BATON ROUGE – The LSU track and field teams anticipate the first weekend of April each season as they make their annual trip to Austin, Texas, to compete against an NCAA Championships caliber field in the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, and this year is no exception as the 83rd edition of the meet is slated to run this weekend at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
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Opening day of 2010 spring practice and Ryan Mallett talks football, rehab and classes.
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Content provided by Georgia Sports Blog.

Rumors of Polee committing to UNLV this week were overblown. He told the Las Vegas Sun last night that he’s about two weeks away from committing, and his final schools are Oregon, UNLV, UGA and New Mexico. The four-star, 6’7″ highlight reel has officially visited Athens already. (Ht – CedarDawg)

PWD

Content provided by Swamp Things – Gators Blog.

More than 18 months later, Tim Tebow’s promise speech still has plenty of motivational power. About twenty students from Roberto Clemente Middle School in Harlem, N.Y., will be at spring football practice today as part of a field trip inspired by Tebow to work hard and succeed.

Math teacher Keith Robinson and his class raised $20,000 to visit the Florida Gators campus for four days. Robinson, a former alum, showed his class Tebow’s promise speech to serve as motivation.

UF President Bernie Machen got behind the efforts to showcase what the Florida campus has to offer, and now the class, here Monday through Thursday of this week, have an itinerary that includes visiting the law school, business school, football practice and, of course, snacks.

Check the video for more on the story. Special thanks to Steve Orlando, director of UF news bureau and university relations, for the head’s up on this.

Tebow won’t be at practice to greet the youngster, as he’s too busy sparking the great Tebow pro debate.

Content provided by Chip Cosby on UK football.

University of Kentucky junior Matt Lentz will give up football due to a series of concussions, Coach Joker Phillips announced following the team’s first spring practice on Wednesday. Lentz, a 6-foot-3, 224-pounder, arrived at UK as a quarterback before moving to safety as a redshirt freshman. Lentz had been expected to move to outside linebacker in the spring.

Lentz has been plagued by concussions during his UK career. He was forced to leave last year’s season-opening 31-27 over Louisville with what was labeled a minor concussion. Lentz played in 25 career games at UK, including six starts, with 46 tackles and two interceptions.

Phillips said Lentz will apply for a medical scholarship and will remain with the program as a volunteer coach.

Auburn has a new head coach.  Kentucky might lose as many as five players to the NBA.  Ole Miss might lose a top threat to Europe.

In other words, basketball recruiting is just about to start heating up as teams race to restock their rosters.  Below you’ll see the current — I stress the word “current” — commitments and signees for each SEC roundball team.  The star ratings are provided by Rivals.com.

Here we go in alphabetical order:



Alabama — 2

*** Charles Hankerson, 6-5, 210, SG, from Miami, FL
**** Trevor Releford, 5-10, 170, PG, from Shawnee Mission, KS


Arkansas — 3

**** Rickey Scott, 6-3, 195, SG, from Irving, TX
*** Mardracus Wade, 6-2, 170, SG, from Chatham, VA
*** Marvell Waithe, 6-9, 215, SF, from Tallahassee, FL


Auburn — 6

(No stars) Adrian Forbes, 6-8, 230, PF, from Athens, TX
(No stars) Heath Houston, 6-7, 230, PF, from Powder Springs, GA
**** Shawn Kemp Jr., 6-9, 235, C, from Chatham, VA
*** Allen Payne, 6-6, 205, SF, from Cincinnati, OH
(No stars) Anthony Salter, 5-11, 175, PG, from Council Bluffs, IA
*** Jalen Steele, 6-2, 165, SG, from Knoxville, TN


Florida — 2

**** Casey Prather, 6-5, 190, SF, from Jackson, TN
**** Patric Young, 6-8, 220, C, from Jacksonville, FL


Georgia — 2

*** Cady Lalanne, 6-8, 215, PF, from Orlando, FL
*** Donte Williams, 6-9, 200, PF, from Lithonia, GA (not yet signed)


Kentucky — 2

***** Enes Kanter, 6-9, 240, C, from Merced, CA
**** Stacey Poole, 6-5, 200, SF, from Jacksonville, FL


LSU — 5

*** Jalen Courtney, 6-7, 200, PF, from Jackson, MS
**** Matt Derenbecker, 6-6, 180, SF, from Metairie, LA
**** Andre Stringer, 5-9, 170, PG, from Jackson, MS
*** Ralston Turner, 6-5, 195, SF, from Muscle Shoals, AL
*** KC Ross-Miller, 6-0, 170, PG, from Dallas, TX (not yet signed)


Mississippi State — 2

(No stars) Brian Bryant, 6-3, 165, PG, from Niceville, FL
(No stars) Michael Carr, 6-1, 190, SG, from West Point, MS


Ole Miss — 2

**** Demarco Cox, 6-8, 285, C, from Yazoo City, MS
**** Dundrecous Nelson, 5-11, 180, PG, from Jackson, MS


South Carolina — 5

**** Bruce Ellington, 5-10, 185, PG, from Moncks Corner, SC
**** Damontre Harris, 6-9, 200, PF, from Fayetteville, NC
*** Brian Richardson, 6-4, 165, SG, from Wilson, NC
*** RJ Slawson, 6-7, 185, PF, from North Charleston, SC
*** Eric Smith, 6-0, 185, PG, from Arden, NC


Tennessee — 3

**** Trae Golden, 6-1, 190, SG, from Powder Springs, GA
***** Tobias Harris, 6-8, 220, PF, from Glen Head, NY
**** Jordan McRae, 6-6, 180, SG from Midway, GA


Vanderbilt — 3

*** Kyle Fuller, 6-1, 190, PG, from Moreno Valley, CA
*** Josh Henderson, 6-11, 220, C, from Roanoke, VA
**** Rod Odom, 6-8, 205, SF, from Concord, MA

Content provided by The Ole Miss Blog.

