SEC Talk

The Kentucky Wildcats football program has taken second fiddle to the basketball program for a number of years now. That could change very soon as Rich Brooks have the Wildcats football program headed in the right direction. Brooks brings a crop of talented players into this season and they will try and build on last seasons success.

I look for the Wildcats to keep imporving and move up the conference. Their real problem is they are in the best conference in the country and that is really going to hurt them. The fans suport the football team and you never can count out Rich brooks. look for the Wildcats to be better but not ready to take over the SEC just yet.

Nothing makes you feel better than when you can come home and that is exactly what Amanda Butler has done. Butler was named the new women’s head coach of the Florida Gators. Butler played for the Gators so she is familiar with the surrounds and coming home is always great. Butler has 12 years of coaching experience at different places and should fit right in at Florida.

Butler coaches at the University of North Carolina at charlotte for two years as their head coach. It will be interesting to see how the Gators do this year on the Women’s side of it. Withthe success of the men’s team hopefully it will trickle down to the women’s side as well. I know they got a good one in Amanda Butler to lead them to the next level.

Where does Tauren Green fits in the NBA draft is a very good question. Green is a player that can do alot of things for you. I don’t think everyone seen what green can do as he had alot of talent around him. He’s a sneaky player that can handle the ball well and be a great point guard if he chooses too.

Green has the ability to score points drive the paint or just be an assist man. Green is the perfect role player for a team and can step up when he see’s his team needs him. Green should do well in the NBA as alot of teams could use a player like that starting for them or coming off the bench.

The LSU women’s basketball team got a big boost in the arm with the hiring of Van Chancellor has the new head Women’s basketball coach. LSU probably couldn’t have found a better man than Challcellor and his credintials are second to none. he’s a winner and has won at every level he has coached.

After everything the LSU women’s team went through this past year this is just what they needed. Now I don’t know if the other teams in the SEC may think so. Look for the LSU women’s team to make some noise in the SEC and wouldn’t surprise me to see them win the title outright. They have some good talent that is returning and with Van at the helm their in good hands.

Al Horford has the perfect body ofr the NBA and he can even add more to his fram and grow as he heads to the next level. Horford has alot going for him and could play in the NBA a very long time. Horford has soft hands and rarely drops a pass thrown to him which will help him in the NBA. For his size Horford handles the ball extremely well in the post and dribbling which is weird for a big man such as Horford.

In his time at Florida Al has imporved on his game every year and that has been with having stars around him. I think in the NBA it will be Al Horford’s time to shine and show people what he can do.

Out of the Florida gators that left early to try and make it in the NBA Corey Brewer is the one I like the most. Brewer has all the skills to be a very good player in the NBA. He can lead or just play a team game if you need him to. Brewer has good ball handling skillis and a very good shot. I think though that the most important part of Brewer’s game is his heart.

With his dad going through some medical issues you can see some of him in Corey. Brewer has a will to win and never gives up no matter what. He will make a very good NBA player and whoever drafts him will get a special young man. In the end could be the best of the Gators.

The Arkansas Razorbacks got a guy who will make sure the program will keep moving forward in John Pelphrey. Pelphrey a former Kentucky Wildcat player under Rick Pitno knows about winning and coaching to. He coached a program in South Alabama that wasn’t very good when he got their and turned it around and made NCAA and NIT apperances.

Pelphrey will do the same thing for Arkansas as he has had some very good teachers in Pitno and Eddie Sutton. The Razorbacks in the future will be a team to watch as they have some good talent coming back and with Pelphrey at the helm they could be a force in the SEC for years to come.

This week I’m going to look over the draft prospects of some of the Florida Gators. First up will be Joakim Noah the Florida star who lets his emotions flow on the floor in most of his games. In the NBA style of game emotions for the most part are held in checked and he will have to watch that in the game when he gets drafted. Noah is a good rebounder and a decent shooter. Here is the real problem that I see with Noah. First he will need to bulk up as the NBA is a more pounding kind of game and he won’t get the easy looks like he did at Florida.

The NBA is more of a flash and dash league that really doesn’t play alot of defense and Noah will have to get use to that he may not have teammates like he did at Florida. Most likely he will be a first round pick and when you win two National Championships you are expected to deliver big things. Alot of guys who won National Championships were expected to do the same thing and it never happened. Noah just has to play his game and get better with hard work and dedication. Enjoy the time your there because it could end quickly. Noah in my opinion will be a good NBA player but not great. Alot of this of course depends what kind of team drafts him.

