Former Vols’ NBA results for March 27

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Wednesday.

Two former Vols competed in the NBA on Wednesday, while two were inactive.

The Clippers defeated Philadelphia, 108-107, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers and totaled 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 38 minutes.

He converted 5-of-9 field goal attempts, 2-of-3 three-point attempts and 2-for-2 free throw attempts.

Charlotte defeated Cleveland, 118-111, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Williams recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes for the Hornets.

He converted 6-of-8 field goal attempts, 2-for-2 three-point attempts and 2-for-4 free throw attempts.

Golden State defeated Orlando, 101-93, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Admiral Schofield did not play for the Magic due to a coach’s decision.

Chicago defeated Indiana, 125-99, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Julian Phillips was inactive for the Bulls.

Cuonzo Martin returns to former school

Former Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin returns to former school.

Cuonzo Martin was hired as Missouri State’s men’s basketball head coach on Wednesday.

“Zo is an experienced coach who has consistently won at the Division I level,” Missouri State director of athletics Kyle Moats said. “One of the things that stands out about him is that he really wants to be at Missouri State. He is respected both nationally and here in our community, and he brings instant credibility to our program. His track record with our donors, our fans and our students will make this an easy transition. In my opinion, there was not a better coach out there to lead our young men.”

Martin served as Missouri State’s head coach from 2008-11, compiling a 61-41 record.

He left Missouri State to serve as Tennessee’s head coach. Martin was with the Vols from 2011-14 and compiled a 63-41 record and appeared in one NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina State eliminates Lady Vols from NCAA Tournament

North Carolina State eliminates Lady Vols from the NCAA Tournament.

No. 3 seed North Carolina State (29-6, 13-5 ACC) defeated No. 6 seed Tennessee (20-13, 10-6 SEC), 79-72, Monday in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Lady Vols led, 23-16, in the first quarter before North Carolina State scored the final eight points of the period. North Carolina State also ended the first half on a 10-0 run to open an 18-point lead.

The Wolfpack led, 49-31, at halftime.

Rickea Jackson scored a game-high 33 points in her final game for Tennessee, including 14 points in the first quarter, She also recorded 10 rebounds and was one of three Lady Vols to score 10-plus points in the contest.

Jasmine Powell totaled 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Tamari Key recorded 10 points and two rebounds for Tennessee.

Aziaha James scored 22 points to lead the Wolfpack.

PHOTOS: Kellie Harper through the years

Photo by Lance King/Getty Images

PHOTOS: Tennessee basketball defeats Texas in NCAA Tournament

PHOTOS: Tennessee basketball defeats Texas in NCAA Tournament

No. 2 seed Tennessee (26-8, 14-4 SEC) defeated No. 7 seed Texas (21-13, 9-9 Big 12), 62-58, on Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The contest took place in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. The Vols advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht led all scorers in the contest with 18 points. He also recorded nine rebounds and one assist.

Zakai Zeigler led the Vols in assists with seven, while Josiah-Jordan James and Knecht were Tennessee’s rebound leaders with nine each.

READ: Social media reacts to Vols’ win against Texas

Below are photos of Tennessee’s win against Texas in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

Tennessee defeats Texas, advances to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

Tennessee defeats Texas and advances to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

No. 2 seed Tennessee (26-8, 14-4 SEC) defeated No. 7 seed Texas (21-13, 9-9 Big 12), 62-58, in the NCAA Tournament second-round at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Vols led, 28-19, at halftime. Tennessee advances to the Sweet 16.

Dalton Knecht totaled 18 points, nine rebounds and one assist for Tennessee. He converted four consecutive second-half free throws to lead the Vols to victory.

Knecht was one of three Tennessee players to score 10-plus points in the contest. Jonas Aidoo recorded 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Tobe Awaka finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

Josiah-Jordan James recorded nine points and nine rebounds for the Vols, who forced Texas into 17 turnovers.

Chendell Weaver and Tyrese Hunter scored 13 points each to lead the Longhorns.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Lady Vols defeat Green Bay to open NCAA Tournament

Lady Vols defeat Green Bay to open NCAA Tournament.

No. 6 seed Tennessee (20-12, 10-6 SEC) defeated No. 11 Green Bay (27-7, 17-3 Horizon League), 92-63, in the NCAA Tournament first-round at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Lady Vols led, 44-28, at halftime.

Rickea Jackson totaled 26 points and nine rebounds and was one of four Tennessee players to score 10-plus points in the contest.

Sara Puckett scored 14 points, while Jewel Spear scored 13 points, including 11 points in the second quarter. She also recorded three rebounds in the game for the Lady Vols.

Tess Darby scored 11 points, while Tamari Key finished with seven points, six rebounds and one block.

Tennessee will next play on Monday in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament.

