2014-15 SEC Basketball Projections

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Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  23 hours ago
Gator Hoops Podcast: 2014-2015 basketball season preview with Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports: Kevin previews the 20... http://bit.ly/1qIAk5P

[jbcarol]

Cecil Hurt @CecilHurt  ·  23 hours ago
The UA release. RT @AlabamaMBB: Christophe Varidel Medically Unable to Suit Up for Tide in 2014-15 Campaign  http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101714aaa.html ...

Shooting guard Christophe Varidel, who transferred from Chaminade to Alabama last season, has left the UA team for medical reasons.

[jbcarol]

Drew Champlin @DrewChamplin  ·  14 minutes ago
Anthony Grant updates injury status of Retin Obasohan, other notes from Hoops on the Quad  http://ow.ly/CYmuC

Alabama hopes to junior guard Retin Obasohan ready for the start of the season after summer ankle surgery, head coach Anthony Grant said on Saturday.

Grant, speaking after the Hoops on the Quad event, said Obasohan was cleared "three or four practices ago" and "he's not in the type of shape he'll be in, but he's not far off."

Obasohan scored 9.5 points per game last year. He participated briefly in a 12-minute intrasquad scrimmage on the elevated court on The Quad, but the "scrimmage" was set up more like a game of pickup ball than anything like a real Alabama game or practice would be.

"Guys want to see the dunks and threes and stuff like that," Grant said.

Sophomore forward Shannon Hale is back from a broken foot. Sophomore forward Michael Kessens, who sat out last year as a transfer from Longwood, has battled nagging injuries, Grant said. Grant also said that Kessens has put on 20 pounds of muscle since he arrived in Tuscaloosa.

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  16h 16 hours ago

#Vols F Tariq Owens (6-10 with a 7-4 wingspan) discusses growth spurts and compares blocking shots to Call of Duty http://shar.es/1miYSz

[jbcarol]

Real Jerry Tipton:

Here are my picks for the All-SEC team: Bobby Portis, Arkansas; Jordan Mickey, LSU; Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky; Alex Caruso, Texas A&M, and Poythress...

Portis might be the league's most physically imposing player. Mickey has game-changing athleticism. Caruso is a personal favorite as a glue-guy.

My SEC order of finish: 1. Kentucky; 2. Florida; 3. Arkansas; 4. Georgia; 5. LSU; 6. Vanderbilt; 7. Missouri; 8. Mississippi; 9. South Carolina; 10. Texas A&M; 11. Auburn; 12. Alabama; 13. Mississippi State; 14. Tennessee.

[jbcarol]

Drew Champlin @DrewChamplin  ·  55m 55 minutes ago
Alabama's Anthony Grant pleased with progression of forwards Michael Kessens, Jimmie Taylor  http://ow.ly/D020L

Kessens, a transfer from Longwood who sat out last season, gained 20 pounds of muscle over the past year, Grant said. He's listed at 6-foot-9 and 223 pounds, up from the 205 during his freshman season at Longwood.

Taylor, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound sophomore, started 18 games last year but scored just three points per game.

"I think all our guys did a great job this summer addressing the physical things we had to address and Jimmie is one of those guys," Grant said Saturday after his team participated in a Hoops on the Quad outdoor event...

[jbcarol]

Adam Sparks @AdamSparks  ·  Oct 18
#Vandy's Damian Jones motivated by NBA potential. http://tnne.ws/1yIbU4r 

Vanderbilt sophomore center Damian Jones already has shown NBA potential.

But just in case Jones, a 6-foot-10, 248-pounder, needs to be reminded, coach Kevin Stallings offered this:

"There are some things he has to get better at, but as I explain to him, 'If I put a big pile of money over here in the corner and say if you do this, this and this, can you do that for that big pile of money?'" Stallings said. "His answer is always, 'Yeah, I can do it.' Well, then do it because that's the big pile of money waiting on you when you do it.

"Damian is not really a guy that needs to be motivated. ... But just in case he needed extra motivation, I brought up the pile of money analogy, and he seemed to respond to it. So maybe he wants to make a lot of money."

For now, Jones needs to lead one of the Southeastern Conference's youngest teams as it prepares for the 2014-15 season...

Vanderbilt has five true freshmen who will play major minutes, including three starters in the backcourt. Jones, an SEC all-freshman team selection last season, is a prime example to the new Commodores that a rookie can make an instant impact.

"The freshmen are getting there. I see it in practice," Jones said...

