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Courtesy of SGA

Reallocation creates travel fund, changes student programming Kylie Hubbard News Editor Next year’s student programming fund will be reduced by $190,000 to fund a student organization travel budget after the SGA senate took a unanimous straw poll on March 6 in favor of the reallocation.

The student programming fund is money from opt-in students set aside for student organizations to request funding to bring speakers and organizations to campus.

The university charges every student an $15.46 student programming fee, but in order to protect students from funding events they do not support, students have two options for deciding how the university spends the money.

Students who choose to opt in, option 1, allow the university to use the fee for student programming on campus, and in turn, those students receive free access to all student programming such as Vol Night Long and guest speakers. Students who choose to

Volume 135 Issue 20

opt out, option 2, tell the university to use the fee for initiatives and events that are not student led.

“We are supporting student organizations to the same capacity, just in a different way,” SGA president and senior in college scholars Morgan Hartgrove said. “I don’t see this having a strong affect for reducing programming on campus. However, it will cause us to be more intentional with our funds.”

The decision came after a noticeable shift in demand for funding from hosting events to traveling for related conferences, Hartgrove said.

“The chess club doesn’t need to bring in a speaker about how to be better at chess,” Hartgrove said. “They want to travel to compete in a chess competition.”

Travel funding will allot money for student organizations to travel to conferences, contests and leadership development events.

“We have a fund (housed) in CLS (Center for Leadership and Service) which is only

for leadership development, and we have more request(s) than we can accommodate,” Hartgrove said. “This shows me that there is a need that isn’t being fulfilled.”

Along with the reallocation of funding, larger student organizations such as Campus Events Board (CEB) and the Black Cultural Programming Committee (BCPC) will present each event request separately to the Student Programming Allocation Committee (SPAC) as opposed to presenting an entire calendar as they have in the past.

Student programmers expressed their concern for the reallocation in a Senate open town hall Tuesday evening. Around 50 students from various organizations including CEB, Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee (SEAT), Women’s Coordinating Council (WCC) and the Issues Committee met in filled Haslam room 103.

Dylan Douglas, chair of the Campus Events Board’s issues committee and senior studying political science, said student pro-

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

gramming organizations did not know of the budget cuts until after they had been finalized.

“The complete lack of consideration for informing students and certain administrators about this change is very troubling,” Douglas said. “SPAC funding has been highly-politicized in the past, and given what was changed (both the budget cuts and new procedure changes) and how they changed it, without informing anyone effected, I can’t help but feel this is another extension of that.”

Douglas was not the only student organization member who believed the reallocation was a political attack. Cole Tipton, SEAT executive board member and sophomore majoring in sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, cited the defunding of the first annual Sex Week and the organization’s scramble to gather funds a week prior to the event.

See PROGRAM FUNDING on Page 2

Thursday, March 29, 2018

2

CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, March 29, 2018

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Alex Holcomb Managing Editor: Rob Harvey Chief Copy Editor: Olivia Leftwich Engagement Editor: Alec Apostoaei News Editor: Kylie Hubbard Sports Editor: Tyler Wombles Asst. Sports Editor: Damichael Cole Arts & Culture Editor: Neeley Moore Digital Producer: Leann Daniel Asst. Digital Producer: Natasha Roderick Opinons Editor: Jarrod Nelson Photo Editors: Emily Gowder Design Editors: Laurel Cooper, Lauren Mayo Production Artists: Kelly Alley, Grace Atter, Kyla Johnson, Caroline Littel

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

Advertising Production Manager: Zenobia Armstrong Media Sales Representatives: Mandy Adams, Amy Nelson Advertising Production: Nathaniel Alsbrooks

CONTACTS To report a news item, please e-mail editor.news@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-2348 To submit a press release, please e-mail pressreleases@utdailybeacon.com To place an ad, please e-mail beaconads@utk.edu or call 865-974-5206 To place a classified ad, please e-mail orderad@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-4931

PROGRAM FUNDING continued from Page 1 “So this is what it looks like again,” Tipton said. “It’s another chance for higher powers to injure student voices that they don’t like on this campus.”