William Howard-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame Makes Top 9 For Elite Basketball Prospect

This would be a huge get for the Irish…

Micha Shrewsberry and the Notre Dame men’s basketball team might not be dancing this March but that doesn’t mean the team didn’t have a successful 2023-24 campaign.  Despite finishing the year 13-20 overall and 7-13 in ACC play the Irish made significant strides compared to a 2022-23 season that saw them go just 4-19 over their final 23 games.

Notre Dame received good news on the recruiting front on Friday as well as big-time in-state prospect Jalen Haralson of La Lumiere in LaPorte, Indiana announced his top-nine schools and included the Irish.

Haralson ranks as a five-star prospect and the 11th overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports.  The Irish have a seat at the table but will have to beat out some blue blood programs to win his commitment as Auburn, Indiana, Duke, Kansas, Purdue, Michigan State, Missouri and Gonzaga also made the cut.

Haralson checks in at 6-6, 210-pounds and figures to play as a guard or small forward in college.

G League Ignite to shut down: Details from Shams Charania

G League Ignite, started in 2020 as a professional post-high school opportunity for basketball players, is shutting down after this season.

Since NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during All-Star Weekend that the future of G League Ignite was being assessed, there have been rumors that the program is nearing the end of its lifespan.

On Thursday, Athletic reporter Shams Charania reported that this will be the team’s final season.

The G League Ignite will play its final game on March 28 before shuttering.

“Before, I felt there was a hole in the marketplace we were filling,” Silver said during All-Star Weekend. “Now, my focus is turning to earlier development of those players.”

When Ignite launched in 2020, it served as a pathway for athletes to play a year of professional basketball in the G League post-high school instead of going to college — and get paid to do so without going overseas — before entering the NBA. However, when the NCAA began allowing players to receive pay for name, image and likeness (NIL) in July 2021, the primary attraction of the Ignite team was diminished.

This year, Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland are the most prominent names on the team—two of the top five ranked players in the high school class of 2023, both are projected to be lottery picks in the 2024 draft. However, they haven’t been able to lead Ignite to success, as the team has a 6-28 record this season, according to USA TODAY.

In total, Ignite has produced four top-10 picks and, 10 total draft picks and 12 total players who have entered the league. This list is headlined by 2021 No. 2 pick Jalen Green and No. 7 pick Jonathan Kuminga, along with 2022 No. 8 pick Dyson Daniels and 2023 No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson.

The other former Ignite players who have played in the NBA are, according to Golden State of Mind, MarJon Beauchamp, Jaden Hardy, Isaiah Todd, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, Mojave King, Daishen Nix and Michael Foster Jr., the final two being undrafted signees.

G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who oversaw the Ignite’s roster and coaching staff, issued a statement to The Athletic:

“Four years ago, we started Ignite to fill a void in the basketball landscape, and I’m proud of the contributions we were able to make to that ecosystem,” Abdur-Rahim said in a statement. “With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to general manager Anthony McClish, head coach Jason Hart and their staff and to each player who wore an Ignite jersey. As ever, the G League’s commitment to developing top NBA talent and helping players achieve their NBA dreams is unwavering.”

The 18-year-old will remain eligible to play on other G League teams after this season, according to USA TODAY.

Falcons’ Bijan Robinson has perfect bracket after Day 1 of NCAA tournament

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson has a perfect bracket after Day 1 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

The first day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament featured its share of upsets, including No. 14 Oakland knocking off No. 3 Kentucky. If you filled out a bracket this year, there’s a high probability that you didn’t make it past Day 1.

Well, unless you’re Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, that is. While only .000396 percent of brackets remain perfect entering Day 2 of the tournament, Robinson’s is among them.

Robinson has gone 16-0 with his picks thus far. While he still has a long way to go before completing the perfect bracket, it’s a pretty impressive start. The Falcons rookie has No. 7 Texas going all the way, defeating No. 1 UConn in the national championship game.

Not many have Texas winning the tournament but at this point, it may be wise not to pick against Robinson. Day 2 tips off Friday at noon ET. We’ll see how long Robinson can remain perfect.

Vols defeat Saint Peter’s to open NCAA Tournament

Tennessee defeats Saint Peter’s to open NCAA Tournament.

No.  2 seed Tennessee (25-8, 14-4 SEC) defeated  No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s (19-14, 12-8 MAAC), 83-49, in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Vols led, 46-20, at halftime and never trailed in the contest.

The win ended Tennessee’s two-game losing streak. It was also Rick Barnes’ 200th victory as the Vols’ head coach.

Tennessee, one of eight SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament, was the only team to win on Thursday. South Carolina, Mississippi State and Kentucky all lost.

Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and Alabama will all play on Friday.

Dalton Knecht led the Vols with 23 points against Saint Peter’s. He also totaled eight rebounds and one assist, while Jonas Aidoo recorded 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and one assist.

Zakai Zeigler recorded 11 points and 10 assists for Tennessee.

Latrell Reid led the Peacocks with 17 points.

Tennessee will next play Saturday against Texas in the second-round.