More 'Crootin with Butch Jones

Butch Jones made a heck of a statement in the recruiting world when he got stud 2014 running back Jalen Hurd and standout safety Todd Kelly Jr. to commit early in March. Since then, his and the Tennessee program's momentum has continued to build as the Vols now have 10 pledges for the 2014 class, 5 of which are 4-star rated or better. For reference, the Vols under Derek Dooley had 2 commits at this point last year. Right now the Vols rank in the top 5 for their 2014 recruiting class according to just about every recruiting service.

Yesterday, the Vols picked up their second 4-star tight end commit in as many weeks in Daniel Helm. The Vols currently do not have tight ends that are real proficient in the passing game on their roster. Butch Jones and tight ends coach Mark Elder have addressed this in getting the commitments from Helm and Ethan Wolf.

Put simply, what Butch Jones has done in recruiting only being on the job since December is astounding and really underscores how miserable a recruiter Derek Dooley was for the Vols. To come in and take over a program coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons and get this type of momentum already is astounding. Imagine what he could do at UT if he proves he can win. The early signs point to Tennessee having made a home run hire judging from the early recruiting success and by 61,000+ who attended the spring game (2nd most in program history).

Vols in the NFL draft

Though Tennessee struggled to a 5-7 record in the 2012 season, they had numerous players that are strong candidates to be drafted in this weekend's NFL Draft. Let's take a look at why NFL teams might want these players, concerns they have about these players, and where these guys might get drafted.

Tyler Bray- simply put. NFL scouts love the California native's ability to throw the ball. He has elite arm strength and when he keeps sound mechanics he can throw passes 99% of other quarterbacks can. A slew of incidents off the field combined with a poor win-loss record on the field give NFL teams pause about drafting the most physically quarterback in the draft. Expect him to be drafted between the 3rd and 5th rounds.

Cordarrelle Patterson- maybe the most electric player in this draft with the ball in his hands. Has ideal size at 6'2 217 and elite level speed. He is raw in route running and knowledge of the game, but his talent with the ball in his hands makes him a 1st round lock.

Justin Hunter- has elite speed and leaping ability and stands at 6'4. A prototypical downfield threat from a measurables standpoint for the NFL. Struggled with drops this past season. A late 1st round 2nd round pick most likely.

Dallas Thomas- scouts like his versatility as he can play all the offensive line positions. May not be an elite guy but looks like he will be a solid player for awhile. Probably a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

Mychal Rivera- definitely fits in the now pass-happy NFL where 2 pass catching tight end sets have become standard. Small for a tight end but definitely a plus in the passing game, will be a 6th or 7th round pick probably.

That's it for the Vols that will likely be drafted. It'll be exciting to see how this all goes down this weekend.

Spring Game observations

I'm going to tell you what you should take away from Tennessee's Orange and White spring game. Where Tennessee fans tallied the second highest spring game attendance in the program's history.

1. The Tennessee passing attack needs work. Now the quarterbacks were not as bad as they looked on Saturday, they are throwing to a bunch of walk-on receivers who would not be seeing the field if Tennessee was not fighting so many injuries at that position. That said, neither Nathan Peterman or Justin Worley has established themselves as the man for the position. Too many under-thrown and missed passes for Tennessee coaches or fans to be comfortable.

2. Alden Hill ran for over 100 yards on 18 carries Saturday. The redshirt freshman continued his strong spring and has really pushed himself into contention for meaningful carries by the time Fall rolls around. He will never be a breakaway threat, but he rarely goes down on first contact and has improved immensely in reading the holes created by the offensive line and taking the yards that are available.

3. Michael Palardy has had as inconsistent of a kicking career as any Tennessee kicker in history. He was three for three on Saturday with makes from 42, 52 and 36 yards. That sort of consistency gives Tennessee fans some cautious optimism that he'll live up to his billing as the number one kicker coming out of high school.

4. Tennessee's secondary allowed only one busted coverage on the day, immense improvement from last year. Sophomore Brian Randolph and junior Justin Coleman look like solid consistent options back there and may even be on the verge of breakout seasons this year. That unit certainly doesn't resemble the one that was torched over and over again last year.

5.Tennessee tallied 9 "sacks" on the day, I put that in quotations because since the quarterbacks were wearing non-contact jerseys, the defense only had to touch them to end the play. Freshman Corey Vereen dominated the second team offensive line en route to four sacks, his motor and burst off the edge may force him into the starting lineup come Fall. Redshirt freshman Latroy Lewis also spent a significant amount of time in the backfield and has the stature and athleticism of a classic 4-3 defensive end. Senior Jacques Smith also looked strong when he absolutely blew up Pig Howard on a reverse play. No one is pronouncing this defensive line as a strength until they do it against quality competition in the Fall, but they look better in the early going than any Tennessee defensive line in the last four or five years.

