Entries Tagged 'SEC' ↓

The SEC named Kentuckian Chris Lofton as one of two winners of its new sportsmanship award.

Of course, Lofton grew up in Maysville, Ky., and became a basketball star at the University of Tennessee. This past season he became the SEC’s career leader in three-point baskets.

Here’s the news release from the SEC:

University of Tennessee basketball player Chris Lofton and University of Florida golfer Jessica Yadloczky have been named recipients of the inaugural SEC Sportsmanship Award, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Tuesday.  The winners will be forwarded for nomination to the NCAA for its national sportsmanship awards, to be announced in July.

            The two were chosen by a vote of the SEC Directors of Athletics.

            “Sportsmanship is one of the core values of athletics,” said Slive.  “Student-athletes can learn life’s lessons by participating in sports in a manner that classroom teaching cannot accomplish.  Sportsmanship is one of those lessons.  I congratulate Chris and Jessica for championing the cause of sportsmanship this year and earning this prestigious honor.”

Lofton, a senior from Maysville, Ky., played the entire 2007-08 basketball season with cancer without letting anyone know, even teammates.  The disease was detected after the Vols’ NCAA Tournament game against Long Beach State on March 16, 2007.  He underwent treatments in April and May of 2007.

Lofton went through the ordeal – surgery, radiation, recovery and all of the emotional distresses that go along with it – without very few people knowing about it.  He made no excuses whenever he was feeling down or had a sub-par performance on the playing floor. 

During his senior season, Lofton helped lead the Vols to a 31-5 record, the SEC title and a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 berth.  He led Vols in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, while playing 30 minutes per game.  His numbers were below his junior season efforts, when he was named the SEC Player of the Year, averaging 20.8 points per game.  But, he made his final college campaign about the “team” rather than himself, by taking the focus off of himself.

Today, Lofton is cancer free and his message to fellow cancer survivors is, “You can beat it.” 

Yadloczky, a freshman from Casselberry, Fla., finished fifth in the SEC with her season average of 74.00 strokes per round.  She helped lead the Gators to the SEC title and a ninth place finish in the NCAA Golf Championships this season.

Her best outing was a tie for second at the Northrup/Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif., where on the last green; she made a decision for sportsmanship.  During the second round, Yadloczky realized that her ball had moved after she addressed it.  The freshman did not know that she needed to replace the ball to avoid further penalty and then putted out. 

Immediately after the round, Yadloczky explained the situation to her coach, but because she had not replaced the ball before she putted out, the penalty became two strokes.  She ended up finishing second in the tournament by just one stroke.

Because of her sportsmanship, she has brought honor to herself, to her school and to her sport. 

Other male nominees for the 2008 SEC Sportsmanship Award were:  Ben Tschepikow, baseball, Arkansas; Jay Moseley, golf, Auburn; James Smith, football, Florida; Jacob Tamme, football, Kentucky; and the University of South Carolina baseball team.

Other female nominees for the 2008 SEC Sportsmanship Award were:  Alison Harter, soccer, Arkansas; Adrienne Mills, gymnastics, Auburn; and Sara Pollock, soccer, LSU.

The SEC concluded its Spring Meeting in Destin, Fla., on Friday by announcing that it would divide a record amount of money (more than $127 million) among member schools.

Here’s the league news release:

The Southeastern Conference will distribute approximately $127.2 million to the 12 league institutions in the revenue sharing plan for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31, 2008, according to league commissioner Mike Slive.
The $127.2 million is the highest total ever distributed in SEC history and represents a 4.3 percent increase from the $122.0 million distributed to the schools in 2006-2007.
The revenue sharing plans include money generated by football television, bowls, the SEC Football Championship, basketball television, the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament and NCAA Championships.
Broken down by categories and rounded off, the $127.2 million was derived from $50.6 million from football television, $25.3 million from bowls, $13.7 million from the SEC Football Championship, $13.0 million from basketball television, $2.8 million from the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament and $21.8 million from NCAA Championships.
The average amount distributed to each school was $10.6 million.
Not included in the $127.2 million was $11.6 million retained by the institutions participating in bowls and $720,000 divided among all 12 institutions by the NCAA for academic enhancement.
Other yearly money distributions, since 1980, are as follows:  1980 ($4.1 million); 1981 ($5.57 million); 1982 ($7.24 million); 1983 ($9.53 million); 1984 ($18.4 million); 1985 ($9.34 million); 1986 ($13.1 million); 1987 ($13.56 million); 1988 ($14.34 million); 1989 ($13.85 million); 1990 ($16.3 million); 1991 ($20.6 million); 1992 ($27.7 million); 1993 ($34.34 million); 1994 ($34.36 million); 1995 ($40.3 million); 1996 ($45.5 million); 1997 ($58.9 million); 1998 ($61.2 million); 1999 ($68.5 million); 2000 ($73.2 million); 2001 ($78.1 million); 2002 ($95.7 million); 2003 ($101.9 million); 2004 ($108.8 million); 2005 ($110.7 million); 2006 ($116.1 million); 2007 ($122.0 million) and 2008 ($127.2 million).

