Happy Tennessee Is The Epicenter Of Fun Friday!
We're Live At Calhoun's On The River: 
It's TLD Logistics Baseball Friday! Going to be a really compelling series between two SEC heavyweights. Evan Russell joins Beano and me for the festivities. Plus we'll have the Masters to enjoy as well. Calhoun's on The River's deck is fully enclosed too. So ... Beautiful weather too! Going to be an amazing time. I hope you'll come and join us.
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Our UT Insider Orange Throat Leads Off ... Orange Throat
'T Club Team:
Random musings as "Bean & The Dean" hold court at Calhoun's today amidst turmoil on Rick Barnes' roster, on the eve of what should be a fun day on the UT campus:
WITH NEYLAND BEING RATIONED ... For tomorrow's 1 p.m. Orange & White "game" down to 10,000, access is at a premium (I saw only one entry on vividseats for $118 for one ticket plus $43 in fees). Doctor Danny and his marketing team has set up the Vol Village to accommodate the overflow and demand is high to go over to Lindsey Nelson to see the Fighting Voltellos play LSU at 5:30.
Get-in for game #2 of that series is well over $100.
UT ROSTER IN AN UPROAR ... This week as Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo hit the transfer portal. On3.com rated Aidoo the #7 overall player in the portal and the third-best big man. Awaka is currently #121. Interestingly, neither Freddie Dilione or D.J. Jefferson are in On3's top 300 players in the transfer market.
BARNES AND HIS STAFF ... Now face the prospect of replacing 68% of the '24 Vols' points and 75% of their rebounds. That is, unless either or both Awaka and Aidoo decide to return. Tony B. was saying yesterday Awaka might come back. For sure, the urgency to get J.P. Estrella ready increases exponentially during the offseason.
AS IT NOW STANDS ... There are seven roster spots available. Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar is visiting this weekend and he would be a strong pickup. He has a balanced game to go with his outstanding name ... he's a scorer and rebounder at 6-8 and was around 40% from three-point land last season. Plus the Vols get another big time visitor in tomorrow that Tony unpacks below.
DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMP LSU ... Is in town for a big league series. The Tigers have been THE flop in the early going of the SEC baseball season. LSU's staff ERA (7.62, 11th SEC) is even worse than Tennessee's 6.25 ERA, which is 9th in league play. The Volunteers lead the league in hitting (.331), slug (.674), and homers (35). The Fightin' Tigers have also been a disappointment offensively but do have some pop and Tommy White is tied with Christian Moore for second with seven SEC homers. Blake Burke continues to pace the league with a .442 BA.
TONIGHT'S PITCHING MATCHUP ... is uncertain. LSU may hold ace righthander Luke Holman until tomorrow night to match with Drew Beam. Holman is usually relieved by excellent lefthander Griffin Herring, who has an 0.68 ERA in league play. Tennessee might start tonight with RHP Aaron Combs or LHP Chris Stamos and let RHP A.J. Causey come out of the bullpen.
LADY VOL UPDATE ... The 4th-ranked softballers are at #17 Mississippi State this weekend and take the SEC's leading record of 10-2 to Starkvillle to play the 8-7 Bulldogs. There's no truth to the rumor new Lady Vol hoops HC Kim Caldwell has asked that John Adams be added to the VolCalls show to interview her each week.
Orange Throat'
Throatie ... What an interesting and bizarre week this has been. I'm ready to talk about some stuff that happens between the white lines instead of the rest of this craziness.
Orange & White Weekend Not The Same This Year: Throaty touched on the insane ticket prices for tomorrow above. Tennessee is going to fight on despite a limited capacity tomorrow in Neyland Stadium but it won't feel the same with only 10,000 or so in the stands. The price of progress I suppose. My favorite aspect about the Orange & White game is that it has always allowed those that don't get a chance to see a Tennessee game some cheap entertainment that could make a new fan or two. I realize Tennessee is doing all kinds of special stuff in the Vol Village area but it just won't be the same.
