Derrick Byars Watch: Day 2

Vanderbilt alum Derrick Byars is looking to earn a roster spot with a NBA squad after spending the past season overseas.

The 2007 SEC Player of the Year was drafted by Portland in the second round (No. 42 overall) and was immediately traded to Philadelphia before being waived in late October. He ended up playing overseas in Germany and then in France for defending French League champion Chorale-Roanne.

Now, he's playing with the Magic in the Orlando Pro Summer League. After scoring 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including 3-for-7 from downtown, in yesterday's opener, Byars scored seven points on 3-for-5 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds in 20 minutes today.

Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee went off for 27, but the Magic still lost 100-77 as Oklahoma City featured Kevin Durant (22 points), rookie Russell Westbrook (19 points) and Vanderbilt fan-favorite Jeff Green (28 points).

The Magic have five unrestricted free agents -- Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Adonal Foyle and Pat Garrity -- and one restricted free agent in James Augustine, which means they currently have 10 players signed for next season.

However, they are expected to sign former Golden State shooting guard Mickael Pietrus to a 4-year, $24 million deal. The Magic are also looking to re-sign guard Keyon Dooling, although ownership does not want to pay the luxury tax, which is actually good news for Byars.

There is a chance that Orlando will simply look to sign a few free agents for the league minimum to fill out its roster. Hopefully DB makes enough noise the rest of the week to warrant consideration.

Photo [USA Today]

Go DJ: Moore named to Thorpe Award watch list

With Earl Bennett off to the NFL, the next Vanderbilt gridiron star is going to be junior D.J. Moore, who has just been named to the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list, presented annually to the nation's top defensive back.

Moore was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference performer in 2007 after sharing the league lead with six interceptions, the most by a Vanderbilt player in 25 years. He led the team with 63 solo tackles and ranked second with 10 passes defended.

As a kick returner, Moore was even more spectacular, setting a team record with 823 total return yards. He averaged 25.7 yards per return and produced seven returns of 40 yards or more. Moore also rushed for 78 yards on six carries, and is expected to see an expanded role in the offense this fall.

"D.J. has been a tremendously productive player for our team since his arrival on campus. He's one of the nation's most versatile players, with game-changing abilities as a defensive back, offensive weapon and return specialist," said coach Bobby Johnson. "He's a pleasure to coach, and a guy that is willing to do his very best to help our team win football games. D.J. is an extremely deserving candidate for the Thorpe Award, and all the other preseason recognition coming his way."

It won't be long before Moore becomes the Commodores' most entertaining and recognizable player, and it's good to see him get the national recognition that he deserves.

Finally, make sure to check out a feature I wrote about Moore last fall for The Hustler. Here's a quick sample:

No amount of coaching could have prepared Bobby Johnson for what he witnessed at a recent practice.

"Sometimes he'll be standing there, and he'll do a back flip out there on the field," Johnson said of sophomore cornerback D.J. Moore. "The other day I was walking this way and he jumped right over me. I looked up and there he was."

As his unexpected high jump shows, Moore is the poster boy for the Commodores' increase in speed and athleticism in recent years. Yet, it is his ability to do the other things that has made him a more complete player in his second season as a starter.

"D.J. has worked hard to improve," Johnson said. "He's now doing all the little things you need to do at corner to make yourself better instead of just relying on speed, jumping ability and talent. D.J. is reading things better, noticing splits and reading the quarterback a lot better."

Photo [Getty Images/Daylife]

Around the SEC (7/8)

A few links to pass along as Lady Vols coach Pat Summit tells Bruce Pearl he needs to work on his abs on ESPN...

The Tennessean scoured through five preseason magazines and the forecast does not look good for the Volunteer state.

Tennessee's average finish is third in the SEC East, while Vanderbilt is unsurprisingly picked to finish in the cellar.

"It's no surprise," said Mitch Light, editor of Nashville-based Athlon Sports, which publishes Athlon Sports College Football. "They lost a lot of talented players and I think they will be very good on defense, especially in the secondary. But from a preseason look, there are just too many holes on offense to fill…There are too many unknown factors on offense to be competitive in the East."

Knoxville deserves to be a finalist in ESPN's "Titletown USA" promotion, but it shouldn't win, writes The Knoxville News Sentinenl's Mike Strange. I agree.

Redshirting remains rare in college hoops, writes rivals.com's David Fox. Only four members of the Rivals150 for the class of 2007 redshirted by choice, one of them being Vanderbilt's Festus Ezeli, who is quoted in the story.

David Price has "it," according to Prattville columnist Jimmy White.

ESPN.com's Chris Low has a few questions to ponder in the SEC East, including "Can Georgia's overall talent overcome a brutal schedule?" and "Will Tennessee win another SEC championship under Phillip Fulmer?"

