Welcome to Hogville!      Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Look back/ahead to the Top 100 College Basketball recruits in the SEC

Started by jbcarol, June 05, 2012, 04:17:05 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

jbcarol

 Evan Daniels‏Verified account @EvanDaniels
8h8 hours ago

Updated 2018 Top 247 Player Rankings | 1. Cameron Reddish 2. R.J. Barrett 3. Zion Williamson | @247Sports: https://247sports.com/Article/College-basketball-recruiting-Cameron-Reddish-jumps-to-the-top-in-2018-Top247-112262428 ...


11. S. Shittu  Vandy
12. D. Garland    VU
14. I. Quickley    UK
15. Kel Johnson  UK
16. Naz Reid       LS
20. Reg Perry      MS
30. A. Nembhard UF
32. J. Smart        LS
37. T. Herro        UK
49. R. Woodward MS
65. D. Days         LS
76. J. Butler    Bama
90. Key Johnson  UF
108. K. Embery  Ark
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

AL.com sports‏Verified account @aldotcomSports

Year of the freshmen reigns in SEC thus far


Quotet's not just a thing at Kentucky, where freshman-heavy lineups have become a state tradition as common as horse racing and barrel-aged bourbon. Look around the league. Nearly every conference school is relying heavily on players who will make their first trip around the SEC this season.

The league's leading scorer? A freshman. The top assist man? Freshman. Eight of the top 25 rebounders? All first-year SEC players.


Recruiting experts billed Alabama's Collin Sexton-led freshman class as one of the best in program history, and it's easy to see why. Sexton (21.8 ppg) is the only SEC player scoring more than 20 points per game, already has broken the school's single-game freshman record - 40 points in a remarkable performance against Minnesota -

Over in Auburn, Presbyterian College transfer Desean Murray is the most valuable addition to the Tigers' roster, leading the team in rebounding (8.0 rpg) despite ranking among the nation's shortest power forwards (since Charles Barkley?) at 6-foot-3.

In keeping with Kentucky coach John Calipari's tradition, the Wildcats (8-1) - the SEC's highest-ranked team at No. 8 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 - are loaded with blue-chip freshmen. Calipari's leading scorer (Kevin Knox at 15.2 ppg), ...

At LSU (6-2), freshman guard Tremont Waters - who leads the SEC in assists (6.6 apg) and ranks second in steals (2.1 spg) and fifth in scoring (18.3 ppg) - already looks like a budding superstar. Meanwhile, Missouri (8-2)...
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

 

jbcarol

Kyle Tucker‏ @KyleTucker_SEC

Quade Green, after shooting 50 percent, hitting two 3-pointers, going for 17 points, 5 assists, 1 turnover while wearing shades to protect an injured eye ... said he didn't practice once all week. Baller.


QuoteGreen, who was poked in the eye a week earlier against Monmouth and had it swell completely shut, said the combination shades/goggles were to block out bright lights that are bothering him and to protect against another injury. Now here's the fun part: How long does he plan to wear them?

"All season," Green said. "Yep, I need them because I can't get poked in my eye again. I'm scared about that, [and] the light messes it up. [The eye] is open now, but the light just agitates it."

Officials inspected Green's glasses before tip-off to "make sure they were medical," Green said, and not just him trying to look cool. But, for the record, teammates figure he's the Wildcats player most likely to wear shades indoors simply to be stylish.

"Definitely the coolest guy," said fellow guard Hamidou Diallo, who kept up his hot streak with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and the critical 3-pointer with 50 seconds to go in a 2-point game. "He needs to keep those on."

The reason Calipari was raving about Green's importance on Friday was made plain on Saturday: He's such a reliable shot maker that defenses have to respect him, react to him, and it opens up teammates for quality shots. Guys such as Diallo, who has scored 19-plus in four consecutive games, and Kevin Knox, who had 21 points, 5 boards and 4 assists.

"He's playing the way I want him to play, which is: Score baskets, kid. Score baskets. That's what you do," Calipari said. "By doing that, he's [also] getting 5 assists, 1 turn. So instead of being like, 'Watch me with the ball,' and bouncing it 12 times, he's either trying to score it or if you stop him from scoring it, he'll give it to somebody."

