By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team returns to its non-conference slate Friday evening, making the trip down I-40 for a tilt with No. 10 nationally-ranked Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tip is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT in the Golden Eagles' second-to-last non-conference affair of the 2020-21 campaign. Coverage will be provided on SEC Network+. No Tech radio broadcast will be available in accordance with Southeastern Conference COVID policies.
Tennessee Tech (0-7) at #10 Tennessee (3-0)
Friday, Dec. 18, 2020
6:00 p.m. CT
Thompson-Boling Arena – Knoxville, Tenn.
The Broadcasts
TV: None
Radio: None
Webcast: SEC Network+ (Roger Hoover & Steve Hamer)
Game Notes
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee
SERIES/OPPONENT NOTES
Representing one of 14 known Golden Eagles to call Knoxville his hometown in program history, CJ Gettelfinger could make history Friday evening. His first points would make him the first Tech player from Knoxville ever to score against the Vols on their home floor.
Ricky Norris (1994-95) and Jimmy Elliott (1982-85) represent the only known Tech Knoxvillians to ever face the Vols in their careers.
Norris is the only member of the purple and gold to see the floor against the Vols in Knoxville, playing the final two minutes of the Nov. 27, 1994 match-up.
Elliott scored two points in the Tech loss to Tennessee in Cookeville on Mar. 14, 1985.
The Golden Eagles struggled to get much momentum on offense in their rematch at Jacksonville State, falling to the Gamecocks 74-50. Jax State out-shot Tech 52.6 percent from the field to 33.3 percent.
Freshman Kenny White Jr. led the purple and gold with 12 points on 50 percent shooting off the bench. Sophomore Tujautae Williams added 10 points off the bench.
In Tech's close loss to Jacksonville State, Jr. Clay turned in his first career double-double and second-straight 20-point outing. He dished out a career-high 10 assists to go along with his 20 points.
Damaria Franklin scored a team-high 21 points, producing the most points by a Tech player in his debut with the team since Ty Allen posted 25 at USF on Nov. 9, 2013. Franklin missed the first five games of the season due to COVID protocols.
Through six games, Tech already has more double-doubles (three) as it did all of last season (two).
Tech was predicted to finish 9th overall in the 2020-21 OVC race in voting by the league's head coaches and SIDs. The Golden Eagles were selected to finish 8th in the OVC media poll.
Last season, Jr. Clay and Keishawn Davidson became the first pair of Tech teammates to each total at least 100 assists in the same season since 2001-02. That year, Cameron Crisp dished out 122 dimes while DeAntoine Beasley doled out 104 assists.
With an 83-70 win over Martin Methodist on November 9, 2019, Tech head coach John Pelphrey earned his first victory as the leader of the Golden Eagle program.
Pelphrey, who was named the 13th head coach in Golden Eagle history in April, also earned career win No. 150 on the night, the same day the Tech football team earned its 150th victory in Tucker Stadium on the day they celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football.
Both Davidson and Sylla were honored by the OVC on Nov. 11, picking up two of the league's first three weekly honors of the 2019-20 campaign. Davidson was named OVC Freshman of the Week while Sylla was recognized as the OVC Newcomer of the Week.
It marked the first time since 2015-16 that Tech claimed two of the OVC's three weekly accolades. The last time it occurred was Feb. 1, 2016 when Torrance Rowe won OVC Player of the Week and both Ryan Martin and Hakeem Rogers shared OVC Newcomer of the Week honors.
QUICK HITTERS
The Golden Eagles struggled to get much momentum on offensive in their rematch at Jacksonville State, falling to the Gamecocks 74-50. Jax State out-shot Tech 52.6 percent from the field to 33.3 percent.
Freshman Kenny White Jr. led the purple and gold with 12 points on 50 percent shooting off the bench. Sophomore Tujautae Williams added 10 points off the bench.
In Tech's close loss to Jacksonville State, Jr. Clay turned in his first career double-double and second-straight 20-point outing. He dished out a career-high 10 assists to go along with his 20 points.
Damaria Franklin scored a team-high 21 points, producing the most points by a Tech player in his debut with the team since Ty Allen posted 25 at USF on Nov. 9, 2013. Franklin missed the first five games of the season due to COVID protocols.
Through six games, Tech already has more double-doubles (three) as it did all of last season (two).
Tech was predicted to finish 9th overall in the 2020-21 OVC race in voting by the league's head coaches and SIDs. The Golden Eagles were selected to finish 8th in the OVC media poll.
Last season, Jr. Clay and Keishawn Davidson became the first pair of Tech teammates to each total at least 100 assists in the same season since 2001-02. That year, Cameron Crisp dished out 122 dimes while DeAntoine Beasley doled out 104 assists.
With an 83-70 win over Martin Methodist on November 9, 2019, Tech head coach John Pelphrey earned his first victory as the leader of the Golden Eagle program.
Pelphrey, who was named the 13th head coach in Golden Eagle history in April, also earned career win No. 150 on the night, the same day the Tech football team earned its 150th victory in Tucker Stadium on the day they celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football.
Both Davidson and Sylla were honored by the OVC on Nov. 11, picking up two of the league's first three weekly honors of the 2019-20 campaign. Davidson was named OVC Freshman of the Week while Sylla was recognized as the OVC Newcomer of the Week.
It marked the first time since 2015-16 that Tech claimed two of the OVC's three weekly accolades. The last time it occurred was Feb. 1, 2016 when Torrance Rowe won OVC Player of the Week and both Ryan Martin and Hakeem Rogers shared OVC Newcomer of the Week honors.
TOP IN THEIR STATES
Three of Tech's players for the 2020-21 season boast a particularly impressive feat as part of their respective resumes, all finishing as finalists for the Mr. Basketball Award for their state during their high school careers.
Junior guard Jr. Clay was a two-time finalist at the TSSAA Division II Class AA level while at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, earning the honor in 2017 and again in 2018.
Transfer sophomore guard CJ Gettelfinger was one of three finalists at the TSSAA Division II Class A level in 2018 while competing for Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville.
Freshman forward Kenny White Jr. was named a finalist for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball Award in 2020 while starring for Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in Madisonville, Ky.
Head coach John Pelphrey, a University of Kentucky Hall of Famer, was a Mr. Basketball Award winner during his high school days, claiming the honor for Paintsville High School in 1987.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The 2020-21 Tech roster features 15 players (13 scholarship student-athletes) representing six states and three countries.
Six Golden Eagle players hail from the state Tennessee, while Arkansas and Illinois each boast two Tech players. Alabama, California and Kentucky are represented by one Tech player each.
Two international players round out the roster, including one Golden Eagle from Canada and another from Mali.
Tech has one graduate student, one senior, five juniors, four sophomores and four true freshmen.
Nine Golden Eagles stand 6-foot-5 or taller while the other six measure in at 6-foot-4 or shorter.
Nine members are new to the Tech squad for 2020-21, including Damaria Franklin, CJ Gettelfinger, Shandon Goldman, Austin Harvell, Marcus Hopkins, Taelon Peter, Jalen Stayton, Jamaal Thompson and Kenny White Jr.
Photo by JSU Athletics
