SEC Football

1. Alabama receiver Kenny Bell – recovering from a broken leg – is motivated to become a better leader.

2. Crimson Tide running back Jalston Fowler has “a little ways to go” as he returns from a torn ACL.

3. Alabama will visit the White House Monday for the third time in the last four years.

4. Ellis Johnson is adding in some flexibility to his defense at Auburn.

5. Johnson and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee – 32 years apart in age – are learning from each other.

6. LSU coach Les Miles says the Tigers’ offense has continued to improve this spring.

7. Will former Ole Miss basketball player Murphy Holloway take a shot at playing football?

8. Texas A&M’s offense looks “solid” following Saturday’s spring game in College Station.

9. Nebraska transfer Tyler Moore is still expected to start at right tackle for Florida this fall.

10. Here’s an estimated look at Georgia’s offensive depth chart following spring practice.

11. Here’s a video of Kentucky coach Mark Stoops discussing the Wildcats’ defensive ends.

12. There’s more talk about quarterback Jalen Whitlow, who’s making a case to be Kentucky’s starting quarterback.

13. Tennessee needs more consistency from its secondary, which struggled badly in 2012.

14. Vanderbilt coach James Franklin: the 2013 Tennessean of the Year.

15. There’s more talk about Missouri receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who’s “just a different guy,” according to Gary Pinkel.

SEC Basketball

16. Patric Young returning could give Florida the nation’s best frontcourt next season.

17. Jordan McRae will return to Tennessee next season. The Vols could be a top 25 team if Jarnell Stokes does the same.

Extras

18. The NCAA office believes Miami is “grasping at straws” as it tries to have its case dismissed.

19. Wooden Award winner Trey Burke announced Sunday he will leave Michigan for the NBA.

20. Ohio State has title hopes for 2013. The Buckeyes will lean on quarterback Braxton Miller to lead them.

Kentucky QB Maxwell Smith out indefinitely with torn ligament in ankle…
True freshmen Jalen Whitlow and Patrick Towles will play for UK versus Mississippi State on Saturday
Alabama has lost backup RB Dee Hart and WR DeAndrew White for the season to knee injuries
Arkansas LB Ross Rasner says players to blame for Razorbacks’ collapse, not coaches
The SEC has five teams in this week’s Top 10 of the AP Poll and four of them play each other this weekend
#4 LSU will play #10 Florida in Gainesville
#5 Georgia will play #6 South Carolina in Columbia
ESPN’s “College GameDay” show will be in Columbia for Bulldogs versus Gamecocks
Keep up with news from across the SEC every day on MrSEC.com!

Joker Phillips must feel that he’s being trailed by a black cloud these days.  Two plays into Saturday night’s game with South Carolina, quarterback Maxwell Smith — who Kentucky had built its up-tempo, passing game around — went down with an ankle injury.  Today, the severity of that injury was learned.

According to The Lexington Herald-Leader, Phillips said Smith (pictured at left) is out indefinitely after tearing a ligament in his left ankle.  Surgery will obviously be required.

On the bright side — at least for fans — they’ll be able to see “the next Tim Couch” in action on Saturday against Mississippi State.  In addition to true freshman signal-caller Jalen Whitlow who went in for Smith in UK’s 38-17 loss to Carolina, true freshman Patrick Towles will see action. Phillips said, “They’ll both play.”

As we noted last week, Towles was going to redshirt this season, even though fans, Towles and Towles’ father — who went to the press with his concerns — wanted to see what the Bluegrass State’s former Mr. Football could do.

On Saturday, everyone will find out.  And Phillips will hope all of the “next Couch” hype turns out to be true.