Kyle Tucker‏ @KyleTucker_SEC
21h21 hours ago

Kevin Knox: "I say we all get glasses. Coaches, everybody."

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

 AL.com sports‏Verified account @aldotcomSports
15h15 hours ago

Alabama ready to welcome back one of its top players, Braxton Key:  https://trib.al/7YIBWLH


QuoteAlabama enjoyed a short stint as a ranked team, pushed Arizona to the brink and has demonstrated more offensive firepower than it has in years past.

The Crimson Tide has done all this without its leading scorer from last season, Braxton Key. The 6-foot-8 swingman has been sidelined since early November after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee.

Key has spent the last six weeks watching the Tide incorporate a collection of talented newcomers, including freshmen John Petty and Collin Sexton. Now, he's set to join them Tuesday in Huntsville, where Alabama is set to play Mercer in the Rocket City Classic.

"When he wakes up on Tuesday and gets through shootaround, if he has no issues whatsoever, then we'll put him out there," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said.

Key is expected to be a stabilizing force for a Crimson Tide team that has been mercurial and lax when guarding its own goal. He's a skilled passer, a capable rebounder and solid defender.

For a brief period in the spring, Key flirted with the NBA, entering his name in the draft before ultimately withdrawing it when he realized that his aspirations didn't dovetail with reality.

Instead, the unassuming Key returned to Tuscaloosa as the team's most productive veteran. With a year of experience under Key's belt, Johnson wanted Key to assume a leadership role. Then, the injury happened and Johnson best-laid plans went astray.

"This was our last piece," Alabama freshman John Petty said. "Everything is going to be back together."

That is the hope.

On a team averaging 79.3 points per game, Key will provide even more production. But it's what he does as a facilitator and defender that is expected to enhance the Tide's performance across all 94 feet. He can match up against players at multiple spots and also set up the offense.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

 Jason Butt‏Verified account @JasonHButt

Ashton Hagans, a class of 2019 five-star point guard out of Newton, just chose Georgia over Auburn, Florida State, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Ben Frederickson
‏Verified account @Ben_Fred
12h12 hours ago

Michael Porter Jr. was not asked during ESPN interview if he was going to attempt to play this season. Did say surgery stemmed from issue that first caused problems "a couple of years ago." Said this could be blessing in the long run. "I think I'll be better than I've ever been."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Matt Jones
‏ @KySportsRadio
14h14 hours ago

Malik Monk being sent by the Hornets to the G-League
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

Georgia basketball lands commit from top-60 player Elias King


QuoteKing has not yet confirmed the commitment on Twitter. He is the second top-60 player from the 2019 class to commit to the Bulldogs this week, joining 5-star point guard Ashton Hagans.

He chose Georgia over offers from Auburn, Florida State, Memphis and ...

Georgia has the nation's No. 1 class in 2019.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Jon Rothstein
‏Verified account @JonRothstein
43m43 minutes ago

LSU may be a year away from being nationally relevant, but Tigers have a major gem in freshman Tremont Waters. 18 and 8 dimes in a road win at Memphis.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Michael Carvell
‏ @Michael_Carvell
18h18 hours ago

Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. says it's still too early to tell if he'll return this season
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

AL.com sports
‏Verified account @aldotcomSports
11h11 hours ago

Coach Bruce Pearl said Thursday that there has not been a change in the status of Danjel Purifoy or Austin Wiley
https://trib.al/mofpNS6


QuoteAuburn is still in the process of trying to certify the eligibility of star players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy.

Coach Bruce Pearl said Thursday that there has not been a change in the status of either player ahead of Auburn's home matchup against Arkansas on Saturday at 5 p.m. Neither Wiley nor Purifoy have played in a game this season while being held out in connection to the FBI investigation into the criminal influence of money in college basketball, which resulted in the Sept. 26 arrest of former associate head coach Chuck Person.

"We're still in the process of trying to get Austin and Danjel eligible," Pearl said.

