Turnabout is fair play

I was critical of Tennessee fans who midway through the football season were begging for Phil Fulmer’s head on a platter despite what he’s actually accomplished while he’s there.

But here we are less than halfway into the basketball season, and I am fully off the Gottfried bandwagon. Well, shame on me. The university released this earlier (HT: Ian Rappaport):

Facts Entering the 2007-08 Season

Nationally

Most Division I Victories (12 years or less)
Rank Coach (Current School) Div. 1 Years Wins
1. Tom Izzo (Michigan State) 12 278
2. Mark Gottfried (Alabama) 12 250
3. Mike Brey (Notre Dame) 12 241
4. Phil Martelli (St. Joseph’s) 12 240
5. Tim Welsch (Providence) 12 215
Willis Wilson (Rice) 12 215

SEC Coaches
Average Wins Per Year (minimum 5 years)
Rank Coach (Current School) Div. 1 Years Wins Wins Per Year
1. Billy Donovan (Florida) 13 296 22.7
2. Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) 6 132 22.0
3. Mark Gottfried (Alabama) 12 250 20.8
4. Rick Stansbury (Miss. State) 9 185 20.5
5. Billy Gillispie (Kentucky) 5 100 20.0

Most Post-Season Appearances
Rank Coach (Current School) Div. 1 Years Appearances Breakdown
1. Dave Odom (South Carolina) 21 15 (9 NCAA, 6 NIT)
2. Mark Gottfried (Alabama) 12 11 (7 NCAA, 4 NIT)
3. Billy Donovan (Florida) 13 10 (9 NCAA, 1 NIT)
4. Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) 13 9 (3 NCAA, 6 NIT)
5. Rick Stansbury (Miss. State) 9 7 (4 NCAA, 3 NIT)

NCAA Tournament Appearances
Rank Coach (Current School) Appearances Years as Head Coach
1. Dave Odom (South Carolina) 9 21
2. Billy Donovan (Florida) 9 13
3. Mark Gottfried (Alabama) 12 7
4. John Brady (LSU) 4 16
Rick Stansbury (Miss. State) 4 9
Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) 4 6

Most Victories in a Season in Alabama History
Three of Mark Gottfried’s teams rank among the top 5 in Alabama history for wins a season:

Season Wins
2001-02 27
2000-01 25
2005-05 24

Most Regular Season Victories in Alabama History

*Four of Mark Gottfried’s teams in the last 7 years rank among the 11 all-time for regular season wins in the 95 years of Alabama basketball:

Rank - Season Wins Final Season Record
1st - 2001-02 24 27-8
2nd - 2004-05 23 24-8
11th - 2000-01 20 25-11
2003-04 20 20-13
2006-07 20 20-12

SEC Records Since 2000-01 (entering this season)
Florida 183-54
Kentucky 177-60
Alabama 151-77
Mississippi State 151-80
LSU 135-87
Tennessee 129-89
South Carolina 129-101
Vanderbilt 125-97
Mississippi 123-96
Arkansas 116-97
Georgia 115-96
Auburn 109-104

In The Rankings

Entering the 2007-08 season, Alabama had been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 a total of 85 of a possible 127 weeks.

The Bama Basketball Senario

Someone, somewhere right now is saying that Gottfried needs to be fired. Not exactly an original thought considering how many sports columnists, talk show hosts and bloggers are insisting the same. You won’t find that here. Not because it isn’t true, or because it is, but because when it comes to Bama Basketball, all I can think about these days is Senario Hillman. You want points and rebounds, then take Richard Hendrix and Alonzo Gee. They are the reason Bama has any wins this season. But if you want style and explosion, and you want to remember what it was like to watch a game when Antonio McDyess played for Alabama, then you watch Hillman. Hillman’s dunking ability is downright old school. Here’s a bit of Youtubery as proof.

Tide gets another commitment

Not wanting to be out done by our neighbors to the north (snicker, snicker), Bama has secured the commitment of DE Glenn Harbin. Harbin is rated a 4 star by Rivals. He is also rated as the #17 strongside defensive end in the country. Another good pick up by Saban and crew as they look to wind up this recruiting season. There is also the possibility of picking up one of the top corners in the country by the end of the week.

A Commitment, After all

Vols fans waited with bated breath as Jomarcus Savage stepped to the podium at J.O. Johnson High in Huntsville, Ala., Wednesday morning and pledged his allegiance to ….

Auburn.

Oh well, the way things have gone with defensive tackle prospects this year, you kind of had to see this one coming, I guess. Tommy Tuberville lied to Savage and told him he’d play him at linebacker, where he’ll never see a snap. At 6-foot-2, 260, the kid has no chance to play LB, but whatever.

As it turns out, UT got a commitment Wednesday, after all. Three-star quarterback Casey Kelly from Sarasota, Fla., committed to the Vols after taking a visit to Knoxville and getting several visits from Phillip Fulmer, former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe and current OC Dave Clawson.

