Latest news with #Knoxville
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Why The San Antonio Spurs Should Trade Up For Collin Murray-Boyles
KNOXVILLE, TN - MARCH 08: South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) controls the ... More ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Cade Phillips (12) during the college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks on March 8, 2025, at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The San Antonio Spurs are armed with two lottery selections in this year's NBA draft, respectively the 2nd and 14th overall. With the heavy assumption being Rutgers guard Dylan Harper at #2, the waters get much more unclear by the time the Spurs pick again at #14. Collin Murray-Boyles, a 6'8 forward out of South Carolina, is projected to go anywhere between #9 and outside of the lottery. He's a lefty power forward with high defensive IQ, quality rebounding (8.3) and playmaking capabilities, and he's even got a scoring touch (16.8 points), with the outside shot being his biggest area of improvement. Murray-Boyles is, in some respects, a similar type of player as Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio's current power forward, but a more refined version. With Sochan being extension eligible this summer, and still being considered a bit of a question mark around the league, San Antonio should attempt to re-load the position by using their 14th selection to trade up for Murray-Boyles. While the idea of replacing Sochan with Murray-Boyles is overwhelmingly basketball related, there are financial benefits of doing this as well. A rookie contract allows a team to have a player under cost control for four seasons. With Sochan, the Spurs have just one year left, until an extension or a new contract kicks in. By acquiring Murray-Boyles, and thus trading away Sochan - be that in the deal that fetches Murray-Boyles, or in a separate trade later - the Spurs carve out significant salary cap flexibility over the next four years. This isn't a knock on Sochan, who has been a reliable two-way forward during his first three seasons. But while his defense, along with his 11.4 points, and 6.1 rebounds for his career have been fine, he has yet to take a significant leap. He isn't the same player as when he was drafted, but it isn't that far off. That's why a replacement like Murray-Boyles makes sense within the grand scheme of things. You can make the case that he'll have a similar impact as Sochan on Day 1, and it's fair to expect the 20-year-old to get even better as he ages. The forthcoming draftee has noted himself that shooting is a major emphasis in his training, and with his shot not being remotely broken, there's logic in expecting improvement in that area. So, what's the deal? That's the big question. #14 and Sochan for #9 (Toronto) could be a little too aggressive, and lord knows the Raptors aren't in need of anymore forwards. The Rockets, who have #10, are presumably interested in packaging picks for a star, meaning they probably have little interest in moving a pick for a worse one, even if they get a little extra sweetener on the side. At #11, it begins to get problematic, as Portland could be a strong candidate to grab Murray-Boyles. His hard-nosed game fits their schemes, and they're unquestionably interesting in pivoting off Jerami Grant, thus creating space for a new four-man. Would the Blazers flat-out demand Sochan and #14 for #11? They probably should, seeing as they're in full control of the situation at their draft slot. Alternatively, the Spurs would have to look higher up in the draft, and there's merit in doing that, as long as they believe Murray-Boyles is going to be worth it. What happens remains to be seen, and it should be noted the Spurs haven't been heavily tied to Murray-Boyles whatsoever. But he would make sense in San Antonio, as would his salary for the next four years. Unless noted otherwise, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Linebacker JP Peace, grandson of Phillip Fulmer, commits to Volunteers
June 16 - The grandson of national champion head coach and former Tennessee Volunteers athletic director Phillip Fulmer is the Vols' first commitment in the Class of 2027. Linebacker J.P. Peace, a rising high school junior, announced his commitment to Tennessee via social media on Monday. Peace's grandfather won six SEC East titles and the 1998 national championship with the Vols, compiling a 152-52 record over 17 seasons. Fulmer was also the school's athletic director from 2017-21. Peace's father, Robert Peace, is also connected to Tennessee football, having played linebacker for the Volunteers from 2000-03. "Naturally, Tennessee was the leading school for him," Robert Peace told ESPN. "We encouraged him to visit other places and he did that. But Tennessee was the place for him and not just because of the family legacy here." J.P. Peace, who is not currently ranked by ESPN or 247Sports, is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker at Knoxville West High School, located less than three miles from the university. "I mean, it's really going to be, like, an unreal experience knowing that I'm following in my dad's footsteps a little bit in that way," J.P. Peace told GoVols247. "I'm excited to do that." He reportedly held offers from Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. "He's very high on (inside linebackers) coach William Inge," the elder Peace said. "He's done a great job recruiting JP, and we believe he's not only going to make him a better player, but a better person for after football. So that had a big impact on this decision to do this this early." --Field Level Media
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
96-year-old dies at Knoxville assisted living facility after minivan crashes through wall
A 96-year-old man was killed when a minivan drove into the Shannondale Assisted Living Facility early June 14. Walter Humphrey, a patient at the West Hills facility, died when a minivan driven by Eleasah Williams, 24, crashed through a wall and into a room in the building, the Knoxville Police Department wrote in a news release. Williams was charged with vehicular homicide with recklessness, the police department said. She was hospitalized after the crash. A police investigation shows the driver sped out of an apartment complex on Woodview Lane at about 5:15 a.m., drove across four lanes of Middlebrook Pike and into the building. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Man dies at Shannondale Assisted Living after minivan crashes through wall
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Knox County leaders are in the dark on trustee's office investigation, but that may change
