John Clay's Sidelines

(AP photo)

Some Saturday notes and links:

- Randall Cobb was the final pick of the second round of the NFL draft last night, going to the world champion Green Bay Packers. It’s a good player/coach/system fit. Mike McCarthy has proven he knows what to do with skill players. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows how to get people the football. It would not surprise me to see Cobb return a lot of kicks for the Pack next season.

- Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: “It’s probably too soon to tell what the Packers are thinking of doing with Cobb in regard to their receivers group. James Jones may be lost in free agency once the lockout is lifted. Though he aims to play a few more years, Donald Driver hurt his ankle, has had his knees scoped and is the most senior member of the team. Brett Swain isn’t a returner. But however he fits in with the receivers group, it is clear that Cobb is auditioning for a return role. Green Bay probably would love to get starting cornerback Tramon Williams out of the kick return spot. Others, like Nelson, have filled in there, but not permanently.”

- Click here for Cobb video from last night.

- Darnell Dodson is dismissed from another college basketball team, this time Southern Miss. Dodson was dismissed from the UK team after the 2009-10 season, then migrated to USM. Patrick Magee of the Hattiesburg American: “Southern Miss men’s basketball player Darnell Dodson was dismissed from the team on Thursday after his arrest for allegedly stealing items from a USM fraternity house. USM police chief Bob Hopkins said Friday that Dodson was arrested along with Cory Markell Smith, a former member of the Southern Miss and William Carey basketball teams. The two men both face charges of auto burglary and residential burglary, which are felony charges. USM coach Larry Eustachy announced in a brief statement Thursday night that Dodson was dismissed from the team with no mention of the reason.”

Continue reading ‘Cobb joins world champs; Dodson dismissed again’

Mark Richt (AP photo)

Normally, Georgia football coach Mark Richt is calm, laid-back guy. But a speaking appearance on Thursday in Macon, the head coach grew a little hot under the collar after a question/complaint from a fan.

The fan was critical of Georgia’s running game and the play-calling of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

An excerpt from Michael A. Lough’s story in the Macon Telegraph:

“I’ll tell you this, and you’re certainly close to an expert in football, I’m sure you are,” Georgia’s head football coach said as the 250-plus fans at the Macon stop of the Bulldog Club tour Thursday night at the Walnut Creek Shooting Preserve began to create a buzz.
And he dissected all of the elements that lead to a good running game, and then he noted that a team has to do more than just run the ball to win.

“I’ve seen teams throw the ball and win the national championship; I’ve seen teams run the ball and win the national championship,” Richt said. “Believe me, you can win the SEC doing it more than one way. Steve Spurrier, when he was at Florida, he chunked the ball, and he won how many SECs?”

And then the temperature rose a little bit more.

“I see your frustration, I understand your frustration,” Richt said, politely but sternly. “I wasn’t born yesterday, I’ve coached football for 25 years, so I know what the hell I’m doing, OK?”

Richt later apologized for using the word “hell” in his response.

Former Tennessee signee Kevin Ware, who was released from his scholarship after Bruce Pearl’s firing, has decomitted from Central Florida and could end up either at Louisville or Georgia.

Ware, a 6-foot-4 guard from Georgia, is ranked No. 56 by Rivals.

He told Michael Carvell of the AJC:

“Louisville and Georgia are my [frontrunners]. I just have to talk to the coaches and see if they are still interested in me. I really don’t know where things stand.”

Rick Pitino visited Ware after he was granted his release, but the guard then made a public commitment to Central Florida, which is coached by former Florida assistant Donnie Jones.

Ware also told Carvell he has not heard from Tennessee since being granted his release.

(AP photo)

Morning notes and links for a Friday:

- Look for Randall Cobb to be picked at the NFL Draft tonight.

- Brandon Knight tells some Winchester middle school students that he’s 50-50 on staying in the NBA draft, reports Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun. (I’m a Conkwright Middle alum, by the way, but back then they called it “junior high.”)

- Trevor Lacey makes a surprise visit to Auburn, reports All Ky Hoops.

