Kansas State coach Frank Martin’s name recently popped up in connection with South Carolina’s basketball opening.

Martin very well may end up being a candidate at South Carolina, but the two sides have yet to speak, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Goodman wrote the following on twitter:

“According to multiple sources, there has been no contact between South Carolina and Frank Martin. Martin has been out recruiting last 2 days”

Of course, there’s still plenty of time for South Carolina to make contact with Martin. But for now, the attention appears to be pointed elsewhere.

UPDATE: It appears another popular name in the South Carolina search, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, has also yet to receive a call from the Gamecocks.

Mr. Goodman posted that news item on Tuesday afternoon.

“Marshall appears the obvious choice,” Goodman wrote. “However, sources told CBSSports.com that Marshall — a South Carolina native who led the Shockers to the NCAA tournament this past season — has not been contacted by South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman.”

South Carolina fans will likely understand the Martin news. After all, how interested will he truly be in leaving Kansas State for South Carolina?

But the Marshall information is tough to explain. As Mr. Goodman wrote, Marshall appears to be the obvious choice in Columbia. At least to a lot of people outside Columbia.

Missouri junior quarterback James Franklin will have surgery to repair his injured right shoulder on Friday.

Franklin, who injured his throwing shoulder during a practice session last week, will miss the remainder of the spring but is expected to return for the start of the 2012 season.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel released the following statement on Monday:

“We’re disappointed for James, but this is absolutely the right thing to do, and we all know he’ll be in great hands, as we have the best doctors and trainers in the nation. James has an outstanding work ethic, and he’ll be able to get past this setback just fine. We expect him to be 100 percent and ready to go for the season. Until then, our younger guys will benefit from more reps and more work with the number one offense, and we’ll look at that as a positive.”

Franklin’s return will be critical for Missouri’s offense as the Tigers prepare for their first season in the SEC. Franklin passed for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 981 rushing yards and 15 more scores on the ground in 2011.

Franklin’s timetable for a return will be determined following the procedure, according to the school’s release.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Corbin Berkstresser will handle quarterbacking duties with Missouri’s first team. Berkstresser was ranked by Rivals as the nation’s No. 16 pro-style quarterback in the 2011 class.

1. Florida 71 – Virginia 45.  Gators dominate despite shooting 4-for-23 from 3-point range.

2. Florida will get to know Kyle O’Quinn after Norfolk State upset Missouri on Friday. Rebounding is key for the Gators.

3. Creighton 58 – Alabama 57.  Last-second shot falls far short. Crimson Tide led by as many as 11 points in the second half.

4. Kevin Scarbinsky: “The last game was a snapshot of the en­tire season…”

5. Kentucky vs. Iowa State.  Cyclones love to shoot the three-pointers. Iowa State forward Royce White was almost a Wildcat. One reason he’s not – fear of flying.

6. Vanderbilt vs. Wisconsin.  In many ways, the Badgers are just a better version of the Harvard team that Vanderbilt just beat.

7. John Jenkins needs 17 more points to make Vanderbilt history.

8. With Rick Stansbury out at Mississippi State, the waiting game begins for recruits and current players.

9. Jeronne Maymon’s knee is still an issue - and his availability for Tennessee’s Monday night NIT game is still up in the air.

10. Arkansas offensive tackle Jason Peacock suspended following felony theft arrest.

11. First full-scale spring scrimmage for LSU today.

12. Vanderbilt’s Wesley Tate is back at running back for the Commodores.

13. Will Muschamp opened up Florida’s Friday practice to fans.

14. Friday’s pro day at Tennessee made Austin Johnson nervous.

15. Three recruiting experts give their early report cards on how SEC schools are recruiting the class of 2013.

Extra

16. David Cutcliffe on Peyton Manning’s Friday workout: “How far can he throw it? He can throw it far enough to beat people, let’s put it that way.”

Rick Stansbury said Thursday it was his decision to step down as Mississippi State’s basketball coach after 14 seasons at the helm.

Stansbury said he met with athletic director Scott Stricklin on Wednesday morning before making the decision.

“We both agreed to this,” Stansbury said, according to Brad Locke of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Stansbury, who is married and the father of three children, said the opportunity to spend more time with his family was a factor in his decision.

“It’s time in my life to start a new chapter, to step away from coaching,” Stansbury said. “I’m ready for it.”

Stricklin has to be ready to find a new basketball coach at Mississippi State.

“He’ll get a coach better than me,” Stansbury said.

That will be easier said than done. Stansbury’s tenure at Mississippi State was largely successful. He compiled a 293-165 record in 14 years and took the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament six times.

