Maybe Gene Chizik has seen “Twilight” too many times on HBO.  Or maybe he just wished as a youth that he could hang with the two Coreys.





Whatever the reason, Auburn’s coach is no fan of vampires.  Specifically, “energy vampires.”

“Whatever people want to say or whatever somebody is comfortable talking about in terms of talk radio or other places, we have absolutely no control over that,” Chizik told ESPN.com’s Chris Low.  “But here’s what we know: We are the national champions, and we were the best football team in the United States last year.  There’s nothing I have to do to defend our honor for that.

“They’re going to say what they’re going to say and discuss what they’re going to discuss, and you have absolutely no control over that.  I call those energy vampires.  They’re not going to suck my energy out worrying about that.  That’s how we work.”

Good attitude.  And then he answered Low’s questions about Cam Newton (which, I suppose, makes Low an energy vampire by default).  “The kid was tarred and feathered for something he didn’t have anything to do with,” the coach said.  “I was always confident it was going to unfold that way it did.  Again, if you look and see how we proceeded during the year, it was evident that’s how I felt.  I just never thought any differently.”

He then attempted to drive a stake through… no, wait.  He just answered another question about NCAA allegations tossed by rival fans.

“That’s the way the world is.  That’s life.  We were the national champions, and just like probably everybody else that won a national championship, there are always people out there who’re going to say, ‘Well, they only won it because they did this or that… where they really shouldn’t have.’

“So, this isnt’ the first time that kind of thinking is out there.  It doesn’t make me mad, because there are always going to be people who are negative.  You can’t control that, but I can tell you we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

1.  MSU signee Rodney Hood is the state of Mississippi’s Mr. Basketball.

2.  Dan Mullen let his QBs take some body blows in a weekend scrimmage.

3.  Ole Miss kicks of spring practice today.

4. David Lee says he probably won’t have a sure-fire starter at quarterback when spring drills wrap up.

5.  UM’s new offensive coordinator also says he’s throwing in “a lot of new pass concepts.”

6.  Florida had a 29-win season that ended in the Elite Eight… but they believe they could’ve done more.  (Have to admit, I like seeing the little guys like Butler in the Final Four, but it was sad to see UF lose.  That was a very likable team.)

7.  Chandler Parsons says next year’s Florida team can do well, too.

8.  Billy Donovan was proud of how his team came together.

9.  Backup defensive end Jeremy Longo will have to go on medical scholarship at Georgia… ending his career,

With the SEC’s two coaching vacancies filled, we can now take a look back to see where most league schools have turned when coaches have left (or been asked to leave).  Is there a pattern?  Do proven big-school coaches work out better than unproven mid-major guys?  Better than promoted assistants?

We went back over the last 36 basketball coaches — three per school — hired into the SEC.  Interim coaches (like Don DeVoe at Florida) weren’t included in our list. 

Below are the results of the last three coaching searches for each league program.  You’ll see each coach’s years of activity at the school, where he came from (including the number of NCAA/NBA head coaching jobs he’d held before his hiring into the SEC), and the result of his tenure (including any NCAA issues that aided in his exit):

First things first, one man’s “fired” is another man’s “forced to resign.”  We tried to use the most often used media description of the time in our chart.

So what do we find from all those hirings?


1.  Unless we’re doing the math wrong, 11 of the 36 hires came from BCS conferences.  The reigns of Ellis, Sloan, Gillispee and Boyd ended badly.  Kruger and Smith would be considered the positive hires out of the BCS bunch (so far).

2.  Six assistants were promoted to head coach — Hobbs, Brown, Williams, Stansbury, Evans and Barnes.  Most of those hires resulted in success with only Hobbs and Barnes being clear-cut disappointments.

3.  That leaves 19 mid-major hires to fill out our list.  Stallings, Calipari, Donovan and Fogler (at Vandy) all turned out well (so long as Calipari’s current Final Four banner doesn’t come down at some point).  Others — like Fox and Grant — appear heading in the right direction.

4.  Twenty of the 36 hires wound up being fired for forced out.  Five of those 20 left amid NCAA scandals — Pearl, Harrick, Sloan, Ellis and Brown.  Brown’s situation was questionable, but the NCAA had been after him for years. 

So you want a pattern?  Good luck.  There are hits and misses regardless of the background of the man being hired.

1.  True freshman running back Dee Hart is already making an impact at Alabama.

2.  Nick Saban hasn’t been thrilled with the Tide’s passing game this spring.

3.  Heading into tomorrow’s NIT semifinals, Bama’s Trevor Releford knows Colorado’s star guard well.

4.  Anthony Morgan is moving back to running back at Auburn.

5.  Ted Roof says the move of Neiko Thorpe to safety is “a win-win” for both the player and the Tiger defense.

6.  Mike Anderson had to face some gate-crashing Missouri media members at his Welcome to Fayetteville presser on Saturday.

