Vol Twitter helps GoFundMe donations exceed goal to help Wes Rucker family
Longtime sports reporter Wes Rucker understood the power and scope of Tennessee fans, especially Vol Twitter, the most rabid portion of the Tennessee fan base.
In the aftermath of Rucker’s tragic death Feb. 19, that same group of fans, who he would interact and spar with constantly, is coming through again.
Rucker was the only fatality in a multivehicle crash on Interstate 40 West near Cedar Bluff, Feb. 19. He was 43.
The family established a GoFundMe to help support Rucker’s wife, Lauren, their son and baby girl due in May. Within two hours the original $100,000 goal was surpassed. The new goal is $250,000.
“In a tragic instant, our family has faced an unimaginable loss,” the GoFundMe page says. “As the family navigates this devastating loss, we are hearing from those in a social community that he loved so dearly a desire to support. Coming together to ensure that Lauren and his children are supported, cared for, and surrounded by stability in the years to come.
“In this recent time of a job transition, Wes did not currently have a life insurance policy. All funds raised will go directly toward the ongoing needs of the Lauren and the kids in this time of transition and uncertainty.”
Vol Twitter, which has a nasty reputation if spurned, has come through for their own before. In 2022 Tennessee basketball star Zakai Zeigler’s mother, Charmane Zeigler, lost everything in a fire at the family’s home in an apartment building in the New York borough of Queens in 2022. Vols fans immediately sprung to life when the university posted details of a GoFundMe.
The family sought $50,000. Vols fans overwhelmed the family with over $360,000 in donations.
Rucker covered the Vols since 2000, working for multiple media outlets, including as a senior writer for 247Sports. He most recently served as a writer and host for WBIR-TV in Knoxville.
Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Email: [email protected]; X: @tyler_whetstone; Signal: twhetstone141924.39
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Donations exceed GoFundMe goal for Wes Rucker, longtime sports journalist
NBA to Put Anti-Tanking Rules in Place Next Season After Commissioner Said Problem Is ‘Worse’ Than Ever: Report
Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly implementing tweaks to league rules about tanking
- The Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers were fined last week after they chose to rest star players
- With a talented incoming draft class, more franchises are losing so that they can better their odds for a top pick
The NBA is aiming to combat the increasing practice of teams tanking to get top draft picks.
League Commissioner Adam Silver met with 30 general managers on Thursday, Feb. 19, to discuss the irksome trend — which has drawn the ire of fans and critics alike — and will implement changes next season, sources told ESPN.
Among the ideas discussed to tweak the current system, first-round draft picks would be protected for top-four or top-14-plus selections, lottery odds would freeze at the trade deadline or a later date and teams would no longer be able to pick in the top four in consecutive years.
The “inside basketball” moves come in the wake of the NBA fining the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers for “conduct detrimental to the league” after both teams recently removed star players from their lineups, according to the league.
Meanwhile, more teams are implementing the practice so that they can land a top draft pick because this year’s class is one of the most talented in recent memory, according to The Athletic.
In his annual league address during All-Star Weekend, Silver addressed the “conundrum.”
Ethan Miller/Getty
“The fundamental theory behind the draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete,” Silver said, according to The Athletic. “The issue is, if teams are manipulating their performance in order to get higher draft picks, even in a lottery, then the question becomes … are they really the worst performing teams?
He added, “My sense is talking to GMs and coaches around the league that there’s probably even more parity reflected in our records. And that goes to the incentive issue. … It’s a bit of a conundrum.”
With the NBA at an inflection point, one outspoken former owner said the issue shouldn’t be top of mind.
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"The nba should worry more about fan experience than tanking,” former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote on X earlier this week. “It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.
He added, “You know who cares the least about tanking , a parent who cant afford to bring their 3 kids to a game and buy their kids a jersey of their fave player. Tanking isn’t the issue. Affordability and quality of game presentation are.”
Read the original article on People
Rockets rise to No. 3 in West standings, now 11-5 in last month
Between an inactive trade deadline and a controversy over alleged social media “burner” comments (possibly by Kevin Durant), the Houston Rockets haven’t had ideal publicity over the past two weeks.
Yet, on the floor, the results are showing clear signs of improvement.
Thursday’s victory at Charlotte, coupled with Denver’s loss later that night to the Los Angeles Clippers, launched Houston (34-20) into the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference standings.
Dating back to Jan. 16, the Rockets are 11-5 (.688) in their last 16 games. Among West rivals, only the second-seeded Spurs (11-3, .786) have been better over that span, and one of those three losses was to Houston.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, their margin of error remains quite small. Though they have climbed to No. 3, they remain 4.5 games back of San Antonio (39-16) for the No. 2 spot, and three teams — the No. 4 Nuggets (35-21), the No. 5 Los Angeles Lakers (33-21), and No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22) — are hot on Houston’s heels.
In other words, climbing higher than No. 3 is a heavy lift, and it wouldn’t take much for the Rockets to fall back to anywhere between No. 4 and No. 6.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2026
▪️ DET (#1 in East) wins 4th straight
▪️ SAS (#2 in West) wins 7th straight
▪️ HOU rises to #3 in West
▪️ CLE (#4 in East) wins 6th straight
▪️ ATL rises to #9 in East
▪️ LAC rises to #9 in West
Download the NBA App for more: https://t.co/pBKIAWNToapic.twitter.com/91G2OgAd8P
But regardless, the Rockets are playing much better basketball, and that’s welcome news after a stretch from Dec. 1 through Jan. 15 in which Houston went just 10-11 (.476). Dating back to Dec. 15, Friday is only the third day in which the Rockets have woken up in the West’s top three.
Down the road, a top-three finish in the regular season could be critical, since that will likely be on the opposite side of the 2026 playoff bracket from the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (who, at 42-14, continue to rank atop the West).