Multiple SGA senators shared their own confusion regarding the straw poll and expressed that they did not know their vote in last week’s meeting would finalize the reallocation. Many said they did not know the dollar amount or details regarding the reallocation.

“We truly did not get enough information when we were asked to make that straw poll decision,” Senator Mateos Hayes, junior studying history, said. “That’s very concerning to me that it was automatically taken that that straw poll was an unequivocal expression of the student government senate’s support for this measure because it was not that by any perspective.”

Town hall participants also discussed issues of communication, with examples cited regarding the visit of the Traditionalist Worker Party last month. Students discussed an email exchange between Vice Chancellor of Student Life Vincent Carilli and student Emma Heins, junior studying

geology, regarding her issues with the reallocation.

Heins contacted Carilli via email to address the reallocation, and a response from Carilli soon circulated among student programming members. The email described the initial message from Heins as “bombastic” and suggested the behavior was “unbecoming of an involved student leader on (UT’s) campus.”

Senator Austin Smith urged that Hartgrove, Vice President Michael “Mickey” Curtis, and Senate lobbyists hold the administration more accountable for their actions and communication errors.

“We’re here to bridge that gap between students and administrators,” Smith said.

“It’s just time for us to take that step, to not be afraid to talk to administrators, to use our privilege we have as senators, to talk to those higher up.”

Some town hall speakers approved of the reallocation. Mickayla Stogsdill, senior studying public administration and UTK Speech and Debate Society president, said the travel fund would help her team travel to competitions.

“We’re left with a two world option. One: no travel fund. You get one million dollars, and I get zero. That’s just the truth,” Stogsdill said. “Or, you have this option where we have essentially a three-to-one

Courtesy of SGA ratio that we share.”

Senator Jake Tidwell, sophomore in business administration exploratory, said he felt the senate meeting became off topic but brought attention to the larger issues.

“We need to ensure that in the future, student voices are not left out of decisions like this. That starts with us, the students.

We need to ensure that administration cannot ignore our voices,” Tidwell said. “As a student government, we need to do a better job of reaching out to our constituents and ensuring that we are truly representing the student body.”

Advertising: (865) 974-5206 beaconads@utk.edu Editor-in-Chief: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief at editorinchief@ utdailybeacon.com .

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The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com

The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.

Adderall, caffeine contribute to death of UT student Staff Report An autopsy report released Wednesday stated that Tanner Wray, a UT student who collapsed and died during the 38th Annual Ace Miller Memorial Boxing Tournament, died in part due to chronic combined Adderall and caffeine use.

According to the report, Wray drank an energy drink immediately before his fight, which accounted for a large amount of the caffeine in his system. The report also states that Wray’s family and friends said he was taking Adderall unprescribed for some time in order to lose weight leading up to the match.

The combination of these two things was considered the most significant condition contributing to his death; however, the report says that the manner of his death was natural.

Wray trained intensely for the event for several months beginning in October.

Wray’s mother said she was not aware of any underlying medical conditions that he might have had.

Wray collapsed in the ring during the second round of the boxing tournament on February 23. Medical personal tried to revive Wray in the ring for 15 minutes before taking him to UT Medical Center.

The boxing tournament was canceled for

Friends and loved ones of Tanner Wray honor his memory on the Rock.

Corey Markus / The Daily Beacon the rest of that night, as were the championship rounds planned for the next night.

The event is a three-day amateur boxing tournament held each February for UT fraternities. The event consists of 11 weight

classes and around 55 boxers. Proceeds from the tournament go to Knoxville’s chapter of Golden Gloves, which provides boxing equipment for those who cannot afford it.

CAMPUSNEWS

Thursday, March 29, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

3

Poet shares thoughts, feelings through comedy Natalia Capella Staff Writer American slam poet Neil Hilborn challenged the perceptions of mental illness through spoken art in a reading on campus Tuesday night.

Hosted by the Campus Events Board, Hilborn began his presentation at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Building. Hilborn discussed his personal experiences and struggles with mental illness and included several poems ranging from humorous to emotional in nature.

Hilborn’s audience clapped and cheered after each of his emotionally charged pieces. For audience members such as Levi Conrad, a sophomore in cinema studies, the excitement from the audience created a energetic atmosphere for the reading.