[jbcarol]

Austin Kim @AustinKKim  ·  9h 9 hours ago

Sunday Sit-Down on ABC 17: @Steve_Walentik from the Trib. He gives us a great #Mizzou basketball preview. #abc17 http://www.abc17news.com/sports/sunday-sitdown-with-steve-walentik/29226544 ...  (Video)

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Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  3h 3 hours ago
Blog: Tyndall talks team progress, expectations, Dominic Woodson's snag and more before Monday's practice http://knoxblogs.com/fastbreak/2014/10/20/vols-basketball-practice-update

With UT's first exhibition game against NAIA opponent Pikeville on on Nov. 3 fast approaching, Tyndall was asked for a comprehensive review of his team.
"Our guys are working hard," he said. "I've said that since this summer. Their energy level is fine. Their competitive nature is pretty solid.  Their coachable. But we have so far to go in probably about three areas. Playing with more physicality, No. 1. Playing through fatigue, No. 2. And then just learning to play fast while still valuing the basketball. Our turnovers right now are just atrocious. We want to play with pace, with tempo, get up and down the floor. But on the flip side we are just giving away the ball too much."

Tyndall said the installation of his defense, a system that presses after dead balls and falls back into matchup zone, is "about 60 to 70 percent" where it needs to be before games start...

[jbcarol]

Bruce Pearl says he likes his team, but Tigers have 'ton of work to do'

GULF SHORES, Alabama - Bruce Pearl has won over Auburn basketball fans, indeed Auburn fans in general, with his resume' and his enthusiasm, his recruiting prowess and the promise of better things to come.

Monday night, Pearl was the guest speaker, along with Auburn director of athletics Jay Jacobs, at the Gulf Coast Athletic Club at Craft Farms Golf Club. He brought along his trademark positive approach, painted with even strokes of realism.

"We're still undefeated. I'm going to say that for as long as I can because it's fixin' to change,'' Pearl said. "I like my team. We've got a ton of work to do. We're trying to change the culture, the tempo, the style. We have an enormous task. When you first take over a program, I haven't coached any of these guys - the returning guys, the recruits.

"So, you can't just point to a couple (of players) and say, 'Just do what they're doing; that's the pace I want to play at, that's the tempo, that's the intensity, that's the way I want to communicate.' It makes it more challenging. We've got a lot to teach. Truly, we're not very well coached right now and we may not be as well coached as I'd like.''

Pearl said one of the first orders of business is to change the culture.

"I think it's easier to do off the court than it is to do on,'' he said. "Off the court - last year they sold 2,100 season tickets, we've sold almost 5,000. Off the court, the Auburn family is excited about basketball because they know what Auburn can do. They're looking at my track record and they're seeing I've been at three different spots and we've been successful. Why not have it be four spots and be successful? So we're kind of tapping into those two things. But the hardest thing is going to be on the floor. That's going to be the hardest thing. (We'll attempt it) with returning players and recruits and just playing better basketball.''

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2014-15 Kentucky Quick Facts

Record: 29-11 (12-6 SEC, Second Overall)
Home: 16-2, Away: 5-5, Neutral: 8-4
SEC Postseason Record: 2-1
Lost to Florida, 61-60 (Championship, Atlanta, Ga.)
NCAA Postseason Record: 5-1
Lost to Connecticut, 60-54 (Championship, Arlington, Texas)

2013-14 REVIEW
Starters Lost: 2
No. Player Pos. Ht Cl Ppg Rpg
30 Julius Randle F 6-9 Fr. 15.0 10.4
1 James Young G/F 6-6 Fr. 14.3 4.3
Starters Returning: 4
No. Player Pos. Ht Cl Ppg Rpg
15 Willie Cauley-Stein^ F 7-0 Jr. 6.8 6.1
2 Aaron Harrison G 6-6 So. 13.7 3.0
5 Andrew Harrison G 6-6 So. 10.9 4.0*
44 Dakari Johnson^ C 7-0 So. 5.2 3.9
Other Lettermen Lost: 2
4 Jon Hood G 6-7 Sr. 1.2 0.4*
3 Jarrod Polson G 6-2 Sr. 1.0 0.6
Lettermen Returning: 8
24 EJ Floreal G 6-4 So. 0.7 0.3
25 Dominique Hawkins G 6-0 So. 0.8 0.7
21 Tod Lanter G 6-2 Sr. 0.0 0.0
00 Marcus Lee F 6-9 So. 2.4 1.4
32 Brian Long G 5-9 Sr. 0.0 0.0
13 Sam Malone G 5-11 Sr. 0.0 0.0
22 Alex Poythress F 6-8 Jr. 5.9 4.5
35 Derek Willis F 6-9 So. 1.1 0.6
Newcomers: 4
1 Devin Booker G 6-6 Fr. 30.9 5.1
41 Trey Lyles F 6-10 Fr. 23.7 12.9
12 Karl-Anthony Towns F 6-11 Fr. 21.5 13.7
3 Tyler Ulis G 5-9 Fr. 23.0 6.8*
*Assists per game; ^-shared time starting
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/2^
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/4

