John Clay's Sidelines

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’

Mickie DeMoss

SEC links for Wednesday:

Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Mickie DeMoss may be returning to Tennessee: “Tennessee’s search for a new women’s basketball assistant coach is featuring a very popular and successful former Lady Vols coach. Mickie DeMoss appears to have emerged as a leading candidate for the opening created by Stephanie Glance becoming the coach at Illinois State last month. A decision could be finalized as early as later this week.”

Kyle Veazey reports that ex-UK staffer Scott Stricklin is still in the hunt for Mississippi State AD post: “Here are the names I continue to hear from sources close to the search and have not scratched off my list: Scott Stricklin, State’s senior associate AD for external affairs; Joe Dean Jr., the AD at Birmingham-Southern; and Whit Hughes, deputy director of the Mississippi Development Authority. All are State grads. Lee Fowler, the N.C. State athletic director, has been mentioned by some in conjunction with the search, too, but there’s no confirmation of his involvement.”

Tim Tucker of the AJC on ex-Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger looking at Louisville: “Former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger hopes to play football at another college. And Louisville is one place he’ll look, according to a website that covers the Cardinals. After pleading guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery charges in Valdosta on Monday, Mettenberger said in a written statement that he hopes for a “second chance” at college football.”

Josh Hoke of the Myrtle Beach Sun News reports that South Carolina is high on Carlton Geathers: “Most recruiting analysts believe Carlton Geathers is a project. Perhaps it is that challenge that has endeared him to his future coach. The 6-foot-11 Carvers Bay center signed with South Carolina last month. Gamecocks basketball coach Darrin Horn raved about Geathers’ potential before speaking to members of the school’s booster club on Tuesday.”

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Mickie DeMoss may be returning to Tennessee’

SEC links for Tuesday:

Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger writes that player defections are troublesome new trend: “In all the stories about all these players, one quote jumped out at me like Michael Jordan soaring up for a jump shot. It was this from Romero Osby, who played behind Kodi Augustus and Ravern Johnson at State. Said Osby: ‘It’s just a lot of stuff that was in the way of me being able to showcase what I really can do. It’s no knock on Ravern or Kodi.’”

Seth Emerson of The State on Murphy Holloway’s transfer: “Murphy Holloway was watching ESPN on Monday when he saw an item on the scroll stating he was transferring from Mississippi to Clemson. That caught the Irmo native by surprise.

Tim Tucker of the AJC reports on Georgia quarterback pleading guilty to sexual battery: “Former University of Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery stemming from a March 7 incident in a bar in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta. Mettenberger entered the plea in Lowndes County Superior Court and was sentenced under the Georgia First Offender Act to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service. He also was fined $2,000 and banished from Valdosta for a year.

Paul Finebaum of the Mobile Press-Register writes that Dan Mullen is the future of college football: “I met him last week in Birmingham while he was schlepping from one end of nowhere to the other, spreading the gospel for Mississippi State. While Auburn coaches were rolling in stretch limousines and luxury buses and Nick Saban was flying in helicopters and lear jets around Dixie, Mullen began the annual “Road Dogs Tour” in a motor home, taking the message to 12 different places.”

Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Bruce Pearl carries Tennessee’s banner high: “Then a football spokesman took the microphone. He praised the direction a new coach would guide the program, but warned there might be rough waters ahead. Finally, the men’s basketball coach took the podium – to a standing ovation.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Transfers becoming a troubling trend’

Mike Rosario

SEC links for Monday:

• Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun reports on Mike Rosario’s transfer to the basketball Gators.
• More on the Rosario transfer from David Jones of Florida Today.
• Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald reports that Georgia coach Mark Richt has kicked a quarterback off the football team.
• More on the dismissing of Georiga quarterback Zach Mettenberger from Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Jeff Schultz of the AJC applauds Richt for turning tough on crime.
• AP report on Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson declaring for the NBA draft, without an agent.
• Vanderbilt takes series from Auburn baseball with walk-off homer, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Florida gains a guard, Georgia loses a QB’