“I really enjoyed his interaction with the audience ... it didn’t feel like a poetry reading. It felt like a stand-up (comedy) show,” Conrad said.

Hilborn filled the spaces between his readings with comedy for the audience and often interacted and answered questions from participants.

“You all came to a poetry show on a Tuesday, so I assume you all enjoy being sad,” Hilborn said.

Hilborn conveyed humor in most of his poems but also conveyed a deeper meaning regarding mental illness and the importance of seeking help when it is available.

Another common theme in Hilborn’s poems dealt with his past and current relationships. He read a poem he wrote for his girlfriend, whom he will marry in May. Hilborn also detailed his past relationships, including one where his OCD tendencies were first seen as sweet and endearing but eventually contributed to some of the struggles in the relationship.

“When you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, you don’t really get quiet moments. Even in bed, I’m thinking: Did I lock the doors? Yes. Did I wash my hands? Yes,” Hilborn said. “But when I saw her, the only thing I could think about was the hairpin curve of her lips.”

Hilborn also performed his poem “The Future.” The poem detailed the day when he was able to envision a future of his life without suicide as a part of it.

“Some characteristics of bipolar disorder include dissociation, hallucinations and fugue states, so sometimes I wake up in places I didn’t go to sleep,” Hilborn said.

Hilborn also shared the poem “Me, But Happy” with the audience that he wrote for his

Neil Hilborn, a College National Poetry Slam champion, spoke and performed his poems on March 27, 2018 in AMB 27. Megan Albers / The Daily Beacon girlfriend.

“I always try to be, like, cool and stuff but it’s hard to act like I don’t care when you’re so pretty all the goddamn time,” Hilborn said.

Junior studying psychology Evan Oliver said the event was well-perceived and valued because it aligned with the mission of CEB.

“A lot of the committee saw value in the art form that (Hilborn) offered and brings and how unique he is in his performances and also the cultural aspect of someone differently-abled emphasizing his experience with it through his art form,” Oliver said.

4

ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, March 29, 2018

UT alumnus, local legend releases book on retail work Kurt Welch Staff Writer UT alumnus, musician, documentarian, author and local legend Rickjan Lomax recently self-published his first book, “In the Belly of the Beast.”

The book details Rickjan’s five and a half years inside the retail behemoth Wal-Mart as he worked every position from gun sales to department manager.

“The book is ... almost like a manual. If a person wants to go into that business — retail — they have to know what to expect,” Rickjan said. “The one thing I found is ... how does a major corporation stay afloat, I mean, in the belly of it — the actual everyday activities of running (the business).”

“In the Belly of the Beast” discusses issues including customer-employee relationships, the store-wide employee hierarchy, specific departments, theft and inventory loss and recounts Rickjan’s experiences from each position he worked.

Rickjan began as an hourly associate in sporting goods and worked his way to an associate manager position and helped open stores in other areas of the country. Retail work is different each day.

“You might go in as maintenance, but you might end up pushing buggies or unloading the truck,” Rickjan said. “It just depends on what (is) needed on that day.”

From working at Wal-Mart, Rickjan has first-hand experience regarding the chain’s use of skeleton crews. An employee may work in the electronics department stocking shelves for a few hours and then sent to work the cash register or greeting customers as they enter the building.

“Wal-Mart has a culture of its own,” Rickjan

said. “It’s a philosophy.”

In addition to his authorship, Rickjan is a documentarian, recording engineer, producer, and a legend within the Knoxville soul music scene.

“Ricky has always been interested in so many different things,” John Lomax, Rickjan’s brother and news anchor for Local 12 WKRC Good Morning Cincinnati, said. “I believe music has been his first love. I can remember when he took drum lessons in Chicago when he was about seven years old.”

Rickjan expressed an interest in music as a young boy after witnessing the musical talents of his two older brothers: John and Ray. “(Music) was important to me, Ricky and Ray,” John said. “As a matter of fact, Ray and Ricky actually went to Los Angeles together to see if a musical career was possible.”

Ray and Rickjan went on to form the Knoxville funk and soul group Eastwind with their childhood friends. Ray passed away 10 years ago, but the surviving members of Eastwind still play together regularly.