7.  It was all puppy dogs and ice cream, happy thoughts and rainbows as Arkansas’ “natural fit” was introduced.  (Especially compared to the crickets and yawns that will be heard during Tennessee’s coach-revealing presser this afternoon.)

8.  Les Miles was pleased with his team’s defensive showing in a weekend scrimmage.

9.  The receiving corps at LSU likes the idea of more passing.

It’s been a while, but basketball royalty is returning to a familiar castle.  For the first time since 1998, Kentucky is headed to the Final Four.

Yesterday’s 22-point effort from an ever-improving Brandon Knight helped lead the Wildcats past North Carolina 76-69 to set up a national semifinal date with UConn in Houston next Saturday.  “We got Kentucky back,” said senior Josh Harrellson.  “A lot of people doubted us.  A lot of people really didn’t think we’d be the team we are.  We really pulled it together as a team, and we’re back now.”

DeAndre Liggins might have had the biggest impact on yesterday’s game with three steals, four assists, 12 points and a key three-pointer with 35 seconds remaining.

Two years ago when UK took a risk and a PR hit by bringing in John Calipari and his reputation — fairly earned or not — the high-hopers in the Bluegrass State would have told you they expected Elite Eights and Final Fours.  That’s just what Coach Cal has given them in his two years in Lexington.  And he’s done it quickly.

“I thought he was building toward it,” said outgoing UK president Lee Todd.  “But I didn’t think this was the year.”  The fact that Kentucky lost so much from last season — an entire starting line-up to the NBA, for example — makes this Calipari’s best-ever coaching job.  His team has gotten better as the season has rolled along.

(We pause here to remember all the crying and whining about UK’s tourney seed two weeks ago.  If your team is hot, the difference between a #3 seed and a #4 seed is microscopic.  As we said at the time, thank you very much.)

This trip will be Kentucky’s 14th to the Final Four.  Only UCLA (18), North Carolina (18) and Duke (15) have more.  It’s Calipari’s third — scratch that — first trip to the Final Four.  His previous trips in 1996 with UMass and in 2008 with Memphis were later vacated due to NCAA issues.

Congrats to the Cats for carrying the SEC banner all the way to Houston.


Some links:

This writer says Coach Cal has proven that he’s more than just a recruiter.

Calipari has convinced UK’s president that if a banner goes up in Lexington this year, it won’t come down.

Kentucky’s coach says he and UConn’s Jim Calhoun aren’t the best of buds.

The end of UK’s Final Four drought came with great emotion.

A number of notable Cat fans chimed in about the victory on Twitter.

Rapper Jay-Z and William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley were waiting for Calipari in UK’s lockerroom after the game.

Tennessee’s hiring of Missouri State’s Cuonzo Martin hasn’t done much to cool fan anger over the dismissmal of Bruce Pearl.  The early results are in in the form of a non-scientific poll at The Knoxville News Sentinel’s website:


Happy with the hire: 25%
Not happy with the hire: 36%
Reserving judgement: 37%


When just 25% of the fans voting approve of the hire, that’s not a real good sign.  One prominent UT booster — blogger Clay Travis — tweeted this: 


Odds Bruce Pearl returns to NCAA Tourney before Cuonzo Martin goes for the first time?  Nearly 100%.


Funny.  If Pearl doesn’t get a lengthy ban from the NCAA for destroying the UT program — a nugget that surprisingly few Tennessee fans accept.

Even Pearl’s son Steven — who played for the Vols this year — had a rough tweet regarding Martin:


All I can do is laugh and say good luck sir


Of course, Steven has seen his dad’s fall from grace up close and at least has the excuse of a wounded heart to blame for his lack of decorum.

So we at MrSEC.com are going to jump in with both feet on this one too, right?  I mean, we questioned Tennessee’s hire of Lane Kiffin and ripped the hire of Derek Dooley.  We must really be prepared to toss some darts after this one, right?  Right?

Wrong.  Hey, if nothing else, Martin is the first coach in three tries (including Kiffin, Dooley and himself) to actually have a winning record as the time of his employment at Tennessee.  That’s a start.

