1.  Mike Gillislee is ready to be the running back at Florida this year.

2.  Recently arrested and charged tight end AC Leonard is back at practice with UF, but Will Muschamp isn’t sure about his spring game status.

3.  Georgia O-line coach Will Friend says his unit has be more physical.

4.  South Carolina has found a top receiver, but what about a backup quarterback?

5.  Derek Dooley said his Tennessee team had the “Monday morning blues” yesterday.

6.  Vanderbilt is looking for more help at the receiver position.

7.  As we suggested this morning, it seems a lot of Missouri faithful enjoyed Kentucky’s win over Kansas last night.

Several players decided to commit to SEC schools during the weekend. Here’s the update.

LSU

DT Tevin Lawson - Denham Springs (La.) High School

Lawson expected to commit to LSU when he arrived on campus during the weekend.

“I knew I was going to LSU,” he told ESPN.com. “I want to represent the state of Louisiana.”

OL K.J. Malone – Cedar Creek High School in Ruston, La.
Malone is the son of Hall of Fame basketball player Karl Malone. K.J. Malone figures to be a key part of LSU’s offense in the future.

DE Michael Patterson – Winnfield (La.) Senior High School
Patterson committed after watching LSU’s spring practice session Saturday.

“To be on the field and look at these guys makes me hungrier to get here and get on the field,” Patterson told TigerBait.com.

LSU has nine commitments for the class of 2013.

South Carolina

DE Alfy Hill - Los Angeles Valley Community College
The Shallotte, N.C., native signed with Alabama in 2010 before being ruled academically ineligible. He briefly attended East Carolina before deciding to enroll in junior college.

Hill then decided to commit to North Carolina State before South Carolina convinced him to return to the SEC.

“It feels great,” he told PalmettoSports.com. “It’s just three hours from my house.”

LB Gerald Turner – Goose Creek (S.C.) High School
Turner became South Carolina’s third commitment for the class of 2013 when he chose the Gamecocks over Clemson and North Carolina. Turner told Sporting News:

“I feel like I can bring South Carolina’s defense to another level with my speed and quickness and I know I may be a little bit undersized, but they are used to playing with an undersized player – like Eric Norwood.”

Vanderbilt

DB Taurean Ferguson – Jonesboro (Ga.) High School
Ferguson, who also had offers from Ole Miss, Cincinnati and Wake Forest, saw the best of both worlds at Vanderbilt.

“I picked Vanderbilt because I looked at it as four years to set myself up for the next 40 years,” Ferguson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m going there for the education and sports.”

Ferguson is Vanderbilt’s fifth commitment for the class of 2013.

Recruitniks, did you know we’re only 45 Wednesdays from National Signing Day 2013?  With that in mind, we wanted to put up another very early look at the commitments pouring into SEC football programs as March draws to a close.

As ever, we use Rivals.com’s star rankings.  For each star doled out by Rivals, we award one point.  We also give 0-star recruits a point because eventually, those guys usually end up in the 2- or 3-star range.  Rivals gives a 0 ranking when a player has yet to be truly studied.

The schools are ranked below according to the total number of talent points currently committed to them, but we also provide you an “average points” category so you can more easily see which schools are attracting top-end talent so early in the process.

Here goes…

Observations:

* Schools deep in in-state talent are leading the way in terms of commitments, which is no surprise.  Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia and LSU should be always be in the top half of our tables regardless of when we make our comparisons.

* Alabama just keeps on rolling along.  The Bammers have nine commitments and they are still averaging 4.00 points per player.  Nick Saban has turned the Tide into a John Calipari-like black hole for talent.  Year-in, year-out, the nation’s top prospects are sucked in with ease.

* Missouri seems to be getting a little boost from its SEC switch.  The Tigers already have as many commits as Auburn and more than Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee.

* Speaking of Tennessee, there’s not a lot of NFL-caliber talent within its state borders, so it’s no surprise the Vols aren’t tearing things up yet.  But what is worthy of note is the job James Franklin continues to do at Vanderbilt.  It’s early, 45 weeks from signing day.  But the Dores have — on paper — the same type of talent committed to them that Derek Dooley’s Vols have committed to them.  Even for March, that’s not something you’ll normally see.

* Arkansas and South Carolina might be taking a slower approach with things, but still, it’s odd to see two SEC programs that are clearly on the rise hanging out with Kentucky and Mississippi State at the bottom of the list.