“Ricky, in particular, has always been really perceptive of what others are feeling,” John said. “I think that comes out in all of his artistic endeavors.”

Rickjan records and writes his own music in his home studio and is working to make music videos for his tracks.

Having such varied interests, Rickjan has three degrees from UT in communications, political science and fine arts. While at UT, Rickjan was an entertainment news staff writer for the Daily Beacon and a promoter for the Campus Entertainment Board. “(UT) gave me a great opportunity,” Rickjan said. “I am blessed, ... but when you pull it all together, I have to say that the opportunity that was given to me was tremendous.”

UT Alumnus Rickjan Lomax in his home recording studio.

Kurt Welch / The Daily Beacon

ARTS&CULTURE

Thursday, March 29, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

5

What to Watch Wednesday: Crime shows Neeley Moore

Arts and Culture Editor

“ Crime shows

With spring recess coming up, use the extra-long weekend to catch up on a thrilling crime show. Crime shows take the every day and add mystery and the unexpected. Whether placed in a historical setting or in a modern city, they have a way of grabbing the audience’s attention from beginning to end.

take the every day and add mystery and the unexpected.

”

Courtesy of IMDb

Courtesy of IMDb Alias Grace (2018) A new Netflix Original, “Alias Grace” is a Canadian-American miniseries based on a novel by Margaret Atwood. This is the third separate television series adapted from Atwood’s work.

In “Alias Grace,” a doctor is hired to evaluate young Grace Marks, whose supporters hope that the doctor’s report on her mental state will allow her freedom from prison. For the past 15 years, Grace has been imprisoned for murder; the other person in the case was previously hanged. Though Grace has no memory of the actual murders, she tells the doctor her story about her immigrating from Ireland to Canada and working as a maid.

Throughout his questions and as she tells her story, she has flashbacks on the murders, her trial and her conviction.

The show takes place in Canada in 1843, twisting historical fiction and psychological drama with crime.

Sherlock (2010) Another psychological crime show with a historical figure yet a modern twist is the BBC’s well-known adaptation of “Sherlock.”

The creators of “Sherlock” take fictional historical figure Sherlock Holmes, a detective and self-proclaimed high-functioning sociopath and place him in modern day London. He, along with his best friend and military doctor, John Watson, figure out the most difficult crimes in their city. The episodes are over an hour long each, and each adapts one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s historical detective stories into a currentday crime drama.

The series begins when Watson moves into Sherlock’s flat on Baker Street and mystery after mystery comes to their shared doorstep. Slowly, all the mysteries root back to Sherlock’s main enemy and criminal mastermind, Moriarty. “Sherlock” offers plenty of humor, mystery and unforgettable characters.

Collateral (2017) For a strictly modern crime show, watch the miniseries “Collateral.”

The show begins when an employee at Regal Pizza is gunned down on the street in a south London suburb after delivering a pizza. Kip Glaspie, a detective inspector and a former pole vaulter, is newly promoted and is assigned to investigate the case. Kip questions the motives of Regal Pizza’s manager after discovering that the

Courtesy of IMDb person who delivered the pizza was never

meant to deliver that pizza, and the mystery begins.

“Collateral” is the perfect crime drama if you’re looking for something modern, political and unexpected.

The show was written for the BBC and can now be streamed on Netflix.

6

PUZZLES&GAMES

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, March 29, 2018

STR8TS No. 1094

Medium

1

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SUDOKU No. 1094

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For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

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SPORTS

Thursday, March 29, 2018 • The Daily Beacon

7

FOOTBALL

Pruitt displeased after Vols’ fourth spring practice session Will Backus Staff Writer Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt made no bones about how he’s feeling about the status of his team following the fourth day of spring practice, at least on the defensive side of things.

“Interesting day out there today,” Pruitt said after the practice. “I’m coming off the field, and I’m ticked off. I don’t know if it’s because I’m mad about the way the whole team practiced or the offense kicked their tails.”

Tennessee is coming off of its first twoday break, not having practiced on Sunday or Monday of this week before getting back on the practice field on Tuesday.

Pruitt was displeased with his team’s response to the rest and was especially irked by the amount of mental errors he saw the players commit.

