John Clay's Sidelines

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Sunday:

• Defense pays off as Tennessee surprises visiting Florida 67-56, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Cuonzo Martin changed his starting lineup and achieved the desired results for the Vols.
• Tennessee is buying into Martin’s defense-first philosophy, writes Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel. Florida hardly looked the 13th best team in the nation at Thompson-Boling.
• Arkansas upsets 15th-ranked Mississippi State 98-88 in SEC opener in Fayetteville, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger. Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury is now 4-10 in his 14 trips to Bud Walton Arena.
• Vanderbilt got a complete effort to crush Auburn 65-35, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean. Kevin Stallings’ team hit 13 threes on the way to the win.
• Trevor Lacey scored a career-high 19 points to lead Alabama past host Georgia 74-59, reports Andy Johnston of the Tuscaloosa News. Tony Mitchell added 17 for the Crimson Tide.
• Justin Hamilton and Storm Warren starred as LSU pounded Ole Miss 81-55, reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate. The two combined for 38 points and 27 rebounds.
• Step aside little girls and watch the SEC play big-boy football, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. He’s talking about Monday night’s BCS Championship game between SEC teams Alabama and LSU.
• Running back Trent Richardson holds the key for the Crimson Tide in Monday night’s BCS title game, says Brad Zimanek of the Montgomery Advertiser. “I think it’s difficult for anybody to tackle him,” said LSU safety Brandon Taylor.
• Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart says he’s ready to make the jump to head coach, writes Jeff Schultz of the AJC. The Tide defense allowed 191.2 yards per game this season.
• LSU’s Jordan Jefferson has gone from outcast to center stage, writes Yahoo’s Pat Forde. Jordan’s first game back from suspension was against Kentucky.

SEC links for Friday:

• Vanderbilt could have a new football coach today, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• LSU needs overtime to beat McNeese State 78-66, reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate.
• In football, LSU forfeits two scholarships for violations, reports Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times.
• Two Georgia players aid an accident victim, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Renardo Sidney needs to be great for Mississippi State, writes Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Vandy may hire coach; LSU forfeits scholarships’

(AP photo/Mic Smith)

SEC news and links for Tuesday:

SEC BASKETBALL ROUNDUP – LSU lost at home to Coastal Carolina, coached by ex-Auburn coach Cliff Ellis. Reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate, “For the second time in as many games, the LSU men’s basketball team overcame a second-half deficit to provide their home crowd a thrilling endgame. This time, the Tigers were unable to finish. Storm Warren forced overtime Monday night with a putback in the final seconds of regulation, but Coastal Carolina outscored the Tigers by nine in the extra frame for a 78-69 triumph.”

– It was Coastal Carolina’s first win over an SEC team in 17 years, reports Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times.

– Ole Miss whipped Kentucky’s next foe, Mississippi Valley 101-69. Reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger, “Ole Miss outrebounded Valley 44-35 and shot 54.7 percent from the field compared to Valley’s 35.9 percent. It wasn’t one of those hot nights from the 3-point line, either. Ole Miss outscored Valley 46-32 in the paint. With 18 points, senior Ole Miss guard Chris Warren moved into ninth place on the school’s scoring list. Ole Miss won its third straight; it’ll host East Tennessee State, a 4-4 team that won at Mississippi State last week, on Saturday.”

– Mississippi State beat Nicholls State 67-58: “Mississippi State held off Nicholls State late after leading most of the game for a 67-58 win in front of an announced crowd of 2,378 at Humphrey Coliseum,” reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger. “It was the third of a five-game marathon stretch of games in as many days and, perhaps, the most important. MSU coach Rick Stansbury, known for his man-to-man philosophy on defense, had his team play zone against the Colonels’ Princeton-style offense and, in the process, kept the Bulldogs (6-2) from growing tired.”

GUS MALZAHN GETS A RAISE -- The Auburn offensive coordinator turns down the head coaching job at Vanderbilt in exchange for getting his contract doubled. Reports Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News, “t’s a good day to be Gus Malzahn. The Birmingham News reported Auburn has given Malzahn a contract extension while more than doubling his contract to $1.3 million. Assuming all $1.3 million is guaranteed, that makes Malzahn among the highest-paid assistant coaches in the country, if not No. 1. It also means he would make more than about half of the Division I-A head coaches right now, according to a recent USA Today survey. That is, until their agents renegotiate some of their contracts after this news.”

– Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser reports: “Malzahn instead will continue his work on the Plains after receiving a raise and contract extension from his current employer. “We have the best staff in the country and while we want our coaches to strive to become head coaches, retaining them as long as we can is important to me and the entire Auburn family,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. “Gus is a very bright and talented coach and we are looking forward to beginning preparation for the BCS national championship.”

CAM NEWTON DOES THE TOP 10 LIST ON LETTERMAN

Continue reading ‘SEC: LSU falls in OT; Vandy back to square one’

(The State photo)

SEC links for Monday:

• South Carolina wants to take the next step, reports Joe Person of The State.
• Connor Shaw has the “it” to play right away as a Gamecock, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Jeremiah Masoli shows flashes of confusion and brilliance in first workout at Ole Miss, reports David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun writes that Florida men’s basketball could be ranked in top 10 to start season.
• Kirby Smart happy with decision to stay at Alabama, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Coordinators prove stability for the Crimson Tide, writes A. Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Emmitt Smith is sorry for snubbing Gator Nation, blogs Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Tennessean columnist David Climer thinks Vanderbilt and Robbie Caldwell can’t afford to play it safe.
• Tommy Hicks of the Mobile Press-Register asks if the pre-season polls mean something?
• An Alabama-Michigan football game in Dallas is possible, but not imminent, reports Gentry Estes of the Press-Register.

Continue reading ‘SEC: South Carolina wants to take the next step’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean writes that Vanderbilt wants to stay hot at Florida.
• It’s another season-defining game for Florida, reports Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.
• No shock, but no Renardo Sidney for Mississippi State, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.
• In Mobile Press-Register, Mike Herndon goes inside SEC basketball.
• Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Tennessee is preparing for Arkansas.
• Senior moments can last forever, writes Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel.
• Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that Tennessee is wary of Arkansas.
• But Seth Emerson of The State writes that it will be a tough Senior Night for South Carolina’s injured Dominique Archie.
• In the Mobile Press-Register, Paul Finebaum writes that Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart’s huge payday is a sign of the future.
• Russell Shepard is happy with his move from quarterback to receiver, reports Randy Rosetta in The Advocate.

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Jerry Tipton of H-L reports on John Calipari’s talk to Kiwanis Club.
• Mark Story of H-L writes on two former Elizabethtown stars who will face off at Commonwealth on Saturday.
• Chip Cosby of the H-L writes on the “Wildcat” formation.
• Ray FitzGerald of Gainesville Sun previews Kentucky-Florida volleyball showdown.
• Kyrie Irving tells highschoolhoop.com he’s leaning toward Duke.
• Armchair Quarterback says Alabama football is a joke.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes on UK’s attempt to simplify its offense.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel updates the Ridge Wilson case.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Volleyball showdown tonight; Bama on Saturday’