Who Starts For Vols Tonight? If it's me I'd stay status quo. Though Tennessee hasn't announced who it's going to be. Tony Vitello didn't exactly sound keen on trotting AJ Causey back out there again on his appearance on your Tony Basilio Show Wednesday. I wonder what choice he really has. I wouldn't mess with Saturday or Sunday because it worked last weekend. And in this year's SEC when it comes to pitching you're only as good as your last weekend. Maybe Causey starts tonight with an extra short leash. Or maybe Tennessee goes with an opener to calm him down. Or maybe they go wildcard and give Stamos the ball in game one. I do agree with Throatie that LSU is taking an intelligent calculated risk with Holman going tomorrow night. If the Tigers get past tonight they'll be in the driver's seat.
What A Sobering Week In Tennessee Basketball Land: Two weeks ago tonight the Vols were playing for an opportunity to advance to the Final Four. Today they're trying to hold their roster together. Let's review the wildness of the past week.
Freddie Dilione Enters The Portal: No surprise here. He was NEVER going to play here though he was the second highest paid player on Tennessee's roster last season. It's believed that Dilione made $400,000 while scoring 30 points on the season. That's $13,333 per point scored in a Tennessee uniform. Dilione is off to play with his high school coach who's now coaching at Louisville. $13,333 per point is reason enough for this kid to look back at his time in Knoxville and smile. Even if he only played 52 minutes which comes out to $7,692 per minute played. That's called good work if you can get it.
DJ Jefferson Enters The Portal: No sweat here. This guy was going to see less of the floor than Dilione next season. In fact he was going to play less than most walk ons. I hear from folks in the program that Jefferson is a really great young man who just wasn't going to function defensively in Rick Barnes' system. He was BURIED on the bench for life had he stayed.
Monday Mid Day Tennessee's Coaches Figure Out The Big Man Conundrum - Awaka Stays & Aidoo Goes: Or so UT's coaches thought when night fell in Knoxville Monday. Little did they know that here comes news that ...
Tuesday Tobe Awaka Announces On Social Media That He Was Entering The Transfer Portal: You have to understand this ... Tennessee's coaches conveyed to Awaka that they planned on honoring him with increased playing time and investing in him in every way possible as well. The belief was that Tobe was 100 percent staying and that Aidoo was going. We wrote that here in real time. The bottom line is that keeping Awaka is thought to be better business inside Tennessee's program.
Wednesday Tennessee Smooths Things Over With Jonas Aidoo Who Tells Them He'll Think About It & Then That He's Staying: Mind you ... we wrote in real time that Tennessee's preference was for Awaka to return while the much more expensive Aidoo moved on. Of course in a perfect world neither guy would be leaving but 2024 college basketball is a complete mess and Tennessee is managing as best they can.
Thursday Jonas Aidoo Enters The Transfer Portal & Is Exploring NBA: Are you starting to see a pattern here? This one could be a little bit Aiddo and a little bit Tennessee. I hear Aidoo wants franchise player money for the upcoming season and in today's market he might get it from a Duke, UNC or a Kansas but he's not going to get it here. I'm just keeping it real.
What's Going To Happen With Mashack? I think he's very much open to perhaps joining his teammates in the portal if he sees that Tennessee adds too much at the wing and guard positions. It's going to be dicey. I hear Tennessee feels good right now about him staying but never say never in the portal era. Mashack would be a high ticket item in the portal which could further complicate things for the Vols when they get around to negotiation time.
Is Awaka's Decision Final? No ... In fact Tennessee believes he's going to be here when it's all said and done. I don't know what kind of confidence that should foster in the living Vol fan at this point but it's true. Tennessee feels like Awaka will be in Orange when the ball tips off next season.
Tony Why Aren't You Freaking Out Over This Week? I'm glad I asked that ... For one thing what good would hand wringing do at this point? How can you blame a young person that wants a change of scenery or feels like they can better themselves elsewhere. And if this is about money on the players end, how many business decisions are made daily in sports? I do think Tennessee's apparatus is caught off guard by a rapidly escalating NIL market that has made doing business at the sports upper echelon almost double overnight. You can bet they'll adjust. They always have.