“We had two days off,” Pruitt said, “(And our guys) didn’t respond the right way. We’ve got to fix that.”

Gearing up toward scrimmages: For Tennessee, it isn’t necessarily about all of the individual practices it is going through; these are just moments to learn. The objectives are translating these fundamentals the players learn in practice into scrimmage scenarios and performing at a high standard. “(Scrimmages) are kind of like a test,” Pruitt said. “You study for a certain period of time and you get the information, and then they test you

on it.”

Pruitt mentioned that Tennessee will have a couple of instances this spring in which it holds scrimmages to evaluate where the Vols are as a team. The practices are the building blocks to this goal.

To Pruitt, scrimmages will place the emphasis more on the individuals and will serve as ways to measure how players can perform in a crunchtime situation.

The ultimate scrimmage comes on April 21, when the Vols will participate in the Orange and White game held annually at Neyland Stadium.

Pruitt has already mentioned that this year, the Orange and White Game will follow the format of an actual game in order to simulate what the coaches expect out of all of the players on gameday.

Pruitt even mentioned the possibility of the team staying in a hotel. The Orange and White game will serve as a measuring stick for how the team will react during an actual game-time scenario, right down to the crowd.

“You have an element where you create a game-like atmosphere,” Pruitt said. “That adds a little more excitement, a little more anxiety, a little more pressure.”

Vols still evaluating every position: This is the first chance the new Tennessee coaching staff is getting to look at what it really has on this roster. On day one of practice, the coaches were evaluating players and positions, and three practices later, nothing has changed.

There are plenty of players who have already

had a change of scenery under Pruitt’s regime. Former wide receiver Tyler Byrd made the move to defensive back, his position out of high school, and running back Carlin Fils-Aime has been seeing reps at defensive back as well, to name a couple.

Though these athletes have changed positions to start the spring, they are still getting work at their UT players run receiving drills at practice on March 20, 2018. original positions.

“We’re still install- Tara Halley / The Daily Beacon ing things,” Pruitt All eyes are on the quarterback position, with said. “We’ll see after seven days if we want to make the decision to keep those guys there at the the battle seemingly between Jarret Guarantano and Will McBride. Both have appeared strong scrimmage or return to their original position. in open portions of practice, but any decision “We’re working both right now.”

For the rest of the team, Pruitt insists there made now could be undermined when graduate are no starters, and in fact there are no “groups,” transfer Keller Chryst from Stanford joins the team this summer. as in first team, second team and third team.

The only certainty Pruitt has is that he wants “We don’t even know who the best football to see his players improve, instead of having off players are yet,” Pruitt said.

The stress the past few days has been on days like he claimed he saw on Tuesday.

Pruitt made it very clear how he feels the evaluation. It seems that practically every athlete on Tennessee’s roster has an equal chance at team stands with him right now.

“We’re not good enough to go backwards,” nabbing a starting spot.

Pruitt said.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hard work, position battles in store for Lady Vols’ future Tyler Wombles Sports Editor Evina Westbrook’s final sentiment regarding Tennessee’s second-round loss to Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament was bittersweet.

“Excited for next season, but this one hurts,” Westbrook said.

After notching a 15-game winning streak to begin the season, the Lady Vols ended the year with a 10-8 mark, including a second-round ouster in the SEC Tournament as well. The frustration with the season’s ultimate end early in the NCAA Tournament was evident among head coach Holly Warlick and multiple players following the contest.

That disappointment hasn’t staved off the drive for improvement by members of the program, though. Westbrook’s mentality following the loss to Oregon State was focused on the knowledge she could impart to the team’s upcoming freshman class as a rising sophomore.

“I think it taught us a lot, especially as underclassmen,” Westbrook said. “Especially what to expect, and then for the younger group coming in, just what we can tell them, and (they can) really just feed off of us. But definitely, I think this experience is going to make us not want to be in a place like this again.”

Westbrook was one of two freshmen who factored into the starting lineup for the Lady Vols last season, as she began every game on the floor at point guard for Tennessee. Her experience in running her team’s offense as a freshman could be critical for her down the stretch of next season, but she isn’t resting on her laurels in that regard.