But here’s why this hire isn’t as bad — in our view — as many folks seem to think:


1.  Martin showed class in returning to Springfield to meet with his team face-to-face about his departure.  That’s becoming a rarity these days and it shows character.  Considering Tennessee’s current mess, there’s nothing wrong with the Vols hiring someone with a little character.  Richmond’s Chris Mooney would have been a perfect fit for UT had “major” NCAA violations from 2007 not come to light.  Staring down the barrel of the NCAA’s elephant gun itself, Tennessee couldn’t afford to take any chances.  Martin has a clean resume.

2.  Martin is a B-level, mid-major candidate which is about all the UT administration could hope to land in the Pearl aftermath.  NCAA sanctions.  NCAA probation.  A questionable roster.  High expectations in spite of those last three points.  Now toss in a lame-duck AD.  Why would a “name” coach volunteer to take the Volunteer job at this point in time?  They wouldn’t.  And UT floated trial balloons at the Jamie Dixons and Sean Millers of the world.  It’s not Martin’s fault that he was in the “and the rest” category of UT’s candidate list.

3.  Martin won the Missouri Valley regular season title last year — a first for the school — and he was named the league’s Coach of the Year.  His resume is short — three years in Springfield — but so is Shaka Smart’s at VCU.  Smart’s had a helluva run after miraculously getting into the NCAAs, but pre-tourney, the names Smart and Martin would have been squarely side-by-side on any list of young, mid-major coaches.

4.  His Missouri State players had only good things to say about their outgoing coach.  Again, that’s not always the case when a coach splits.

5.  The Gene Keady coaching tree has sprouted many successful branches: Bruce Weber, Kevin Stallings, Steve Lavin, Matt Painter, etc.  And Keady has glowing praise for his former protege.


Also, when you’re hoping to keep two current players from turning pro, it doesn’t hurt to hire a fiery, late-30s, African-American, former NBA player as your top guy.  Here’s guessing Belmont’s 58-year-old Rick Byrd would have had a tougher time keeping Scotty Hopson and Tobias Harris in Knoxville.  No offense, but 30 years at Belmont doesn’t give a man much street cred among 19- and 20-year-olds.

So, from the MrSEC.com standpoint, no, Martin is not Mike Anderson, the man Arkansas snared for the only other opening in the league this year.  But Tennessee couldn’t grab an Anderson-esque candidate in its current situation… and among the fallback, B-level candidates, Martin seems to have as many pluses as anyone.

And it bears repeating — at least this guy’s got a winning record as he moves to the foothills of the Smokies.

Does that mean he’ll win 70% of his games on Rocky Top like his predecessor?  Likely not.  But the Vols weren’t in a position to hire anyone else who could “guarantee” that kind of success.


Some links:

This writer bashes the hire and says AD Mike Hamilton will likely be gone soon.

Martin survived a scary bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

This writer says Tennessee made a prudent choice in Martin.

Tennessee has hired Cuonzo Martin from Missouri State to replace the recently fired Bruce Pearl.  Martin posted a 61-41 record in three years with the Bears.  His team won the school’s first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship this past season.

“Cuonzo is among the most promising young coaches in the game, and we are excited about the coaching ability, toughness, and energy that he brings to our program,” said UT athletic director Mike Hamilton.

Martin will inherit NCAA sanctions and probation as well as big expectations on the court as he tries to replace Pearl.

SEC Basketball

1. Butler 74 – Florida 71 (OT).  ”(On) Saturday, a few inches were worth about 850 miles for the Gators.

2. Tough way to end for Florida’s three seniors.

3. Gene Frenette: “Donovan committed a colossal blunder Saturday.”

4. Linda Robertson: “It was like the Gators were marching toward a party on Bourbon Street and suddenly got hit by a New Orleans voodoo hex.”

5. Mike Bianchi: “Questionable late-game shot selection.”

6. Kentucky vs. North Carolina – expect to enjoy some great guard play.

7. How the Cats and the Tar Heels match up.

8. A lot has changed since these two teams met in December.

9. Freshman Doron Lamb talks about wanting to come back to Kentucky next year.

10. The never ending debate over the royalty of college basketball.

11. Chronicling the demise of Bruce Pearl.

12. What does Mike Hamilton need to do to find Bruce Pearl’s replacement?  According to Ron Higgins, “all he needs is a full tank of gas to drive to Nashville on Wednesday.”

13. Belmont’s Rick Byrd has interviewed for the job – here’s an update on the status of the candidates.

14. Mike Anderson comes home to Arkansas.

15. Missouri reporter gets boos from Arkansas fans.

16.  ”Do you understand why people think you lied?”