What to watch for in the final week of spring practice

Coming down to the end of the University of Tennessee's spring practice, there are certain things that Tennessee fans should be paying attention to this week and in the Orange and White game on Saturday.

1. QB play- Justin Worley currently carries the advantage in locking down the starting QB job for Tennessee, but don't count Nathan Peterman out, neither one has distinguished himself as "The Man" this spring. Either way, don't expect Butch Jones to name a starter until Fall.

2. Who's running the ball?- Marlin Lane had gained the upper hand in claiming that job until he was a no show at practice last week for disciplinary reasons. Rajion Neal ought to have seized the job by now, but he hasn't shown consistency yet, leaving the door open for players like Alden Hill, who has had an excellent spring, to get more carries.

3. Will any receiver distinguish themselves?- due to injuries and inexperience, no one in the Volunteer receiving core has stepped up as a bona fide, consistent threat. Jason Croom had been making strides in that direction until he went down with a hamstring injury last Thursday. Pig Howard has the talent to be a game-changing threat, but he like Neal has struggled with consistency this spring.

4. Pass Rush?- Tennessee has struggled badly in the last two years in getting to the quarterback. That's evidenced by them finishing last in the SEC in sacks the last two years. Will any of their d-lineman step up and be that threat off the edge? Calling on Jacques Smith, anybody, this is your opportunity.

5. The vols have a lot of solid options in the secondary, but none of them has distinguished themselves on the field yet. Especially at cornerback. Byron Moore and Brian Randolph are the likely starters at safety, but the cornerback position is a toss-up between Justin Coleman, Daniel Gray and Riyahd Jones. Will anybody position themselves as a lockdown corner?

Beasts of the NL East, the Braves might not be stopped

Following a demoralizing sweep of the Nationals over the last weekend, the Braves currently look like the best team in baseball. You may say this is blatantly obvious because of their MLB best record of 11-1, but I'm going to say that if the Braves are playing this well now, then I don't see how they'll regress the rest of the season. You may say I'm biased because I'm an Atlanta fan, but hear me out.

The Braves start has been carried by a pitching staff with the best ERA in baseball, MVP talent Justin Upton playing like an MVP and the greatest story of the baseball season in rookie catcher Evan Gattis. Now surely Upton will go through some down stretches this season and the pitching staff will give up bad starts or whatever else, but the fact is the Braves are winning in every conceivable way already. Blowing teams out? The Braves lead the majors in run differential aided by great offensive outputs in 2 games versus the Phillies, 1 against the Marlins and 1 against the Nationals and their 21-win starter Gio Gonzalez. The Braves have shown the ability to win playing small-ball like they did against Stephen Strasburg on Saturday. And finally, the Braves have already shown the knack for storming back and snatching victory from defeat like when they overcame 4 run deficits in the final 3 innings against the Cubs and the Nationals. Romero Pena, Juan Francisco, Chris Johnson, the Uptons and Freddie Freeman have all shown a knack for delivering in clutch hitting situations already this season.

Mind you the Braves are doing this without All-Star catcher Brian McCann, who will have to fight to regain his old spot from Gattis. Rising Superstar Freddie Freeman is on the DL. And Jason Heyward, an MVP quality outfielder (don't believe me? look at his WAR numbers from last year), has yet to hit his stride at the plate this year. BJ Upton, Dan Uggla and Andrelton Simmons have yet to really find their stride at the plate either. As much as this batting lineup is already feared by pitchers with its major-league leading home run totals and situational hitting, there is MUCH ROOM FOR THIS OFFENSE TO IMPROVE. Not to mention on the pitching side of things, the Braves get back a No. 2 starter quality pitcher in Brandon Beachy around the All-Star break.

Now the Braves will not continue to win at a 90%+ clip, but the fact is this team is already running through foes without coming close to its ceiling.

Of course now that I've posted this blog, the Braves will probably start sucking, but oh well.

2013 University of Tennessee spring football observations

Having observed most of Tennessee's spring football in person this year, these are some of my astute observations of how Butch Jones and his staff are molding the team.

1. The tempo of the offense and of the team in general is much faster, practices require players running from station to station. By Fall, this team should be as well conditioned as any Tennessee team in history. That said, in order for the Vols to maintain the offensive tempo that Butch Jones wants, execution on offense will have to be better. Worley and Peterman both look like solid QB's, but neither has the throwing ability of departed QB Tyler Bray, and thus their margin for error in their throws is smaller. On top of that, the Vols do not have a go-to receiver at the moment and lack depth at the position.