Auburn has yet to declare either player ineligible, according to Pearl, meaning it has yet to apply for their reinstatement with the NCAA. Both players continue to practice with the team to stay ready for if or when they are cleared to return, and both are enrolled in classes for the spring semester, which begins Wednesday.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

 

jbcarol

AL.com sports‏Verified account @aldotcomSports

Alabama guard wants to start as Avery Johnson tries to find right mix


Quote[Dazon] Ingram sounded annoyed Friday after he wasn't included in the starting lineup at the outset of Alabama's 76-62 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday. With the exception of one game, Ingram had been on the floor for the opening tip in his previous 14 appearances. Johnson explained his decision to use Ingram as a substitute came after the sophomore guard did not play last Saturday in a loss to Georgia and did not practice in the ensuing days because of the flu.

"I thought it was best to bring him off the bench, and we'll see how I feel moving forward," Johnson said.

Asked if he could envision himself continuing to play as a reserve, Ingram responded, "No. Absolutely not."

Ingram's comment was allowed to sink in for 20 minutes before Johnson bounded into the Coleman Coliseum media room and plopped down in front of the mic.

Deftly transitioning from coach to PR spokesman, Johnson tried his best to soften the impact of Ingram's remarks about his role.

"It's better to be on the court than off the game, it's better to be in the game or out of the game," Johnson explained. "All the guys want to play, start."

...Paying lip service, Ingram agreed.

"It's not about who starts. It's about who finishes," Ingram said. "As long as we're getting the [win], that's all that matters."

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Adam Sparks
‏ @AdamSparks
14h14 hours ago

Riley LaChance was 24 of 27 from FT line this season. He was 0 of 4 today (0 of 3 in one critical trip there).


Vandy senior guard registered a hat trick late in the game at home vs. Kentucky in a clutch situation.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

McDonald's All-American Game invites six current SEC commits, more prospects to participate in distinguished event


QuoteSEC will be well represented at the event in Atlanta, as six players currently committed to a conference school will take part along with a few recruits that could possibly land in conference.

Kentucky has two incoming players that will play, including Keldon Johnson, a shooting guard out of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), and Immanuel Quickley, a point guard from John Carrol School (Bel Air, Md.)

Bryce Drew is starting to gather some steam at Vanderbilt, as two future Commodores have been invited: point guard Darius Garland of Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Simisola Shittu, a power forward from Vermont Academy (Saxtons Rivers, Vt.).

From the [division formerly known as the] SEC West, future LSU Tiger Nazreon Reid out of Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) will participate while Mississippi State commit Reggie Perry, a power forward out of Thomasville HS (Thomasville, Ga.) will represent the Bulldogs.

There are a few players that will play that have not yet committed and are highly sought after by conference teams, including shooting guard Romeo Langford, who is favored to attend Vanderbilt right now, and power forward E.J. Montgomery, who Auburn has the lead for at this moment.

The game will take place at Philips Arena on March 28...
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Jon Rothstein
‏Verified account @JonRothstein
13h13 hours ago

Vanderbilt's Matthew Fisher-Davis will miss the remainder of the 17-18 season with a right shoulder injury, per release.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Sheldon Mickles
‏Verified account @MicklesAdvocate

Two #LSU basketball players done for season, another two suspended, coach Will Wade says http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_4a32f718-054d-11e8-9342-eb4ca17b9d71.html ... via @theadvocatebr

QuoteFrom the start, Monday was a tough day for Will Wade.

An earlier-than-usual 6 a.m. film session to go over myriad mistakes his LSU basketball team made in a 95-70 loss to No. 11 Auburn on Saturday and refocus for Wednesday's game with 18th-ranked Tennessee in Knoxville was just a start.

By midday, Wade had suspended Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachal one game each for violating team policies and dismissed Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander for the rest of the season.

All four disciplinary actions were separate cases, Wade said.

In saying Kiir and Alexander would take a leave of absence for LSU's final 10 games and the Southeastern Conference tournament, Wade noted Kiir could return after the spring semester if he meets certain conditions that have "clearly been laid out for him."