- UK went on the defensive yesterday, using its Cat Scratches blog to basically strike back against a Herald-Leader story from last month saying that the UKAA gives only $1.7 million of its $80 million budget to the academic side. That is an crease of only $200,000 since 1988, and pales in comparison to other schools in the SEC.

The Cat Scratches post uses charts and graphs to make it case, that it gives more than what was said, that its costs have gone up, etc.

Continue reading ‘Brandon Knight says he’s 50-50; Lacey visits Auburn’

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

The SEC has released spring game attendance figures for each of its 12 schools.

Kentucky’s crowd of 4,000 was dead last.

And, to be truthful, I’m not sure there were 4,000 there.

Here’s the list:

• Alabama 92,310
• Auburn 53,209
• Florida 51,000
• Georgia 43,177
• Arkansas 42,000
• Mississippi State 36,357
• Tennessee 35,891
• South Carolina 29,451
• Ole Miss 28,000
• LSU 25,032
• Vanderbilt 7,500
• Kentucky 4,000

Continue reading ‘Kentucky’s spring game attendance last in SEC’

After first appearing that Cuonzo Martin had kept at least one of Bruce Pearl’s highly-touted recruits, it appears now that Chris Jones will not be playing for Tennessee.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Jones will play for former UT assistant Steve Forbes, instead.

Excerpt:

Tennessee signee Chris Jones will play for former Vols assistant coach Steve Forbes at Northwest Florida State College this fall, Melrose High coach Jermaine Johnson said Wednesday.

Forbes, hired as head coach at Northwest Florida this month, was let go as an assistant at Tennessee in March following an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations by former Vols head coach Bruce Pearl. Forbes was in Memphis on Wednesday.

Jones (5-10, 180), whom Rivals.com rates the No. 39 overall prospect in the Class of 2011, had asked for his release from Tennessee after Pearl and his staff were let go last month. However, newly hired Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin apparently convinced Jones earlier this month to follow through on his commitment to Tennessee, saying Jones no longer wanted his release.

Rodney Cooper (via Rivals)

Trevor Lacey gets all the publicity, but keep your eye on another basketball star from Alabama.

Rodney Cooper, a 6-foot-5 Alabama signee, made the biggest jump in the Rivals rankings released yesterday, catapulting all the way from No. 117 to No. 49.

The Phenix City, Alabama native went from a three-star to a four-star recruit after averaging 31.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in leading his high school team to the State 5A quarterfinals in Alabama.

Lacey was named the state’s Mr. Basketball, and Anthony Grant has a higher-rated recruit in Levi Randolph, a 6-5 guard from Madison, Alabama, but if Cooper keeps coming, he could conceivably end up being the best of the three.

As for Lacey, he is scheduled to visit Kansas this weekend. No word yet on whether he will take an official visit to Kentucky. And, yes, Alabama is reportedly still very much in the mix.

Notes and links for a Thursday morning:

- Ricardo Ledo says Kentucky is one of his suitors. He tells ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein, “”UConn is recruiting me hard, Kentucky is coming hard, and Providence hard. West Virginia, Texas, Florida, UCLA, and Louisville too.” Ledo said he definitely wants to check out UK.

- Ryan Harrow tells Seth Emerson of the Columbus Ledger-Enqurier that Georgia is on his list. For what it’s worth, did receive an e-mail yesterday from someone who claims they saw someone they believed to be Harrow with Tony Delk around town on Tuesday. Or at least it could have been Harrow.

- Andy Katz on Harrow: “Ryan Harrow’s transfer from NC State won’t be a crushing blow. Harrow never lived up to the lofty expectations under Sidney Lowe. I remember talking to him after the home loss to Duke when he said he was a bit in awe of the Blue Devils. He might improve elsewhere, but he just didn’t seem like the right fit for new coach Mark Gottfried.”

- Several sources reporting that Trevor Lacey will visit Kansas this weekend.

- An N.C. State website claims that Joseph Uchebo is down to Florida State, Wake Forest and UK.

- Next Cats compares the final recruiting rankings.

Continue reading ‘Ledo to check out UK; Lacey to visit KU; Uchebo’s three’

Untitled from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

Terrible tornado has done major damage in Tuscaloosa.