these All-Star affairs.  Shontua Ray, Bama running back signee, did show some ability out there.  Reggie Myles of Mississippi looked impressive at corner as well.

Big-Name Recruits Won't Play  (18 Jun 98)
    Top recruits John Henderson (Tennessee), Dennis Johnson (Kentucky), and John Capel (Florida) won't participate in their respective High School All-Star Games this weekend.  Henderson suffered a strained medial collateral knee ligament in practice while being blocked by fellow Vol signee Will Ofenheusle yesterday.  The injury isn't serious but will sideline him for the Tennessee-Kentucky All-Star Game scheduled for Friday night in Lexington.  Johnson, the nations #1 defensive line recruit in 1998, will not play either.
    Capel suffered a more severe injury, a dislocated elbow, and won't play for the Florida All-Stars against the Georgia squad at Atlanta's Georgia Dome on Saturday.  As far as I know the injury should not affect Capel's ability to play for the Gators this fall.

Jordan, Bulls "Repeat the Three-peat"  (14 Jun 98)
    Michael Jordan scored 45 points, including 16 in the 4th quarter, as the Chicago Bulls knocked off
the Utah Jazz 87-86 in Game Six to win their 6th NBA Championship in the past 8 years.  In the game's
last minute, Jordan was simply phenomenal, single-handedly carrying the Bulls to victory, as he has done
so many times.  John Stockton's three-pointer with 40 seconds to go gave the Jazz a 3-point lead, but it
was short-lived.  On the return trip down the floor, Jordan knifed between Bryon Russell and Stockton,
then laid a soft bank shot high off the glass, over the attempted block of Antoine Carr, to cut the lead to
one with 36 seconds remaining.  On the next Jazz possession, Jordan stripped the ball from Utah forward
Karl Malone, giving the Bulls a chance to take the lead.  Jordan's jumper from the free-throw line, after
eluding Russell again, put the Bulls ahead by one point with 5 seconds left.  Stockton's desperation three
as time expired was on target, but just inches short, bouncing off the front of the rim and giving the Jazz
no chance for a tip-in or second shot as the buzzer sounded.
    Jordan's heroics were necessary after a back injury slowed Scottie Pippen.  The Jazz will be thinking
all summer about two controversial shots that occurred in the game as the shot-clock buzzer was going
off.  On the first, Jazz reserve point guard Howard Eisley drilled a three as the buzzer went off, but the
shot was waved off by the referees.  Replays clearly showed :01 remaining on the shot clock after the ball had left Eisley's hands, thus the shot should have counted.  On the second, it was Bulls guard Ron
Harper whose shot was released at the buzzer; the refs allowed the two points for the Bulls to stand.
However, replays once again clearly showed that when the shot clock showed :00, the ball had not yet left Harper's hands.  This five-point swing had a tremendous effect on the game.  In truth, it appeared that the best team out there today, the Jazz, played well enough to win, but it was not to be.

Former Vols Eye NFL Supplemental Draft  (12 Jun 98)
    Three former Vol football players worked out for NFL scouts this week in Knoxville.  Dustin Moore,
former UT tight end who caught 18 passes in 1996, may be the most likely of the three to be drafted by
the National Football League in its July Supplemental Draft.  Former offensive lineman Leslie Ratliffe
and ex-safety Jason Parker also showed their stuff for scouts.  Parker and Ratliffe completed their
football eligibility in 1996.  Moore, suspended for the 1997 season, was kicked off the team by Coach
Fulmer for good early this year when he "failed to uphold the terms" that his return was contingent upon.

UT Players Kent and Grant Arrested  (11 Jun 98)
    Jermaine Kent, freshman WR from Huntsville, AL, and Deon Grant, sophomore safety from Augusta, Georgia were arrested early Sunday outside O'Charley's Restaurant on Cumberland Avenue.  Grant was arrested about 2 am by KPD officer Tom E. Walker after he refused several orders to disperse and leave the area.  Grant was allegedly told by the officer to either enter the restaurant or move along, as his loitering outside the establishment was interfering with "normal course of business and pedestrian traffic."  Grant was reportedly uncooperative, leading to his arrest and subsequent charge with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.  Kent was arrested about 20 minutes later by the same officer, at the same place, after similar circumstances.  Kent's arrest report said the 19-year-old "began to curse and yell and became verbally combative."  Both men were released later Sunday from the Knox County Jail on their own recognizance.  They are scheduled to appear in court today for arraignment.

As Usual, Holdsclaw a Champion  (7 Jun 98)
    When the United States Women won the Basketball World Championships today in Berlin, Germany, Chamique Holdsclaw was once again in a familiar position...she's a Champion.  Holdsclaw gave way to more experienced players Lisa Leslie, Ruthie Bolton-Holyfield, and Natalie Williams, who led Team USA with 16 points apiece as the Women defeated Russia 71-65.  The victory allowed the US to reclaim the World Championship it lost in 1994, when Team USA fell to eventual champion Brazil in the semi-finals.  The Americans battled back from a 12-point first half deficit and were trailing by as many as nine points in the 2nd half.  But down the stretch, the strength of the USA bench, with players like Holdsclaw, was the difference.  Holdsclaw, who has led the Lady Vols to three straight National Championships, has seen every team she has played on since she started High School end its season by capturing a championship in its final game.  Go here for CBS Sportsline's coverage of the Women's World Championship Game.