Wade said Alexander, who took a brief leave in the fall, will look for another place to play next season.

It's not the first time Sims, Alexander and Kiir have been involved in off-court issues.

Alexander was a '17 4-star F from Breaux Bridge
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

Georgia suspends guard Jordan Harris


QuoteJordan Harris, a sophomore guard on the Georgia men's basketball team, has been suspended indefinitely, the team announced just before its game at Mississippi State on Saturday night.

No details were immediately given. This is the second time Harris has been suspended this season, and his future with the team appears to be in doubt. Harris did not travel with the team to Mississippi State...
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

2018 Top (4- and 5-star) Basketball Recruits
Last Updated 2/7/18


10. S. Shittu  Vandy
13. Kel Johnson  UK
14. D. Garland    VU
15. I. Quickley    UK
18. Naz Reid       LS
20. Reg Perry      MS
24. Emmitt Wms LS
26. A. Nembhard UF
30. J. Smart        LS
32. T. Herro        UK
53. R. Woodward MS
54. D. Days         LS
64. A. Nesmith    VU
69. Noah Locke   UF
80. Key Johnson  UF
89. J. Butler    Bama
93. Ant. Jones   A&M
99. E. Henderson Ark
101. T. Watson   MU
103. A. Ngumezi UG
105. DJ Stewart  MS
120. K. Embery  Ark
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net


jbcarol

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

Kentucky basketball: Could Jarred Vanderbilt be Kentucky's Dennis Rodman? John Calipari thinks so


Quote"I'm probably No. 1 in the country in missed layups within 5 feet or something like that," Vanderbilt said. "But I try to just keep playing hard, rebounding and do everything else my team needs me to do."

That's where the Rodman comparison makes sense. Rodman played 14 seasons in the NBA, has five championship rings, two All-Star appearances, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named to eight all-defense teams.

Rodman only averaged 7.3 points per game in his career, but he averaged 13.1 rebounds. He led the NBA in rebounding seven seasons.

"That's who he is," Calipari said of Vanderbilt. "Be Dennis Rodman. He did all right. He can guard every position, he can rebound offensively and defensively. He can pass. He's skilled."

Vanderbilt, the 12th-ranked prospect in the 2017 class, is averaging 18.3 rebounds, 13 points and 1.9 blocks per 40 minutes. He has 69 rebounds in 151 minutes.

Avery Johnson wasn't surprised by Vanderbilt.

"He was a guy we had a couple of stars by his name in the scouting report," Johnson said. "Everybody talks about Knox and Alexander, but in games like this, you need a utility guy."

Or as Vanderbilt put it, the "energy guy."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Why won't John Calipari bench Hamidou Diallo?

'That's what you'd want me to do with your son?'


QuoteKyle Tucker: So why is Kentucky coach John Calipari sticking with the former 5-star recruit as a starting guard for the struggling Wildcats?

"Let's think about it," Calipari said Saturday. "It's your son and he's struggling. It's your son now, not somebody else's son. Your son. Would you want me to just bench him and say, 'We'll worry about it next year?' That's what you'd want me to do with your son?

"I would say you'd say, 'Hey, Coach, he's responsible for himself, but please keep coaching him and let him know you love him and keep being there for him — but hold him accountable. If he's not going to listen to you, you should not play him."

So Calipari keeps starting Diallo, but he also continues to shrink his minutes... Diallo did not play the final 5:12 against Alabama on Saturday, during which time Kentucky turned a 2-point lead into a 10-point win in part because it committed zero turnovers and took no bad shots.

Diallo, who flirted with the NBA draft after enrolling at UK last January and practicing with the Cats but not playing, was considered a potential lottery pick heading into this season. He is now widely considered a fringe first-round prospect — and that's based largely on his world-class athleticism, which includes a 44 ½-inch vertical leap.

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net


 

jbcarol

AL.com sports
‏Verified account @aldotcomSports
6h6 hours ago

Collin Sexton is one of the top point guards in the country. The same can be said about Jared Harper.