Frank Martin to South Carolina.

Admit it.  You still can’t get used to South Carolina having a “name” basketball coach.  No up-and-comer.  No one on the downside of his career.  Nope.  A hot property who starred on CBS’ NCAA Tournament coverage just a week ago (where co-analyst Charles Barkley told him to take the Gamecock job).

Whether this one works out or doesn’t — and most Carolina basketball hires haven’t — you have to give AD Eric Hyman and the USC administration credit.  Gamecock fans should know — with the hires of Steve Spurrier and Dawn Staley and now Martin — that their school’s leaders want to have an upper-echelon SEC program and they’re willing to spend to get it.  Sure, that means fans will be paying more for tickets and parking and the like, but the effort of folks from president Harris Pastides on down should be appreciated. 

You can bet not all SEC fans feel their school is doing everything possible to bring in top-notch coaches and build first-class facilities.

As for Martin, his contract is a 6-year pact — the deals for new coaches are getting longer and longer these days — worth $1.9 million the first year, $2.0 million the second, and $2.1 million annually from the third year forward.

Describing himself as “the most positive human being that you’ll ever come across,” Martin met the media yesterday for the first time during his introductory presser.  He won that dog and pony show easily with comments like this:


“I don’t promise things.  The only think I promise is that our guys will be held accountable every day.  Our guys will be known as the hardest-working team in America.  There is no out on that on…

If you told me right now that I have to run a marathon and you told me where the finish line is at, it’s going to be hard for me to finish.  But if you show me where the next step is at, I’m willing to take that step.  This is not something that’s going to happen because I’m standing in front of you today, but it’s a process that’s going to happen.”


Part of that process could be made easier with the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC.  Those programs are quality.  And the league will increase its in-conference slate of games from 16 to 18 per season.  But depending on the scheduling format chosen by the league’s athletic directors and approved by the SEC’s presidents this spring, Carolina might — emphasis might — avoid having to face Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt twice each season as is currently the case.  That would be a plus for USC.

One possible minus, however, is the loss of Bruce Ellington… at least for a while.  After announcing he would play basketball only prior to Darrin Horn’s ouster, the two-sport star began to have second thoughts about hanging up his football cleats.  Last night, Spurrier said the point guard will indeed play football in the fall. 

“He thought it over and thought he made a little too quick (of a) decision,” Spurrier told The Charleston Post & Courier.  “He was quick out here (at practice on Tuesday).  He was one of the fastest guys on the field today.” 

While Spurrier gains a return man and receiver, Martin loses a veteran point guard who can score for the early part of his first season.  That’s just the first hurdle of many that the new hoops coach will have to clear to build Carolina’s program.

But if Day One was any indication, he’s already off to a good start.

The University of South Carolina’s board of trustees are scheduled to hold a conference-call meeting at 10am ET this morning to talk about a “contractual matter.”  That matter is believed to be the near-$2 million contract that’s bringing Frank Martin from Kansas State to South Carolina.  According to WIS-TV in Columbia, the hoops coach will ink a six-year pact worth $12 million.

One Martin’s deal is rubber stamped by the board, a press conference to “discuss the men’s coaching situation” will be held at the Colonial Life Arena.

The Martin era at Carolina is about to get underway.  You can watch the presser right here.

(Sidenote — Speaking yesterday to a radio audience, Carolina AD Eric Hyman said his new coach told him during the interview process: “You know, you’ve got Steve Spurrier, you’ve got Dawn Staley and you’ve got Ray Tanner.  Something must be going right at South Carolina.“)

Frank Martin has confirmed to ESPN that he will leave Kansas State to become South Carolina’s basketball coach.

Martin told ESPN his communication with South Carolina officials began on Saturday. He agreed to become South Carolina’s coach after meeting with school officials on Monday.

South Carolina is reviewing a potential $2.05 million offer to hire Martin, according to ESPN. His contract at Kansas State paid him $1.45 million annually.

Martin arrives at South Carolina after compiling a 117-54 record in five seasons as Kansas State’s coach. He helped Kansas State reach the NCAA tournament four times and won at least one game in each appearance.

That success makes it even more surprising that Kansas State athletic director John Currie made minimal effort to keep Martin from leaving, according to multiple reports. That’s why Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com predicts a return to mediocrity for Kansas State.

