Tennessee basketball fans will be treated to a Vol hoops doubleheader with this weekend’s installment of “Vol Network Classics” across the state of Tennessee on participating Vol Radio Network affiliates.
The broadcast begins at approximately 12:20 p.m. ET / 11:20 a.m. CT Saturday on WNML in Knoxville (AM 990 , FM 99.1), online at UTsports.com, on the Tennessee Athletics app and at various times Saturday on more than 25 statewide radio affiliates. Check your local listings.
First on the lineup is Tennessee’s 1987 Valentine’s Day win over Auburn from Stokely Athletics Center. On that memorable night, the Vols’ Tony White broke the school’s single-game scoring record with 51 points. It was a mark that had stood since Ron Widby scored 50 against LSU in 1967, and White’s record still stands today.
White, the SEC’s leading scorer in 1986 and 1987, led the Vols to an exciting 103-84 victory over the talented Tigers of coach Sonny Smith. White, who ended his career as Tennessee’s second all-time leading scorer, was named the SEC’s Co-Player of Year in 1987. In addition to the historic play-by-play call, the broadcast presentation also features an exclusive postgame interview with the recording-setting White along with comments from Tennessee’s head coach at the time, Don DeVoe.
The second half of the doubleheader features an equally treasured and very rare archive from the UT and Vol Network vault. On Jan. 12, 1977, Tennessee played No. 2 Kentucky at newly opened Rupp Arena. The 1976-77 Volunteers were led by the “Double Trouble” All-American tandem of Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. Known as the “Ernie & Bernie Show” under head coach Ray Mears, the basketball Vols during that era were the toast of Big Orange Country, compiling a 61-20 record together and landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
The archive picks up at the start of the second half and follows a back-and-forth battle of two giants that goes to overtime before the Volunteers prevail, 71-67. The game set the then-NCAA attendance record for a basketball game played at an on-campus basketball facility. It was the Wildcats’ first SEC loss at Rupp Arena, and also was the Vols’ fourth-straight win over border-rival Kentucky. Tennessee would go on to a 22-6 record and capture the 1977 SEC Championship.
Postgame, listeners will be treated to John Ward’s interview with 1965 Vol All-American A.W. Davis as well as comments from Mears.
-UT Athletics