This will be the key matchup when Alabama plays Auburn: Sexton vs. Harper.
https://trib.al/HWaDbpw


QuoteBefore he was the "Young Bull" or a top-ranked recruit, Collin Sexton was a Pebblebrook High School newcomer who was humbled often by Jared Harper.

The team did a one-on-one session after practices. The winner of each game stayed on the court and played another teammate. The loser had to go off to the side and wait for another opportunity.

Sometimes, Sexton and Harper played until late at night. And, at least early on, Sexton usually lost.

"We'd go until 11 or 12 o'clock waiting on Collin to get a win," said George Washington, who coached Sexton and Harper at Pebblebrook. "And if he did win, Jared would be like, 'It's a fluke.' And they'd end up playing again and going back and forth, and I'd just end up leaving the gym and leaving them in the gym and going home because we'd be in there all night waiting on those two to finish playing."

They still play whenever they're both home in Georgia. Sessions that typically start with drills and shooting around will transition to these two playing one-on-one and going back and forth like they probably will Wednesday night.

Sexton is one of the top point guards in the country. The same can be said about Harper. And this will be the key matchup when Alabama plays Auburn, Sexton vs. Harper.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Michael Carvell
‏ @Michael_Carvell
14h14 hours ago

Report: Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. cleared for basketball activities
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net


jbcarol

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

Kentucky basketball: Undaunted by Yahoo! report, investigation, Kevin Knox leads Cats vs. Missouri


QuoteIf the Yahoo Sports report and subsequent university review of his alleged contact with an unscrupulous agent were weighing heavy on Kentucky freshman Kevin Knox's mind Saturday night, he hid it well.

Knox scored a team-high 21 points in just 23 minutes against Missouri and led the Wildcats to their third consecutive impressive victory, 88-66 over the Tigers. Rupp Arena roared for him as he hit 6 of 13 shots from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.

That was surely a welcome relief after the week he's had — or maybe not, to hear Knox tell it.

"I've just been blocking everything out," he said Saturday night after the win. "That's what Cal trained me for, what my dad's trained me for my whole life..."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net


jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Michael Carvell
‏ @Michael_Carvell

Kentucky basketball: How serious is the latest Jarred Vanderbilt injury?


QuoteMultiple sources close to the program indicated Wednesday that Vanderbilt's injury, which has been confirmed but not specified by UK officials, is not in the left foot that he injured twice in high school and then again last September. He missed the first 17 games of the season because of that setback.

Rather, this injury is believed to be an ankle sprain. We're told Vanderbilt hobbled out of a 2-on-2 drill in practice Tuesday and did not return. He was taken for evaluation and, per SEC Country sources, those results did not have coach John Calipari overly worried Wednesday.

That doesn't mean Vanderbilt will play this week at the SEC Tournament in St. Louis. In fact, it might be wise to rest him for the start of the NCAA Tournament next week. Kentucky fans surely would be fine with that, because the Cats (21-10) will need him as healthy as possible to have any realistic shot at reaching their fifth Final Four in nine years.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Joe Lunardi finally weighs in on Jarred Vanderbilt injury potentially impacting UK's tournament seed


Quote"I don't think in their case it's going to be that huge of the deal," Lunardi said Thursday on an ESPN Bracketology media call. "Short of winning the sec tournament with or without him, they're not in a great position to improve their standing anyway. And I don't think they're in real danger of dropping very far."

Lunardi currently has the Wildcats as a 6-seed, and said he could see them rising or falling one seed line depending on how the SEC Tournament goes.

It's worth noting that Vanderbilt, who is Kentucky's best rebounder, is expected to be ready for the NCAA Tournament.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Jeff Goodman
‏Verified account @GoodmanESPN
16h16 hours ago

Do NOT judge Michael Porter Jr., off today's performance. I repeat. Do NOT judge him from today. Kid is a terrific talent. Needs time to shake off the rust.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Kyle Tucker
‏ @KyleTucker_SEC

New Story || Kenny Payne and John Calipari explain how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went from seventh-best UK recruit to BEST UK player, and @Mike_Schmitz (Draft Express/ESPN) explains why it'll now be a stunner if SGA isn't one-and-done.