Ole Miss pitcher David Goforth’s solid performance against SEC rival Mississippi State makes me wonder if he could be the Sunday starter the Rebels haven’t been able to find…

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

After the weekend sweep of Kentucky, Vanderbilt baseball notched up from #20 to #17 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25. The Commodores also moved from #24 to #20 in the Baseball America poll.

Vandy defeated Wofford 7-2 yesterday on the back of Andrew Giobbi’s 4-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI outing and a pieced-together pitching effort from Reid, Williams, Selman and Garvin. For those keeping score at home, Giobbi is now batting .340 and has gone 8-9, 1 HR, 3 2B, 6 RBI over the last two games. That is nasty. The Commies return to the diamond against Wofford today looking to continue their six-game winning streak.

Vanderbilt’s upcoming weekend series on the road against #8/11 Florida will be a huge test. The Gators are coming off a tough series loss to Ole Miss and, like the Dores, are looking to make a statement.

1.  Yesterday’s talk of Alabama opening the 2012 season in Cowboys Stadium against Texas Tech?  Just talk.  Sounds like Tech wants Bama, not the other way around.

2.  ESPN is pushing the game to both the Tide and the Red Raiders… and Bama fans would probably like to get another shot at Tommy Tuberville.

3.  UA has upcoming non-conference series with Penn State, Georgia Tech and Michigan State.

4.  The Crimson Tide’s 2010 defensive line wants to create its own legacy.

5.  Auburn looks pretty deep at receiver…

6.  If Emory Blake or DeAngelo Benton can live up to expectations.

7.  Cornerback Ramon Broadway said its good to be back on the practice field, seeing his Arkansas teammates.

8.  Bobby Petrino said quarterback Tyler Wilson successfully replaced Ryan Mallett yesterday.  “He did a great job of coming out and saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to lead this offense.’”

9.  His teammates said Wilson is more confident in the huddle these days.

10.  Meanwhile, Mallett spent the day throwing in a walking boot.  Well, he was wearing a walking boot, he wasn’t throwing IN a giant walking boot.

11.  Here’s a primer on Arkansas’ spring practice 2010.

12.  This is the 40th anniversary of the integration of the Razorback football program.

13.  This writer believes that LSU is looking at “another seven/eight win season” and that “it’s amazing how fast this program has been sliding in recent years.”

14.  LSU and Memphis will meet in basketball next year… in Tupelo.  (Tupelo, huh?  That gives me a chance to familiarize you with the story of one Beauregard Rippy.  Check it out.)

15.  Mississippi State’s quarterbacks looked good in a scrimmage yesterday.

16.  Bulldogs free safety Zach Smith is trying to come back from post-traumatic migraines caused by concussions.  Or as some might call them — his body’s attempts to tell him to stop playing football before his brain suffers permanent damage.

17.  Now that Mississippi’s basketball season is over, there are “a lot of attrition questions” for a squad that featured just one senior… starting with Chris Warren and a possible jump to Europe.

18.  Houston Nutt is pleased that Ole Miss’ rebuilt offense is finally starting to hold its own against the Rebels’ defense.

1.  Former Florida receiver David Nelson might have made himself some money with a good 40-yard-dash time.

2.  The Gators are looking for depth at quarterback behind John Brantley.

3.  Former Gator Joe Haden says his running back brother Josh Haden will probably transfer from Boston College to Florida.

4.  Mark Richt is taking a more hands-on approach with this year’s Bulldog offense.

5.  Richt likes his quarterbacks: “These guys are on the ball.”

6.  According to this notes column, the QBs were working on their footwork yesterday.

7.  Georgia’s top pass rushers are having to adjust to life in the 3-4.

8.  The Dawgs’ defensive backs have quickly bought into new secondary coach Scott Lakatos.

9.  DeAngelo Tyson wants to be Georgia’s nose tackle, but he’s learning all three D-line jobs.

10.  Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is impressed with Justin Wilcox, his new counterpart on defense.

11.  The 33-year-old Wilcox is following Monte Kiffin and John Chavis.

12.  Chaney is getting back in the groove of calling plays.

13.  New defensive line coach Chuck Smith wishes he could “regenerate” Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson.

14.  Bruce Pearl could be the target of college athletic directors and NBA owners in the future.

15.  Counterpoint: There are a bunch of reasons why Pearl probably isn’t going anywhere soon.

16.  Vanderbilt’s Jermaine Beal will take part in a college all-star game as part of this week’s Final Four festivities.

17.  You can drop the “in waiting” part of coach Joker Phillips’ job title starting today.

18.  Spring practice kicks off in Lexington today… and the big job is finding a quarterback.

19.  Phillips is giving his UK program a military feel.  For example, he’s renaming “special teams” “special forces.”

UPDATE — 20.  Wildcat basketball player Eric Bledsoe is mulling his NBA options.

21.  Carolina quarterback Zac Brindise keeps a positive attitude from deep on the Gamecocks’ bench.

22.  According to this notes column, USC’s coaches are trying to fix flaws in Stephen Garcia’s throwing motion.

23.  It might not be as easy as hoped to get Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffery on the field at the same time.