A gritty comeback, fueled by an
injured Jaime Lloreda, Brandon Bass and Darrel Mitchell allowed the Tigers to
register a 73-70 upset of the 20th-ranked Gators.
Florida (14-7) can kiss the Top 25
goodbye as LSU prepares to make its first visit to the nation’s elite since last
January. Kudos to Brady and his squad for turning things around after a
three-game losing streak early in the SEC slate. Expect more good things in the
future as the Tigers (17-4) continue its march back to the NCAA
Tournament.
Although she missed her eighth game
in the last 10 outings, coach Sue Gunter picked up win No. 700 disposing of the
Arkansas LadyBacks 92-65 last Thursday.
Gunter, still recuperating from a
bad bout with bronchitis, became only the third coach in NCAA women’s hoops
history to reach the 700-win plateau joining SEC counterpart Pat Summitt of
Tennessee and Texas coach Jody Conradt.
The win was somewhat bittersweet as
it has been rumored Gunter may be done for the season. The coaching legend has
had trouble regaining her strength and she may stay away for the rest of the
2003-04 campaign. After 40 years of coaching, Gunter may be in the twilight of
her career as further reports state she may be ready to hang it up. What a shame
since she has finally gotten her program to the level she has always wanted.
Gunter has assembled the players at the right time and the right place as the
Lady Tigers are getting the national attention it fully deserves.
Our thoughts and prayers are with
you coach.
And how about Smoke Laval’s
baseball Tigers?
Five home runs on Saturday
highlighted an exciting opening weekend for the nation’s No. 2-ranked team.
Laval and his staff promised offense and it showed as LSU flexed it’s offensive
muscles. Also, a great big pat on the back to Lane Mestepey, who was sharp in
his comeback debut on Saturday.
Now allow me to crawl up on the
soapbox for a few minutes.
Due to the recent rash of
recruiting incidences popping up around the nation, NCAA president Miles Brand
has formed a committee in order to tighten up recruiting rules and
violations.
For those of you who have been
under a rock somewhere, college football recruiting has undergone an interesting
month in regards to scandal.
A sex scandal including booze and
strippers has left the Colorado football program in a cloud an investigation is
underway. But the most recent outrage was Carol City, Fla. standout Willie Williams, the nation’s top-rated high school linebacker, and a paper trail of
escapades during a recent recruiting visit to Gainesville and the University of
Florida.
The 6-4, 220-pound Williams, who
signed with Miami, is facing two misdemeanor charges along with an alleged
felony after one wild night in Gainesville.
Around 10:30 p.m., Williams had and
unwanted encounter with a UF co-ed, in which he “grabbed her front,” according
to police reports as she walked with her boyfriend. We don’t know exactly what
“grabbed her front” means, but we are under the assumption it was inappropriate.
Around 2 a.m., Williams engaged in
a fistfight at a local nightclub, from which the recipient of Williams’ pounding
said the fight was totally unwarranted.
If Williams hadn’t had enough,
nearing 4 a.m., the blue chip linebacker discharged several fire extinguishers
in the conference center in the UF Hilton, which is a felony.
The kicker to the entire
incidences, Williams had been in trouble with the law before, 11 times before
his rampage through Gainesville he had been arrested. Williams’ rap sheet
included mostly burglaries and theft.
What was he thinking?
A heralded football recruit, who is
going to receive a free education and a spot on one of the nation’s
best football teams, may have just
thrown it all away. But did he? Will Miami refuse to allow Williams to show
up?
Hopefully, the Hurricanes will do
the right thing and turn Williams away. Surely they would not take a risk on a
player who has proven he will do something like this again.
Why is it he would act out like
this?
One simple answer, because he
can.
Everywhere Williams has gone for
the past year or so, people have been falling all over themselves to accommodate
him and make him happy, i.e. recruiting visits and camps. The Miami-Herald even
kept a recruiting diary on Williams throughout the year documenting his visits
to the nation’s top programs, even profiling a trip to Florida State, where he
flew along on a private jet and fattened up on steak and lobster.
What’s the matter with this
picture?
Of course this kid is going to do
whatever he feels like doing because he is treated like a king everywhere he
turns. If its not bad enough that schools are selling out trying to obtain his
services, fans and followers hang on his every word.
It is perfectly all right to follow
recruiting as a hobby. Recruiting has grown into a passion for many and fans
across the nation follow the recruiting season from start to finish. However,
but the mixture of exposure, the good life on recruiting trips and a bad kid are
one lethal combination as we have seen in this situation.
Hopefully, not only Miami will do
the right thing, but Brand will act accordingly.
Coming off the soapbox, in football
news it appears LSU and Nick Saban are closing in on a new contract for the
National Coach of the Year.
Saban is projected to make $2.6
million over the next seven years. With the clause in his contract last season
insuring he would make $1 more than college football’s highest paid coach, Saban
was promised he would make more than Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, who brought in $2.3
million last year.
With all incentives, Saban could
possibly make up to $3 million next year.
In other football news, offensive
lineman Jerry Sevin will miss next season.
The former John Curtis
standout will receive a medical redshirt due to an unspecified illness. Rumors
that he left the team seeking playing time elsewhere are
erroneous.