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/kty/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/prospectus/prospectus.pdf

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Hugh Kellenberger @HKellenbergerCL  ·  2h 2 hours ago
CBS picked Ole Miss to finish seventh in the SEC, but has Jarvis Summers as its player of the year. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24761351/-15-college-basketball-conference-preview-sec ...

Kentucky, Florida, and...

It's not a matter of if, but who will join the Wildcats and Gators at the top of the SEC. Coaching turnover has been plentiful across the expanded league, and now several programs have hit the "prove it" stage in the transition process. Ten coaches have been at their current position five years or less, and only two of those coaches -- Alabama's Anthony Grant and Georgia's Mark Fox, both heading into year six -- have led their team the NCAA Tournament...

3. Arkansas
... I'm personally betting on Bobby Portis, a legitimate 6-11 star who could have left for the NBA after last season, to not only lead this team but evolve into a player worth SEC Player of the Year consideration. That won't be enough to get Arkansas into the tournament for the first time under Mike Anderson, as the Hogs will need the every bit of Rashad Madden and Michael Qualls' experience and production along with an answer to the concerns at point guard. It seems like Arkansas has the perfect combination of scheme, athleticism and talent to break through and we think this is the year it happens.

Our Preseason All-SEC team

G: Aaron Harrison, Kentucky

G: Jarvis Summers, Ole Miss

F: Bobby Portis, Arkansas

F: Jordan Mickey, LSU

F: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

3: Number of combined NCAA Tournament appearances for Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M under each program's current coach.

Doug Gottlieb picked Arkansas to finish second, ahead of Florida.

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SEC teams receiving votes in the preseason coaches poll

http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/basketball-men/polls/coaches-poll/2014/1/

1. Kentucky  785 points; 24 of 32 1st place votes

7. Florida      568 points

T-36. Arkansas 8 points

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  Oct 20
Unlike last year, Mark Fox didn't put his UGA team on his coaches' poll ballot. Said he didn't like how team practiced day before he voted.

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Patrick Pierson @pierson_sid  ·  21 minutes ago

Great shot of The Shootah @PatBradley22 @BobHoltADG & @MikeAndersonUA at #SECTipoff15

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In voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members:

Points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team.

First Team All-SEC

Bobby Portis - Arkansas, F, 6-11, 242, So., Little Rock, Ark.

Michael Frazier II - Florida, G, 6-4, 194, Jr., Tampa, Fla.

Aaron Harrison - Kentucky, G, 6-6, 212, So., Richmond, Texas

Jordan Mickey - LSU, F, 6-8, 235, So., Dallas, Texas

Jarvis Summers - Ole Miss, G, 6-3, 186, Sr., Jackson, Miss.

Second Team All-SEC

Charles Mann - Georgia, G, 6-5, 215, Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.

Willie Cauley-Stein - Kentucky, F, 7-0, 240, Jr., Olathe, Kan.

Andrew Harrison - Kentucky, G, 6-6, 210, So., Richmond, Texas

Alex Poythress - Kentucky, F, 6-8, 238, Jr., Clarksville, Tenn.

Karl-Anthony Towns - Kentucky, F, 6-11, 250, Fr., Piscataway, N.J.

SEC Player of the Year: Aaron Harrison, Kentucky

Preseason Media Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1. Kentucky (20) 280
2. Florida           258
3. Arkansas        226
4. LSU               223
5. Georgia          204
6. Ole Miss         168
7. Missouri         123
8. Auburn          113
9. Texas A&M     111
10. Alabama       109
11. Vanderbilt      89
12. South Carolina 86
13. Tennessee     75
14 Mississippi State 35

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  3 hours ago

#Auburn's basketball turnaround coming 'in a real hurry,' says Tennessee's Donnie Tyndall http://ow.ly/DaWh2

BALLANTYNE, North Carolina -- Plenty of love for Bruce Pearl remains ingrained in the Tennessee fan base, and new men's basketball coach Donnie Tyndall is fully aware of it.

