SEC Football
1. How good a job has Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze done recruiting this offseason? ”You might have to go back to Michigan signing the Fab Five in basketball (in 1991) to find anything comparable.”
2. “Of course, when any school lands a huge recruiting class – much less a school like Ole Miss – the word-association test automatically pops up CHEATER CHEATER CHEATER.”
3. LSU – Texas A&M and the budding rivalry along the Gulf Coast.
4. Big sporting event, lots of celebrities. Expect plenty of Johnny Manziel pictures to surface.
5. Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin on his star quarterback’s behavior: “Who’s to say how he’s supposed to react? It’s never been done before. How do you know how he’s supposed to react? Have you ever been in his shoes?
6. Mock draft has Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel going first overall to the Kansas City Chiefs - five of the top 10 from the SEC.
7. Bret Bielema on why he left Wisconsin to come to Arkansas:’In my mind, the reason I made the jump was I wanted to prove something more.”
8. Kevin Scarbinsky on the circus that’s become college football recruiting:” This is what recruiting has become, adults allowing, no, encouraging teenagers to turn the most important decision in their lives into reality-TV programming…”
9. Mike Lopresti on signing day: “Prepare for a wave of 18-year-olds saying yes, while adults high-five. Happy National Signing Day.”
10. Recruiting rankings: “The evidence is overwhelming: Despite some obvious, anecdotal exceptions, on the whole recruiting rankings clearly are useful for creating a realistic baseline for expectations.”
11. Athlon’s 2013 recruiting all-name team features a Bonaparte, Lars Blix and Mike Tyson.
UPDATE: Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham set to meet with media on Wednesday.
SEC Basketball
12. Arkansas hosts the No. 2 ranked Florida Gators tonight. Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson: “I think that gets lost when people talk about Florida that they shoot the basketball, but Billy has them playing at a high level on defense, and to me that’s what wins championships.”
13. Arkansas has won its four SEC home games by an average margin of 17. 5 points. Billy Donovan: “They’re a very good home team.”
14. Florida center Patric Young on the Gators No. 2 ranking: “Getting more recognition means that we have to be ready for everybody bringing their best shot at us,”
15. Mike Bianchi on how the Gators would stackup against the NBA’s Orlando Magic: “I think the Gators would actually stand a chance against the Magic. Not a great chance. Not even a good chance. But a chance.”
16. Florida “is as tough defensively as any team we’ve seen in the last decade.”
17. South Carolina travels to Kentucky. Gamecocks coach Frank Martin on matching up against Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel: “When you see a crack, you better have your eyes on that target and let it go, and know that he’s coming, because he comes every time.”
18. Kentucky a sleeper team that can make a deep tournament run? And do the Cats have an identity crisis?
19. When John Calipari talked Monday about his team playing “soft”, who was he talking about? “(Ryan) Harrow’s ears probably should have been burning.”
20-. Mississippi State coach Rick Ray on lessons his Bulldogs team can learn from the Super Bowl: “The reason the Ravens ended up winning that game is two-fold: The turnovers, they won the turnover battle, and then their special teams, which is comparable to free throws.”
21. Auburn coach Tony Barbee on a struggling Frankie Sullivan: “It’s not so much what Frankie’s doing, but what other teams are doing to him.”
22. Declining playing time for Tennessee forwards Quinton Chievious and D’Montre Edwards. The message from coach Cuonzo Martin? No defense, no minutes.
23. Tennessee plays Georgia Wednesday night. The Peach State is the leading producer of SEC basketball players.
24. Georgia on pace for its lowest home attendance average since the 1977-1978 season – averaging just under 5,600 people through 13 games.
25. Missouri heads to Texas A&M Thursday night where a priority will be stopping the Aggies Elston Turner. Coach Frank Haith: He can shoot the ball, he’s good off the deck.”
26. Missouri was 18-2 at this time a year ago under Haith, 16-5 this year. “Last season’s team, I don’t think they gave him as much heartache as we have this year.”
27. LSU forward Johnny O’Bryant has had five straight double-doubles – averaging 15.4 points and 11.7 rebounds in that span.
Extras
28. Sports fans bet a record $98.9 million on the Super Bowl at Nevada casinos.
29. After they won the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens lost the Lombardi Trophy for several hours.
30. NCAA hammers Southern Miss for cheating….in tennis.
31. A controversial call and a mid-court melee. Welcome to Memphis basketball – middle-school style.
