John Clay's Sidelines

Shelvin Mack

Seth Davis pens an NBA draft scouting report for SI.com in which the media dual-threat combines the opinions of several scouts into the voice of one scout, he calls Finch.

Of interest is what “Finch” has to say about some prospects of local interest.

Here is one line from each analysis:

• On Brandon Knight: “To be honest, I think his agent is playing it right.”
• On Enes Kanter: “You love the way he plays.”
• On Shelvin Mack: “I’m a big fan.”
• On Tobias Harris: “He should have gone back to school and lost some weight.”
• On Scotty Hopson: “I just keep waiting for him. Waiting and waiting.”
• On Chandler Parsons: “I watched Florida a bunch this year, and I didn’t come away liking any of them.”
• On Trey Thompkins: “Boy, is he soft.”
• On Josh Selby: “Sheldon Mack would kick his but 10 of 10 times.”

Tobias Harris (AP photo)

The NBA Draft isn’t just for Kentucky and Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams and a slew of foreign players whose names we cannot pronounce.

In fact, there could be a decent SEC presence tonight on ESPN. The site nbadraft.net predicts Tennessee’s Tobia Harris will be taken with the 22nd pick. It has Georgia’s Trey Thompkins being taken by Boston with the 25th pick, and Travis Leslie going at No. 43. It has Florida’s Chandler Parsons being taken at No. 41.

The SEC domination of the College World Series takes a day off. Virginia takes on California tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The loser is out. The winner must then take two from South Carolina to advance in that bracket.

Click the continue line for today’s SEC links:

Continue reading ‘A few SEC players hope to hear their names called tonight’

South Carolina celebrates walk-off win over Arkansas. (The State photo)

SEC links for Sunday:

• SEC assistants are some of the highest paid in college football, reports Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel.
• John Pelphrey will earn $180,000 as assistant at Florida, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Rivals are united in grief over the death of Alabama lineman Aaron Douglas, writes Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Tennessee’s NCAA hearing figures to be intense, writes Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Tennessee wins SEC softball title, reports Kory Keys for the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Don’t count out Auburn football next season, writes Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Cam Newton trying to mitigate effects of NFL lockout, writes Brett Martel of AP.
• Alan Faneca should have bust at Hall of Fame, writes Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.
• Recruiting OK for Tennessee, reports Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Wingo’s walk-off gives South Carolina a big win over Arkansas, writes Chris Dearing of The State.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Conference boasts high-paid assistant coaches’

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Five most interesting people at SEC tourney, from Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley.
• Renardo Sidney admits to a bad attitude, reports Brandon Marcello of the C-L.
• Donovan, Parsons take SEC honors, reports Kevin Brockway of the Sun.
• Donovan says don’t fall in love with Gators, reports Sentinel’s Rachel George.
• Vandy’s Jenkins misses out on big award, reports Jeff Lockridge of Tennessean.
• Tennessee’s threes at a low point, writes Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel.
• Green’s suspension helped turn Tide, writes Anniston Star’s Michael Casagrande.
• NCAA Committee needs more basketball people, says Kevin Scarbinsky.
• Ohio State case has an Alabama precedent, by Cecil Hurt of Tuscaloosa News.
• Guess we won’t be hearing those Newton tapes, says Mr. SEC.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Getting ready for SEC basketball tournament’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

- Tennessee holds off South Carolina 73-69, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. The Vols are now 8-7 in the SEC, with Kentucky coming to Knoxville on Sunday.

- Road games aren’t the problem for Tennessee, points out Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel. Tennessee finished 5-3 in SEC play on the road. The Vols are 3-4 at home.

- Tobias Harris scored a career-high 25 points in the Tennessee win, reports Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. ”Tobias finished around the basket,” said UT coach Bruce Pearl afterward. “Tobias rebounded the ball in traffic. He was the only guy in there that had any kind of size – any kind of physical presence. That’s one of his best games. I played him at a lot of center. And as a freshman he’s a winner.”

- Shell-shocked Gamecocks can’t dig out of hole, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier. Sam Muldrow did score a career-high 24 points on his Senior Night for South Carolina.

- Auburn lost more than $600,000 on its BCS championship game appearance, reports Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News. That’s the dirty little secret about bowl games. For the teams, the game itself is not a money-making proposition.

- John Bond says the Cam Newton tape is a fake, reports Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News. I’m not sure I care much about this, or know who to believe.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Tennessee tunes up for UK with win in Columbia’

A leaking roof abbreviated the Tennessee-Ole Miss women

SEC links for Friday:

• Florida beats Georgia to clinch share of SEC East title, reports Kevin Brockway of Gainesville Sun.
• Georgia stumbles to lose 71-62, writes Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph.
• Tennessee women beat Ole Miss 66-39 in odd game, reports Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• UT-Ole Miss women’s game shortened by weather and a leaky roof, reports David Brandt of the AP.
• Division is nice, but Gators want to win the entire conference, writes MIke DiRocco of the Florida Times-Union.
• No way Chandler Parsons was sitting this game out, writes Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Parsons provided the second-half spark the Gators needed to win, writes Rachel George of Orlando Sentinel.
• The NCAA tease continues with the Bulldogs, says Jeff Schultz of the AJC.
• NCAA committee will decide UT’s fate, reports Andrew Gribble of News-Sentinel.
• Kidney failure forcing Jack Cristil to retire at MSU, writes Brandon Marcello of the C-L.
• Auburn beats Lady Bulldogs 63-58, reports Roger Clarkson of Athens Banner-Herald.
• LSU beats South Carolina women in OT, reports Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Florida clinches; Rain shortens basketball game’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Pelphrey answers growing criticism, reports Robbie Neiswanger of Arkansas News.
• Florida could be without Parsons at LSU, reports Kevin Brockway of Gainesville Sun.
• Parsons could be out indefinitely, reports Mike DiRocco of the Florida Times-Union.
• South Carolina wins on Clowney Day, reports Barry Byers of the Rock Hill Herald.
• South Carolina students thrilled with choice, writes Jason Chisari of Rock Hill Herald.
• Clowney avoids father’s obstacles, writes Ron Morris of The State.
• Does South Carolina now own SEC East? asks Jeff Schultz of the AJC.
• Clowney exposes recruiting process, reports Thayer Evans for Fox Sports.
• Clowney’s impact stretches beyond field, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• UT safety allegedly tried to strangle woman, reports Austin Ward of News-Sentinel.
• Defense wins close ones in SEC, says Mike Herndon of Mobile Press-Register.
• Injury keeps Goins out at Tennessee, reports Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Pelphrey answers growing criticism at Arkansas’

(AP photo)

SEC news for Tuesday:

With a 7-1 record, Alabama making noise, says Don Kausler of the Birmingham News.

Now it is starting to get some attention. It isn’t ranked yet in the Associated Press poll or the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, but for the first time this season, it has received votes in each poll. It would rank 31st in the AP poll and 34th in the coaches’ poll.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi projects Alabama as a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Bama basketball continues to grow, reports Michael Casagrande of the Anniston Star.

According to RealtimeRPI.com, Alabama ranks 97th nationally trailing No. 57 Arkansas – the only conference foe to beat the Tide – in the West Division. Alabama also lags behind teams it beat including Tennessee (21) and Kentucky (12), but they are the only two wins the Tide has over a top-100 team. Both have top-10 schedules while the Tide ranks 146th according to the formula that helps decide who plays for the NCAA title and who stays home.

Tide hires Louisville coach Mike Groh, reports Chase Goodbread of Tuscaloosa News.

Mike Groh has been hired to replace Curt Cignetti on the University of Alabama football coaching staff. Groh, who was a graduate assistant under head coach Nick Saban at Alabama during the 2009 season, spent last season as quarterbacks coach at Louisville.

“We are excited to have Mike join our staff,” Saban said. “He did an outstanding job here a year ago and when he left, he was one that I hoped we could bring back to Alabama at some point.”

Ravern Johnson still in MSU doghouse, reports Clarion-Ledger’s Brandon Marcello.

Johnson violated the university’s class attendance policy, Stansbury said, prompting him to extend the suspension. Johnson didn’t play in last Saturday’s 58-57 win at LSU after sending “inappropriate tweets” on his Twitter account, criticized the coaching staff and fans following a 75-61 loss at Alabama.

After the loss Wednesday, Johnson “just disappeared,” Stansbury said, and missed practices Thursday and Friday. “After Thursday and Friday, he had no conversations with anybody.”

Chandler Parsons leading Florida, writes Gainesville Sun’s Kevin Brockway.

Parsons, who was named Southeastern Conference player of the week on Monday, has made his opponents’ dreams unpleasant of late. Going into Wednesday night’s game at South Carolina, Parsons had put together a string of five straight games with 10 or more rebounds. He’s averaging 12 rebounds per game during that stretch.

The 6-foot-10 Parsons posted the 11th and 12th double-doubles of his career in Florida’s back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The No. 17 Gators beat two straight ranked teams for the first time since 2007.

Continue reading ‘Bama basketball making noise; football hires U of L coach’

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Ching: Georgia takes care of business, beats Charleston Southern 70-55.
• Veazey: Fate of fighters Sidney, Bailey hangs in balance at Mississippi State.
• Jones: Florida basketball game with Fairfield canceled because of weather.
• Black: Alabama buries Pepperdine 83-60 to give Grant 100th win.
• Tucker: Georgia and Ohio State agree to play home-and-home in football.
• Scarbinsky: It’s only Auburn’s biggest football game ever.
• Adams: What is the name of the new Vanderbilt football coach?
• Tate: Maryland may have reached out to Gus Malzahn.
• George: Urban Meyer says he may work for ESPN next year.
• Lockridge: Vandy doesn’t know if Goulbourne can play against Marquette.
• Woodbery: Auburn basketball meets Georgia Southern tonight.
• Jones: Another Florida football coach is hospitalized.
• Pennington: James Willis’ departure story gets a little weirder.
• Leiser: Meyer exit, Muschamp arrival has everyone at Florida antsy.
• Emerson: Georgia’s Sturdivant talks to media for first time in two years.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Georgia, Alabama win in hoops; Florida canceled’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Errol Castens of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal on Ole Miss’ mascot vote today.
• Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Tennessee’s 70-61 win over LSU women.
• Tennessee knows winning at Florida won’t be easy writes Mike Griffith of the News-Sentinel.
• Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel says that opportunity beckons for the Vols down the stretch.
• But it’s a tough final stretch writes Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Tennessee standing in Florida’s NCAA way writes Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.
• David Jones of Florida Today reports that UF’s Chandler Parsons is finding his groove.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Big vote today on mascot at Ole Miss’