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Home > ajcsportstalk > Archives > 2008 > March > 13
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Let’s look ahead to Friday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Okay. Last blog of the night. Let’s look ahead to Friday’s quarterfinals:
South Carolina (14-17) vs. Tennessee (28-3), 1 p.m.: In both of their meetings during the regular season, the Gamecocks played the Volunteers tough in the first half only to get blown out in the second half. Tennessee simply has too many athletes and if South Carolina cannot slow down the tempo, then the Gamecocks have absolutely no shot in this one. Tennessee wants to win its first SEC Tournament championship since 1979. The Vols are also trying to get to the semifinals for the first time in 17 years. South Carolina will again keep it close for a half but won’t be able to stop Tennessee.
Vanderbilt (26-6) vs. Arkansas (20-10), 3:15 p.m.: Vanderbilt looked scary good against Auburn when the Commodores shot 76 percent in the first half and 67.3 percent for the game. When Vandy’s big guys, A.J. Ogilvy and Ross Neltner stay out of foul trouble the Commodores are hard to beat. But Arkansas matches up well with Vanderbilt and has won its last two games against the Commodores. I like Vandy. This is a team that is good enough to get to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Alabama (17-15) vs. Mississippi State (21-9), 7:30 p.m.: The Crimson Tide was very impressive, particularly in the first half of their game with Florida as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead, led by as many as 28, and went on to win 80-69. Mississippi State won both regular-season games, beating the Crimson Tide 66-56 in Tuscaloosa and 73-66 in Starkville. Look for Mississippi State to find a way to contain Richard Hendrix, the SEC’s No. 4 scorer (17.7 ppg) and top rebounder (10.1 avg.) Hendrix had 22 points and eight rebounds against the Gators.
Georgia or Ole Miss vs. Kentucky (18-11), 9:45 p.m.: Kentucky won both games with Georgia and beat Ole Miss by four (58-54) on Feb. 27. Since losing by 41 to Vanderbilt on Feb. 12, the Wildcats have won six out of their last seven games, the only loss coming by only three points (63-60) at Tennessee. Since the loss of freshman big man Patrick Patterson Kentucky has re-invented itself and will rely on guards Remel Bradley and Joe Crawford. The opponent does matter. I like the ‘Cats.
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Will Gators go dancing? Will Gottfried be back?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There is some tension in the air at tipoff of the 7:30 p.m. game between Alabama and Florida.
Florida (21-10) won the national championship in this building just a year ago but unless they win at least a couple of games here in Atlanta, the Gators won’t make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Florida finished 8-8 in the SEC but, in the final analysis, coach Billy Donovan probably should have put a couple more tough non-conference games on the schedule.
Florida played Florida State (lost 65-51) and Ohio State (lost 62-49) but that was about it for the non-conference schedule. Of the Gators’ 20 wins, eight came against teams that are ranked No. 200 or higher in the RPI.
Donovan would argue that when you have such a young team, you have to schedule that way so that their confidence doesn’t get crushed. He’s right about that.
I think Florida has to get to Sunday’s championship game to make the field of 65. But first they have to beat Alabama, a team that is better than its 16-15 record.
There is tension on the Alabama side because of uncertainty about the future of coach Mark Gottfried. But I don’t think there is any doubt that Gottfried will be back next season as the Crimson Tide coach.
Here are a couple of reasons why. First of all, point guard Ronald Steele will return next season after sitting out 2007-08 to recover from a knee injury. When healthy, Steele is as good as any guard in the country. And if forwards Richard Hendrix and Alonzo Gee both return Alabama will probably be the favorite to win the SEC West.
Secondly, Alabama just can’t afford to let Gottfried go at this time. The school would owe him $3 million. They are already paying Mike Shula about $1 million a year NOT to coach football. They’ll pay Nick Saban $3.75 million this year. Then there are the Alabama assistant coaches, which comprise one of the highest paid staffs in the country.
Gottfried has proven that he can coach. It makes no sense to make a change.
CLASS ACT: Auburn’s coaches wore orange ribbons on their coats during Thursday’s game with Vanderbilt. The ribbons were in honor of Auburn freshman Lauren Burk of Marietta who was murder near campus on March 4.
PEP TALK: Al Horford, a member of Florida’s 2006 and 2007 national championship teams, spoke to the Gators before the game. Horford is now a member of the Atlanta Hawks. The talk must not have gone well. Florida fell behind 14-0 to start the game.
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Tennessee gets the matchup it wanted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tennessee got the matchup it wanted for Friday’s second round of the SEC tournament when South Carolina upset LSU 77-73 in Thursday’s first game at the Georgia Dome.
I visited with Bruce Pearl, who was here scouting the game with two of his assistant coaches, and it was pretty clear that he was concerned about LSU’s athleticism. The Vols barely beat LSU 47-45 in their only meeting back on Feb. 9.
But South Carolina had a superior game plan, especially on the defensive end, which forced LSU into 19 turnovers. It also held LSU’s best player, Marcus Thornton, to only 6 of 14 from the floor.
Pearl stayed at the Georgia Dome until about 2:30 p.m. and then went over to Georgia State, where he held at 3 p.m. workout with his team, which is heavily favored to win the tournament.