"I think people are excited because so many people think a lot of Coach Pearl," Tyndall said during SEC Tip-off 15 Wednesday. "They're excited he's getting another opportunity, but I don't know if they're excited we have to play against him now every year. But for the most part, people seem to be genuinely happy that he landed on his feet and is at a great school."

Tyndall has known the Auburn coach for some time and one of his current assistants was on Pearl's staff on Wisconsin-Milwaukee. But with Pearl's presence still lingering on campus, Tyndall is eager to prove his doubters wrong against Auburn and the rest of the SEC.

"I know this -- (Pearl's) an outstanding coach and a very good person," Tyndall said. "He did incredible things at Tennessee. Many of the things he accomplished at Tennessee we sell now in recruiting. I don't think Auburn could have hired a better guy to revive their program. I think he'll do a fantastic job and certainly make Auburn one of the top three or four teams in our league in a real hurry."

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Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  4 hours ago

#Vols coach Donnie Tyndall said no. 13 is "rightfully picked." ... "Now, do we plan to finish there? No"

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USA Today's http://www.bracketwag.com

1 seed  Kentucky
2 seed  Florida
11 seed Arkansas
11 seed Georgia

Multi bid conferences - ACC - 9, Big 10 - 8, Big 12 - 5, PAC 12 - 5, Big East - 4, SEC - 4, ...

[jbcarol]

Bruce Pearl's promise: Five SEC teams in tourney

"We're going to have five, at least five teams in the tournament this year," Pearl told ESPN.com Wednesday. "At least five. ... So I'm just telling you. Jump on the bandwagon now."

His colleagues in the league supported that notion.

Asked to respond to Pearl's guarantee, Kentucky's John Calipari said, "It should be [a five-bid league]. It should be."

Florida coach Billy Donovan said that the SEC should send five teams or more to the NCAA tournament each season.

"I think the same thing could have been said last year," Donovan said. "I think if you look at the fact that Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky are in, but you know what? Arkansas is right there on the bubble. Missouri is right there on the bubble. Georgia is hovering. They close well. That would have made it five or six teams right there. I don't think there's any reason why this league can't be anywhere from five to seven teams year in and year out."

[jbcarol]

Stacking talent doesn't guarantee stacking titles. Over the past 20 seasons, only 12 teams have had rosters that included at least three first-round picks in the same draft class. Only five (Kentucky 1996 and 2012; North Carolina 2005 and 2009; Florida 2007) got a title to match their considerable talent.

If Kentucky is to become the sixth, it has to navigate potential pitfalls that doomed these can't-miss teams:

1998-99 Duke

2005-06 UConn

2006-07 Ohio State
The first-rounders: Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook

2009-10 Kentucky
The first-rounders: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton

2011-12 UNC

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AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  12 hours ago

Full Auburn & Alabama coverage from SEC Basketball Media Days in Charlotte http://topics.al.com/tag/SEC%20Basketball%20Media%20Days%202014/posts.html ...

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AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  2 hours ago
Anthony Grant, #Alabama players [finally] weigh in on excitement surrounding Bruce Pearl, #Auburn http://ow.ly/Dj77v

As reporters huddled around Auburn's Bruce Pearl for 30 minutes, Alabama coach Anthony Grant sat across the room with significantly less questions to answer:


Wesley Sinor @WesleySinor
#Auburn head basketball @coachBrucePearl speaks with the media at #SECTipOff15
2:42 PM - 22 Oct 2014


ESPNUpstate @ESPNUpstate
The difference between @UA_Athletics and @AuburnTigers today? Three of us (closest) and then a horde of media (far).
2:48 PM - 22 Oct 2014

While there is a growing buzz surrounding the Tigers that the Crimson Tide lacks, Grant says Auburn's splash hire is "good for the state."

"If you look at what Coach Pearl's been able to accomplish over the course of his career and the success he's had at every stop he's made, "I think it brings a level of excitement.

"Obviously, when you look at Auburn and Alabama, you're talking about one of the great rivalries in all of college sports. If it's a situation where both of our programs can get where we both want our programs to be in terms of competing for championships, it only helps basketball not only in the SEC, but in the state of Alabama."