Led by Durant, a perennial All-Star, the Rockets will look to build on their recent momentum when they travel to New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Tipoff versus the Knicks (35-21) is at 7:30 p.m. Central, and the game will be broadcast to a national audience on ABC.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets rise to No. 3 in West standings, now 11-5 in last month
Zampa rejects idea Australia do not value T20s
T20 World Cup, Group B, Pallekele
Oman 104 (16.2 overs): Wasim 32 (33); Zampa 4-21
Australia 108-1 (9.4 overs): Marsh 64 (33)
Australia won by nine wickets
Spinner Adam Zampa rejected the narrative Australia do not value T20 cricket as highly as other formats after his side departed the World Cup by thrashing Oman for a consolation nine-wicket win.
Mitchell Marsh's side were already out of the tournament after defeats by Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but lifted themselves to dismiss Oman for 104 before racing to their target in just 9.4 overs.
Since their exit was confirmed on Tuesday, it has been suggested Australia do not value the shortest format as highly as Test or 50-over cricket.
"It is totally false," said Zampa, a white-ball specialist who has never played a Test.
"The time the coaches and staff put into our T20 cricket is probably as much as Test cricket, potentially even more time because T20 cricket and one-day cricket, everyone is a lot tighter in the world. The work is definitely there."
Australia's poor World Cup follows their 4-1 victory over England in the Ashes. They have not lost an Ashes series since 2015. They have won six 50-over World Cups but only one of the 10 men's T20 World Cups.
They lost bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injury before this tournament while left-armer Mitchell Starc has also retired from T20s, but their thinking often appeared muddled throughout the group stage here.
"The Australian public struggle with the fact they don't get to see much white-ball cricket played," said 33-year-old Zampa.
"We play three to six games in the summer and do a lot of our work away from Australian time.
"They don't get to see the way we play and prepare for these World Cups.
"It is disappointing it has ended like this but the work and time is as much as the other formats."
How Australia thrashed Oman
Zampa said he was "feeling pretty hollow" after the win over Oman.
He took four wickets but said it was the "worst-feeling four-for I have ever got".
Seamer Xavier Bartlett bowled Aamir Kaleem with the first ball of the match and the seamer barely celebrated - a clear sign of Australia's disappointment at their early exit.
Though the flat atmosphere continued, Australia were clinical. Wasim Ali's 32 was the highest score for Oman, who depart the tournament with four defeats from four.
Captain Marsh, seemingly keen to hit through any frustrations at his side's run, then crashed seven fours and four sixes, including two huge hits over the leg side, to wrap up victory in quick time.
Only 12 runs were needed when left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed dismissed Travis Head for 32. Marsh finished unbeaten on 64 from 33.
Australia's victory concludes the group stage of the World Cup - this was one of few mismatches between the lower and higher-ranked sides.
The Super 8s begin on Saturday with a meeting between New Zealand and Pakistan in Colombo. England play co-hosts Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Sunday.
- Stats battle: Can you beat our new T20 World Cup game?
- 'It smacks of England' - Australia fail again at T20 World Cup
Who will win Vanderbilt basketball vs Tennessee in SEC rivalry? Our prediction
Vanderbilt basketball is set to take on rival Tennessee for the first time this season as the Vols visit Memorial Gymnasium.
The No. 18 Commodores (21-5, 8-5 SEC) are coming off a loss at Mizzou. Tennessee (19-7, 9-4) has won home games against LSU and Oklahoma most recently.
Vanderbilt has been successful against the Vols at home recently, having won two of the last three matchups at Memorial Gymnasium. Last season, the Commodores split two games with Tennessee, winning the home matchup but dropping the road matchup.
Here is our prediction for the matchup:
Nate Ament is the player to watch
The 6-foot-10 Nate Ament has been the focal point of much of what Tennessee does this season. He is the Vols' leading scorer with 18.2 points per game, but he isn't a traditional big despite his size. He is especially deadly from midrange and can shoot 3-pointers while also averaging 6.4 rebounds per game and having a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ament also gets to the free-throw line a lot, which could prove a handful for Vanderbilt's bigs, Devin McGlockton and Jalen Washington, both of whom have been prone to foul trouble this season. With other bigs on the roster for the Vols, the Commodores may struggle with the sheer size of Tennessee.
The Jaylen Carey storyline
Jaylen Carey made waves when he transferred to Tennessee from Vanderbilt but also criticized Mark Byington and the Commodores' coaching staff. While players have transferred between the Vols and Commodores in other sports, Carey is the first in men's basketball.
Carey has been a role player for Tennessee. He averages 7.8 points and six rebounds per game and shoots just 49% from the field despite having only attempted five 3-pointers all season.
Carey made a big impact in Vanderbilt's games against the Vols last season and perhaps the matchup could be a motivator for him.
Rebounding is something to watch
Tennessee's biggest strength as a team is that it is No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage, or the percentage of its own missed shots that it rebounds. The Vols are not particularly good at shooting and don't take care of the basketball particularly well − both strengths of Vanderbilt's − but they generate extra possessions. Rebounding has often been a problem for Vanderbilt. The Commodores will either need to show improvement on the boards or make a high percentage of shots to make up for it.
How to watch Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee: Time, TV channel, live stream
- Time: 1 p.m. CT
- TV channel: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo (subscribe today)
Vanderbilt vs Tennessee injury updates
Duke Miles and Frankie Collins both missed the game against Missouri with injuries. It is possible that Miles could return for this game, but if he does it will likely not be at 100%.
JP Estrella missed Tennessee's last game against Oklahoma and is day-to-day.
Vanderbilt vs Tennessee prediction
Vanderbilt 75, Tennessee 69
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt basketball vs Tennessee prediction, picks in SEC showdown