“I basically need to work on everything,” Westbrook said. “My shot, my dribbling, everything like that to prepare more for next year. Just being more aggressive and to really get my team where I know we can be, which is much farther than (the second round) … I think (starting at point guard) has given me an advantage really to

just know the game, know the system.”

The Lady Vols’ group of highly-touted firstyear players made a notable impact on the court last season, with guards Anastasia Hayes and center Kasiyahna Kushituah often helping spark Tennessee off the bench and forward Rennia Davis acting as one of the team’s most consistent starters.

The development of the group will likely be a strong factor in the Lady Vols’ success on the floor next year as Warlick will have to make up for minutes lost with the graduation of star forward Jaime Nared.

Another key storyline for next season will be Tennessee’s work in replacing standout center Mercedes Russell.

Russell started every game for the Lady Vols her junior and senior seasons, finishing first on the roster in rebounding both years and second in points-per-game each season as well. She was named 2017-2018 All-SEC First Team and an Honorable Mention All-American by the

Associated Press and WBCA the prior year.

Three of Tennessee’s returning post players, as well as a member of the incoming freshman class, could factor into the battle to replace Russell as the team’s starting center, including rising redshirt senior Cheridene Green.

Green finished last season with 122 total rebounds and 4.1 points per game, playing key minutes for the Lady Vols off the bench. She has been mainly considered a forward thus far in her career with Tennessee but could possibly make the transition to full-time center for Warlick’s squad.

“I think the main thing for me is not just getting the role because she’s leaving but the fact of me earning it and wanting it and me working hard to deserve that role,” Green said. “Because that’s a really big leadership role, and I have to be a very effective and impactful player. So I think I’m definitely going to prepare myself for it.”

Tennessee’s schedule for the 2018-2019 season has not yet been announced.

8

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, March 29, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Barnes sets his sights on next season with Loyola loss behind him Cory Sanning Copy Editor

Like most college coaches, Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes has suffered his fair share of postseason disappointments.

Despite experiencing their most successful season in nearly a decade, the Vols’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion as Loyola-Chicago’s Clayton Custer buried a mid-range jumper.

With that loss now behind him, Barnes has already begun his preparation for next season.

“You’re really starting over again,” Barnes said. “We open everything back up to where there’s no give, and guys have to earn what they’re going to get.”

In his third season as coach of the Vols, Barnes and his staff guided the program to heights it had not reached since Bruce Pearl strolled the sidelines of Thompson-Boling Arena.

Garnering a plethora of conference recognition that included Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Sixth Man and All-SEC honors, Tennessee now heads into the offseason with a core nearly identical to last year’s.

Aside from the departure of graduate-transfer James Daniel III, the Vols are looking at a similar roster as summer rapidly approaches.

“He played a big role. He had to totally adjust his game,” Barnes said. “We’ll miss what he certainly gave us. He helped us win some basketball

games.”

One word Barnes constantly brought up as he spoke to reporters for a final time was his desire for his players to develop more consistency heading into next season.

“I think individual guys have to be more consistent,” Barnes said. “We’re going to get back to a lot of fundamental work.”

Averaging 73.8 points per game this season, the Vols ranked sixth in the SEC in scoring and field goal percentage. This was despite taking home a share of the regular season conference title and making their first SEC championship game appearance since 2008.

“Conditioning is a big part for a number of these guys,” Barnes said. “They all have different needs to be met, and we’ll deal with them.”

Since departing from Dallas and returning to Knoxville over a week ago, several players have immediately returned to the practice court at Pratt Pavilion on a regular basis despite the NCAA’s seven-day rule concerning the coaching staff following the conclusion of any team’s season.

Of those players, freshman Yves Pons was the first mentioned by Barnes. A native of Fuveau, France, he logged 124 total minutes and was among the highest-rated incoming players in Tennessee’s 2017 recruiting class.

“He’s been in there every day,” Barnes said.

“They’re excited about getting back in (the gym). It was all new for them this year, and now they know how good it can be and how quickly

it can end.”

A large portion of the roster, including Bone, Turner, Jordan Bowden and Grant Williams, will be entering junior season in October.

