On the eve of the SEC tournament, three coaches were asked about the possibility of changing the tournament's seeding format.
Georgia coach Mark Fox spoke most strongly in favor of abandoning the format in which the top two teams in each division automatically receive first-round byes. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy also seemed to be in that camp, also.
"Well, I voted to change the format last year," Fox said at a Georgia Dome news conference. "I supported that a year ago. This season hasn't changed my stance on that."
The rationale for change is to award byes more equitably. Last season, for instance, Ole Miss and Mississippi State received byes in the West with 9-7 conference records, while Tennessee went 11-5 and Florida 9-7 in the East but were third and fourth in the division, respectively, and did not get a bye.
Coaches discussed the matter at last year's SEC spring meetings but did not reach a decision. Options include seeding the teams 1-12 or giving the first-place team in each division an automatic bye but not the second-place team. Fox even suggested the possibility of getting rid of divisional play altogether.
"For me personally, I do believe that there's been a stigma attached over the last few years to East vs. West," Kennedy said. "And at the end of the day, I'm for what is in the best interests of the league."
Auburn coach Tony Barbee suggested coaches and administrators study which format will be most advantageous to getting the most teams into the NCAA tournament.
"I think there's a lot of things that have to be evaluated, and that's for leadership to handle," Fox said, "but I think it's probably time to take a look at it."
Thompkins' health
Georgia forward Trey Thompkins, who has battled ankle, shin and toe injuries, said he enters the SEC tournament feeling healthier than at any point this season.
Thompkins said he wouldn't describe himself as frustrated by the series of injuries.
"I would just say a little bit of a disappointment, maybe wishing things could go a different way," he said.
Despite the injuries, Thompkins is Georgia's leading scorer (15.8 points per game) and rebounder (7.6 per game), and he was named first-team All-SEC by the league's coaches for the second consecutive season.
Other injuries
LSU forward Malcolm White (back) shot free throws with the team Wednesday but didn't practice as his back was very tight. Arkansas guard Jeff Peterson (groin) practiced on a limited basis, which is the most he's practiced since sustaining the injury Feb. 26. Tennessee center Brian Williams (back), voted the SEC sixth man of the year, is expected to play after missing the Volunteers' past two games.
Etc.
The Bulldogs will keep close tabs on Auburn guard Earnest Ross, who lit up Georgia for 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting. "We'll have to do a much better job staying attached to him [Thursday] afternoon," Fox said. … As of Wednesday, the SEC had sold 21,000 all-session ticket books, which is 1,500 more than it sold for the 2008 tournament at the Georgia Dome. Ticket books and single-session tickets are available at secsports.com. … The tornado that struck the dome in 2008 led the SEC to prepare backup plans for all of its championship events. Should the dome not be able to hold the tournament this week, the games will move to Georgia State.
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