2. The Vols are not strong running the ball yet. As has been the case throughout his college career, rising senior running back Rajion Neal has all the physical tools to be an elite SEC running back, but to this point in his career has yet to turn his great physical attributes into anything resembling consistency. Junior Marlin Lane had been doing well this spring, but he is currently not with the team for disciplinary reasons. Redshirt freshman Alden Hill has stepped to the plate this spring and looks ready for at least a part time role in the offense in the spring.

3. The Vols offensive line is far and away the best unit on the team, but discount the D-line either. While there is a lack of proven playmaker, that group has a lot of experience and some talent to couple with that experience. If seniors like Jacques Smith and Mo Couch step up, this unit could be a strength of the team.

4, The kickers are still consistently inconsistent.

5. Don't be surprised if freshman skill players on offense who arrive in the summer, like Marquez North, Ryan Jenkins, Josh Smith, Joshua Dobbs and Jabo Lee, have an immediate role on the team.

Final Four thoughts

The 2013 NCAA Men's basketball tournament begins its' final act today in the southeastern metropolis of Atlanta (home of yours truly). And while the tournament has certainly had its' twists and turns, today's Final Four contests feature teams and storylines that are all too familiar with the NCAA tournament.

In Louisville versus Wichita State we have the classic powerhouse vs. Cinderella/mid-major power game that has become prevalent in recent years, a la George Mason vs. Florida and Butler vs. Michigan State. The difference between Wichita State and those other teams though is that Wichita State is 10-deep in players that can impact games and has adequate size and athleticism at every position. That said, Louisville's pressure will probably be too much for the Shockers to handle. As if that wasn't enough, Louisville is also playing for Kevin Ware, who suffered that horrific leg injury in their Elite Eight victory over Duke. The only way Louisville doesn't take this game is if one of their backcourt duo of Russ Smith or Peyton Siva has a bad game or gets themselves in foul trouble. If that happens, Louisville's lack of players who can handle the ball off the bench could come back to haunt them.

Syracuse and Michigan are two big conference schools who have rich basketball histories, although Syracuse's is a lot more recent. It is an intriguing matchup in that Syracuse's zone is the most stifling defense in the country and Michigan is one of the more offensively diverse teams in the country. Unlike many basketball analyst, I actually don't think Michigan has to bomb away and pray from the three point line to win this game. Michigan has guards in Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. that can attack defense's off the bounce and stroke it from deep. Those two plus do it all freshman forward Glen Robinson III are players that Syracuse have yet to meet in this tournament. The key for Michigan defensively is too keep Syracuse from getting hot deep and make them take contested shots.

I honestly think that a Louisville vs.Michigan matchup has the potential to be the best NCAA final since Memphis vs. Kansas. Michigan's ability to handle the ball (they lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio) against Louisville's pressure defense puts the teams on a level playing field should those two meet Monday. As a basketball fan, I really hope that happens.

Butch Jones and recruiting at Tennessee

Butch Jones for the moment seems to have re-energized the fan base at the University of Tennessee. This is none more apparent than his early efforts in recruiting. Securing signatures from highly touted 2013 players Marquez North and Joshua Dobbs was a solid start in Jones' recruiting efforts at Tennessee.

However, where Jones has really made a statement (to steal from another University of Tennessee athletic slogan) is in his early returns in the 2014 recruiting class. First off, getting the state of Tennessee's top two players to verbally commit as early as March was a major victory for Jones. Todd Kelly Jr. and Jalen Hurd have offers from everywhere a football player would want offers from and both decided 11 months before their signing day to buy into what Butch Jones and his staff are doing at the University of Tennessee. Hurd especially gives Tennessee the big time running back recruit that they have failed to secure in the last three years. Vic Wharton is also a solid pickup in that he's an athlete who has potential on either side of the ball because of his ball skills. He also was Jones' first commitment in the 2014 class and has really gotten the ball rolling in terms of recruiting other players from around the state and country to join up with him going to Tennessee.

Jones and his staff's early 2014 recruiting impact is not just limited to the state of Tennessee though. Jones and his staff have done solid work in getting two players out of the Virginia-Maryland-DC area. Coleman Thomas is Tennessee's only o-line commit at the moment but he appears to have the size and skills to provide depth at any of the offensive line spots. The commitment of cornerback D'Andre Payne was a major get at a position in need of a talent upgrade. Jones has also dipped into Georgia to secure one of its' top running backs in Treyvon Paulk.

The point of this post is that Jones and his staff have managed to get prospects to buy in before they even see what his product looks like on the field. It's easy to imagine that if he gets results on the field come this Fall, he may have a real opportunity to secure Tennessee's best recruiting class since 2007, which would be a start in returning Tennessee to the top of the SEC.

