The Tennessee men's basketball team capped its historic season with more victories in Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday night.
The Vols were winners in six categories at the 2010 "Volscars" awards ceremony.
The Volscars are an Oscars/ESPYs parody honoring UT's top athletes of the year.
The fourth annual presentation, put on by the UT Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, was once again a hit.
"It continues to get bigger and better each year as these student-athletes continue to do a great job,'' Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt said. "This is something they have really embraced and made bigger and better each year.''
If anyone can appreciate a program's growth, it's Summitt, with her 1,037 career victories and eight national championships over the past 36 seasons.
On this night, the men's team was recognized for its evolution under fifth-year coach Bruce Pearl.
"We went through a lot, and we accomplished a lot,'' sophomore Cameron Tatum said. "It's good basketball is recognized along with our school's other top programs, and it's because all Coach Pearl has done to resurrect basketball at Tennessee.''
Pearl was honored as UT's men's coach of the year, the team won the "Rocky Top Moment" award for its win over No. 1-ranked Kansas, the "Community Outreach" award for its civic volunteer work and the men's "Team of the Year" for reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
Sophomore Emmanuel Negedu was honored with an "Inspirational Award,'' and revealed he has been cleared to play basketball again despite having a pacemaker as a result of a cardiac incident in September.
Monday marked the first time Negedu discussed his medical clearance with Pearl and UT. The school has just started to review the information.
A pair of former UT football champions, Terry Fair and Fred White, served as masters of ceremonies, making light of their increasing ages and waistlines throughout the program.
But UT's current stars highlighted the action: Track and Field's Phoebe Wright was named UT's female athlete of the year while tennis' John-Patrick Smith was the male athlete of the year.
National diving champion Michael Wright also played a large role in the show, using his diving talents to leap and flip over live fire during a skit while also putting his graphic arts talents to work designing the poster for the event.
"After last year's show a lot more student athletes wanted to get involved in the performances and presentations,'' Wright said. "We knew it would be a challenge to try to top last year's show.''
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 25
Ironcity writes:
Interesting development. If Negadu can play then we may not have a scholarship for Selby. It wouldn't surprise me UT said we just can't clear you yet.
newtonrail writes:
Man, I want the best for Negedu, but HOW can he play with a pacemaker? That sounds unreal.
utfan15govols writes:
Well for one thing we still have a scholarship left whether E-man comes back or not. I am gald to see E-man back if he is cleared to play after the reviews. As for Selby, sure he is talented, but I don't like the decommitted from us deal. I think he is drama and we don't need that.
BillsBrother writes:
Negedu probably does not have a pacemaker. It has been previously reported that a "defibillator" (ICD) was placed in his chest. Typically, an ICD only activates in emergency type situations. If the doctors have cleared the young man I would suspect that they believe the chance of an "emergency" occuring to be quite low. If a heart emergency does happen, the ICD will kick in and jump start the heart.
out_of_town_vol_fan writes:
i hope some new information...is released soon about negadu.
bballvol1234 writes:
Selby is hopson all over again. Love scotty but everyone said he was one and done and i think he got here and realized he can benefit from some time in college.
ThugTillIDie writes:
Or maybe he's just an 18 year old kid making the biggest decision of his life so far. It might be hard on the fans, but give these kids a break. They've got a lot of people in their ear and it's real easy to get confused on what to do. Heck, nobody was recruiting me and I had NO clue where I was going to go to school. I can't imagine being pressured so hard to make that decision.
lomas98 writes:
If Negedu is cleared medically, I just don't see UT and Pearl taking the chance. Just because he is cleared doesn't mean he would be cleared by the school. If something were to happen to him think of the PR nightmare. There seems to be more and more kids who die on the field or on the court now in either high school or college with heart conditions. When Hank Gathers died it seemed like a freak thing at the time, but it has turned into a real problem now. He even had warning signs and everyone still continued to let him play. I know Pearl loves this kid and wants the best for him, but I just don't see how the school will take the chance and allow him to play on this basketball team again.