My Message Is Let This Play Out ... Tennessee Could Come Out A Better Team: If Tennessee lands 90 percent of who they're involved in this will be a very good basketball team next season. I'm starting the conversation with the two guys that are in this weekend. Darlinstone Dubar of Hofstra and Cade Tyson of Belmont are EXCELLENT players & EXCELLENT OFFENSIVE PLAYERS ... Give Rick Barnes credit ... He's seen the light ... Offense is winning games. Look at the teams that played for it this year. The Vols are actually prioritizing shot makers in the portal as they did last spring. If they were on athletic non shooters I'd be all over them in this blog but they're not. Tennessee is going to land capable scorers in this cycle.
Cade Tyson Isn't Chicken Of Competition: The Belmont star small forward (3 man) is visiting Tennessee and then North Carolina. Kansas and UConn are also in it. Tyson is the best shooter and scorer in the portal according to UT's internal rankings. He's 6-7 with range and athleticism. His brother Hunter (played at Clemson) is in the NBA with the Nuggets. Cade Tyson is a guy Tennessee absolutely loves. Tennessee is so in on him that getting him could cost the Vols Mashack but they're proceeding anyway. Tyson grew up a UNC fan but wasn't given the time of day by them out of high school. He seems gettable for the Vols. Landing Tyson would make this week feel like an afterthought. That Tennessee is involved with a scorer of this ilk as seriously as they are has me reserving judgement on the week. This guy is one awesome talent.
ICYMI from Thursday:
TLD Logistics Tennessee Baseball Report: Tony Vitello Was Excellent On Wednesday's Tony Basilio Show:
Tony On The Dearth Of Bullpen Arms Abounding In SEC: 'We talked about it at Auburn. I mean they've got good arms ... it's just the kids aren't executing and we have guys that are capable and you know we've had some soreness and things like that. So I think guys either being injured you know kind of plays into it a little bit. It might even trickle down all the way to a variety of factors like kids these days all believe they're starters and they want to start and it's all about how hard can I throw on one day. Greg Olson who does broadcasting said it's frustrating that you don't see kids really throw back to back days anymore.'
On The Injuries With Pitchers Across The Sport: 'I think again when you try and look to one source for a cause you're probably chasing a ghost a little bit there. I think like anything there's a variety of factors that are playing into your theory on the bullpen situation and then for the injuries there's countless things that are playing into it. I mean these athletes are way more explosive than they used to be. Guys are measuring the analytics behind each piece. They throw and then are trying to improve them. And a lot of times, hey I'll just say it like it is, Blade Tidwell went and pitched with Team USA ... which is a really cool honor ... He made it because he's one of the best pitchers in the country. Tidwell went over there and pitched with a guy that had a crazy spin rate on his fastball. Again Tidwell was already great but he was looking to get better and tries to emulate what this kid's doing with his fastball and that's why he was sore at the start of that year for us.
'He ended up being a bullpen guy that eventually ended up starting for us. It was a variety of factors why he had soreness but there's no doubt in my mind but he changed the way he naturally threw the baseball to try and adhere to analytics. I think that's no doubt one of the factors for the injuries. I do think the pitch clock plays in as well.'
Update on AJ Russell: He's back throwing. He's in a throwing program. He'll be ready to roll when we see fit. Hard to say how long as we have a progression with those guys. We want them to play catch, long toss then bullpens then eventually they pitch to our hitters. I think a few weeks is reasonable to talk about. He was a real thin framed kid when he first got here. Now he's built himself up. He had soreness last year but I think that was due to him being thin and wiry. This year elevated stuff. Touching 97 or 98. That's stress and explosiveness that turned into soreness.
Update On Billy Amick: I think Billy will be available this weekend but it's going to depend on his ability to swing the bat. He's fine on defense as he's continued to work there. The offensive thing has become available. He'll be active this weekend and you'll see him on the eligible list just in case.
How Does Tennessee Baseball Keep Guys Around Where They Wait Their Turn? 'The fact that we've had guys like Jorel Ortega and Trey Lipscomb struggle to even make the travel roster but yet they go through that sequence and kind of a proper progression.. If you really look at it, it's nice to know you're kind of constantly building or working towards something instead of having the pressure of having to repeat fantastic performances for a long period of time..