It's been just over two months since Knox News exclusively reported the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury is investigating the Knox County Trustee's Office. County audit committee members, who were some of the first to learn about Justin Biggs' spending, will meet June 16 for a routine quarterly session, but any updates on the investigation might not be public. The committee is allowed to go into closed meetings to discuss confidential topics, such as a comptroller's investigation. The audit committee oversees the county audit department, which ensures public money is properly spent, employees follow the law and government operates efficiently. Or they might not hear an update at all. County officials and community members are in the dark about the investigation. The state watchdog agency does not (and will not) publicly share updates during its investigations. All we know is that the case is ongoing, and Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond's office is already at work reviewing the comptroller's materials. Biggs is at the center of a Knox News exclusive report into how he and some of his staff members overspent on high-end hotel rooms and used trustee-leased trucks for personal travel. The investigation goes beyond the trustee's office. Since Knox News published its investigation, Property Assessor Phil Ballard and Matt Myers, the county's procurement director, have been snagged by investigators for using county vehicles for personal travel. Why it matters now: Biggs has not been charged with a crime. Two of his three predecessors in the trustee's office have ended up in criminal court following investigations, and it's noteworthy that the comptroller's office has already begun sharing materials with the district attorney. (Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen recused herself from the case, which is why it's being handled in Blount County.) Why it matters in the future: Biggs is running in a contested Republican primary to keep his job in 2026. Regardless of the investigation and its fallout, Biggs is free to finish out his term as trustee and serve a new one if he's reelected. When's the meeting? The county audit committee, which is made up of three Knox County commissioners, one member of the county school board and two community members, will meet at 1 p.m. June 16 in conference room 575 in the City-County Building, 400 Main St. If they don't discuss the comptroller's investigation into the trustee's office - or even if they do - they could also ask about the state watchdog looking into the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center. Knox News reported June 2 that state investigators on April 7 had talked to the facility's only nurse, Stefani Clowers, for an hour and a half that day. One month later, Bean, the superintendent of the facility named for him, gave Clowers a choice: Resign or be fired for "turning him in," she told Knox News. Clowers, a registered nurse, sounded alarms that facility leaders failed to follow medical best practices. She told Knox News she contacted six local and state agencies about errors in medication distribution and several instances when she felt children's lives were in danger. She repeatedly raised concerns to Bean and his lieutenant, Kay McClain, she said. Clowers refused to resign, was fired and then was reinstated a day later under pressure from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin, who warned Bean his dismissals of Clowers and information technology specialist Thomas Cordell exposed the county to potential lawsuits that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cordell also took the offer for reinstatement. What we don't know: We don't know the extent of any state investigation into the detention center beyond the fact they were there in April. What we do know: Bean's firing of the two staffers and the alleged misconduct it revealed ushered a leadership overhaul. Bean resigned, and and the county is considering moving the juvenile detention center under the purview of the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Even if the state isn't investigating, the fallout will be noteworthy this week and next week in Knox County politics. The Knox County Commission will meet for its agenda review meeting June 16. The commissioners won't take any votes. It's just a time for them to ask questions about items on their agenda for next week. But a couple of notable items might raise questions, including moving the juvenile detention center under the control of the sheriff's office. But not everyone is on board: Mayor Glenn Jacobs is pushing for KCSO as the solution to overseeing the Bean Center, with an emergency ordinance to do so on the preliminary agenda. But other county leaders aren't so sure. How do other detention centers conduct oversight? Knox County Commissioner Courtney Durrett wants to create a committee to look into how other detention centers are run across the state. The commission could weigh in on her idea at the agenda review meeting. Study up: You can read about Durrett's proposal at Click "agenda" and select the "optional agenda review meeting" option. Another interesting agenda item... Knox County Commissioner Andy Fox, who represents South Knox County, is poised to introduce legislation discussing a "fluoride prohibition." I've been following Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's sales tax increase proposal. Since the last edition of The Key: Knox News detailed the items exempt from sales taxes in Tennessee Kincannon released projects the administration wants to complete with the estimate $47 million in annual revenue form the increase The Knoxville City Council gave initial approval for the proposal to go on voters' ballots in November. The final vote will be June 24. Here are some news highlights from last week: Ryan Wilusz reported Trump fired another Biden appointee, cutting TVA board down to just three members Tyler Whetstone reported on an internal probe in the sheriff's office after it failed the family of a teen who died Keenan Thomas reported FIFA wants to continue turf research collaboration with University of Tennessee beyond 2026 I reported Jeff Talman will be on North Knoxville residents' city council ballots I detailed what Knox County did last time Knoxville raised its sales tax Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: and follow her on reddit at u/KnoxNewsAllie This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County leaders may hear updates on trustee investigation
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Atlanta-Colorado MLB game features two starting pitchers with Knoxville ties
Atlanta-Colorado MLB game features two starting pitchers with Knoxville ties Atlanta (31-38) defeated Colorado (13-57), 4-1, Saturday at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Saturday's National League contest featured two starting pitchers with ties to Knoxville. Spencer Strider (1-5) earned his first win in 2025 after pitching six innings and recording 13 strikeouts for the Braves. He totaled 87 pitches, including 61 strikes, against 22 batters. Chase Dollander (2-7) started for the Rockies and pitched six innings. He totaled four strikeouts and 97 pitches (60 strikes) against 26 batters. Dollander (17-6) played for the Vols from 2022-23 after transferring from Georgia Southern. He appeared in 33 games, including 31 starts, at Tennessee. Dollander recorded 228 strikeouts, one complete game and a .364 ERA in 168 innings pitched during his Tennessee career. Strider went to Christian Academy of Knoxville before playing collegiately at Clemson from 2018-20. He won a state championship during his senior season at Christian Academy of Knoxville under head coach Tommy Pharr. More: How former Tony Vitello era Vols performed in MLB debuts Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
