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🏀 Sweet opportunity for Tennessee

🏀 Sweet opportunity for Tennessee

Tennessee and Kentucky prepare for Round 3

Josh Ward
March 28, 2025

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

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🗞️ Here’s what we have for you today:

How Tennessee can reverse course against Kentucky
Another receiving option with a big opportunity in Tennessee’s offense
Rick Barnes address retirement rumors
How Jeremy Pruitt is including Tennessee in his fight vs the NCAA

TENNESSEE WANTS TO BE ELITE AGAIN

Zakai Zeigler has elite on the floor in March

Are you ready for this one?

Tennessee will play Kentucky Friday night in the Sweet 16 — the first time the two programs will have faced each other in the NCAA tournament.

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Understatement: this is a huge game for Tennessee.

The Vols will attempt to reach the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season and third time in school history.

Tennessee has a real shot at reaching the Final Four and competing for a national title.

So of course rival Kentucky stands in the way.

Tennessee’s regular season games against Kentucky didn’t go so well.

The Wildcats swept UT with Kentucky shooting 12-for-24 from three in both games.

Tennessee shot 11-for-45 in the first loss and 3-for-18 in the second.

Not great.

But how likely is it that those trends continue on either side?

What has to happen for Tennessee to win on Friday night and advance to the Elite Eight?

🟠 It starts with the shooting

Chaz Lanier missed all seven three-point attempts at Rupp Arena on Feb. 11.

Since then, he’s been on a tear.

Lanier has scored 20-plus points in six of Tennessee’s 11 games since that loss at Kentucky.

If Lanier stays hot (he’s 10-of-18 from three in the NCAA tournament), Tennessee’s offense is dangerous.

Other players, like Zakai Zeigler and Jordan Gainey, need to knock down shots.

But the conversation starts with Lanier.

🟠 Rebound the ball

Rick Barnes preached rebounding before, during and after the Vols’ second-round game against UCLA.

He’ll do the same against Kentucky.

Igor Milicic Jr. hasn’t produced a lot of offense recently, but he grabbed seven rebounds against UCLA.

Can Milicic and the Vols continue to rebound against Kentucky?

Tennessee will want to avoid giving UK second-chance shots on offense.

Clean the glass.

The point guard battle

Tennessee and Kentucky have two of the best veteran point guards in the country.

Zeigler vs Lamont Butler is one of the top matchups of the weekend.

Butler helped lead San Diego State to the national title game two years ago.

He’s a high-level defender and proven playmaker on offense.

Zeigler is an elite defender himself and has been in total command of Tennessee’s offense.

The matchup’s “personal,” as VFL Ron Slay describes below.

“It’s been Zakai from the get-go.”
VFL @TheRonSlay explained why he loves the way Tennessee PG Zakai Zeigler is playing ahead of his matchup with Kentucky’s Lamont Butler in the Sweet 16.
— Josh and Swain (@JoshandSwain)
1:17 PM • Mar 26, 2025

🟠 So who wins?

We both picked Tennessee to reach the Final Four at the start of the tournament.

There’s no reason to waver despite Tennessee’s regular-season struggles against Kentucky.

The Wildcats are a tough out as they’re led by veterans like Butler, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh and Amari Williams.

This should be a great game.

➡️ And a great way to get ready for the game… check out this week’s SlayRide with Ron Slay. A full hour talking Tennessee vs Kentucky and the Sweet 16 below — or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

CAN DAVIS CATCH ON?

Ethan Davis is a receiving option to watch this fall

Tennessee football returned to practice on Tuesday after taking last week off for spring break.

One of the big talking points: Tennessee’s pass catchers.

For several reasons:

• last year’s offense was underwhelming
• Tennessee lacked explosive plays through the air
• this year’s WR group is almost brand new

Coach Josh Heupel spoke confidently about Tennessee’s young receivers.

Mike Matthews receives the most attention, but second-year receivers Braylon Staley and Amari Jefferson (transfer from Alabama) will also factor into the offense.

Another player to watch: tight end Ethan Davis.

Davis should have an expanded role in the offense entering his third season at UT.

Miles Kitselman is back at tight end (note: Kitselman will miss several months due to a pectoral injury).

But Holden Staes transferred to Indiana.

Can Davis take advantage of the opportunity?

Josh Heupel’s praise of Davis this week indicates he might be ready to do so.

“Ethan’s done an elite job just growing through our winter. Took full advantage of the weight room. He’s done a great job with his body. He’s just continued to mature as a man. Just how he approaches every single day. He’s been really consistent. We have great understanding of what we’re getting from him every single day. And that’s a credit to him just continuing to grow as a man.

“And then within the scope of what we’re doing offensively, he’s always had the ability to play out in space. He’s done a really nice job in that area. But he’s continued to improve just his fundamentals and technique inside the core. As a tight end, there’s so many things that you have to be able to do. You’re playing wide receiver when you’re split out or releasing from the core. You got to be able to pass protect and obviously the run blocking. And what has done here the first five days (of spring practice), real credit to him.”

Davis is in the same category as Matthews, Staley and UT’s other young wide receivers.

They’re full of potential with plenty to prove.

But there are signs that Davis will help Tennessee’s offense this fall.

The Vols will need him to.

➡️ We discussed the latest with UT football spring practice + recruiting for the 2026 class with Austin Price of Volquest. Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Here’s a look at strengths and weaknesses of each team in ESPN’s top 25 for the 2025 season.