Levi Randolph and Retin Obasohan said they more concerned with themselves than their archrival.

"We're really trying to focus on us," Randolph said. "We can't focus on outside forces, we  have to try and pay attention to what we're doing. If we worry about other things, we're not going to be any good."

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  10 hours ago
ICYMI, leftover SEC md notes on Frazier, Chris Walker, Eli Carter - http://brockway.blogs.gatorsports.com/12711/frazier-ff-loss-to-uconn-still-stings/ ...

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  39 minutes ago
"How are the greatest fans in college basketball tonight?" - #Vols coach Donnie Tyndall at Big Orange Madness

Vols have missed about 5 dunks so far, so that might be something they practice.

"As you can tell we are going to be a great defensive team." - Tyndall joking after zero defense was played in the scrimmage

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Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  13 hours ago
Video: The #Vols best dunks in the Big Orange Madness dunk contest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJj_B8Ohfgc&list=UUypowE_p8nJK2uZgE77tNUA ...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  Oct 23
Blog: The final installment of my Top 25 countdown with a surprising pick at No. 1 http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/counting-down-the-top-nos/article_30d6d250-4aa2-5639-948e-e79b4a446553.html ...

No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats

Last season: 29-11 (12-6 SEC), lost to Connecticut in NCAA final

Player to watch: Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns stands out as the top pro prospect on the deepest team in college basketball. A 6-11 forward has ball skills usually seen in a smaller player, giving him the ability to face the basket out to 18 feet and help facilitate offense from the high post. He averaged 20.9 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks as a high school senior last season and was selected the Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year. Kentucky will need Towns to show he can excel in a more traditional role in the paint and force defenses to collapse around him the way they did around Julius Randle...

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger @DCTheState  ·  28 minutes ago
South Carolina men's basketball: Freshman TeMarcus Blanton had surgery for an injured left hip on Friday.

[jbcarol]

ESPN's obsession with UK doesn't bother Mississippi coach Kennedy

Centered

ESPN's love affair with Kentucky basketball continues with the SEC Network televising Monday's Blue-White Game. It's the only intrasquad scrimmage the network will televise.

The only preseason exhibition games on the SEC Network will be Kentucky against Pikeville on Nov. 2 and Kentucky against Georgetown on Nov. 9.

This follows ESPNU's two-hour infomercial on Kentucky (a.k.a. UK's NBA Combine) and the Cats' six exhibition games in the Bahamas that helped launch the SEC Network.

Fair-and-unbalanced coverage as far as the other 13 SEC programs are concerned? Don't tell Mississippi Coach Andy Kennedy that...

[jbcarol]

http://www.gogamecocks.com/2014/10/26/633793_live-basketball-updates-south.html

http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2114738/NCAA-Mens-Basketball-Benedict-vs-South-Carolina

Starting the second half of this exhibition game

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  3h 3 hours ago

Jabari McGhee said #Vols being picked 13th in the SEC has become motivation for the team.

Tyndall points out Pikeville, UT's first exhibition opponent, is the preseason No. 1 in NAIA

Tyndall: The only 2 guys in our program that can really play the point are Josh (Richardson) and Kevin (Punter).

#Vols biggest weaknesses, per Tyndall: low willingness to play through fatigue, not valuing the basketball enough

Tyndall said 2 of 3 presses have been installed. Zone has looked solid. Blocking out will be stressed with undersized front line.

[jbcarol]

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11754505/college-basketball-top-25-power-rankings

SEC places two in the Top 8

[jbcarol]

Kentucky finally showcases front court depth in annual public intrasquad scrimmage

Jerry Tipton: With apologies to Garth Brooks, who performs at Rupp Arena this weekend, the Blue-White Game Monday night showed that Kentucky will have friends in high places this season.

Dakari Johnson (13 points) ran the floor and did good work around the basket. Towns (20 points) displayed an inside-outside versatility. Trey Lyles (eight points and four rebounds) did much the same. Willie Cauley-Stein also had his moments with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Marcus Lee added three points, nine rebounds and three assists.

But, to borrow again from Brooks, Kentucky had friends in low places, too. Andrew and Aaron Harrison, who celebrate a 20th birthday Tuesday, scored 19 and 15 points, respectively. Maybe more encouraging on this night, they made 15 of 18 free throws.

Tyler Ulis made a big impression in the first half, never more so than when he threw a pass between Cauley-Stein's legs that netted Johnson a post-up basket.

