Kentucky’s program is out of reach.
Alabama’s has been, too, but not
always.
Since Don DeVoe took the Vols to
five straight NCAA Tournament bids (1979-83), Tennessee has played in just five NCAA
tournaments and won three games.
During that time, Alabama has won 17 NCAA
tourney games in 13 appearances.
Since 1990, Tennessee has won nine
SEC tournament games. Since the league expanded before the 1992 season, the Vols
are the only team that has failed to reach the semifinals of the conference
tournament.
Since 1990, Alabama has won 19 SEC
tournament games and two tourney titles. The Crimson Tide played in the
championship game in 2002.
Alabama extended its dominance over Tennessee, going 6-0 against Buzz Peterson’s Vols with an
18-point win in Knoxville. The Crimson Tide, outrebounded 46-23
at Florida in
the previous game, crushed UT 43-19 on the boards. It was 18-3 late in the first
half.
Kentucky continues to raise the bar in
basketball.
Since 1983, the Wildcats have
played in 18 NCAA tournaments, won 50 games and been to five Final
Fours.
Arkansas has the second-best record over the
past 21 years with 15 NCAA invites, 27 wins – 18 as an SEC member – and three
Final Fours.
Alabama is next with 17 wins and 13 appearances followed
by Florida (16 wins, 11 invites), Auburn (12,
eight), LSU (11, 12), Mississippi
State (eight, six), Georgia (seven, eight), Vanderbilt (six, six),
Tennessee, (three, five), Ole Miss (three,
five) and South
Carolina (zero, four).
Florida has been to two Final Fours, LSU and Mississippi State one each. Vanderbilt has been to
three Sweet 16s.
Kentucky also has a chance to do the
unthinkable – go unbeaten in SEC play.
Considering Kentucky lost more talent
– Eric Daniels, Cliff Hawkins, Gerald Fitch – than any SEC team and would rely
on a trio of high school All-Americans, some didn’t pick Tubby Smith’s team to
win the East Division.
But they’re 10-0 with only three
challenges ahead – games at South Carolina, at
Alabama and at Florida.
Twice in the past 10 years,
Kentucky went
unbeaten in SEC regular season play. In 2002-03, the Wildcats didn’t lose to an
SEC team for the first time since 1952. For this Kentucky team to be 19-2 overall and unscathed
in SEC play this late in the season is a testament to Smith’s brilliant
coaching.
South Carolina doesn’t have much space in its
trophy case. That’s one reason Steve Spurrier took the job. A program with great
facilities and fan support hasn’t achieved much success.
He hopes to change that – just as
he did at Florida some 15 years ago.
``They haven’t done much here,’’
Spurrier told The Sporting News. ``That doesn’t mean it can’t
change.’’
Jerri Spurrier, Steve’s wife, said:
``He’s found that fire again.’’
It was a fire that barely had a
flicker after two disappointing years in the NFL.
``I admit it – it beat me down,’’
Spurrier said of his NFL days. ``I did a lousy job. I was embarrassed for myself
the way I attempted to coach. And I won’t do it again, I can assure you of
that.’’
Spurrier used some of his salary to
lure an impressive staff that includes four former Division 1-A defensive
coordinators. He’s been motivated by a strong fan base. But he’s more humble,
reserved, and not talking about a Fun ‘n Gun offense.
He is interested is helping
39-year-old receiver Tim Frisby, a retired military man who made the team as a
walk-on last year, achieve some measure of success.
``We’re going to get him a catch
this year,’’ said Spurrier, making a rare prediction since becoming a
not-so-cocky Gamecock.
Jay Myers, former editor of
Basketball Times, projects the SEC will have five teams in the NCAA Tournament
with a sixth on the bubble.
As of last week, Myers had
Kentucky as a three seed with Alabama a six seed, Florida a seven, Mississippi State a 10 and South Carolina a 13. He’s got LSU on the
bubble.
While there is no question the ACC
is much stronger than the SEC, he’s got the ACC with just five teams: one seeds
North Carolina and Wake Forest, two seed Duke, Georgia Tech an eight seed and
Maryland a nine seed.
He predicts the Big East will have
the most teams in the Big Dance: seven. He’s got the Big 12 getting six
bids.
Gregg Doyel, senior writer for
SpotsLine.com, said a dozen college coaches are on the hot seat, and two reside
in the SEC.
Doyel said Tennessee’s Buzz Peterson
and Ole Miss’ Rod Barnes are in trouble.
Doyel said recruits are beginning
to bail on Buzz and that if UT plans to keep Peterson, it needs to give him a
vote of confidence. He lists Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson as a
possible replacement.