“I think that’s where you want to see the jump,” Barnes said. “You do expect a jump between your freshman and sophomore years, but the real jump gets down to one word, I think — passion.”

Williams, who was the team’s leading scorer at 15.2 points per game last season, was the opposing coach’s primary focus on the defensive side of the ball despite playing through injuries.

Barnes feels there are still areas on the floor in which Williams can strengthen his game, and he was stern about that Monday.

“He needs to get himself in high-level conditioning,” Barnes said. “It’ll allow him to guard the ball better on the perimeter, play longer and harder and rebound more consistently.”

Overall, the Vols reached heights this season that many had not expected of them. Having not appeared in an NCAA Tournament in nearly four years, Tennessee was the No. 3 seed in the South Region – the highest since 2008.

With that being said, Barnes and his staff are not satisfied and will have higher expectations for this upcoming season.

“We won’t be picked 13th in the SEC next year,” Barnes said. “I think that it’s up to you as coaches to realize and help them realize there’s always a way to get better.”

Rick Barnes, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team during the game against High Point at ThompsonBoling Arena on Nov. 14, 2017.

Kaitlyn Marlowe, File / The Daily Beacon

BASEBALL

Vols look to continue conference success at South Carolina Blake Von Hagen Staff Writer After sweeping Alabama and picking up a dominant road win at Western Carolina, the Tennessee baseball team will head to Columbia, South Carolina, for a three-game set with the Gamecocks.

The Vols’ four-game winning streak is part of their best start to SEC play since 2008.

Tennessee is also coming off a season-high in runs and home runs in their 17-3 victory over the Catamounts on Tuesday.

“We are starting to gain confidence the more we play and the more we compete,” freshman Evan Russell said. “We have actually decided that we can compete with these guys even though they are SEC competitors. I feel like our confidence is growing, and I think we can just only get better from here.”

Russell has emerged in the past few games as a serious contributor to the Tennessee offense.

He drove in the game-winning runs in two of the three wins against Alabama last weekend on bases-loaded walks.

“The coaching staff has done a very good job of making sure we work for everything we get,” Russell said. “I just took my approach in the weight room and out here on the field at practice of grinding through at-bats, grinding through practices and doing everything that I have been taught to fight, and the results were perfect, all I can ask for.”

South Carolina is off to a 1-5 start in SEC play.

The Gamecocks were picked to finish fourth in the Eastern Division of the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and return eight starting-position players from last season.

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said this road trip provides more than just a chance to win an SEC series.

“It’s been exciting to kind of get to know them a little better rather than them kind of being afraid of the new coaching staff and trying to please us all the time,” Vitello said. “This is a

sport where if you are not comfortable in your own skin, you are in a lot of trouble.”

From a freshman’s perspective, Russell approaches his second SEC road trip with a laid-back attitude.

“I think we are just going to go have fun and compete,” Russell said. “I think we do a great job of being relaxed on the road, which is weird, but I think when we compete on the road, we feel like we have nothing to lose. I just feel like we are going to be in a relaxed atmosphere, and we are going to get after it.”

The Vols will go with the same starting pitchers that they have used the last three series. Freshman Garrett Crochet will start on Thursday night, coming off a career-high eight strikeouts in his start against Alabama.

Right-handed pitcher Garrett Stallings is lined up for the start on Friday, entering the series with a 4-1 record and a 2.55 ERA. “It’s great for us to get off to a good start, and we are definitely going to have to use that momentum going forward,” Stallings said.

Junior Will Neely will close things out when he starts the final game of the road trip on Saturday. Neely is coming off a complete game in the second contest of Sunday’s doubleheader win against the Crimson Tide.

Brandon Chinea will continue to play third base while Wyatt Stapp is out with an injury.

Chinea is hitting just .114 at the plate, but he made key defensive plays during the series sweep of Alabama.

“He’s equal to the task over there defensively,” Vitello said. “You saw some signs of life from him at the plate … I think as he gets more and more comfortable and settles in he will start to accomplish some things at the plate as well, but for now, we are loving every minute of that defense.”

Game one between the Vols and Gamecocks will start at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and can be seen on ESPNU. The final two games of the series will be played at 7 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Both of those contests will be broadcast on the SEC Network.