Quarterback was not a need position for the Vols this year, but something turned them on to Kelly, who chose UT over Arizona State. The biggest worry here is most think Kelly will be chosen in the second round or higher in the MLB Draft and will never step foot on any campus.

Still, the coaches thought Kelly was worth a scholarship. They like to sign a QB in every class, and the Sarasota, Fla., signal-caller has good numbers and a strong upside. At 6-foot-2, 190, he’s a little on the smallish side (not height-wise), but he has a cannon and is a top-notch shortstop/pitcher prospect.

He’s Rivals.com’s No. 17-rated pro-style prospect but didn’t have a ton of offers because of the baseball thing.

Rachel Bilson’s Goodies

It’s not porn because I’m only imagining her naked.

Ah, dear, sweet Rachel Bilson. Your spokesmodelship of our website is greatly appreciated, even if your participation is largely based on your lack of knowledge of our existence.

Speaking of Ms. Bilson’s role as spokesmodel of a college football blog, be sure to vote for her in the second round of Roll Bama Roll’s Girl Fight. Todd’s obsession with Britney Snow must be stopped.

And now, here are a few other links:

Our own Crimson Daddy broke the story (right after everyone else did. I mean, right after.) on Jim McElwain’s hire. Here’s a little bit of info from the Fresno State Football Blog. It predates McElwain’s candidacy, but is very telling of the job he did there.

Also, you might have heard it’s primary season in this great country of ours. Here’s a breakdown of who you’ll be complaining about this time next year.

Here’s some Demetrice Morley love for our UT brethren.

The Seattle Times wanted to remind UCLA of the type of program Rick Neuheisel ran at U-Dub. The question they fail to ask is, what if it’s not Neuheisel? Maybe it’s you, Seattle. Call me naive, but I just don’t think Neuheisel will have thugs to recruit in LA.

And last but not least, in honor of Super Bowl week (hey, that’s this week!), Gump4Heisman has some Super Bowl Deep Thoughts.

OC search over…..

Scout.com: McElwain All but Gone

From reports out of Fresno, it appears that Jim McElwain will be the new OC for Alabama. A press conference is set for this morning. Glad to have this done before NSD. We’ll have more later on, but I think this is a pretty good hire considering how much Fresno State’s offense improved this season under his tutelage.

 [UPDATE] It’s official. Jimmy Mac is on board.

Let me restate that I really like this hire. From all reports the guy is a very hard worker so the hours that Saban demands shouldn’t be anything new to him. His offense if also very balanced, and has shown last year that he is capable of improving average quarterback play. I’m going to try to have a more in depth post on him later. Roll Tide!

Tennessee-Alabama in that OTHER sport … A liveblog.

Here we go, y’all. Time to rock and roll. Everybody comment, and we’ll have a good time …

As long as the Vols are winning.

Zeke Knight: We’re with you buddy, get well soon

Sometime Monday, Alabama starting LB Ezekial Knight was released from DCH medical center.  Nothing has been confirmed on why he was there, but some accounts say that he was running with some team members and passed out.  Per Alabama policy, medical information for Alabama players is not released until the family of that student-athlete has made a statement.  If you recall, Knight missed the vast majority of the 2006 season with a heart condition that required surgery.  Please keep Ezekial in your thoughts and prayers.  We’re pulling for you buddy, no matter what is going on.  At this point, football is meaningless.  All we ask is you get well soon!

A Houndstooth Horror

Quick note to Bruce Pearl and the Vols basketball team before tonight’s 8 p.m. (Central time, baby!!) showdown with Alabama:

If D.J. Hall is in the stands, it’s fine NOT to guard him. He can’t hurt us from his student section seat. If a Tide basketball player throws to him, he WILL catch it, but he’d be ruled out of bounds, therefore being ruled a turnover.

I repeat: DO NOT GUARD D.J. HALL!!

(I’m staring at you, Phillip… This is my hate look … Anyway, on to basketball)

Remember my post last week that Rupp is still Rupp? Well, Coleman is still Coleman, too. And if Vols fans thought UT’s struggles in Lexington were bad, try this one on for size. Tennessee has lost four straight in Coleman Coliseum and 16 of 17. That’s right, 16 of 17. I’m embarrassed to type that.

Bruce Pearl is even 0-1, too. But, thankfully, none of these guys are around anymore:

I mean, you gotta feel like you’ve got a chance with Pearl in your corner and Mark Gottfried in theirs, right? Right?

Well, to me, this game is a lose-lose situation for the Vols. Even with Alabama’s rejuvenated 97-77 win over Auburn on Saturday when Scenario Hillman provided one of the most electrifying dunks of the season, most Bammer fans don’t think they’ve got a chance in this one.

If UT wins, oh well, the Vols were supposed to. If UT loses, all heck will break lose from the masses of Crimson Crazies talking about how they own us in football AND basketball. It’s a scary thought, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

I mentioned in that UK article — or at least, I meant to — that there is a bigger home-court advantage in SEC basketball than home-field advantage in SEC football. I truly believe that. Playing in front of your fans for 40 minutes is a great equalizer, and it’s not like UA has no talent.

