1. As spring practice opens at Georgia, coach Mark Richt says he glad assistant Tony Ball didn’t leave for Tennessee. “Tony’s one of the best coaches I’ve been around. He’s so meticulous in his work.” A.D. Greg McGarity declines to confirm reports that Georgia matched Tennessee offer.
2. What does Richt think about a defense that lost nine starters from last year? ”We’re going to have depth.”
3. Saturday’s spring practice opener at Texas A&M featured more than a dozen 2014 blue-chip prospects and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit on-hand.
4. The Aggies front seven on the spring depth chart on offense doesn’t have an experienced player to speak of.
5. Johnny Manziel’s company files another lawsuit to protectthe “Johnny Football” trademark. Suit targets Cubbytees.com. What you can find on their site.
6. New Alabama offensive line coach Mario Cristobal - “one of the most dynamic and determined personalities anywhere in the college coaching ranks”?
7. Alabama had 10 players unable to fully participate in the NFL Combine because of various injuries. Barrett Jones: ”When you play in the SEC, you get beat up, especially when you have a lot of bowl practices and you’re playing a game that’s not ’til Jan. 7.”
8. With Gus Malzahn’s hurry-up offense in place, Auburn’s defense will see a fast-paced, no-huddle look every day in practice.
9. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema spent the month of February touring his home state. Says defensive end Austin Flynn’s arrest for DWI last month may not necessarily include missed playing time in the fall.
10. LSU timed him at 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash and measured his vertical leap at 34 inches, one of his YouTube videos has more than a half-million hits. The buzz continues to grow around 14-year old Dylan Moses.
SEC Basketball
11. How big a difference did officiating make in the Alabama-Florida game Saturday? “Alabama might have won Saturday if the game had been played at Coleman Coliseum.”
12. Gators entered yesterday’s game dead last in SEC play in free-throwing shooting percentage at 63.8%. Made 84.6% on Saturday.
13. Florida can clinch outright SEC title with one more win. Have five in 17 years under Billy Donovan – had one in 77 years before he arrived.
14. For the first time all year, Ole Miss dressed a practice player Saturday named Bryce Drew. The original Bryce Drew “still sends chills down the spine of many in Oxford.”
15. Now five consecutive games where Auburn has failed to shoot at least 40% from the field.
16. Why Missouri fans should be Auburn fans this week.
