By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — After a stellar season, Vanderbilt junior guard Saben Lee’s decision to declare for the NBA draft last week wasn’t really a surprise. But the possibility remains that Lee could return if he isn’t fully sure he’ll be a first round pick. Lee hasn’t yet signed with an agent. That gives him the opportunity to get an evaluation from the draft committee without losing his eligibility. He has until June 3 to withdraw from the draft pool. He was the Commodores’ leading scorer for the 2019-20 season, averaging 18.6 points per game and playing 32…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Much of the buzz around last week’s new inductees into the Naismith Hall of Fame has gone to the illustrious trio of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, all first ballot selections, champions and part of what some are claiming is the greatest class ever inducted. But across the state of Tennessee, many people are celebrating the inclusion in that group of Tamika Catchings, a prolific star at the University of Tennessee and later one of the WNBA’s all-time finest all-round players. Catchings was a four-time All-American at Tennessee. She was the national…
Sometimes drastic events result in major changes. The almost complete suspension of sports activity in America, particularly team sports, is leading to lots of things being considered because it has forced the shutting down of two leagues near the start of their playoffs (NBA and NHL), plus two others just getting or about to get started (MLS and MLB), and also stopped all sorts of individual sports from tennis to golf, auto racing to bowling and horse racing. Every major league and sporting organization faces major questions about how to proceed if (and it’s a big if) they can even…
By Ron Wynn So far the moves being made by the Tennessee Titans in free agency, in particular the signing of QB Ryan Tannehill to a new deal and the one-year contract given former Atlanta Falcon Vic Beasley, aren’t getting raves from others in the NFL community. Both Pro Football Focus and USA Today have weighed in on these decisions, and neither responded in a very favorable manner. The decision to give Tannehill a four-year, $118 million dollar contract extension was deemed a question mark, even though PFF previously named him their Comeback Player of the Year. The deal includes…
By Rob Wynn The National Hockey League is not joining the National Football League in proceeding with business as usual in the week of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Last Friday they announced that the draft, previously set for June 26-27 in Montreal, was postponed. The same holds true for the combine, scheduled for Buffalo June 1-6. The league has not announced any proposed new dates for either to be held, though they continue to hold out hope that the current season can be played and the Stanley Cup ultimately awarded. The NHL also said players were now free to leave their…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — While the NHL has its own minor league system, more teams are supplementing it with draftees and acquisitions who’ve previously played in college. The Predators’ newest member compiled an impressive record during his college days, and the hope is that this will translate to the pro ranks. Patrick Harper, a former Boston University forward, signed a two-year entry level deal Friday. Harper also has international experience, having played for the American team at the World Junior Championships twice. The 2017 team won the gold medal, while the 2018 edition won the bronze. He was…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Even though its their offseason, the NFL continues to dominate the news, and the Titans are proving no exception as roster changes are reshaping the identity of a team that reached last year’s AFC title game. Nothing has shocked fans more than the departure of defensive line stalwart Jurrell Casey. He was unceremoniously traded last week to the Denver Broncos for a seventh-round draft choice. It was without question a strict salary dump, with the Titans saving reportedly $13 million on the salary cap. Having franchised Derrick Henry, the thinking in some circles is…
The sporting world came to almost a total halt last week, as multiple leagues began cancelling, postponing or suspending seasons, tournaments and events. Suddenly a machine that includes numerous networks, various broadcast and cable outlets, print media publications and websites, found itself with virtually nothing to cover other than announcements of who was shutting down what next, and speculative analysis and stories about when competition might resume. One thing that’s always been taken for granted except in times of lockouts and strikes was there would be SOME kind of competition happening somewhere. But the coronavirus and COVID-19 has proven a…
By Ron Wynn The Tennessee State Tigers improved in several areas this season, and a big reason for that was the play of Carlos Marshall. Last week that was recognized as Marshall, a redshirt sophomore, was named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s All-OVC and All-Newcomer teams, the first Tiger to accomplish that double since Kenny Moore in 2010-11. He was a second-team All-OVC selection. Marshall posted averages of 11. 8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and hit almost 42 percent (41.3) from the floor in his first season as a starter. He also had 63 assists and 20 steals. His averages improved…
By Ron Wynn Less than 48 hours after announcing that the much anticipated annual Big Ears Festival in Knoxville would proceed in two weeks, the festival organizers announced Wednesday they were indeed going to cancel it. They joined South by Southwest and Coachella among recent events that have now been cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus and COVID-19. “Just 48 hours ago, we were optimistic that there was a path forward; but with events surrounding COVID-19 developing rapidly along with the obvious need for urgent steps to contain its spread, we simply cannot move forward with the festival as…