QuoteGilgeous-Alexander was once considered the seventh-best recruit Kentucky signed in the 2017 class. He was ranked the No. 31 overall prospect nationally in the 247Sports composite. He started just two of the Wildcats' first 15 games this season.

"Shai is a guy who came in there without the same fanfare or hype the other guys had, but his mentality was, 'I'm just as good as anybody in the country.' And he's proven that," UK assistant coach Kenny Payne said. "He's one of the two or three best guards in the country. If there's guys out there better than him, I'd like to see them."

Gilgeous-Alexander clearly was the Wildcats' best player over the second half of the regular season, but he took his game to another level last week at the SEC Tournament. His assists were up and turnovers down (20 of the former, 5 of the latter in three games), and he seemed to make every right decision — give it up or keep it, drive it or shoot it — in leading Kentucky to a fourth consecutive conference title.

He earned MVP honors after averaging 21 points, 6.7 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.7 steals, including a superstar performance in the championship game against Tennessee: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He hit 10 of 16 shots, 2 of 3 3s, 7 of 7 free throws.

Gilgeous-Alexander came to the Cats considered a combo guard. He expected to play off the ball, but he surpassed McDonald's All-American point guard Quade Green to become "legitimately a point guard, which makes him a lot more interesting at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan. I was impressed with his poise — doesn't seem like he ever gets rattled — and the way he gets other guys involved," Schmitz added.

"Also his level of craft. He's not a great shooter [although 40 percent from 3-point range this season won't raise red flags] and he's not the most explosive physical guy, but he always gets to his spots and has a great package of finishing skills: right hand, left hand, floaters, all those deceptive, goofy footed finishes that are so important at the NBA level."

Not even on draft boards back in October, Gilgeous-Alexander is very much in the mix to be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Jeff Goodman
‏Verified account @GoodmanESPN
10h10 hours ago

I give Michael Porter Jr., credit for coming back after missing the entire regular season. He's not even close to the same player right now — and rightfully so. Ton of rust, difficult to mesh quickly with teammates, adjust to speed of the college game, etc.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Kyle Tucker
‏ @KyleTucker_SEC

Four days a week, Joel Justus sets an early alarm, snags a Starbucks on his commute across town, and meets Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for 7 a.m. workouts. "In recruiting, that's something we sell: As a staff, we're going to be here for you."


QuoteOf course, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is honest, sometimes he hits the snooze button a few times, springs up out of bed at 6:55 for the 7 a.m. session, and proceeds to "race across the street," where Joel Justus is always waiting with a cup of Starbucks and a list of problem areas they're going to drill for the next hour.

"In recruiting, that's something we sell," Justus said. Coach John Calipari "sets the blueprint, and part of that is: As a staff, we're going to be here for you, whether it's off the court, whether it's in the film room. And [Gilgeous-Alexander] has taken full advantage of that."

Like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the Breakfast Club during the 2012 national championship season, Gilgeous-Alexander's early — and for a long time solo — workouts have become a major thread in the still-unfinished story of the 2018 Wildcats.

Their rise, from losing four straight in February to winning 8 of 9 to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night against Buffalo, coincides with a handful of teammates finally following the freshman point guard's lead and putting in the kind of extra work it takes to go from good to great. Gilgeous-Alexander had quietly been doing that for weeks.

"He wanted to do it. This was all him," Justus said. "And he does stuff without coaches. He does stuff with managers late at night. He works at all times of the day. He's just a guy that gets after it."

Former Florida commit
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


ESPN Stats & Info
‏Verified account @ESPNStatsInfo
4h4 hours ago

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of #Kentucky is the 1st freshman with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in an NCAA Tournament game since Chris Paul in 2004
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

SEC is left off the three 5-team 2018 AP All-American Teams

Honorable Mention in a particular order:

Kevin Knox II, UK
Yante Maten, UG
Collin Sexton, Bama
Grant Williams, UT
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


Courtney Cronin
‏Verified account @CourtneyRCronin

If you don't know Malik Newman's struggle, you can't feel his hustle.