"When you play with Tyler, you always have to make sure you're ready," Johnson said. "Because he's going to get the ball to you no matter what. He's just a crafty point guard, so you always have to be prepared."

As the basketball cliche puts it, no coach can teach height. That UK has plenty of, and Calipari spoke of putting it to use this season.

"The reality of it is in the half-court, we're hard to score against," he said. "You know why? You're not getting anything near the basket, so now you have to take jumpers. . . .

"I don't know if we're that bad offensively or if we're hard to score against. I think early on in the season, we're going to have to rely on our defense. We can really make it hard on the other guy to score."

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  20 hours ago

CBS is filming #Vols hoops practice today. Will be used to promote Veteran's Classic game against VCU.

Kevin Punter has NBA range. Drained a 3 as clock dwindled in live setting. Armani Moore's shot has improved. Not afraid to shoot 3 either.

Dom Woodson is a surprisingly good passer for a big. Tyndall on him to fight through fatigue. Gets sloppy as he gets tired.

Ian Chiles received some treatment on a leg/foot toward the end of practice. He's been battling injuries since he arrived.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  22 hours ago

Kim Anderson said Johnathan Williams III practiced yesterday and is progressing, but he doesn't know if he will play Wed. vs. William Jewell

Johnathan Williams III said he anticipates taking it slow with recovery and sitting out exhibition opener against William Jewell.

Teammates were happy to see Williams back at practice yesterday. They revealed he posterized someone with a dunk, but no one would say who.

Anderson said he hasn't settled on starting lineup. Said he's looking at seven or eight guys. He's happy with competition so far.

Anderson said he's been happy with all three point guards, and he's not opposed to playing all three together at times.

Kim Anderson said Missouri has put in a zone defense, but most work has been in man-to-man. Said it's been up and down so far.

Anderson said two or three freshmen could wind up starting.

Anderson said Wes Clark and Keanau Post have stood out trying to take leadership role.

[jbcarol]

Sheldon Mickles @MicklesAdvocate  ·  8 hours ago
Jones: Looking forward to #LSU fans storming court at PMAC like they did at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. #LSU...more

Jones: C Elbert Robinson III has been impressive as has Brian Bridgewater, who was ineligible to compete last year. #LSU

Jones: Josh Gray will likely start at PG, has been as great as advertised in preseason practices. Gray was JUCO Player of the Year #LSU

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  1 hour ago

Blog: #Vols basketball to play against at least 18 of @SBNation's Top 100 players: http://knoxblogs.com/fastbreak/2014/10/29/names-know-tennessee-hoops-play-nations-best/ ...

January 13 and January 27

No. 75: Arkansas' Bobby Portis

The 6-11, 242 sophomore forward averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season. NBADraft.net projects him as the No. 12 pick in the draft. Among his first-year accomplishments: second-team All-SEC, SEC all-freshman team, three-time SEC freshman of the week. Now he's a first-teamer on the SEC preseason team. Portis had a quiet night against the Vols last season: 4 points (2-of-7), 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal.

[jbcarol]

Kim Anderson @CoachAndersonMU  ·  3 hours ago
Tiger fans. Here's the deal. Coach Holley and I will do our best to finish game by 9. Plenty of time to celebrate Royals win. #sportsbonanza

Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  53 minutes ago
From today's P-D: Multiple floor leaders emerge for Mizzou basketball http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/multiple-floor-leaders-emerge-for-mizzou/article_d2cdfdf6-39b9-5550-9b94-5c75c7224b8f.html ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. • When Kim Anderson runs his first game as Missouri's head basketball coach tonight — an exhibition game against Division II William Jewell — he'll entrust the ball to the hands of three point guards. Anderson expects his lineup and rotations to evolve during the early stretches of the season, and for now, he's not opposed to a point guard by committee.

"I've got three, and I'm happy with all three of them," said Anderson, who makes his Mizzou debut at 7 p.m. today at the Hearnes Center, where the team has relocated temporarily while Mizzou Arena gets a new video board.

"I've got to be honest with you. I won't hesitate to play all three of them at the same time."

Admission and parking are free for MU's first of two exhibition games. Sections will be reserved for season ticket holders and students until 10 minutes before tipoff and then will be open to all. The game will be streamed live online through SEC Network Plus and the WatchESPN app...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  4 minutes ago
#Mizzou only shot 9 for 30 in the first half, including 5 for 19 from 2-point range. William Jewell shooting 6 for 30.

Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  5m 5 minutes ago
William Jewell finishes first half on 8-0 run. Mizzou leads 30-17 at halftime. Wes Clark with team-high 8 points, TGC [Gill-Caesar] with 7

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  12 hours ago

Anderson era begins with exhibition victory over William Jewell - Columbia Daily Tribune http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/anderson-era-b

Kim Anderson wasn't counting on perfection, nor did he get it in the Missouri basketball team's exhibition opener against William Jewell.

But the first-year coach still seemed plenty pleased after watching his Tigers rout the Division II Cardinals 72-31 as they tipped off his tenure in front of a couple thousand fans at the Hearnes Center.

William Jewell only made 3 of 22 shots (13.6 percent) after intermission...


Missouri shot 15 for 28 after intermission to finish 24 for 58 (41.4 percent).

"We haven't worked on offense as much as we have defense, and we're really nowhere near as far as we're going to be as far as complexity," Anderson said. "We were pretty vanilla — not because we're trying to hide anything, just because that's kind of where we're at so far. Now we've got some time to prepare for our next exhibition game and then we have time after that to prepare for our opener."

[jbcarol]

Bo Mattingly @SportsTalkwBo  ·  18 hours ago

SEC Network basketball analyst Joe Dean: I really like Arkansas' team this year. I would put the Razorbacks in the No. 2 spot in the SEC heading into the season.

[jbcarol]

Joe Dean Jr. retweeted
Bo Mattingly @SportsTalkwBo  ·  19 hours ago

Dean: I think there are five for-sure NCAA Tournament teams in the SEC, maybe even six.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria  ·  7 hours ago
ICYMI: Larry Brown Says Calipari Must Eventually Trim Rotation http://zagsblog.com/articles/larry-brown-says-calipari-must-eventually-trim-rotation/ ...

NEW YORK — Larry Brown says his friend John Calipari will eventually have to trim his rotation and abandon hopes of playing 10-12 players this season.

"I know Cal, he's going to want to win a national championship. He's going to have to get down to eight or nine and he will," the SMU coach and Naismith Hall of Famer said Wednesday at American media day at the New York Athletic Club.

Calipari, whose team features nine McDonald's All-Americans, is experimenting with a platoon system in which he plays 10-12 guys, giving them all exposure to NBA scouts.

"He can do that early in games that they know they're going to win," Brown said. "But competition never hurts. I platooned when I was a young coach in the pros."

Brown believes Calipari will ultimately do what it takes to win — and that could mean several players, including a McDonald's All-American or two, isn't playing as much as he would like...

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  2 hours ago
As expected, USF transfer C John Egbunu will sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules.


Sitting out at Florida

[jbcarol]

Adam Sparks @AdamSparks  ·  3 hours ago
Why #Vandy's tallest player shortened his 3-point shot. http://tnne.ws/1wL8Ge9 

Seven-foot sophomore forward Luke Kornet spent the offseason trying to regain the soft 3-point shooting touch he had in high school. Of course, that's when he was 9 inches shorter and playing on the wing.

"I got shooting from when I was younger and shorter, and shooting was the main thing I did back then," said Kornet, who grew from 6-foot-3 in his junior year of high school to 7 feet when he joined the Commodores a year ago. "The mechanics didn't change with my shot just because I grew. The only thing that changed was the angle. But I was already adjusted to that (before arriving at Vanderbilt).

"Last year, I just shot the ball poorly, and I'm not looking to repeat that this year."

The coaching staff's reboot of Kornet's shot has included a shorter stroke, so that he shoots without dipping the ball to his hips. Coach Kevin Stallings said last season Kornet wasted motion in swinging the ball low before setting to shoot, and by then defenders were in his face to force a hurried, uncomfortable release.

"After (dipping the ball before shooting), I think the speed of the game caught up to him and made him rush it," Stallings said. "But Luke is a skilled big guy, and he has made tremendous progress since the beginning of the summer and particularly the last two or three weeks of practice. He had what we thought was an impressive freshman year in a season when we wanted to redshirt him, but couldn't because of our numbers."

Kornet made 21 of 89 3-point shots (23.6 percent) last season.

His father was an all-SEC big at Vandy.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN  ·  25 minutes ago
Charles Barkley on auburn: "We're going to the NIT this year."  Maybe the CIT, Chuck.

[jbcarol]

AP Preseason Poll:

1. Kentucky
7. Florida
32. Arkansas
38. LSU

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2015/poll/1

Votes totaled 21 points for Arkansas.

