Around the SEC (7/23)

A bunch of SEC-related links to pass along as the SEC Media Days get going this afternoon. But, first, here's today's schedule:

FLORIDA (1:10 - 3:10 pm)
Urban Meyer, QB Tim Tebow, OT Phil Trautwein
MISSISSIPPI STATE (1:10 - 3:10 pm)
Sylvester Croom, QB Wesley Carroll, LB Jamar Chaney
LSU (3:10 - 5:10 pm)
Les Miles, C Brett Helms, DE Tyson Jackson
VANDERBILT (3:10 - 5:10 pm)
Bobby Johnson, S Reshard Langford, WR George Smith

Jon Solomon of The Birmingham asks a great question: Is this the golden age of SEC football coaches?

Solomon believes so, pointing out that it's the first time in the conference's 76-year history that five current coaches have won a national championship. "And," he says, "it's not just quality at the top. The depth among the 12 current coaches rivals the early 1960s, which is considered the Holy Grail-era of SEC football."

The rest of the country finally seems to admit that the SEC is the best, according to John Adams of The Knoxville News Sentinel. For example, did you know that the SEC has three guards, three tackles and two centers ranked in the top five nationally at their positions?

Funny tidbit about Bobby Johnson in this Press-Register story about the off-field demands of coaches.

Some coaches go for laughs. Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson broke up the room when he described signing autographs for Japanese tourists who were convinced that he was comedian Steve Martin.

The Clarion-Ledger lists six topics to look for this week in Hoover. A couple of the big ones: Can Georgia live up to the preseason hype? Is it put up or shut up time for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina?

Meanwhile, The Tennessean's Bryan Mullen takes a look at 10 hot topics, including Vanderbilt's QB controversy.

Finally, Seth Emerson of The State rates each coach on how intense his press conference will be from one to four microphones and gives Bobby Johnson a 1.5.

Typically, the biggest activity during Johnson’s presentation is at the beginning, when media members scramble out of the room. That’s too bad, because the Columbia native can be one of the most entertaining and humorous coaches in the league. Johnson should face the usual round of Vanderbilt questions: So, how close to getting to a bowl do you think you are? How tough is it to win at a school you need a 24,000 SAT score to get in? Why aren’t you winning when your basketball and baseball programs are?

Also, don't forget to check out my preseason SEC predictions below.

The Sports VU's preseason SEC predictions

College football season is finally here...sort of. The always-hectic, yet highly-entertaining SEC Media Days kick off today in Hoover, Ala., and Florida, LSU, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are up on the first of the three-day event. The Commodores, represented by coach Bobby Johnson and seniors Reshard Langford and George Smith, will speak to the media from 3:10-5:10 p.m. CT.

In the spirit of the week, The Sports VU decided to join the fun and make its own preseason SEC predictions. Is it pointless? Probably, but it's the middle of July and I'm all for anything that helps pass the time until August 28. Also, you'll be able to look back at these in January and commend us on our amazing picks. Or something like that.

You can read Aram's predictions here.

SEC East
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas

Offensive Player of the Year: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss
Coach of the Year: Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
Top Newcomer: Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss
Breakout Player: Mario Fanin, RB/WR, Auburn
Non-Vanderbilt game you're most looking forward to: LSU at Auburn (Sept. 20)
One guarantee: Vandy will go to its first bow...Thought I was gonna do it, didn't you? In all seriousness, Georgia will lose at least three games.
One bold prediction: Tim Tebow quits football in order to help spread the gospel.

Feel free to leave your own picks in the comments.

Vanderbilt Football Preview: QB Breakdown

The Commodores kick off their season on Thursday, August 28, at Miami of Ohio. In the meantime, The Sports VU will take a look at each position, starting with the most visible and perhaps most important -- quarterback.

STRENGTHS: Experience. Things should begin to slow down for redshirt senior Chris Nickson and redshirt junior Mackenzi Adams, who have 24 starts between them. They're familiar with the offense and know what it takes to succeed in the SEC. Both QBs are also mobile, which makes the Commodores harder to defend. Vanderbilt also has depth at the position with redshirt sophomore Jared Funk and redshirt freshman Larry Smith.

WEAKNESSES: Consistency. Nickson had a terrific 2006, completing 160 of 292 passes for 2,085 yards and 15 TDs while rushing for 694 yards and nine TDs, only to regress in 2007. No one knows quite how bad Nickson was hurt, but the bottom line is that he had just 943 total yards and eight TDs in six starts and gave way to Adams in the second half of the season. Adams completed 55.5 percent of his passes for 1043 yards and nine TDs while rushing for 289 yards and 3 TDs, but fairly or unfairly, never seemed to gain the full confidence of the coaching staff.