Richard Hendrix is a freak of nature, averaging 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Mykal Riley shoots 42.6 percent from 3-point range, and Brandon Hollinger looked fantastic when Gottfried inserted him for freshman pogo stick Rico Pickett on Saturday. Hollinger is shooting 46.2 percent from 3-point range and was 6-of-9 from beyond the arc against Auburn. Scenario Hillman has the greatest college basketball name since Majestic Mapp and God Shamgod.

And this game is a matchup nightmare inside for the Vols, too. Bama is big, and we get outrebounded every single game.

Now, that said, I do believe UT has a distinct advantage on the perimeter, and if we win (and I think we will) this is where it will have to come from. Bama shoots well from beyond the arc, or at least it has lately. Well, the Vols’ opponents are averaging just 28.2 percent from 3-point range this year.

The Tide doesn’t have experienced guards, and UT leads the conference, forcing 20.4 turnovers per game.

Also, Chris Lofton scored 27 points against Georgia on Saturday, and, more importantly, he is 16-of-33 from beyond the arc during the past three games. Somebody must have whispered to him that he still has a pair.

Psst, Chris…

Tyler Smith has been somewhat inconsistent lately, and that has killed the Vols, who’ve grown to depend on the sophomore. Duke Crews and Wayne Chism did an excellent job on Hendrix last year in Knoxville, and I think if they can contain him again, we’ll pull this win out.

If not, I may not even show up around these parts tomorrow.

Alabama hosts UT tonight. 3SIB hosts…you

Quick question:  When UT plays Arkansas, is that like putting Pearl before swine?  Stop.  I already know what you are thinking:  “Bible humor is both hilarious and fresh.  Awesome.”  You’re welcome.

Tonight, the previously assumed dead Crimson Tide will host the top 10 ranked Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum.  When Alabama was winless in conference play, they managed to sell out the game against an equally bad Auburn team.  Now with a dominant win against a rival hopefully providing momentum for the Tide heading into tonight, it could get exciting in the Plaid Palace (I know it isn’t called that anymore, but it should be).

Unfortunately, most of your contributors here are old, married, or some morbid combination of the two.  We prefer for our excitement to be delivered to us via TV on the comforts of our couches.  So, check back during the game here, where we will use this post as an open thread for our comments on the game, your comments on the game, and possibly more Bible jokes.   Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?

Willie Bohannon, Prentiss Waggner are ALL VOL

I’ll be the first to admit this year hasn’t been — nor will be — near the best when it comes to Tennessee recruiting, but the Vols picked up a commitment tonight from a guy they have targeted for a while. They also got a public commitment from a guy who’s been a silent pledge for a while.

Willie Bohannon — a 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end from Mobile who had offers from Kentucky, Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn — backed out on his commitment to UK and pledged to be a Vol. For a team sorely lacking in defensive linemen in this class, Bohannon is a huge pick-up. He’s a three-star player, but his size and 4.7 speed put him firmly on the radar of several SEC schools.

Three-star Clinton, La., cornerback Prentiss Waggner has been a Vols silent commitment for a while, but he canceled a visit last weekend to Nebraska and finally went public with his Big Orange commitment tonight. He chose UT over offers from Florida, Auburn, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech. He is rated as the No. 7 cornerback in the country by ESPN’s Tom Lemming, but he’s not as highly rated in Rivals and Scout.

I don’t know if Nick Saban told Bohannon to look elsewhere as some of you have privately suggested or not. Personally, I don’t care. Is it rewarding that UT finally picked up a commitment worthy of an offer from The Almighty Saban? Sure, it is. Do I really care? No. I don’t know anything about this guy, just like the rest of us really know nothing about any of these kids.

Capstone King may gush all day about Jerrell Harris being a freak or Julio Jones being a stud, but do we really know? We don’t. Do those guys probably have a bigger upside than most three-stars? I’m sure there’s a reason why they’re higher rated. But what it boils down to, to me, is UT has a nice start on a nice finish.

That’s all I care about. If we’re comparing classes, the Vols’ appears inferior to Alabama’s, but after last year, we just need some quality players. This class is shaping up nicely — with the exception of a couple quality DTs. With the junior college guys we’ll have coming in next year — i.e. Rae Sykes and Cory Hall — it’s not the end of the world. But a top-notch DT would be the only thing holding this back from being a very commendable class, IMO.

It still may be.

We’re not going to land any five-stars outside of possibly RB Enrique Davis, but I’m not holding my breath on that one. Per the Rivals.com ticker, Davis says Oregon’s facilities are No. 1. It must be all that Nike money at its best. I thought, “Oregon??” but then I saw this Dennis Dixon-hosted tour of a UO facility. HOLY SMOKES!!

(More Vols recruiting after the jump… change your undies …) 

OC Update!!!!11

Big news, people. Huge. If this turns out to be true, then Saban is indeed a genius. N1UA, the Alabama athletic department’s private jet, is in route back to Tuscaloosa from Scranton. This can only mean one thing.

Say hello to the Crimson Tide’s new offensive coordinator……