17. JaMychel Green will return for his senior year at Alabama.

18. Until Anthony Grant gets a better offer - enjoy the ride.

19. Expectations are high for Jelan Kendrick at Ole Miss.

SEC Football

20. Georgia Bulldogs come clean – admit chemistry was a big issue on the 2010 team.

21. A nice chemistry is developing along the Tennessee offensive line.

22. Steve Spurrier, eternally unhappy with his QB play,  threatens to run the ball 50 times a game this fall.

23. An interview with South Carolina defensive head coach Ellis Johnson.

24. Houston Nutt and David Lee work well together.

25. Alabama coach Nick Saban suspends sophomore Brandon Moore.

26. A homecoming for new Auburn defensive line coach Mike Pelton.

27. 110-play scrimmage for LSU on Saturday.

28. Vandy had its first scrimmage on Saturday under new coach James Franklin.

29. Dan Mullen likes the energy on his staff. His quarterbacks got popped a few times during the first scrimmage of the year.

30. Kentucky’s new top receiver looks to be La’Rod King.

Extras

31. How much longer for Brad Stevens at Butler?

32. Would you  have won this bet? What was the first Indiana team to go to back-to-back Final Fours?

33. TV ratings for NCAA Tournament up 13 percent this year.

34. Rick Morrissey – “I watch a women’s game, and all I see is men’s basketball wearing ankle weights.”

1. Kentucky 62 – Ohio State 60.  Oh, what a Knight.

2. John Calipari to Brandon Knight – just minutes before game-winning shot.  “You’re 0-12.  Pass!!!”

3. “Brick City” for Ohio State.

4. No surprise here – Kentucky leads the nation in money spent on basketball recruiting. Florida is third.

5. Why do Florida and Butler find themselves in the Elite Eight?  Experience. Both teams are used to close games.

6. A win today by the Gators will mean the school’s fifth trip to the Final Four. All have come since 1994.

7. Paying tribute to Billy Donovan. Florida has as many Final Four appearances since 2000 as Duke, Kansas and UCLA, one more than Connecticut and one less than North Carolina.

8. Brad Stevens has attended Billy Donovan’s basketball clinic three of the past four years.

9. Joe Biddle on the Tennessee coaching search: “Mooney and Turgeon seem to be the safest picks.”

10. Arkansas welcomes Mike Anderson.

11. The Crimson Tide basketball team departs Sunday morning for New York City and the NIT semi-finals.

12. Alabama’s Andrew Steele remains sidelined with a concussion.

13. From Ole Miss to South Carolina and now back to Ole Miss?  Murphy Holloway wants to finish what he started.

14. Holloway’s departure another blow to the South Carolina basketball team.

SEC Football

15. Jadeveon Clowney and the law – just a case of mistaken identity. Even Steve Spurrier is getting handcuffed.

16. Lane Kiffin and his Tennessee connections - he can run but he can’t hide.

17. Andy Staples: “Kiffin is confident, believing he and Tennessee were forthright with investigators, and the charge leveled against him suggests the NCAA believes that as well.”

18. Chris Rainey’s “phenomenal spring.” Look for him at running back and wide receiver this fall.

19. Looks like Mississippi State will open its season on a Thursday night.

20. Lots of questions this spring about the Alabama passing game.

21. Why an Oxford trio makes the Alabama town a hot-bed for college recruiters.

22. Big recruiting weekend at Auburn.

23. A battle for an inside linebacker position heats up at Georgia.

24. A spring football preview of the Ole Miss Rebels.

25. Jamie Graham will graduate from Vanderbilt and then transfer to play football for another school.

26. Plenty of competition at the running back spot for Kentucky this spring.

27. Middle linebacker John Propst wants to become a leader of Tennessee’s defense.

28. Bobby Bowden always wanted to coach at Alabama.

29. A grid of the 2011 SEC schedule.

Florida has received a commitment from defensive tackle Jafar Mann from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Mann is the second prospect from Stephenson to commit to Florida for the class of 2012, joining running back Mike Davis, who gave his pledge to the Gators in February.

Florida is also actively recruiting Stephenson defensive end Jarontay Jones and and linebacker Raphael Kirby, both of whom are highly-touted prospects. Could all four players end up signing with Florida?

“I’d say it’s a strong possibility,” Mann told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Davis certainly appeared to play a role in Mann’s decision to commit to Florida.

“He was an influence, yeah,” Mann said of David. “He’s our running back and we’ve been playing together a long time. It was a factor.”

Mann also held offers from the top two schools inside the state – Georgia and Georgia Tech. So why choose Florida?

“Georgia, I feel like Georgia waited too late,” Mann said. “They offered me two weeks after Florida, so I didn’t feel like they were as interested. Tech actually offered me before Florida, but I wanted to get out of Georgia. They’re both good teams but I really wanted to go out of state.”