TOP QUESTIONS: First, the obvious question -- who should/will start? Beyond that, which Chris Nickson will we see, the '06 or '07 version? Did Mackenzi Adams prove enough last season to win the job? Will both QBs receive snaps regardless? And what about the two talented youngsters, Funk and Smith? If the Dores struggle early on, will coach Bobby Johnson look to the future?

INSTANT ANALYSIS: With two experienced upperclassmen, the Commodores shouldn't have to worry about the QB position, but heading into fall camp, it remains one of the biggest question marks. Nickson at his best probably gives Vanderbilt its best chance to win, but it's unclear whether that Nickson even exists anymore. Meanwhile, Adams is a great leader who has the respect of his teammates. And if the Commodores had beaten Georgia and Tennessee in '07 and gone to a bowl game, I'd imagine that Adams would be the unquestioned starter. It'll be interesting to see how Funk and Smith factor into the question, as well. Funk looked the best of the four in the spring scrimmage and possesses a strong, accurate arm, while Smith was a big-time recruit viewed by many as the QB of the future, although I'd imagine he is still one year away. Either way, the bottom line is this -- whoever gets the nod is going to have to play well for Vanderbilt to have any shot at earning its first bowl berth since 1982.

Check back tomorrow as The Sports VU breaks down the running backs.

Commodore Banter (7/22)

The Sports VU is in full swing these days so be sure to scroll down the page and check out all of our recent stories. And in case you missed it, we're moving and need your help.

Yesterday we shared some basketball thoughts from last week's SEC teleconference. Maurice Patton of The Tennessean does the same thing today, noting that Vandy's rep lures top recruits.

"They were able to add a lot of athleticism and depth," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Justin Young said. "Sometimes they'd have a really good player mixed with some program guys. Here, you've got four guys that by the time they're juniors or seniors could be your starting lineup."

The Commodores also have another top recruit on the way in 2009 -- John Jenkins. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard, Jenkins has seen his stock rise tremendously this summer. At the NBA Players Top 100 Camp, he averaged 17.8 points, three points better than any other player during the five-day event. He was one of just 80 players invited to the LeBron James Skills Academy last week, and he will be competing in the Nike Global Challenge (reserved from the nation's top 30 players) in August.

It's no surprise then to learn that Jenkins has received offers from a number of schools despite his commitment to the Commodores.

"North Carolina, Duke … that's where I wanted to go when I was 11," Jenkins said. "Now I have a good home in Vanderbilt. They brought me in and I love the coaches, the fans and the education. I'm real set on them."

Coach Kevin Stallings must be counting down the days until Jenkins' arrival. He is currently ranked No. 32 overall, eighth among shooting guards, by Rivals.com.

"John has started to put a little length on his résumé," said Dave Telep, Scout.com national recruiting director. "He's made perimeter shots, knocked down 3's and been in situations in camp settings where he's been on big runs. He's going to get a lot of points at Vanderbilt. That offense is the right fit for him."

In football news, D.J. Moore and Reshard Langford were named to the coaches' All-SEC team, Moore to the first team and Langford to the third.

The Commodores also received another commitment for the Class of 2009 -- Mason Johnston. A 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., Johnston is ranked by Scout.com as the nation’s No. 36 tight end prospect and No. 43 by Rivals.com in the class of 2009.

Speaking of prospects, Brett Hait attempts to answer the following question: When it comes to recruiting, how young is too young? (Yes, we're talking about you, Billy).

In alumni news, the Bears are closing in on a deal with offensive tackle Chris Williams.

The Tampa Bay Rays are in no rush to call up David Price. Within this mailbag, MLB.com's Bill Chastain says Price "is the one untouchable guy in the Rays' farm system." He also added this:

Price is now 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA at Double-A Montgomery. Andrew Friedman, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations, recently stated that development is king. When Price reaches the Major Leagues, the Rays want him to be ready and not have to go back down. However, Friedman's comments did indicate that he has not ruled out Price being a part of this year's team at some point.

For Denver quarterback Jay Cutler, year three is pivotal.

In NBA Summer League news, Derrick Byars ended on a high note, scoring 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go along with five rebounds in the Hornets' loss to Portland. In five games, he averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18.6 minutes. He shot 44.4 percent from the field, including 46 percent from 3-point range.

Shan Foster averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 49 percent from the field for the Mavs, while Matt Freije had himself a week, averaging 11.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 assists in 21.5 minutes in four games for Milwaukee. He shot 59 percent, including 60 percent from 3-point range.

Make sure to check back later today for the first part of The Sports VU's 2008 Football Preview.

Moore, Langford receive preseason All-SEC honors

The coaches' preseason All-SEC team was released Monday and Vanderbilt had just two representatives. Junior cornerback D.J. Moore was the only Commodore named to the first unit, while senior safety Reshard Langford earned third-team honors.