Forward Tyler Smith considered entering this year’s NBA draft. But he announced on Thursday that he would return to Tennessee for another season.

Here’s the start of a report by The Associated Press:

The 21-year-old, 6-7 sophomore from Pulaski said his college experience has been “everything it is supposed to be” and that he’s wanted to play in the NBA “for as long as I can remember.”
<*J>But after weighing his options with his mom and coach Bruce Pearl, he’d made up his mind.
<*J>“I have come to the conclusion that I want to be a Volunteer next year,” he said Thursday, just seconds into a news conference on his future.
<*J>Smith, who averaged 13.5 points a game and led the 31-win Volunteers in rebounds and assists last season, is coming back for his junior year.
<*J>With at least 38 underclassmen declaring for the NBA draft in June, remaining in school rather than leaving may be bigger news. It certainly is for Pearl, who said, “I believe with all my heart he made the right decision.”

Among Southeastern Conference basketball teams, only Alabama placed more players on the league’s 2007-08 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll than Kentucky.

Kentucky had five players make the Honor Roll: Mark Coury, Derrick Jasper, Mark Krebs, Jodie Meeks and Dwight Perry.

Alabama led the league in men’s basketball with the six. Tennessee tied Kentucky with five. Florida had three. Vanderbilt, Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas had two. And Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and LSU had one.

With former UK player Travis Ford taking himself out of the running for the LSU job, who does LSU turn to in its search for a coach?

Four coaches appear in the running:

– Butch Pierre, who took over as interim coach when LSU fired John Brady in early February. Pierre turned heads by leading LSU to a victory over Florida, and then won four straight against Ole Miss, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama).

– Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy. Kennedy breathed new life into the Ole Miss program. He’s won more than 20 games in each of his two seasons in Oxford. That’s happened only a few times in school history (1937 and 1938; 1997 and 1998 and 1999; 2001 and 2002).

– Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey. He’s been rumored as a candidate for jobs for several years.

– Southern Illinois Coach Chris Lowery. He’s young, African-American and, by all accounts, dynamic. That would fit the bill of a coach who can excite fans, which former LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman set as a quality he saw as a necessity.

Alabama guard Ronald Steele announced on Tuesday that he will enter his name in the 2008 NBA draft. He will not hire an agent so he can keep open the option of playing for Alabama next season.

Steele was one of the Southeastern Conference’s best guards. However, a series of injuries hobbled him in 2006-07 and forced him to sit out last season as a medical redshirt.

Here’s the news release from Alabama:

Alabama point guard Ronald Steele officially announced on Tuesday that he will explore his options by submitting his name into the 2008 NBA Draft, though he has no plans to hire an agent and is leaving the option open to return to the Alabama team.

“I want to thank all of you for your attendance today, and I especially want to thank Coach (Mark) Gottfried and his staff for the support and guidance of my career,” the redshirt senior from Birmingham said in a prepared statement to media gathered in Coleman Coliseum. “Today I am formally announcing my intention to enter the 2008 NBA Draft. I will not hire an agent or do anything to jeopardize my eligibility here at Alabama. Every underclassman has one chance to explore an NBA Draft without risking their NCAA eligibility. This is my time to do so.

“This decision may come as a surprise to some,” continued Steele who had his coach, Mark Gottfried sitting by his side in the front of the room. “While I did not participate in any games this year, I did practice fully with the team. Since January I have felt as good physically as at any time during my career. I also believe my basketball skill has never been better. It is my hope that the NBA will invite me to the NBA Pre-Draft camp. If they do, I plan to attend and use it to show NBA staff that I am a healthier, better playing than I have ever been. After attending the camp, I will sit down with my parents and Alabama coaches and review the information from the NBA teams. Again, to be clear, I intend to keep all my options open, including playing at the University of Alabama next season. I support the coaching staff and know that they are supporting me through the process.”

Tide head coach Mark Gottfried says he supports his point guard in his decision and his ability to make smart choices now and later in the process.