Low also picks the Commodores to finish last in the SEC East and here's what he had to say:

Similar to Kentucky, Vanderbilt suffered major personnel losses from a year ago, and those losses weren't confined to just one side of the ball. The Commodores have made tremendous gains the past few years, and Johnson deserves a tremendous amount of credit. But getting to five or six wins this season would be his best coaching job yet. Mackenzi Adams and Chris Nickson will battle for the quarterback job. Both are likely to play and will be operating behind a revamped offensive line. The defense also took some big hits, but safety Reshard Langford is one of those players who makes up for others' mistakes. The Commodores will need a bunch of younger players to come through if they're going to win at least four games for the fourth straight year.

Seems like a pretty accurate assessment to me, although I think cornerback D.J. Moore deserved mention.

Who pays coaches' ridiculous salaries? You, of course. [h/t Mr. SEC]

Shan Foster has his work cut out for him this summer as the Mavs have a number of young swingmen vying for a couple of spots.

Also, Derrick Byars scored a team-high 15 points for the Orlando Magic in their 86-74 loss to the Nets.
Photo [SI.com]

Summer baseball update

With baseball summer leagues in full swing, here's a look at how reliever Russell Brewer (pictured right) and the rest of the Commodores are performing. Brewer leads the CCBL in saves (nine) and has not given up a run in 10 innings of work, but he's far from the only player off to a strong start.

Who's hot: Mike Minor, Russell Brewer, Caleb Cotham, Chase Reid, Brian Harris, Alex Hilliard, Taylor Hill
Who's not: Mark Lamm, Jordan Wormsley, Steven Schwartz, Kellen St. Luce

Team USA

Mike Minor is having another great summer with Team USA. He has given up just one earned run on 16 hits, while walking four and fanning 21 in 22.1 innings. Looks like Minor is developing a third pitch (slider) and gaining confidence as he prepares for his pivotal junior season.

Cape Cod Baseball League

Hyannis (11-7) -- Mariano Rivera, I mean Russell Brewer, leads the CCBL with nine saves in as many chances. He has given up just five hits and walked two while fanning 11 in 10 scoreless innings. Meanwhile, catcher Curt Casali is just 5-for-40 with a homer and 2 RBI, although he has displayed a strong arm behind the plate.

Brewster (10-7) -- Caleb Cotham is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA with 26 Ks in 22 innings. The versatile Nick Christiani has two saves and 2.45 ERA in 11 innings (along with 10 walks), while Mark Lamm has struggled, giving up 13 runs in 10.1 innings.

Wareham (7-11) -- Outfielder Steve Liddle is batting .219 with one double, two triples and 8 RBI for the Gatemen.

Harwich (9-8) -- Catcher/first baseman Andrew Giobbi was 6-for-30 with two homers and 10 RBI during his time as a temporary player with the Mariners.

NECBL

Newport (12-9) -- Right-hander Chase Reid just struck out a league-record 19 batters in his complete-game victory to earn NECBL Pitcher of the Week honors. For the summer, Reid is 1-0 with 1.65 ERA in 16.1 innings. He has given up just 10 hits and one walk while fanning 29 and opponents are hitting .172 against him. Meanwhile, outfielder Joey Manning has struggled as of late (full stats not available).

Keene (15-8) -- Lefty Sean Bierman (2-1, 2.70 ERA) is having a superb summer, striking out 30 and walking seven in 26.2 innings. Meanwhile, third baseman Aaron Westlake is still looking to get going offensively.

Holyoke (10-10) -- Outfielder Alex Hilliard is hitting .296 with a homer, two doubles and 7 RBI to go along with five stolen bases. He also made just one error.

Sanford (16-8) -- Infielder Brian Harris was just named NECBL Hitter of the Week after going 9-for-12 with seven runs and four RBI. For the summer, he is hitting .317 with four doubles, eight RBI and a .394 OBP.

NYCBL

Saratoga (10-13) -- Outfielder Jordan Wormsley is hitting just .184, while lefty Kellen St. Luce has given up 10 earned runs on 14 hits in 9.1 innings, while walking 10 and fanning nine.

Valley

Winchester (16-12) -- Taylor Hill (4-0, 1.99 ERA) has been terrific, giving up 25 hits and walking eight while striking out 40 in 31.2 innings.

Staunton (14-14) -- Steven Schwartz (1-1, 4.79 ERA) has given up 29 hits and fanned 24 in 20.2 innings.

CICL

Danville (10-12) -- Lefty reliever Richie Goodenow is 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA after giving up seven earned runs on 17 hits to go along with seven walks and 15 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work.