"D.J. is coming off a remarkable year and deserves all the attention he is getting. He's a big-time player in a big-time conference," said coach Bobby Johnson. "I'm pleased that Reshard is getting notice because he's truly one of the finest defensive players in this conference. Reshard simply does his job at a very high level. He's a great competitor, a great athlete, and a tremendous leader for the Commodores."

LSU led all teams with 14 players selected, followed by Florida (10), Georgia (9), Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina (all 8), Tennessee (7), Kentucky (5), Ole Miss and and Mississippi State (4), Arkansas (3) and Vanderbilt (2).

There were seven unanimous first-team selections to the squad, but Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was not one of them (one coach voted for Matthew Stafford). The group includes four offensive linemen - Alabama's Andre Smith, Arkansas Jonathan Luigs, Ole Miss' Michael Oher and Tennessee's Anthony Parker -- along with Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, Ole Miss defensive lineman Greg Hardy and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.

In addition, of the 81 players named to the first, second and third teams, six are sophomores, 35 are juniors and 40 are seniors.

You can check out all of the coaches' selections here.

Question: While it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that Vanderbilt had just two players selected, I pose this question to all of you: Other than Moore and Langford, which Commodores do you expect to earn All-SEC honors at the end of the season?

My take: Offensively, I wouldn't be shocked to see linemen Bradley Vierling and possibly Thomas Welch earn recognition. Defensively, there are a number of possibilities, including cornerback Myron Lewis (who's quite talented and would be getting a whole lot more attention if not for Mr. Moore) and defensive ends Broderick Stewart and Steven Stone.

Photo [VU Commodores]

The Sports VU is moving...and we need your help

It's hard to believe that this site has only been up and running for a little over four months. In that short time, we've put up more than 300 posts, interviewed dozens of student-athletes and attracted hundreds of loyal readers.

As a result of our hard work, we've been asked to join a prominent network consisting of more than 100 sports bloggers, each following a respective team the same way we cover the Commodores. We'll get a brand new website and hopefully be able to attract an even larger audience.

Don't worry, it'll still be the same guys bringing you the same great coverage. The only downside is this: we need a new name. Since sportsvu.com and thesportsvu.com are unavailable, we're left with no choice but to come up with a new identity for the fall.

So, we're asking for your help. My staff has come up with three very good options -- Conquer and Prevail, The VU Point and Vandyville. You can vote for your favorite in the poll on the top right of the page. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share those below.

Anyways, thanks so much for visiting The Sports VU and I look forward to reading your feedback. Also, I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the fall...

Summer basketball update

Vanderbilt men's basketball coach Kevin Stallings spoke to the media during last week's summer teleconference and Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper has a terrific story about Stallings' expectations (or lack thereof) for next year's squad, which will welcome four talented freshman and two redshirt freshmen.

“This is probably as little an idea about a team as I’ve had going into a season in terms of the little nuances you might think about as a coach,” Stallings said. “That’s part of the exciting part of being a college basketball coach – new faces and new teams.”

VU Commodores has the full transcript from Wednesday's teleconference so I figured I'd go ahead and touch on some of the highlights.

*Stallings both expects and needs junior point guard Jermaine Beal to make another leap this season in order for Vandy to be successful.

*Not too much new information to pass along on the four freshmen -- Lance Goulbourne, Jeff Taylor, Steve Tchiengang and Brad Tinsley -- other than that they've been at summer school and working hard. "I think they've come in and tried to quietly go about their business and do things the right way and that's been very pleasing," Stallings said.

*Vanderbilt has become a very attractive destination for potential recruits, which is making Stallings very happy. "We feel like we’re getting entertained and getting interest from as high a level of players since we’ve been here," he said. "So, there's a tremendous amount of momentum that we feel in our program, and I think that the guys we recruit feel that and that's what makes things around here exciting right now."

*Stallings said he would not recruit players who say upfront that they only want to be in school for one year, but at the same, would not have a problem if he one of his players left after a season if he was ready.

"I would have encouraged A.J. Ogilvy to make himself available for the NBA draft this year if he'd have been a top 10 pick," Stallings said, "but A.J. didn't come in here saying 'I'm only going to be here for one year.' I think that kids need to come in and have the mindset that 'I'm going to be here as long as it takes for me to successfully position myself for what I need to do next, if that's four years it's four years, if it's one year it's one year.'"

*Make no mistake about it, Vanderbilt's freshmen are going to play. The Commodores return just two starters (Beal and Ogilvy), along with Darshawn McClellan, Andre Walker, George Drake, Jamie Graham (assuming he returns) and redshirt freshmen Festus Ezeli and Charles Hinkle, which means the youngsters will be given the opportunity to contribute right away.

"They're going to need to help because we're a very, very young basketball team," Stallings said. "So, they're going to need to come in and play with more maturity and at a higher level than what freshmen sometimes play at."