Barnes won with predecessor Rob
Evans’ talent, Doyel said. He noted that Barnes signed his best class in
November, but it might be too late. Possible replacement: Mike Anderson at
UAB.
Others on the hot seat: Pete Gillen
at Virginia, Steve Fisher at San Diego State, Evans at Arizona State, Mike Davis
at Indiana and herb Sendek at N.C. State.
Georgia coach Dennis Felton took a shot at
Alabama coach Mark Gottfried, then fired a few
harsh barbs at South
Carolina senior forward Carlos Powell.
What Felton said sounded like a man
speaking out of frustration.
Felton said he has found himself
answering questions about the Bulldogs being ``a physical team and a dirty
team,’’ charges that he said aren’t true. ``I’m disappointed because it is being
sparked by disparaging remarks from around the conference recently, from
opposing coaches and players.’’
Felton said the remarks are
``dangerous and harmful to our ability to compete on an even playing field, and
it’s not fair.’’
Gottfried wasn’t happy after six
Georgia players fouled out and Alabama shot 42 free throws in a recent contest:
``Everybody can choose to play a certain style. To me, that’s not
basketball.’’
Felton said his team gets ``pushed
around on a nightly basis because we’re young and underdeveloped athletically’’
and he was upset that Gottfried implied ``we’re dirty or out to hurt
somebody.’’
Powell left the Georgia game
with his left eye shut after being poked twice. He later said he felt like he’d
been through a 30-round foxing match.
Felton said Powell was
grandstanding. Felton accused Powell of being a ``faker and a flopper’’ whose
antics border on ``cheating.’’
Kentucky and Florida have finished in the top two of the
SEC East race each of the last five seasons, but that doesn’t make their game a
rivalry.
In fact, Lexington Herald-Leader
columnist Mark Story said the game isn’t a rivalry because the Wildcats have won
eight straight and 10 of the last 11.
Wrote Story: ``Florida and Kentucky are not basketball rivals. The reason
being that Florida has not earned the right to
be considered a Kentucky rival.’’
Even so, Kentucky respect Florida wing man Matt Walsh, even if the
Wildcat fans don’t. Even with a neater trim, Walsh’s curly blonde locks were a
target for Kentucky fans during pregame
warm-ups.
Kentucky’s Bobby Perry questioned of the
wisdom of such taunts.
``I don’t know why they give him
such a hard time,’’ Perry said. ``He’s a great player, obviously. He’s one of
the best in the league. I have a lot of respect for his game. He’s a
competitor.’’
Last March, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart wrote a letter
of apology to the Florida athletic department after fans in the
student section directed a derisive cheer toward Walsh during the
game.
Junior safety Bobby Williams, who
led Mississippi
State in interceptions with
four, has been dismissed from the team for undisclosed disciplinary
reasons.
Williams had flirted with turning
pro early.
``Darren came to me and told me he
was contemplating entering the NFL draft,’’ said State coach Sylvester Croom.
``During that time, while he was deliberating, he violated some team
rules.’’
Williams is the latest in a
mounting number of players signed by former coach Jackie Sherrill to be
disciplined by Croom.
Four other players have been
dismissed or suspended for disciplinary reasons. Also, eight others have left
the team, transferred or plan to transfer. Still another, junior college
cornerback Brian Staley, left after just one season.
That leaves the Bulldogs with 60
players on scholarship. Because of sanctions handed down by the NCAA for
violations committed under Sherrill, State can have just 81 players on
scholarship this fall, four under the maximum.
EXTRA POINTS: The first recruiting
class of Illinois coach Ron Zook was ranked No. 4 by
Scout.com. It included a former Florida signee who went to a prep school –
receiver Derrick McPhearson. … Ed
Zaunbrecher, former Florida offensive
coordinator, has joined Zook at Illinois as quarterbacks coach. Zaunbrecher,
former offensive coordinator at LSU, was demoted by Zook in 2004 and will work
under Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, who was running backs coach
and offensive coordinator at Florida. … Alabama’s Kennedy Winston and Mississippi State’s Lawrence Roberts are the only two
SEC players who made the Naismith top 30 players at midseason. The ACC had
eight. … South
Carolina’s ninth-year baseball coach, Ray Tanner, was
the first candidate to talk to president Andrew Sorensen about the school’s A.D.
job. Tanner has guided the Gamecocks to three straight College World Series and
he’s won more games than any college coach over the past five seasons. … Ole
Miss coach Ed Oregeron will make his debut on ESPN with a Labor Day game (Sept.
5) against Memphis.
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Jimmy Hyams is a featured
columnist in Tiger rag and the program director for WNOX in Knoxville, Tenn.
Hyams, one of the most respected sports personalities in the SEC, can be reached
by e-mail at jimmy.hyams@citcomm.com.