Great Lakes

Stark County Terrier (11-7) -- Shortstop Gabe Ortiz started strong, hitting .313 through five games, but has not played since.

Photo [Cape Cod Times]

Vandy baseball takes a hit

Vanderbilt's loaded recruiting class just became one player smaller as junior college outfielder Adam Milligan recently signed with the Atlanta Braves, according to scout.com.

Milligan, a sixth-round pick, would have most likely started for the Commodores, who are looking to replace David Macias and Dominic de la Osa in the outfield. For the Braves, apparently the third time was the charm as they had drafted Milligan twice before.

Vanderbilt also lost shortstop Anthony Hewitt earlier in the summer. Hewitt recently signed with the Philadelphia Phillies after being selected in the first round.

Commodore Banter (7/7)

David Price said he felt like he was back at Vanderbilt yesterday afternoon when he took the mound against the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx in Jackson, Tenn.

The throngs of Commodore fans in attendance had to feel like they were back at Hawkins Field as Price turned in a familiar performance. The left-hander picked up his third win in as many starts for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits after giving up one run on four hits while striking out six and walking one in seven innings.

"He was really excited being here, close to home," said Price's mother, Debbie. "He knew there were going to be people here cheering for him, so he was looking forward to it — almost like a home game.

"It's been about a year since he's pitched in front of friends and family, so I think he's been really waiting on this day."

At one point, Price retired 17 straight batters and reached 97 mph on his fastball.

"It felt like I was back at Vandy," Price said. "They're very loyal fans, and they're going to support me for the rest of my career. I definitely appreciate it."

With the Rays atop the AL East, there is a chance Price could be called up to The Show by the end of the year. [The Tennessean]

Price isn't the only former Commodore having success in the minors. Reliever Casey Weathers is tearing it up in Tulsa, the Rockies' Double-A affiliate, and was recently named to the U.S. Futures Game, which takes place the Sunday before the All-Star Game at Yankees Stadium.

Weathers is topping out in the upper-90s and like Price, could be pitching in the Big Leagues by the end of the season.

Also, there's a good feature of second baseman Alex Feinberg, who is making the most of his opportunity.

Current Commodore Mike Minor picked up the win for Team USA, pitching 6.1 shutout innings against Cuba. Minor gave up for hits and walked three, while fanning five. The fans were crazy, as Goldy writes in his blog for VU Commodores.

Make sure to check out this Q&A with Shan Foster. The Las Vegas Summer League begins July 11.

Lastly, Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper sat down with the "Voice of the Commodores" to talk about a number of Vanderbilt-related topics.

Photo [Gannett Tennessean]

Around the SEC (7/7)

Hope you all had a great weekend July 4th weekend. The Sports VU will be back in full force this week as we begin counting down the days until the Commodores' season opener August 28 at Miami (OH).

Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer received a new 7-year contract that averages $2.99 million and includes retention bonuses and incentive bonuses. The Ace Reporter (Jimmy Hyams) at Mr. SEC has three major problems with the deal:

One, he’s getting paid too much based on what UT has achieved recently.

Two, UT should have protected itself by lowering the buyout. Fulmer’s buyout formula is the same as before: One full year of the contract, plus $1 million plus the remaining years of the contract times the base salary.

Third, Fulmer gets an automatic one-year extension if UT wins eight games. Are you kidding? Have Tennessee’s standards dropped that low? Since when is an eight-win season in Knoxville worth rewarding?

The Tennessean's David Climer feels the same way, saying "the bar has been set at 8-4."

Mississippi State is the first school in the country to include Academic Progress Report clauses in the multi-year contracts of their coaches. [Clarion Ledger via Mr. SEC]

Several Volunteers, including Tyler Smith and incoming recruits Scotty Hopson and Bobby Maze, competed in a summer league and Mike Griffith of The Knoxville News Sentinel has the full scouting report.

UK signee DeAndre Liggins is still waiting to hear if he'll be eligible to play for the Wildcats this season. [Courier-Journal]

Jim Rome loves Shan Foster

I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but Romey said Shan's his favorite player in the draft.

I can’ wait…to get to this ‘take’! I think my favorite guy in the entire NBA draft, is a guy who went 51st overall! The Dallas Mavericks stole the SEC player of the year, Shan Foster. Foster is Vandy’s all time leading scorer. A guy who routinely hit 30 foot NBA style “three bombs”! A guy who can shoot, defend, lead, and most importantly…can’t wait to play in the NBA! But, don’t take my word for it. Hit it Shan!!