*Just how good is this class? "We think that from top to bottom it's as good a class as we've ever signed," Stallings said. "But, I think it's easy to get enamored with the guys who have never played. I'm always fascinated with the fact that people want to talk about the incoming guys more than they want to talk about the returning guys."

Stallings makes a great point. Right now, Goulbourne, Taylor, Tinsley and Tchiengang have no weaknesses and it's a lot more fun to talk about their potential than it is to discuss how much better Andre Walker and Darshawn McClellan will be as sophomores.

*How quickly will the freshmen be able to contribute? "I certainly don't want to put any timetables on any of them, but we feel like we have a combination of size and strength and athleticism and skill, and I think that all of those things you have to really try hard to go out and recruit," Stallings said. "The best thing that I like is I think we've gotten really good people, and guys are going to have good team attitudes, and that's what we want the most."

*I have absolutely no idea how good the Commodores will be this season, but like everyone else, I can't wait to find out. I don't think there's ever been this much excitement surrounding a team that we know so little about, which speaks to the job that Stallings and his staff have done transforming this program.

Photo [Sydney Morning Herald]

Vandy ranked 96th in college basketball prestige

During the boring summer months ESPN trise to come up with a few gimmicks to pass the time. A couple of weeks ago they did the face of every Division I school in the country, now they bring us a ranking of the prestige of all teams in college basketball.

Although the top 10 will not be revealed until later in the week, Vandy's spot has come up at No. 96, tied with the powerhouse University of Louisiana at Monroe (not to be confused with arch-rivals the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who are in a three-way tie for 118th). These rankings are pretty arbitrary and are calculated by a somewhat overly elaborate point system that awards points based on things like winning seasons, rankings, big upsets and high draft picks over the last 25 years.

Numbers 41-50 and the rules can be found here, while the rest of the rankings are here.

FYI, Tennessee was 99th.

Ranking SEC football coaches

John Adams of the Knoxville News Sentinel spends two columns ranking Southeastern Conference football coaches. First, he breaks down the coaches based on their career accomplishments:

1. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina)
2. Urban Meyer (Florida)
3. Nick Saban (Alabama)
4. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn)
5. Les Miles (LSU)
6. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee)
7. Mark Richt (Georgia)
8. Bobby Petrino (Arkansas)
9. Houston Nutt (Ole Miss)
10. Rich Brooks (Kentucky)
11. Sylvester Croom (Miss. State)
12. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt)

Here's what Adams said about Johnson: "Ask almost any other coach in the SEC and he will tell you Johnson is a good coach. If so, then it's about time someone hired him away from the Commodores. Although Vanderbilt hasn't had a winning season in six years under Johnson, it has been more competitive. Johnson also won 30 games in his last three seasons at Division I-AA Furman."

Then, Adams ranked the coaches based on their value in the open market. For example, if Program X could have any SEC coach for the next five years whom would it take? And then, whom would it take next?

1. Urban Meyer
2. Nick Saban
3. Tommy Tuberville
4. Mark Richt
5. Steve Spurrier
6. Les Miles
7. Bobby Petrino
8. Phillip Fulmer
9. Houston Nutt
10. Sylvester Croom
11. Bobby Johnson
12. Rich Brooks

Here's what Adams said about Johnson: "He has clearly upgraded Vanderbilt's talent level, but apparently that's not enough to get the attention of athletic directors at better programs. Although he hasn't had a winning season at Vanderbilt, other coaches in the league will be the first to tell you Vanderbilt is much tougher to beat now than before Johnson took over. One break-even season at Vanderbilt would do wonders for Johnson on the open market."

What do you guys make of the rankings, particularly the second one? Who should be higher/lower? Any surprises?

Doster facing three misdemeanor charges

Stories like this one are not fun to pass along. I guess it proves that yes, even Vanderbilt student-athletes make mistakes sometimes.

Jermaine Doster, a redshirt freshman running back, was charged with disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and obstructing an officer without violence early Friday morning in his hometown of Tampa, Fla.

Doster was escorted out of The Honey-Pot Bar by Tampa police and was asked to return to his vehicle and leave but failed to cooperate, in the process "causing such a commotion he caused a large crowd to gather."

Doster was taken into custody and placed in the back of a squad car, where he allegedly kicked out the window of the passenger-side rear door, causing about $200 worth of damage.

He was released on $1,250 bond about six hours after his arrest.

"I'm not going to have a comment until I know all the facts," said Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson, who was unaware of the incident when contacted. "I have nothing to say."

Like Johnson, I'm not going to pass judgment until both sides are presented. However, I can't stop thinking about the fact that Jermaine was arrested in Tampa's Ybor City, the same area where his brother Kwane was killed in December 2004. I'd hate to see something similar happen to Jermaine.

Not sure what effect this incident will have on Doster's future with the Commodores, although the hilarious Every Day Should Be Saturday is now predicting "a guaranteed bowl berth for Vandy. Write it down."