🏈 ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg surveyed CFB coaches to rank the top 15 quarterbacks for 2025. See if Nico Iamaleava made the list.

🏈 The contract for Nebraska’s new general manager shows the market for a trending position in college football.

🏈 Charles Davis will become the lead college football analyst for CBS in 2026 following Gary Danielson’s retirement

🏀 Will revenue sharing actually help mid-major programs in basketball? (Or will under-the-table spending return?)

🏀 Catch up on Thursday’s games, which included the SEC and Duke’s Cooper Flagg showing their strength.

⚾ Here’s a weekend series preview for Tennessee at South Carolina.

🦈 VFL Ramel Keyton, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, made news this week when he caught a great white shark while fishing off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.

BARNES: ‘I’M NOT LEAVING’

Rick Barnes doesn’t act like he’s ready to retire

Tennessee will play its final basketball game of the season in the next two weeks.

When that happens, don’t expect it to be Rick Barnes’ final game as the Vols’ head coach.

Last week’s newsletter mentioned the retirement rumors with Barnes.

There’s been speculation all season long, especially with the upcoming departure of Zeigler and five other important seniors.

But according to Barnes, he’s not ready to retire.

He offered a lengthy response when asked about retirement rumors on Thursday. Here’s the full quote:

“No, I haven’t thought about it. You know what? My last press conference at Texas, when I was fired, the last question someone asked me was, ‘do you think you’ll coach again?’

And I had already accepted the University of Tennessee job. I made the comment, ‘yeah, probably sooner than you think.’ And I literally walked out of that press conference, got on a plane and went to Knoxville.

At the time, when something like that happens, the movement parts, the in/out, you’re somewhat numb. But I made the comment that, the athletic director at the time, Steve Patterson, fired me. He didn’t really fire me; he just carried out what God wanted him to do because I truly believe that God brought me to Knoxville for a reason.

And everything that I do I want to live on that platform. It’s the most important thing to me. It’s more important than winning that game tomorrow. And I think God will make it perfectly clear when he wants me to step down and my time will be up. But it’s not now.

If it is, I don’t feel that. But I love coaching basketball. I love being around it. I know right now how hard we’re working right now. We’ve already had a young man on campus after we got back Saturday, Sunday, we had a young man on campus that committed to us. We’re already planning to have a team next year. I fully plan to be a part of it.

And, again, I think when my time’s up, I truly believe God will make it clear to me where he wants me to go next and do next. But I have not thought that (retiring after the season) in the least bit.

I think what happened when that rumor kind of got started, I made a comment one time about Zakai. I said it would be hard coaching without a guy like that. I meant that, but I could have said that about my first point guard at George Mason 30-some years ago, Amp Davis. I loved coaching him.

And I think after that, people thought because I’m a young guy now, that it might be my last year. But the fact is, I’ve put it all in God’s hands. I’ll know because he’ll make it clear to me.”

Barnes talked like someone who absolutely plans to coach next season.

His “plan” could change.

What if Tennessee wins the national title — would he choose to go out on top?

Perhaps.

But everything he said on Thursday backs up what we’ve heard privately.

That is: Barnes and his staff have already begun preparation for next year’s team.

He mentioned Tennessee’s recent commitment, point guard Troy Henderson.

UT’s staff has already begun evaluation of options in the transfer portal, too.

You never know when a coach will decide to walk away.

Tony Bennett announced his retirement on Oct. 18 — less than a month before Virginia’s season was set to begin.

Jim Larrañaga called it quits at Miami during the middle of the season.

So Barnes could have a change of heart.

But he plans to coach again next season (and perhaps beyond).

That should give Tennessee fans some peace of mind.

At least for now.

PRUITT’S BACK… KIND OF

Jeremy Pruitt has included UT in his fight vs the NCAA

Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt returned to the news this week.

Pruitt filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in DeKalb County, Ala., on Wednesday.

Pruitt’s seeking $100 million and claims the NCAA conspired with the University of Tennessee to make him a “sacrificial lamb.”

Pruitt, who was fired for cause by Tennessee in January 2021, didn’t receive any buyout money from UT.

Now, he’s looking to get some of that money back (and then some).

In the lawsuit, Pruitt claims that in 2023 the NCAA applied rules against him that “had been essentially abolished in 2021 by the United States Supreme Court riling.”

Pruitt also alleges he discovered Tennessee had been paying players before he arrived in December 2017 — and that he informed then-AD Phillip Fulmer of the wrongdoing.

From the lawsuit:

“In December 2017, UT hired Jeremy as its head football coach. Less than one week after being hired, Pruitt discovered that payments were being made to some players. At the time, NCAA rules prohibited those payments, even though court cases had already called into serious question whether such payments could be prohibited.

Pruitt immediately reported what he learned to the Athletic Director, Phillip Fulmer. The Athletic Director told Pruitt that “he would handle it” and deal with the University’s Compliance Department, which was charged with ensuring that the University of Tennessee was complying with NCAA rules.

After his termination from the University, Jeremy learned that one or more individuals in the UT Athletics Department or boosters had systematically engaged in making payments to players at a time when NCAA rules did not allow such payments.”

Tennessee issued a response through a spokesman to ESPN that read: “The university is confident in the actions taken in the Pruitt case. We will continue to prioritize our student-athletes and winning with integrity.”

Pruitt is serving a show-cause penalty that isn’t set to expire until July 2029.

Will we see him on a college football sideline before then?

Not sure.

But we haven’t heard the last from him, either.

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