[jbcarol]

College Poll Tracker @colpolltracker  ·  2h 2 hours ago

@gatorhoops @David4242 You can see where every pollster ranked the gators here: http://collegepolltracker.com/basketball/team/uf/2014 ...


LSU:
http://collegepolltracker.com/basketball/team/lsu/2014

Arkansas:
http://collegepolltracker.com/basketball/team/ua2/2014



[attachment deleted by admin]

[jbcarol]

Jerry Tipton @JerryTipton  ·  52 minutes ago

Kenny Payne meets with reporters. He does not disclose starters for 1st exhibition game (Sunday vs, Pikeville).

Payne reaffirms UK's intention to play 2 platoons. Hawkins and Willis will be subs for either platoon

Payne on UK starters on Sunday: "I have no idea. That's why you have Coach Cal." [irrelevant, they are platooning and trying to field near equally talented fives rather than play an A-Team and B-Team]

Payne on biggest pleasant surprises: Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson.

Payne: Dakari improved body type, mobility, shooting touch; Andrew "done everything it takes to run a program.

Payne on UK's commitment to platoons: "We don't have a choice. We have 12 really good players."

Payne anoints Andrew Harrison as needed leader. "More than anything else, the guys respect him," Payne said.

Payne: "It's going to be a process, now. It's not going to be just come out there and steam-roll people."

Payne on platoons: "It's important that the freshmen have a veteran out there with them to help them through tough times."

Payne on platoons: "Do we want to put Karl out there with Trey? No. Do we want to put Karl out there with Dakari? No. Not right now." [Towns with Cauley-Stein and Poythress?]

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  6 hours ago
Updated: UF basketball No. 7 but Billy D says there's work to do - via @Gator_sports http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20141031/ARTICLES/141039916/1217 ...

The loss of four senior starters from a Final Four team hasn't swayed the national perception of Florida heading into the 2014-15 season.

The Gators were ranked 7th in the preseason AP men's college basketball poll Friday. But to listen to Florida coach Billy Donovan, there's still work to be done to cement status as an elite team in the country.

"Right now, we're not convicted or committed to anything," Donovan said before Thursday's practice. "And that's not a good recipe."

Donovan said the Gators are playing unselfish in practice and possess good attitudes, but remain more consumed with scoring than other aspects of their game.

"A lot of it's going to be their conviction and their commitment to what goes into winning," Donovan said. "And that's going to be something that they don't understand that part of it.

"Their idea of playing well is when I shoot, score and make shots. And that's probably about five percent of the game. The other 95 percent of the game is going to be things you have to do inside the game where the ball's not in your hands. And we don't have a concept or a clue about that right now and I'm hopeful we can get better at that."

Of course, Donovan isn't afraid of doling out harsh preseason assessments...

This season, Florida returns one starter, SEC-leading 3-point shooter Michael Frazier (44.7 percent from beyond the arc). The potential starting lineup also features a pair of McDonald's All-Americans — sophomore point guard Kasey Hill and sophomore center Chris Walker, and Finney-Smith, the SEC's sixth man of the year last season. Walker will be suspended the first three games of the 2014-15 season for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

After a closed scrimmage Saturday against No. 15 VCU, Florida will play its lone official preseason game next Thursday at the O'Connell Center against Barry...

[jbcarol]

While #Uncommon, Kentucky's expected 10-man platoon isn't unprecedented

The precedent was set during the 1999-2000 season, when Florida head coach Billy Donovan used a ten-man rotation to lead the program to its first-ever national title game appearance. That group, led by sophomore forward Mike Miller, won 29 games and finished the season with four players averaging between 10.0 (guard Kenyan Weeks) and 14.1 (Miller) points per game.

In a story written by Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun, former Florida guard Teddy Dupay noted that the system helped Florida dictate tempo on both ends of the floor.

"A lot of times we were five-in, five-out," said former Gator standout combo guard Teddy Dupay, a member of the 2000 squad. "Especially early in the season. Coach would play us four minutes (each) and we would just go crazy with the press. We were able to dictate tempo that way."

"We had to kind of go through some ups and downs, some bumps in the road because some good players wanted to be out there longer, and that's what you want from any player," Donovan said. "You don't want anybody to ever accept, or say 'Listen, I'm content sitting on the bench.' If you're a competitor you want to be out there, but there's things I think you definitely have to work through."