'The other thing is I think they know they're being invested in as people and I think they like it. We've got to win games and stuff like that and our job really is to develop these guys and I think there's a set of people here with like our nutritionist, academic coordinator, strength coach and others behind the scenes that make our guys' lives better and they appreciate it. So I think that plays into it too.'
AJ Causey's Issues? 'I think he's been guilty of overthinking things a little bit. He's such a good kid when it comes to preparation. The guy is a dog in the weight room. But you get punched in the guts but something else happens and then you don't get a break. Now you've got three things that are soaking up your attention instead of getting the job done. I think that's kind of spiraled in him on a couple of different occasions. I think for right now with him there needs to be a little of a reset button. He needs to get back to simplicity.'
Could Causey Lose His Starting Spot Friday Vs LSU? 'Yes it's possible. I think you want stability but you want to go with things that work and not things that don't. We want to put ourselves in a position to have a good weekend but really at the end of the day we need to play our best ball on Friday.'
Matt Dixon
'Tennessee won the weekend series at Auburn to improve to 7-5 in SEC play and 26-6 overall.
The Volunteers lost 9-5 on Friday but then run-ruled the War Eagle Tiger Plainsmen in seven innings on both Saturday (12-2) and Sunday (19-5).
It was Tennessee’s third straight series win and the first on the Plains since 2005.
Four of the Vols’ seven conference wins this season have been run-rule victories.
Tennessee hit 14 home runs for the weekend, the most in a series under Tony Vitello.
Blake Burke’s long ball on Saturday set a new school record for career home runs with 41.
Christian Moore hit three home runs — including a grand slam — during the series to give him 40 career home runs. Moore also had two doubles and drove in 10 runs while hitting .500.
As a team, the Vols hit .371 compared to Auburn’s .267.
Cal Stark led Tennessee with a .556 average. Stark hit two home runs on Sunday, a grand slam and a 3-run shot.
The grand slam was the team’s 9th on the season, already a new program record.
Drew Beam threw a 7-inning complete game on Saturday, taking a 1-hitter into the last inning before allowing two runs to score on two wild pitches. More encouraging, Beam struck out eight, the most he’s K’d in an SEC game this season.
Friday night starter AJ Causey lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits, including a double and two home runs. In 16.1 innings in SEC play this season, Causey has a 10.47 ERA.
Nate Snead earned the win on Sunday, throwing four innings in relief of starter Zander Sechrist, who gave up three runs in two innings. It was Snead’s team-leading 5th win of the season.
Lefty Andrew Behnke pitched a scoreless 7th inning to close out the weekend on Sunday. It was Behnke’s first appearance since the Alabama series in mid March. He gives Tennessee another much-needed arm in the bullpen.
3rd baseman Billy Amick missed his second consecutive series. The hope is that he’ll be available in some capacity this weekend.
The Vols play Alabama A&M on Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium before hosting defending national champion LSU this weekend. The Tigers are just 3-9 in SEC play and 26-16 overall. LSU has lost all four SEC series this season.
I'll be on the show of record today basking in Kentucky's turmoil.
@Mattdixon3'
'X' Says
'Last week during BasketballVols’ run to the Elite 8, Tennessee picked up some good news on the football recruiting front. Ethan Utley, a defensive lineman from Ensworth High School in Nashville, announced his commitment to Tennessee. Utley is a big pickup for Tennessee literally and figuratively. Utley is 6’3” 275 lbs. He has a big frame and actually looks a little skinny for a defensive lineman. He could easily add 20 to 30 lbs. of bodyweight. Tennessee has a number of defensive linemen who fit that size weight profile. Utley, like many a Tennessee commitment, is a multi-sport athlete. He competes in basketball as well as being a member of the Ensworth track & field team.
Utley is Tennessee’s 7th public commitment of the recruiting cycle. Tennessee’s early recruiting class is rated as the 10th best in the country. Utley is rated as a 4-star prospect. He is the third in-state prospect to publicly commit to Tennessee. Utley chose Tennessee over Texas, Michigan, LSU, Georgia. and Florida.