Southern Cal Wins College World Series  (7 Jun 98)
    The USC Trojans won their first CWS in 20 years yesterday, beating Arizona State 21-14 in a 39-hit slugfest.  It was the 12th Title for USC, the most by any college baseball team.  USC defeated two-time defending champ LSU 7-3 Friday night to complete an improbable run to the title game, coming out of the losers' bracket in the 8-team double-elimination tournament.  Florida and Mississippi State also represented the SEC in the CWS.  Tournament officials drew some criticism from the SEC after all four teams from the conference were placed in the same bracket, assuring there wouldn't be an all-SEC final.  Go here for CNN/SI's article about the title game.

OSU Recruit Arrested...Again  (7 Jun 98)
    A few days ago I reported that OSU football signee Derek Ross, of Rock Hill, SC, was arrested after driving under a suspended license and fleeing from police.  Incredibly, Ross, 18, was arrested by Rock Hill police early Friday morning after a traffic stop, charged with driving under suspension--for the third time!  Ross was detained until late the next afternoon, causing him to miss his high school graduation ceremony.  The Buckeyes and coach John Cooper will have to think long and hard about Ross's future as an Ohio St football player.  Go here to read the CNN/SI article about Ross.

Report: K-St Booster Gave Murphy Car  (6 Jun 98)
    If you followed the Kansas State link above, you didn't find many details, only that "something may have happened," etc.  Today, more details have begun to surface, and they ironically involve an athlete that Tennessee tried hard to sign this past winter, JUCO RB Frank Murphy.  Murphy was the JUCO Player of the Year in 1997 after rushing for 1,370 yards and leading Garden City, KS Community College to a berth in the JUCO National Championship game.  The Vols were believed to be a front-runner in the Murphy sweepstakes, but in December Murphy cut short his official visit to UT(it's believed he used the Vols for a free plane ticket to get himself and his belongings closer to his Florida home when he left Garden City CC).  A day later he committed to Kansas St.  Published reports this week out of Manhattan, Kansas say a Wildcat booster gave Murphy the use of a car, causing KSU to report a potential rules violation to the NCAA.  When asked whether he had received use of a car, Murphy said, "You'll have to talk to my coach about that."
    Reportedly, Murphy returned the car, and the booster, who denies any wrongdoing, has been stripped of his luxury box at KSU Stadium.  Apparently no coaches or any other officials at KSU are implicated.

    And now Vol fans know why Murphy spurned UT in favor of KSU.

Hearing for Harris Postponed  (6 Jun 98)
    Tennessee point guard Tony Harris's hearing for domestic assault, scheduled for yesterday (June 5) in Knoxville, had to be postponed until August.  Harris is charged with hitting Shayla Green, his longtime girlfriend, and pulling her hair outside of Gibbs Hall on May 11.  Harris and his attorney, Patricia Long Hall, dispute the charges, maintaining that nothing happened.  The hearing was rescheduled because Green was sick with the flu and could not make it in from her home in Memphis.  Domestic assault is a misdemeanor charge; Harris also faces a review by the UT Student Judiciary Board.

Price Suspended  (2 Jun 98)
    Tennessee senior-to-be WR Peerless Price has been suspended from summer school at UT because of his actions in a spring intramural basketball game.  Price, who was already on probation for a similar incident a year ago, reportedly threw a basketball at an intramural official, striking the ref in the head.  Coach Philip Fulmer confirmed that Price could not attend summer classes, but said his football eligibility wouldn't be affected.  Now we know why neither Price nor fellow senior WR Jeremaine Copeland was selected as a 1998 football captain.   Go here for the CNN/SI article about Price's suspension.

Fastest Vol  (2 Jun 98)
    Tennessee football players were timed in the 40-yard dash at a recent workout.  Guess who turned in the fastest time?  Peerless Price?  Dwayne Goodrich?  Eric Parker?  Nope...it was senior fullback Shawn Bryson, who is a team captain for '98.  Shawn was timed at a blistering 4.34.  The 6-1, 233-lb Bryson was recently named UT's "Unsung Hero" in a preseason football magazine.  With his ability to block, catch the ball out of the backfield, and run, Bryson has been called UT's "most complete back" by Coach Fulmer.  It's the second spring in a row that the fastest time was clocked by an unexpected player.  Last spring Andy McCullough was fastest at 4.37.  It should be noted that not all Vols were timed, for various reasons.  TB Jamal Lewis did run and was clocked at 4.4.

John Ward to Retire?  (2 Jun 98)
    A press conference has been called for 11 am tomorrow (June 3) on the UT campus, reportedly concerning John Ward, the "Voice of the Vols" for the last 30 years.  Speculation is that Ward will announce his retirement, effective following the 1998-99 football and basketball campaigns.  If this is true...John, we miss you already.  It just won't seem like "It's football time in Tennessee" without you at the mike in the fall of '99.

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