Gene has been with the Times Free Press since July 2008. Prior to that, he spent three years covering sports for the Cleveland Daily Banner. He now covers Tennessee athletics, focusing on football and basketball. Prior to that he spent five years in the same capacity, covering UTC. Gene spent three years playing college basketball, then played a year of semi-professional before starting with the Cleveland Daily Banner in 2005. His passion is basketball, but he loves all sports of all kinds. He does consider himself a fan of the Bulls (NBA), 49ers (NFL) and is attempting a new-found fandom of the Miami Marlins and Florida Panthers. Gene lives in Cleveland and has a 14-year old son, Judah.
At some point during Saturday night's basketball game at Memorial Gymnasium, the Tennessee Volunteers decided that if they weren't going to have success from long range, neither would the home team.
by Gene HenleyUros Plavsic certainly hopes and expects to have better performances than he did Wednesday night in Tennessee's 17-point loss at Georgia.
by Gene HenleyNo one should accuse Tennessee coach Rick Barnes of a lack of effort when it came to trying to find a quality quintet to put on the court Wednesday night.
by Gene HenleyThe Tennessee Volunteers' problems Wednesday night on the basketball court at Stegeman Coliseum didn't stem solely from the latest transformation of their roster.
by Gene HenleyA Tennessee men's basketball team that's in dire need of bodies picked up a big one Tuesday afternoon.
by Gene HenleyThree observations from Tennessee's one-point win over South Carolina Saturday
by Gene HenleySunday afternoon, after Tennessee's 73-56 victory over Georgia, questions about the Lady Volunteers' budding on-court chemistry emerged, with one writer asking how a relatively new group appeared to have been able to mesh so well together.
by Gene HenleyKNOXVILLE — For a young, inexperienced team trying to find its way, the last week has been good for the Tennessee men's basketball Volunteers.
by Gene HenleyThe last time Rick Barnes turned primary ball-handling duties over to a pair of freshmen, there were some definite highs and lows. Plenty of ebbs and flows.
by Gene HenleyTennessee made the addition of one football transfer official.
by Gene HenleyIt was a strange 24 hours for the Tennessee football program.
by Gene HenleyThe Tennessee women's basketball team is on the road for the fourth time in six games, with a Southeastern Conference matchup Thursday night against Mississippi at the Pavilion at Ole Miss.
by Gene HenleyIf the last two games are any indication, the Tennessee men's basketball team may have found its 3-point stroke.
by Gene HenleyGeorgia offensive lineman Cade Mays put his name in the NCAA's transfer portal Wednesday afternoon. It appears he already has his future destination in mind.
by Gene HenleyRick Barnes has an offensive system in place that has, in the past, yielded results. Just look back at last basketball season when his Tennessee team averaged 82 points per game.
by Gene HenleyIf Josiah-Jordan James is going to become the basketball player he's fully capable of being, first he'll have to transform into a player he's never been.
by Gene HenleyTennessee's roller-coaster 2019 football season came to a close in roller-coaster fashion Thursday night, when the Volunteers led early but had to rally from 13 points behind with less than five minutes to play to defeat Indiana 23-22.
by Gene HenleyThere's no magic formula.
by Gene HenleyLike any opener, Tennessee's men's basketball game Saturday brought out a lot of fans who were excited to see what the team's newcomer could bring to the table.
by Gene HenleyWith losses in three of their past four basketball games, the Tennessee Volunteers are stumbling into Southeastern Conference play.
by Gene Henley