The Utley commitment has fallen off the radar because of Tennessee’s basketball run. However, I would refer to him as an early in the recruiting cycle statement pick up for Tennessee. He was a highly sought after defensive line prospect, at a position of need for Tennessee, coveted by major college programs from all over the country, who appeared to be headed elsewhere to play his college football but a prospect you could not afford to lose to another school.
I spent some time watching some sophomore and junior highlights. He is a much different looking player from his sophomore to his junior season. He was more disruptive, better in getting off blocks and used his hands far better. I would expect similar growth and improvement from his junior year to his senior year.
Utley's best football is in front of him. He is raw and gets by with being bigger and more athletic than the competition right now. He will learn to play to the whistle on every play when he gets to Tennessee, or he’ll hear Coach Garner screaming at him in his dreams. Last season he was in on 35 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles.
What Next for Tennessee (Recruiting) I’m watching the following in state prospects. Any one of the three who announce their commitment this spring you would have to like Tennessee's chances.
Cam Sparks, the Baylor School, Chattanooga. #1 athlete/prospect in state. Coveted by most every SEC school. Physically, he is built like an outside linebacker who runs like a wide receiver.
Radarious Jackson, Sheffield High School Memphis. Tall rangy athletic wide receiver with speed to stretch the field. Could push George McIntyre and Cam Sparks for #1 in state prospect by the end of the season.
Duane Morris, running back Oakland High School, Murfreesboro. Morris has gone from relative anonymity to amassing over 30 offers in a matter of months. Another prospect coveted by every SEC team. Tennessee seems to have the inside track for now.
Others I’m watching (Recruiting)
Jaelyne Matthews offensive tackle Toms River NJ. “Could be” one of the first offensive lineman prospects on Tennessee’s to come off Tennessee’s recruiting board. Matthews is regarded as one of the top offensive tackles in the nation. He is a fringe top 100 prospect. His top schools are Penn State, Miami, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Lagonza Hayward, Tombs County High School, Lyons, Georgia. Hayward is a top 100 safety prospect. Tennessee is a legitimate threat to beat Georgia, Alabama, and Florida State. Tennessee has been recruiting Hayward for a year and he has been to campus multiple times.
Tennessee Spring Practice: It’s hard to believe spring practice is almost over. 7 practices in. There is good and not so good. Here are some highlights and concerns.
Tennessee Offense
Quarterback: Nico hasn’t disappointed. Wow ...
Running Back: Losing Cam Seldon who was the solid number 2 running back behind Dylan Sampson to a shoulder issue is concerning. Only one running back behind Seldon has suited up for a college game let alone carry the football. Tennessee will look into the portal for an experienced running back who can provide depth and knows how to block.
Offensive Line: Tennessee pretty much knows what it has in its top 6 offensive linemen. There is a second tier of six linemen consisting of redshirt and true freshman that are getting the majority of the practice reps. Practicing against a defensive line that ranks as one of the best in the conference has been daunting but so far, they haven’t backed down. There is another group of offensive linemen running third team who have been passed over.
Wide Receiver: Thornton and Brazzell have been impressive. The freshmen Matthews will challenge for playing time. Could we see more 4 receiver sets this season than in the past?
Tight End: Maybe most surprising group through 7 practices. Davis is healthy and received praise. The transfers are willing blockers and are going to help.
Tennessee Defense:
Defensive Line: Tennessee has a problem most defensive coordinators would love to have. Tennessee literally goes 11 deep along the defensive line. Too, transfer Jaxson Moi, from Stanford, has been one of the biggest surprises of the spring. He is going to be a fixture on the defensive line this fall.
Linebackers: The concern is 3 linebackers who will be counted on this fall are either limited or not practicing. Sophomores Jerimiah Tellander and DeMarcus Smith have taken advantage of their opportunity. Both will have expanded roles this fall.
Cornerbacks and Safety: This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Tennessee is faster and more athletic in the secondary than any other time in Coach Heupel's tenure at Tennessee. Young players like Rickey Gibson, Boo Carter, Jourdan Thomas are going to become household names . They just need experience and the patience of the coaching staff. No more trauma bonding to upper classmen.
Thanks for reading
'X'
GBO
T
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