What a year it was for Tennessee Athletics as it wins its’ third straight SEC Directors Cup award and wraps up the annual athletics calendar with a National Championship in baseball. A successful year like that does not happen without a lot of outstanding athletes. Here are From The Stands thoughts on who the most outstanding were.
The Contenders – Lady Vols
Rickea Jackson – Basketball. Jackson was the driver behind the Lady Vols success in the 2023-24 season that ended with her being honorable mention All-American on several AA teams. She averaged 20.2 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. Jackson was named All-SEC for both regular season and the SEC tournament. She was the 4th overall pick in the WNBA draft and is off to a successful rookie season with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Kiki Milloy – Softball. Milloy capped off her Tennessee career by being named second team All-American. She led the team with a .347 batting average and tied for the most hits with 59 on the season. Milloy battled back from injuries to have an outstanding final year for the Lady Vols.
Sofia Cabezas – Tennis. Cabezas had an awesome senior season with ITA All-American honors in both singles and doubles. Cabezas advanced to the NCAA Final 4 in doubles with her partner Elsa Tomase. She was first team All-SEC. She was involved in multiple clutch matches during the season that propelled the Lady Vols to wins and advancement in SEC and NCAA tournament play.
The Contenders – Vols
James Pearce Jr. – Football. Pearce had a breakout season in 2023. His sophomore season was so good that he has been named as the top returning player in college football for 2024. Pearce earned first team All-SEC in 2023 and was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice. Pearce finished the season with a dominating performance in the Citrus Bowl highlighted by a 52 yard interception return for a touchdown.
Dalton Knecht – Basketball. What can be stated about Knecht that hasn’t already been stated many times before. His performance during his one transfer season with the Vols was incredible. Knecht was a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year, SEC Newcomer of the Year, First team All-SEC, College Basketball Transfer of the Year, and the awards go on and on and on. Knecht was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Christian Moore – Baseball. Picking a contender from the National Champions Vols’ Baseball Team is tough. There were so many huge contributors to this team’s success. But you cannot ignore Moore’s contributions and place in Tennessee Baseball history as the program’s all time home run hitter (60). He was the second player in NCAA Baseball to hit for the cycle in a College World Series game. Moore was named first team All-American, first team All-SEC, multiple national player of the week honors and like Dalton Knecht, the awards go on and on and on. Moore is only a junior but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to pass on a MLB contract and return for a senior season at Tennessee.
The From The Stands Winners
Lady Vols – Rickea Jackson. The Lady Vols were clearly a better team when Rickea Jackson returned from injury this past season. Her presence in the lineup presented much greater challenges to opponents in stopping the Lady Vols on offense. Jackson’s value as a basketball player was underscored in the WNBA Draft with her selection as the 4th overall pick. Congratulations to Jackson for an outstanding senior season, overall Lady Vols’ career and on her success in the WNBA Draft.
Vols – Christian Moore. This one was a tough choice primarily between Moore and Knecht. But I’m giving the edge to Moore on the strength of a National Championship season and a program record setting home run record. Knecht didn’t have the same talent level around him to take the Vols to a National Championship in basketball making the Vols run to the Elite 8 impressive. Moore was the emotional team leader that helped drive the Vols through to a National Championship. That includes what was probably the comeback win of the year for Tennessee Athletics, the bottom of the 9th walk off win over FSU in Game 1 of the College World Series.