To understand the highs the Kansas guard has reached in the NCAA Tournament, you need to know the depths of his lows to see how @iammaliknewman got back to being "The Machine."


QuoteThe Machine was broken.

Inside Humphrey Coliseum, surrounded by 10,575 empty seats after Mississippi State's 76-51 win over UT-Martin on Nov. 28, 2015, Malik Newman felt the most alone he'd ever been.

Two weeks into his freshman season, the gravity of a decision he now regrets weighed heavily. The 6-foot-3 guard and head coach Ben Howland hadn't been on the same page since Newman shocked the college basketball world by choosing the Bulldogs over a handful of blue-blood programs, including his current team, the Kansas Jayhawks.

Covering the recruitment of Malik Newman made the career of then Mississippi high school recruiting reporter Courtney Cronin.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol


AL.com sports
‏Verified account @aldotcomSports
4h4 hours ago

Veteran Riley Norris expected to get medical redshirt and to be back playing for @AlabamaMBB next season  https://trib.al/ZTaWhmQ
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Rick Pitino was asked about South Carolina basketball player Brian Bowen.

Bowen, a former 5-star recruit, was alleged to have received $100,000 from Adidas for signing with Louisville in 2017. Bowen, who denied knowledge of the payment, was ruled ineligible by Louisville, following the FBI's probe.


Quote"I don't know," Pitino said. "Allegedly, he got $12,500, allegedly from Adidas or someone. I don't know the facts of that."

Pitino was then asked about Bowen's decision to sign with Louisville in June, after his senior season at La Lumiere School in Indiana.

"My antennas went up and I sat with the family. The mom was a lovely lady and the kid was a great kid," Pitino said. "I sat with them and I said, 'Now, wait a second, how come you haven't signed with a school?' And I grilled them.

"And they said, 'Well, we wanted to go to Michigan State and it didn't work. We wanted to go to Arizona because Rawle Alkins and the other guard put their names in and we would come in and start as a freshman, so we were going to Arizona. Then, they all of a sudden took their names out and we were left without a school and we just noticed that Donovan Mitchell left and went to the pros, so we could start at the 2-guard for you.'

"So that made complete sense to me. Adidas has never – I've been with them 17 years, they have never done anything close to this in my lifetime, so I never suspected them of doing anything."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

SEC in 2019 Top Basketball Recruits

7. Ashton Hagans, PG   UK

14. Tyrese Maxey, CG   UK

41. DJ Jeffries, SF        UK

110. Chris Harris, Jr., SG  A&M

135. Rodney Howard, C  OM

148. Sahvir Wheeler, PG  A&M

160. Babatunde, C       AU

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Matt Jones
‏ @KySportsRadio

Top high school players discuss how removing the one and done would change their college decision


QuoteAs anyone reading this article knows, the rule has been in place for over a decade, sending some of the best players in all of basketball (Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Kyrie Irving) to college for at least one season.

Still, it appears as though the rule will quietly be altered over the next few years. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has openly discussed the possibility of removing the rule for well over a calendar year now, and the FBI's probe into college basketball seems to have been the final push needed to get things changed.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Recruiting rankings for the SEC players selected in the 2018 NBA Draft

Collin Sexton.  No. 7 5-Star

Kevin Knox III. No. 10 5-Star

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.  No. 35 4-Star

Michael Porter, Jr.  No. 2 5-Star

Robert Williams III. No. 50 4-Star*

Jarred Vanderbilt  No. 19 5-Star

Hamidou Diallo. Unranked 5-Star


RWIII was in the '16 class.  Hami reclassified midterm and was unranked

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

ESPN finally updated their Top 100 for 2019

Some early SEC verbals are included:

7    Tyrese Maxey    UK

19  DJ Jeffries         UK

81  Sahvir Wheeler  A&M


Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Jon Rothstein
‏Verified account @JonRothstein

Cal freshman big man Connor Vanover is the skinniest person I've ever seen. 7-3. 217 pounds. Reminds me of Serge Zwikker from the 95 UNC team.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net