Of course, Mississippi State’s late-season collapse kept the Bulldogs from reaching the NCAA tournament for a seventh time under Stansbury. He accepted blame for that disappointment.

“I’m not throwing anybody under the bus,” Stansbury said. “Any time a team is not successful, the coach is responsible.”

Stansbury is responsible for plenty of success, too.

This fall, we’re going to have to be very clear whenever we mention the name James Franklin.  We could be talking about Vanderbilt’s energetic and controversial new coach.  Or we could be talking about Missouri’s dual-threat quarterback.

Today, we’re talking about the quarterback.

Missouri officials announced yesterday that Franklin will be out indefinitely due to a sprained right (throwing) shoulder, though it’s said the school expects him to return “sometime within the next month.”  Whether he’ll play in MU’s April 14th spring game is obviously up in the air.

Last season as a sophomore, Franklin passed for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 981 rushing yards and 15 more scores on the ground.

He injured his shoulder during practice on Tuesday.

For those SEC’ers who’ve never seen Franklin — or his mobility — below is a quick clip of his ability.  (Added bonus: Gus Johnson screaming.)

1. Vanderbilt 65 – Ole Miss 53.  Commodores advance to face Kentucky in the final. Rebels lose the battle of the boards. Also run out of gas following Friday night’s overtime win.

2. First conference tournament final for Vanderbilt since 1951.

3. NCAA bid for Ole Miss? Probably a longshot.

4. Kentucky 74 – Florida 71.  Big second-half rebounding edge for the Wildcats. Kentucky shoots 20 free throws – Florida two.  Billy Donovan not happy.

5. Gators projected as 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

6. For John Calipari, is this Selection Sunday or Suspicion Sunday? Kentucky has three points from its bench the last two games.

7. Thayer Evans: “At a time of year when the Wildcats should be peaking for an NCAA tournament run, they actually seem to be regressing.”

8. The next time we see freshmen Anthony Davis and Bradley Beal on the same court may be in the NBA.

9. Will Alabama get its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2006? Projected as high as a No. 8 seed.

10. A controversial call on Friday night against Ole Miss will haunt Tennessee and their tournament chances – NIT bid likely.

11. LSU is another team that will be watching tonight’s NIT selections.

12. Mississippi State tournament chances? “Can you lose twice to Georgia and get into the NCAAs? Verdict: Out.”

13. Roughly 25 percent of the at-large bids could go to the Big East. Jerry Palm’s latest bracket projections.

14. Two losing seasons in three years for Mark Fox.  So what’s next for Georgia basketball?

15. Jon Solomon: “Most point-shaving scandals in college basketball have involved a point guard, the position Ward plays at Auburn.”

16. NCAA Tournament memories – former Arkansas Razorback U.S.. Reed still hears about his miracle shot from 1981.

17. Former Florida football coach Ron Zook on Will Muschamp and the Gators football program: “The program is not where it should be from a talent standpoint. Anything I can do to help him, I’ll do because I don’t want to see happen to him what happened to me.”

18. A second ACL surgery for Ole Miss linebacker D.T. Shackelford throws his 2012 status into question.

19. Could LSU add Tulane to its 2013 schedule?

20. After transferring to Kentucky, lineman Elliot Porter is back at LSU and is a contender to start at center.

21. Former Kentucky linebacker Ronnie Sneed wants to be a cop if the NFL doesn’t come calling.

22. Former punter Lewis Colbert and his story as “The Unlikeliest Auburn Tiger.”

Extras:

23. The buzz around the new basketball coach at Illinois includes Alabama’s Anthony Grant.  Race will be a factor in the decision.

24. Meet 6’10″ Nerlens Noel – the top-ranked senior in the country and considered the best basketball prospect out of the Boston area since Patrick Ewing.

Entering the SEC, Missouri is about to change the way it brands itself.  Old gold will be out and new gold — yellow — will be in for all of the Tiger athletic squads.  The schools’ “Mizzou” brand will be used more often.  And the big, block M that’s been on the Tigers’ football helmets for 40 years?  Gone.

Football coach Gary Pinkel expects there to be some backlash when the school’s new unis are unveiled on April 14th.  But Nike has put together a look at that has resonated with the recruits who’ve gotten sneak peaks:


“They went crazy.  Those are 18-year-old kids, and (those type uniforms are) what we’re recruiting against and what we’re playing.”

Anybody else fear that the SEC is finally going to have an over-the-top, Oregon-style showboat in its midst?  Ugh.  Here’s a teaser video produced by the school:

That blurry shot at left is a screengrab from the YouTube video.  Click the headline for a bigger version.

Looks like MU’s about to go black-and-yellow heavy at home (no white can be seen in that still) with a big ol’ Tiger on their lids.