lomas98 writes:
Totally agree. Some fans don't realize this is the biggest decision a kid can make. They didn't grow up as just fans of a school and would do anything to go to team "fill in the blank". TN fans would do whatever they could to play for TN if we had the athletic ability and were 17, but these kids are not fans. Selby has no allegiance to TN and doesn't owe it to us to attend the university just because he was committed at one time. He changed his mind, things happen. I wish people wouldn't take it so personal when a kid decommits and goes elsewhere. All of these kids now are drama queens. I have heard of a kid turn down a school once because the number he likes to wear was retired by that school. That just goes to show you what these kids are thinking.
eduardo writes:
JOSH SELBY!!!
theoldbear writes:
For Negedu just to put on the uniform, warm up with the team, and sit on the bench would be an inspiration. For him to play, a miracle.
I believe in miracles. I came back from cancer and eye surgeries to play on rec league basketball teams that won five consecutive championships.
Negedu can literally put his heart in the Tennessee program, and we need more of that!
God bless him!
pj_ladyvolnMI writes:
Agree. I remember the way he comforted the guys when they lost at the Elite 8. Love his heart!
richvol writes:
If there is only one scholarship to give and if Negedu is able to play then I say give it to him instead of a one and doner like Selby. The E-Man is a tremendous athlete with toughness that can bang under the basket and that's what we need more than another guard. Williams and Hall are OK but nowhere near the player that Negedu can be.
murrayvol writes:
It sounds unreal because it is. Hopefully we'll get a second opinion from one of the many cardiologists who post here.
VolunteerLifer writes:
I agree. Negedu wears an ICD (implanted cardio defibrillator). An ICD has a pacemaker as a sidelight. but its main function is to fire an electical shock directly into the heart if the heart goes into a dangerous rythym for more than a predetermined, programmed length of time. Negedu once experienced just such a rythym (tachycardia), which lasted long enough for him to have been considered in cardiac arrest. He was saved by an external defibrillator that time. His ICD is implanted so that in case that happens again, his life will be saved no matter where he is and no matter if no one is with him, and no matter how far it is to a hospital. Given that he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), chances are that it will happen again sometime.
Just because he has been cleared to play basketball doesn't mean it is a good idea for him to play on the varsity team at UT. A defibrillator firing is an extremely violent and disturbing thing for the recipient, especially if it is a multiple firing. It can also be very disturbing for witnesses. If his defibrillator hits him during a game, the moment will be captured on film and be shown endlessly on espn, etc, the way they show car crashes. And neither UT nor Negedu wants that to happen, believe me. And I know what I'm talking about.
trgclychip writes:
An all-sports awards dinner is fine. "Volscars" seems contrived and over the top. Glad they didnt have such nonsense back when I was at UT.
VolWalker writes:
Yeah, kids these days and their rap music. Why can't things be the way they were in the 50's.
tmartin writes:
Selby isnt coming. Get over it
Ironcity writes:
You always speak of the train wreck that never comes. BOK you have had a another rough year and had to swallow another bitter pill. Knowing that us UT fans have a coach far superior to your teams coach, it must be tough being you. Keep up the bashing it certainly keeps me entertained.
TLepage writes:
during the course of the mcdonald's all-america game, Selby said that Tennessee is back in the race for his services along with Zona, UK, UCONN, and Kansas..... He also said that he doesn't have a leader.... I know this does not guarantee that he will come to UT, but it doesn't mean that we are out of it either... We will know shortly, he is making his decision April 17.....
budd#207344 writes:
Yes, Its a shame to see this. Student -Athletes enjoying themselves and having fun with their fellow teammates. Working on skits, singing and smiling and enjoying life. Such a shame.
TommyJack writes:
Not to mention the liability issue.
osbymartin#581730 writes:
Negedu is still on full scholarship so he is covered. He is still officially on the roster, at practices, and travels with the team. UT still has 1 scholarship to use.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
You might be right but at least it seems KY is dropping FAST on his list.......as long as UT doesn't have to play him twice a year.
nicknack1 writes:
UT has not cleared Negedu to play and even if he was, Pearl wouldn't risk Negedu's life
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.