Sweet 16 thoughts

First of all, the Sweet 16 round was the round where I officially kissed my bracket goodbye. I had Miami winning it all, they lost to Marquette Thursday night. One of my final four teams, New Mexico, was done after the first weekend, a casualty of Harvard's first ever NCAA tournament win. And of course Georgetown was done in by Florida Gulf Coast and their high-flying up-tempo attack. The only one of my Final Four team's remaining is Louisville. So there's that.

Marquette shocked me with the way they manhandled a deep Miami team for 40 minutes, that's a team with a number of different pieces that they can mix and match to make some crazy lineups.

Syracuse did not shock me with their strong win over Indiana. IU had been beaten by physical teams all year as exemplified by losses to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Butler. IU was a team with a lot of star power and skill, but at the end of the day they're soft and will back down if team's continuously wear them down.

My personal favorite team remaining is Wichita State, which means they will now probably lose tonight against Ohio State. The Shockers are physical and deep, so they're built to succeed in these tournament formats as they just wear down opponents with their hard-nosed defense and variety of scoring options.

I'm not particularly fond of Duke or Michigan State, but the right team won. Duke has more talent and stands a shot at challenging Louisville, who has by far been the most impressive team in this tournament. Michigan State would've wilted under Louisville's pressure, of this I'm sure.

Which brings me to Michigan. The performance by them in overcoming a 10 point deficit with 2 minutes remaining against Kansas last night was as impressive as any comeback I've seen, regardless of sport. Trey Burke really is unparalleled as a point guard. A Louisville-Michigan final would be outstanding as they both match up with each other well, specifically Burke against Louisville's press.

Lady Vols in the Sweet 16

For the fourth straight year. the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers have advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's basketball tournament. For the third time in those four years. The Lady Vols are likely stating at a date with Baylor and the 6'8 all-world player Brittney Griner. By the way, in her final "home"-and I put that in quotations because OKC will be a pro-Baylor crowd- game, Griner poured in 33 points, collected 22 rebounds and dunked 3 times to put a cap on her career in Waco, Tx.

This current Lady Vols team is not as talented or as experienced as Lady Vols teams in the last few years. There are only 2 seniors on this year's team and both of them were role players for the Lady Vols until this inaugural season under new head coach Holly Warlick. Junior guard Meighan Simmons is the only Lady Vols who really had proven herself heading into this season, and her inconsistent play is still a hot topic for Lady Vols fans. But, those seniors have shown an ability this year to not melt in the spotlight, unlike past Lady Vol players since Candace Parker left.

But perhaps the youth and inexperience of this team could serve the Lady Vols well against Baylor. After all, the Lady Vols have been manhandled by Griner and her Baylor Bears since 2009 when the Lady Vols beat them 74-65 in Griner's first NCAA game. The Vols did suffer a double-digit beating in Waco earlier this season, but they've already surpassed expectations by finishing first during the SEC regular season after being picked 5th in the preseason by the SEC coaches.

When the Lady Vols beat Brittney Griner in her first career college game, they did so by taking the fight right to her. They got her in foul trouble early by rotating players on her on defense and by matching her up against different players on offense.

Unfortunately for the Lady Vols, Griner has evolved as a defender and offensive player. She doesn't commit dumb fouls anymore and usually doesn't let her emotions get the best of her (this has happened in the past).
On offense, she's near automatic all the way out to 15 feet and has very good footwork in the post to position herself for easy buckets.

So how do the Lady Vols beat Griner? One strategy would be to try to get her in foul trouble, but again she's not prone to do that. Another would be to turn this game into a track meet, negating Griner by beating her up and down the floor, but the Lady Vols don't appear to have the depth to do that.

As stupid as this sounds, the simplest way for the Lady Vols to compete and maybe beat Baylor is to make shots. Griner is a defensive force, but her presence alone doesn't explain the Lady Vols shooting no greater than 32% in the last five meetings. In those five losses, the Lady Vols often looked rushed in all shot attempts and executed the offense poorly and often looked intimidated by Griner. To beat Baylor, the Lady Vols must shoot at least 40% and can't be intimidated by Griner even if she blocks a shot.

Welcome

My name is Thomas Duggins. I'm from Marietta,Ga and am a senior Journalism and Electronic Media major at the University of Tennessee. I'm particularly fond of sports. Football,basketball,baseball and soccer are my favorites to watch. I was raised a Tennessee fan and a fan of all the Atlanta pro sports teams.

This blog will reflect my sports opinions (and there are many).

There will be more to come, but for right now. Enjoy.