Odd.  Missouri enters the nation’s most tradition-rich conference and dumps it’s classy traditional look for Nike duds that — on first glimpse — appear to be hand-me-downs from the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Me no likey.

Frank Haith was not exactly the first choice of Missouri fans when he took over the program from Mike Anderson.  Now he’s not the first — or even second choice — of the Big 12′s coaches for Coach of the Year honors.

Doing what Mizzou fans will tell you Anderson couldn’t do, Haith has led the Tigers to a 27-4 record, a Top 10 finish and the most wins in school history.  That was good enough to be named the Associated Press’ Big 12 Coach of the Year.

But the vote among Big 12 coaches?  Uh, no.  Earlier this week they split their Coach of the Year award between Bill Self of Kansas and Fred Hoiberg of Iowa State.  That’s quite a snub for a man who’s had to use just a seven-player rotation all season long.  You don’t think any of that had to do with lasting bitterness over Mizzou leaving the Big 12, do you?  Surely the Big 12 wouldn’t intentionally not give its award to a man who’ll be in another league next year, would it?

Oh, well.  See you in the SEC, Coach.

1. Texas A&M- South Carolina?  Missouri – Arkansas? Are new cross-division rivalries coming to the SEC?

2. Tennessee 68 – Vanderbilt 61.  Eight of nine for the Vols.  Tennessee clinches first-round bye. Vanderbilt has lost its last conference game 12 of 13 times under Kevin Stallings.

3. Did Stalling really say this?

4. High fever didn’t keep Jarnell Stokes from playing.

5. David Climer: “Excluding Kentucky’s remarkable run, this closing burst by UT is the biggest story of the SEC basketball season.” Bruce Pearl likes these Vols, too.

6. Ole Miss 60 – Alabama 51.  Crimson Tide lost not only the game but a shot at first-round conference tournament bye. Oles Miss wins third straight – will face Auburn in conference tournament.

7. Kevin Scarbinsky on basketball in Alabama: “The most important month on the basketball calendar hasn’t been a good time in this state in ages.”

8. Mississippi State 79 – Arkansas 59.  Largest margin of victory in SEC play this year for the Bulldogs. Razorbacks have dropped seven of their last nine.

9. Arkansas to play LSU in first round of SEC Tournament.

10. Auburn 67 – LSU 52.  Tigers head to New Orleans “with a lot of confidence.”

11. Georgia 67 – South Carolina 55.  Bulldogs overcome 10-0 South Carolina start.  Gamecocks finish with 2-14 conference record.

12. Kentucky at Florida.  Gators say goodbye to Erving Walker – Florida’s all-time assist leader.

13. Could Bradley Beal also be playing his final game at Florida?

14. Florida’s forgotten class of 2008.

15. How could Bobby Knight talk about the best team and the best player in the country and not mention Kentucky and Anthony Davis?

16. Speaking of Davis, John Calipari has the Wildcats practicing without him on the first team – a just-in-case tournament contingency plan. On the brink of SEC perfection.

17. Projecting the field of 68. Joe Lunardi’s latest projections.

18. LSU quarterback Zack Mettenberger has a tired arm - part of getting used to all the practice reps. He’s also 35 pounds lighter.

19. Meet LSU defensive tackle Anthony Johnson -he’s 6’3″, 310 pounds and his nickname is “Freak.”

20. New Auburn defensive backs coach Willie Martinez knows defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder well - he’s worked with him now at four colleges.

21. New Kentucky assistant Pat Washington bonded with Cats offensive coordinator Randy Sanders back in their Tennessee days.

22. Former Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve may head to law school instead of the NFL.

Extras

23. In 1992, Digger Phelps told his son-in-law it was time to get a real job.  20 years later, Jamie Moyer is still pitching, eight months shy of his 50th birthday.

24. “No team in NCAA history, men or women, has ever capped a perfect season by cutting down the nets after the final game of the NCAA Tournament in celebration of its 40th victory.” But the Baylor women could do just that.

The final tumbler has finally clicked into place and Missouri has a completed 2012 football schedule.  The Tigers announced this morning that Syracuse will visit Columbia on November 17th — the next-to-last weekend of the season.

Goodbye, Kansas.  Hello, Syracuse.

The Tigers will face a challenging schedule this fall and not just because they’re jumping into the SEC.  In addition to facing Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M from their own league, Mizzou will also host BCS-level nonconference games against the aforementioned Orange and the Sun Devils of Arizona State.

Southeastern Louisiana and Central Florida will fill out the slate.

“This is a schedule that Tiger fans can be excited about,” Gary Pinkel said via press release.  “And we’re very fortunate to be able to put such a quality group of opponents together given the challenging timetable we were faced with.”