People sometimes don’t realize a player can’t grow or learn much on a losing team except how to lose. He needs players around him to grow. Hopefully Noah won’t get caught in that situation.

Candace Parker saturday was named the John R. Wooden player of the year by The Los Angeles Atheltic Club becoming the youngest female to earn that honor. Parker led the lady Vols to a NCAA Womens basketball Championship this year. Parker stands 6 foot 4 and avearge almost a double double this year with 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds. Parker was also named SEC PLayer of the Year a few eeks earlier.

She holds many Tennessee Womens Hoops records already and hopefully for Tennessee fans she will be coming back to add more in the future. Parker without a doubt is one of the better women athletes to come along in a very long time. She can do it all.

The SEC women were well represtened in the WNBA draft as five SECplayers were taken. In the first round Armintie Price, G, Mississippi was taken by Chicago. Chicago also picked up Carla Thomas, F, Vanderbilt. both these players should help Chicago out alot.

In the second round Houston chose Dee Davis, G, Vanderbilt and Los Angeles took
Sidney Spencer, F, Tennessee while Connecticut took Cori Chambers, G, Georgia. Congratulations to all the ladies who were chosen from the SEC and hopefully we will hear alot from them in the future.

After Billy Donovan told Kentucky he wasn’t interested in coaching the Wildcats they turned their sights on Billy Gillispie who coached Texas A&M for the last five years. Gillispie has turned around the Aggies program and made it a powerhouse in the BIG 12. Kentucky is hoping he can do the same thing here. Gillispie is a very good coach and knows what he is doing and seems to be a very good recuriter.

The biggest thing that Gillspie will have to get use to is he’s going into a conference that is alot tougher than the Big 12 to play. The other thing is Kentucky fans expect alot and he will be under alot of pressure to win quickly. I hope he can succeed at it, but time will tell like with anything. In my opinion though it was a good choice as coach for the Wildcats. Now if the Wildcat fans will just give him a chance

Billy Donovan has decided to stay at Florida and spurn the Kentucky Wildcats. Donovan will have a press conference today to announce his decision/ You really can’t blame Donovan as he has won back-to-back titles so he probably made the right decision.

Kentucky will now have to look elsewhere for a coach and it will be very interesting to see who may take the job. Kentucky’s job is a very high pressure job and whoever takes it will have tons of pressure on him to win right away. Fair or not that is how Kentucky basketball is.

It’s been awhile since Pat Summitt had a chance to cut down the nets and she hasn’t forgotten how to do it as her Lady Vols dismantled Rutgers by a score of 59-46. Rutgers brought in some impressive numbers on the defensive end, but it didn’t matter against Tennessee as they started out quickly and ended with a celebration.

Candace Parker was her usual great self as she tossed in 17 points and got plenty of help from her supporting cast as the Vols claimed there seveth NCAA Womens College basketball title. The Vols are officially back and if Parker comes back another title could be in their future. I guess we will have to wait and see if Parker comes back or not. No matter what Tennessee fans are a happy group today.

The Florida gators wanted to make a statement last night and they did as the dominated the Ohio State Buckeyes most of the night and ran away with another title with a 84-75 victory over the Buckeyes. Al Horford had 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Gators did what they have done all season long and that was play as a team. It didn’t matter to them who the hero was as long as they got the win.

This Gators team has to go down as one of the better back to back champions in a long time as they had everything on it. They could play any style of basketball and did and won championships. Greg Oden tried his best to keep the Buckeyes in the game as he scored 25 points, but didn’t get much help from his teammates. In the end it was just to many Gators to corral.

First it was for a football championship, and now it will be for a College Basketball championship. Right now the Gators are around 4 point favorites and for good reason as they dominated the Buckeyes earlier in the season. Both teams are alot better than when they played earlier this season. Greg Oden has gotten alot better and so hvae the Gators.

This is a tough call and I could be wrong but i think the Buckeyes will win in a very close game. I like the Gators but the outside shooting for the Buckeyes have been better than anyone in this tournament. I think the Buckeyes will win by one point or two.