And South Carolina fans will be more than happy to welcome a proven coach to Columbia.

Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin confirmed to ESPN.com Monday afternoon he was meeting with South Carolina officials to discuss the Gamecocks’ head coaching vacancy.

Martin told ESPN’s Andy Katz via text message that a deal is not done as has been reported by the Associated Press and other media outlets, including the Kansas City Star. Katz offered these details on a potential contract offer from South Carolina:

“According to a source with the direct knowledge of the situation, South Carolina is reviewing a potential $2.05 million deal to hire Martin. Martin’s Kansas State contract paid him $1.45 million a year. The source said the South Carolina board is reviewing the proposal and if the framework of the deal is accepted then a formal offer will be made to Martin and he would accept. A press conference would be held later Tuesday if accepted.”

Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Board of Trustees have called a meeting via conference call for Tuesday morning at 10 eastern time in Entertainment Suite A of the Colonial Life Arena. The school will allow television cameras to be setup at 9.

On the board’s agenda: a “contractual matter.” You can take it from there.

The Kansas City Star has further confirmed the news that Kansas State’s Frank Martin has been hired by South Carolina and will be introduced at the school tomorrow.

The school’s board of trustees is expected to okay his contract at a special meeting in the morning.

According to the Twitter account of Kansas City Star reporter Kellis Robinett, Frank Martin to South Carolina is happening:


“Source close to Frank Martin just told me Martin has agreed in principle to become South Carolina’s coach.  Press conference tomorrow.”


And if it’s on Twitter, it’s gold, Jerry, gold.  In this case, it might actually be correct.  GamecockCentral.com also says the deal’s done (behind a paywall).  Ditto Columbia’s newspaper The State (also behind a blankin’ paywall).

Now granted it took Martin getting steamed at his Kansas State boss to make it happen.  And, no, Martin has never built a program, he’s just sustained one.  And, yes, he did just admit on national TV yesterday that he has sent money to players at other schools.

But this is a big splash hire for AD Eric Hyman.  South Carolina basketball now has credibility, something it’s lacked since the school grabbed Dave Odom from Wake Forest (and hopefully for Cock fans this one will turn out better than that hire did).

Make no mistake, Carolina just got serious about basketball.  Toss all those caveats and “yeah, buts” we mentioned earlier out the window.  The school’s AD just put a whole lot more fannies in his arena’s seats next season.

In the end, that’s what it’s all about for athletic directors.  And if Martin can bring Carolina the consistent success its so long lusted after, then the Colonial Life Arena should be packed for a good while to come.

Big hire.

(Sidenote — Last one outta the Big 12 please remember to turn off the lights.)

Mississippi State is a better basketball program — traditionally speaking — than South Carolina.  By a wide margin.

Yet it’s Carolina that appears to be on the verge of landing a “name” coach in Kansas State’s well-established Frank Martin.  Granted it seems that if Martin moves he will do so partly out of spite for his current boss, but that won’t matter to MSU fans who will most assuredly ask, “Why not us?”

Scott Stricklin hired Parker Executive Search out of Atlanta to help drum up candidates to replace Rick Stansbury.  They kicked the tires on first-year Murray State coach Steve Prohm, but talk’s gone quiet on that front since Prohm’s boss said he thought there was a good chance his coach would stay put with a new contract. 

Other than Prohm, some assistants (Kentucky’s Kenny Payne is a Mississippi native) and a few other connect-the-dots type candidates (MTSU’s Kermit Davis played at MSU for his father), State’s search has been — to quote “LA Confidential” — off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush.

For comparison’s sake, Martin served as a Bob Huggins assistant at Cincinnati and Kansas State for three years before being promoted to replace his old boss in 2006.  Since then he’s had five 20-win seasons in five years, has made the NCAA Tournament four times, and has reached one Elite Eight.

Even if MSU lands Prohm or one of the nation’s fastest-rising assistants, that new coach won’t be able to equal Martin’s short, but proven track record.

That’s not to say an assistant hired by State wouldn’t have as much or even more success than Martin if he winds up at South Carolina.  There’s no way of knowing how any college football or basketball coach will do (save a very few — Nick Saban, John Calipari, Roy Williams, etc).

But what we do know is that State fans who just ran off the school’s all-time winningest coach will want to land a bigger name coach than whoever is hired by Carolina.  If they don’t, Stricklin will have some ‘splainin’ to do.