South Carolina’s goal in Friday’s 1 p.m. game with Tennessee is simple. The Gamecocks played a pretty good first half when they met the Vols on March 9 in their last regular season game. But in the second half the talented Tennessee team simply overwhelmed South Carolina to win 89-56 in Knoxville.
“I’m going to keep showing them that first half over and over,” South Carolina coach Dave Odom said after the game. “That’s the way we have to play for 40 minutes if we’re going to have a chance.”
Odom has no illusions about the task in front of his team on Friday. In the first meeting on Jan. 12, Tennessee won 80-56 in Columbia.
“Some teams come into the conference tournaments and play like they are nervous,” Odom said. “Tennessee is not a nervous team. Their future for next week is very certain. They are the overwhelming favorite to win this tournament.”
Odom, who has announced his retirement at the end of this season, says he will enjoy the next 24 hours.
“The Lord has given me one more day and I’m going to enjoy it,” Odom said. “I don’t want to go to sleep tonight. I just want to say up for the next 20 hours and think about it.”
One other thing. LSU’s loss, I believe, makes it very unlikely that Butch Pierre will be retained as head coach. Pierre, an 11-year assistant, took over when John Brady was fired in early February. LSU has some talent, but the Tigers played South Carolina’s tempo all night long and could not handle some of the defenses thrown at them by South Carolina. That’s coaching.
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Bruce Pearl is in the house
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, whose team plays the winner of South Carolina-LSU on Friday at 1 p.m., is sitting just down from me with two of his assistant coaches, Tony Jones and Jason Shay.
I chatted with them a few minutes and they immediately wanted to know about the status of Georgia’s Dennis Felton, who could be gone after tonight’s game with Ole Miss.
It is clear from their demeanor that they believe Felton should be given more time. He’s cleaned up the program, which school officials asked him to do. Now he needs a chance to win, they said.
Pearl is one of the few coaches who really gets his role when it comes to promoting the Tennessee program. Whereas a lot of coaches scouting this game would try to find a quiet place in the Georgia Dome where they wouldn’t have to talk to anybody, Pearl is down here on press row talking to everybody.
Pearl told me that he is here scouting live because, by NCAA rule, you can’t do it during the regular season.
“One assistant takes South Carolina, one takes LSU, and I’m talking all the time to both of them, of course,” Pearl said at halftime. “It gives us a chance to freshen up our game plan that we used during the regular season.”
Pearl told me that he’ll leave the Georgia Dome at 2:30 p.m. to practice with his team at 3 p.m. over at Georgia State. His assistants will bring the notes they have taken on the first game and those will be factored into the game plan.
No question Pearl would rather play South Carolina than LSU because the Tigers are more athletic. Looks like Pearl will get his wish. The Gamecocks, who have had a tough time winning tough games all season, are pulling away from LSU here at the end.
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Live from the SEC tournament
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s not a big crowd at the Georgia Dome but a lot of people are paying attention to today’s SEC tournament opener between LSU and South Carolina, which tipped off at 1. Here’s why:
Tennessee (28-3) is the heavy favorite to win the tournament. But there is a strong feeling that if LSU beats South Carolina this afternoon, Friday’s quarterfinal game with Tennessee will be much closer than people think.
“I think LSU is going to give Tennessee all they can handle,” TV analyst and Dunwoody resident Larry Conley told me a few minutes ago. “They are playing well. I think it will be a really good game.”
“Tennessee is the best team in our league but if they were to fall, every coach in this league thinks LSU could win the tournament,” South Carolina coach Dave Odom told me yesterday.
Odom spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Wake Forest before he came to South Carolina seven years ago. He had an interesting take on the quality of basketball in the SEC — at least for this season.
“There are more great shooters in this league than anywhere else,” he said. “Look at Shan Foster [Vanderbilt], Chris Lofton [Tennessee], Marcus Thornton [LSU].
“Remember J.J. Redick at Duke? This is a league full of J.J. Redicks.”
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Live From the SEC Tournament: Pearl is in the house
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, whose team plays the winner of South Carolina-LSU on Friday at 1 p.m., is sitting just down from me with two of his assistant coaches, Tony Jones and Jason Shay.
I chatted with them a few minutes and they immediately wanted to know about the status of Georgia’s Dennis Felton, who could be gone after tonight’s game with Ole Miss.
It is clear from their demeanor that they believe Felton should be given more time. He’s cleaned up the program, which school officials asked him to do. Now he needs a chance to win, they said.
Pearl is one of the few coaches who really gets his role when it comes to promoting the Tennessee program. Whereas a lot of coaches scouting this game would try to find a quiet place in the Georgia Dome where they wouldn’t have to talk to anybody, Pearl is down here on press row talking to everybody.
Pearl told me that he is here scouting live because, by NCAA rule, you can’t do it during the regular season.
“One assistant takes South Carolina, one takes LSU, and I’m talking all the time to both of them, of course,” Pearl said at halftime. “It gives us a chance to freshen up our game plan that we used during the regular season.”
Pearl told me that he’ll leave the Georgia Dome at 2:30 p.m. to practice with his team at 3 p.m. over at Georgia State. His assistants will bring the notes they have taken on the first game and those will be factored into the game plan.
No question Pearl would rather play South Carolina than LSU because the Tigers are more athletic. Looks like Pearl will get his wish. The Gamecocks, who have had a tough time winning tough games all season, are pulling away from LSU here at the end.
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