Awesome! Incredible guy! Decent singer! And, the song is well…a “little cheesy”. A “little cheesy”, but so awesome! Could the kid be any more sincere and appreciative of the opportunity? No sense of entitlement there. Just love of the game! How do you know? Look around his “pad”! No oversized plasma hanging from the wall that some “booster” bought for him. Just an X-Box hooked up to a 14 inch TV and a random lamp on the floor. If Foster swung the camera around…you’d probably see a stack of cup of noodles and a hot plate.

This guy is going to do great in Dallas! He’s going to “kill it” with catch and shoots off Jason Kidd’s drives and the Dirk Nowitzki double teams. I literally can’t get that song out of my head. Much like I couldn’t get Shaq’s rap out of my head. Except, Shan’s not demanding: “Kobe, tell me, how’s my (bleep) tastes!” Or, telling me he got a vasectomy so now he can’t breed them.

Great job, Shan! We can’t wait to see you play in the NBA either.

And if you want to see a dead-on impression of Jim Rome, click here.

UT's new point guard can ball and rap

I'm a big fan of rap music and have been for the better part of the last decade. Used to love blasting Jay-Z and T.I. in the locker room before high school basketball games and playing Eminem (before he went crazy) on the iPod during bus rides.

I love walking down Greek Row after Vanderbilt victories as Kanye West blares from the speakers and hate when fraternities opt for the classic rock cover bands over hip-hop. And nothing beats driving fast with the windows down, bumpin' Tha Carter III.

So maybe that's why I have soft spot for Tennessee's incoming point guard Bobby Maze, also known as "Be-Amazed, B-Maze, aka, the Solution."

Maze averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game last season en route to earning junior college All-American honors at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College after playing at Oklahoma as a freshman. With Ramar Smith gone, Maze has a chance to start for the Vols. He said he just appreciates the opportunity.

"Too many people take this game of basketball for granted," Maze told Go Vols Xtra, "but I wouldn't have been the places I've been and be here if it wasn't for basketball.

"I'm very happy here. It's one of the best things that has happened for me in my life. People have no idea of the road I took to get here."

Maze arrived in Knoxville with a nickname, being called "The Solution" on the Sports Page radio show, a reference to his similar appearance to NBA star Allen Iverson, who's known as "The Answer."

Maze welcomed the nickname and uses it in this freestyle called "Put on Tennessee." While it's not nearly as good as the actual song with Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West, I've gotta give the dude some props. I know most Vanderbilt and Southeastern Conference fans are going to hate on Maze for his performance, but I thought it was pretty entertaining. Check it out for yourself.



Looks like Jermaine Beal has some competition for the best rapping point guard in the SEC. Who's down for a halftime battle between "Dolla" and "The Solution" this winter?

Video of the Day: Start collecting your Earl Bennett football cards

As we turn our attention to the upcoming football season, I couldn't help but think about how much the Commodores are going to miss that soft-spoken wide receiver from Birmingham, Alabama.

Over the past three years, Earl Bennett was so consistently spectacular that we eventually began to take him for granted. It's going to take years before we truly appreciate what Bennett accomplished in the black and gold.

Having never watched a Vanderbilt football game without Earl Bennett, it's going to be a little strange when there is no No. 10 lined up wide this fall. Probably stranger than it is to see Bennett wearing a Chicago Bears jersey during this Topps 2008 NFL Rookie Photo Shoot.



Here's what I wrote about Earl for The Hustler when he declared for the NFL Draft back in January. I think you'll enjoy it:

When asked what he would buy with his first NFL paycheck, Earl Bennett did not hesitate.

"My mom a house," he said.

The answer reaffirmed what we already knew - that, as talented a player as Bennett is, he's an even better person. For No. 10, it was never about the records. In fact, those seemed to matter more to us than to him. After games, Bennett used to say he would trade all of his catches in for a bowl berth. And he meant it.

Looking back at his remarkable career, so many games stand out.

We saw him break out against Richmond on Family Weekend in 2005. He never looked back.

We saw him torch Florida in "The Swamp" and unfairly get called for an excessive celebration penalty, which was ironic considering his modesty, and then again in 2006, when he made two defenders knock heads.

We saw him make The Catch on a slant over the middle to give the Commodores their first victory over Tennessee since 1982. Bennett said that game was his favorite.

This season, we saw Bennett earn first-team All-SEC honors, despite constant double teams and erratic quarterback play. And we saw him play through pain most of us have never felt.

Players like Bennett do not come around often, and while selfish Commodore fans and players would have liked to see him return for his final season, we both understand and support his decision.

To the NFL team that drafts Bennett, you will not regret it. You are not only getting a great route-runner with exceptional hands and fearless attitude, but over 6,000 new fans.

"Hopefully people will remember me by my character and not my outstanding ability on the football field," Bennett said.

How about we do both?