I want to start the blog today by saying congrats to the baseball team for a series win over 9th ranked LSU. The Bama game at Coolray doesn't count as a conference game so now the Diamond Dogs sit at 3-3 in conference play, 11-13 overall. The team started off the weekend with a loss on Friday night, but then rebounded yesterday to sweep a DH. Granted, LSU has struggled lately but they are a quality opponent and let's not kid ourselves, this team has not played well at home thus far during the season, losing two series to Baylor and FSU, along with getting pounded by GT. You can read more about the series below.
http://dogbytesonline.com/bulldogs-dominate-twinbill-to-win-series-43977/
Next up is a game at Clemson tomorrow night. The next SEC series is at home against Miss State, followed by a series in Oxford against Ole Miss. IF the team can step up and win those two series, this team can turn things around. And, to be quite honest, the starting pitching continues to get better and better, if the bats can heat up and start producing, also if the defense can avoid the extra outs, I truly do have hope that this team can make the SEC tourney later this season. Make that tourney and your odds of making the NCAA are much greater as our conference is known for getting a lot of teams in the tourney-usually of the 8 teams that play in Hoover, 6-8 get in the tourney. The SEC is always well represented in the NCAA tourney and the College World Series. Let's just hope the team can continue to improve and if so, the early TOUGH schedule I think will be a big part of it and those losses will not be looked at in a negative light-much like the RPI in baseketball if you want to look at it that way.
The Lady Dogs got HAMMERED in Dallas yesterday, by Texas A&M. Good season for Coach Landers and his players but a VERY ugly performance yesterday. Still, the future looks good for a team that only loses one player, although she is a good in Porsha Phillips. I still think we have a long way to go to get to elite level in ladies college basketball but we are not that far off-a couple of elite players would push us over the top.
Ok, so if you read this blog you MIGHT have seen me blog before about kids I think might be leaving the program which would free up space for more recruits, one name I have always mentioned is Jeremy Longo. I have NOTHING against this kid at all, so please don't read that into my comments, but certainly when a young kid has been in your program for 3-4 years and not contributed anything, you begin to wonder what the story is and he becomes someone you speculate could leave-add to that a kid from out of state, and that is what I usually look at when I try to predict some "attrition". In the case of Longo, he has knee injuries that basically shut him down. Best wishes to this kid.
http://dawg-extra.blogspot.com/2011/03/defensive-personnel-note.html
Also reading that Tavarres King has moved to flanker, the spot AJ Green played so well during his career in Athens. Essentially it means TKing is the #1 receiver and will be expected to step up and be the big play guy this year. I think he is up to it, he played well last year, he runs great routes, he is very fast, he catches the football and he is also a good blocker. Marlon Brown will most likely start at split end and I think he will also step up. As great as AJ was, sometimes the guys behind you just need a chance to get the ball, AJ was so good, it was easy for other guys to just be lost in the shadows. I think we are going to be fine at the WR position without AJ, and of course I have a lot of high hopes for our TE position, and also think our new OL, those guys are mamoth and I believe will do great things-Sturdivant, Gates, Jones, Anderson, Glenn-that is a great group there folks. You get a good running game going, with a very accurate and mobil QB, WR's that can make plays and great weapons at the TE, you have the makings a very diverse and polished offense-IF Bobo will utilize his weapons that is. Now, the D, to me is still a work in progress but you have to think year 2 in this system, should be improved. We have a lot of guys returning on the D, including a couple guys on the DL, 3 guys in the secondary, a couple really talented LB's waiting to step up for us. If Grantham can put the right pieces on the field and we can do a better job on 3rd down defense, I have high hopes. 3rd down defense is just such a big problem for us the last few years, 3rd and long especially has really killed us. We must improve on that and that helps our offense/field position and keeps the defense more rested as well.
Well, I predicted one of the final 4, in predicting UConn. I am very surprised at Kentucky, beating #1 and then #2, teams that had more depth certainly and experience, great job by those guys-course the one senior for the Cats, Josh Harrelson has been HUGE in the tourney-he has played above and beyond anything I or anyone could have expected. I really thought UF would beat Butler but those guys just find a way to win close games. VCU, well, what a story there winning the extra game, they really beat up Kansas. So, with Butler playing VCU, one of the cindrellas will be making the title game, against one of the big boys in college hoops. I think Butler will beat VCU personally, and also like Kentucky to beat UConn-just because I think Kentucky is playing so well and I like them to stop Walker enough to win-hey, you don't beat #1 and #2 seeds.
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