“I’m going to support him 100 percent. He knows that,” said Gottfried of Steele’s decision. “I think what you have to remember in Ron’s situation, that he’s had a difficult year-and-a-half. It’s been hard for him. And right now he feels great. I’ve talked to people in the NBA about how well he practiced and physically as he got in condition and there was no issue at all with his knees, he started looking great. So he feels good right now. I support him. I’ve visited with his family. I think that Ron and his family will go about this as well as you can. He’s got a great support system with his mother and father, and we’ll just learn in the future here in the next few weeks exactly those steps that can happen.”

The SEC announced on Tuesday it’s plan for paying refunds for unused SEC Tournament tickets.

Basically, a fan can get a refund if the ticket was bought at the SEC office, from a SEC member school or the Georgia Dome.

Here are the addresses to mail unused tickets and a letter asking for a refund:

Alabama Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

201 Coliseum Drive

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Arkansas Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

1295 S. Razorback Road, Suite B

Fayetteville, AR 72701-7870

Auburn Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 351

Auburn, AL 36831-0351

Florida Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 14485

Gainesville, FL 32611

Georgia Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 1472

Athens, GA 30603-1472

Kentucky Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

A113 Joe Craft Center

338 Lexington Avenue

Lexington, KY 40506-0604

LSU Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 25095

Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5095

Ole Miss Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 247

University, MS 38677

Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 5327

Mississippi State, MS 39762

South Carolina Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

Colonial Center

801 Lincoln Street

Columbia, SC 29208

Tennessee Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 47

Knoxville, TN 37901-0047

Vanderbilt Athletic Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 129001

Nashville, TN 37212

SEC Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

PO Box 661574

Birmingham, AL 35266

Georgia Dome Ticket Office

Attn: SEC Ticket Refund

One Georgia Dome Drive

Atlanta, GA 30313-1591

Fans may learn by the end of the week how they can get refunds on SEC Tournament tickets.

SEC Associate Commissioner Charles Bloom said the league was working on a refund plan, and it could be announced by Friday.

Of course, the tornado that hit Atlanta forced the SEC to move its tournament from the Georgia Dome to Georgia Tech. The move forced the league — in the spirit of fairness — to restrict attendance to family, friends and select insiders.

Because the tornado hit on Friday night, Kentucky fans did not get to see their favorite team play.

Kentucky did not place a player on the all-Southeastern Conference team, which The Associated Press announced on Monday. The team is voted upon by a media panel (which did not include me).

Ramel Bradley and Patrick Patterson all made the second team. Joe Crawford made the Honorable Mention list.

Bruce Pearl of Tennessee was the Coach of the Year. Nick Calathes of Florida was the Newcomer of the year.

Here’s the teams:

FIRST TEAM
u-Shan Foster, Vanderbilt, F, 6-6, Sr.
u-Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State, G-F, 6-4, Jr.
Richard Hendrix, Alabama, F, 6-8, Jr.
Chris Lofton, Tennessee, G, 6-2, Sr.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee, F, 6-7, So.
Devan Downey, South Carolina, G, 5-9, So.<
SECOND TEAM
Charles Rhodes, Mississippi State, F, 6-8, Sr.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, F, 6-9, Fr.
Ramel Bradley, Kentucky, G, 6-2, Sr.
Marcus Thornton, LSU, G, 6-4, Jr.
Nick Calathes, Florida, G-F, 6-6, Fr.
Sonny Weems, Arkansas, F, 6-6, Sr.
Dwayne Curtis, Mississippi, C, 6-8, Sr.<
HONORABLE MENTION=
Joe Crawford, Kentucky, G, 6-5, Sr.; Sundiata Gaines, Georgia, G, 6-1, Sr.; A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, C, 6-10, Fr.; Anthony Randolph, LSU, F, 6-10, Fr.; JaJuan Smith, Tennessee, G, 6-2, Sr.; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State, C, 6-9, So.<
PLAYER OF THE YEAR _ Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
COACH OF THE YEAR _ Bruce Pearl, Tennessee

The SEC has not figured out how to refund ticket holders to the league tournament. But SEC officials are working on it.

Here’s a note I received from the SEC office Monday morning:

REFUNDS FOR SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

 ATLANTA, Ga.—The Southeastern Conference and its 12 member institutions are currently working on a refund process for the 2008 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.  Fans will be informed through www.SECsports.com as well as the official internet sites of the 12 SEC member institutions as information comes available.

The SEC advises fans to retain any unused tickets for the 2008 tournament