Posted on Sun, Mar. 16, 2008

NOTEBOOK

Post-season alphabet soup

TEAMS WHO MISS NCAAS MIGHT HAVE TO DECIDE BETWEEN NIT AND CBI

By Jerry Tipton

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Jerry Tipton

After Auburn lost in Thursday's first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Coach Jeff Lebo entered the brave new world of post-season play.

The Tigers (14-16) pondered how to answer should a call come from the new College Basketball Invitational. The CBI will compete with the NCAA-sponsored National Invitation Tournament for leftovers after the NCAA Tournament makes its picks.

Lebo noted a possible quandary: Play on the road at, say, South Alabama in the NIT? Or play a home game in the CBI? And then there's SEC icon C.M. Newton, who heads the NIT.

When asked if Auburn would agree to play in the CBI, Lebo said, "Would we? Yes, we'd go. Why wouldn't we?"

The CBI format is 16 teams with an interesting twist: the finals are a best two of three.

"Here's my question," Lebo said. "Say the teams are Washington and St. John's in the finals. Are you going to cross the country (twice) in the finals?"

Best facilities

The Gainesville Sun also asked its panel to rate the SEC arenas as facilities. Here's the results:

1. Arkansas, 2. Tennessee, 3. Kentucky; 4. South Carolina; 5. Florida; 6. Vanderbilt; 7. Mississippi State; 8. Alabama; 9. Louisiana St.; 10. Georgia; 11. Mississippi; 12. Auburn.

The voters also ranked the arenas in terms of home-court advantage. The results:

1. Florida; 2. Kentucky (only a four-point difference); 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Arkansas; 5. Tennessee; 6. Mississippi State; 7. Ole Miss; 8. Alabama; 9. South Carolina; 10. LSU; 11. Georgia; 12. Auburn.

Wayne Turner

The news of his 1998 championship ring being an item for sale on eBay came as unwelcome surprise to former UK standout Wayne Turner.

"He was shocked and saddened," said Sean Alteri, a friend and former UK manager during the time Turner played. "He couldn't believe it."

As Alteri explained it, Turner lost the ring during a move in 2004. When it turned up on the Internet auction site recently, he began making efforts to get it back.

Turner, who has played professionally in Italy, Belgium, Australia, Turkey and New Zealand, hopes to get into college coaching. He also has set a goal of someday having his jersey retired in Rupp Arena.

Meanwhile, Turner will be in Frankfort next Saturday. To mark the 10th anniversary of UK's comeback victory over Duke in the 1998 region finals, he will watch a replay of the game in The Brick Alley (325 St. Clair Mall). Former teammates are expected to attend. Admission is $10.

'Roy Williams???'

Sportswriter Rick Scoppe of the Greenville News shared something he saw on the Web site Gamecock Central. A message board entry speculated on South Carolina's next coach:

"Do you think we might be able to hire Roy Williams??? I know some of you might think it's a longshot, but just remember we have a big UNC connection with our hires of Frank McGuire and Eddie Fogler.

"The more I think about it the more I think we ought to try to do it."

Book note

Sportswriter Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News is the poet laureate of the SEC press corps. He always brings a book to read during timeouts.

This year he's reading Imperial Life in the Emerald City, by Rajiv Chandrasekaram. It's a look at life in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

"I'm not finished yet, but I'll predict it won't have a happy ending," Hurt quipped.

Ouch!

Syndicated columnist Norman Chad ends each week's column with a question-and-answer session with readers. Last week's included this exchange:

Reader: Would it be accurate to say a sportswriter is someone neither good enough at sports to be a professional athlete nor good enough at writing to be a professional journalist?

Chad: Thanks for the mid-winter pick-me-up.

Second opinion

To defend sportswriters, we call Rich Karlgaard, the publisher of Forbes. In a recent column, Karlgaard wrote:

"Want to know the truth about business journalists? Most of us are failed sportswriters. ... Think about what it takes to be a first-rate business journalist. One must be facile with numbers and financial statements and have the confidence to talk to CEOs, high-level executives, board members, analysts and so forth. One must delve deeply into the industry one writes about: what is the competitive landscape, what are the technological disruptions on the road ahead? It is also critical that one have a coherent global economic view to be able to put a story into context. And one must be a good storyteller."

Comment: Ahh, I feel better now.

'Best wishes'

Florida Coach Billy Donovan continues to correspond with the parents of Patrick Patterson. Before you suspect anything sneaky, consider that it might just be civility. Maybe Donovan is just a nice guy. Imagine that.

Patterson's mother, Tywanna, shared a text message Donovan sent her on Jan. 20.

"I am proud of the way Patrick is playing. He's having a great year. Think of you guys often. Best wishes from the Gators. Hope you are well."

Decisions, decisions

While having breakfast at the CNN Center on Thursday morning, sportswriter Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette overheard a UK fan ask his companions a question:

"Are we going to watch TV or drink beer?"

No comeback

Retired referee Don Rutledge now works as an assistant to Gerald Boudreaux, the SEC's coordinator of officials. When asked if he missed being in the action, he shook his head and noted how he remembered leaving the floor for the last time:

Auburn versus South Carolina. Overtime semifinal game in the 2000 SEC Tournament. As he walked off the court for the last time, Rutledge had his son take a picture to mark the occasion. He had always planned to retire before age 60. He was 59.

Rutledge re-married four years ago and lives near Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Country Club in Florida.

Roasting Keightley

What: Mr. Wildcat Bill Keightley Roast and Toast

When: April 25th (6:30 reception, 7:00 dinner)

Where: Colonial Ball Room of the Crowne Plaza on Harrodsburg Road

How much: $75

Proceeds go to the Happy Chandler Scholarship Foundation.

Cathy Lerza of the Foundation wrote in an e-mail that she hoped for more than 500 former UK players and managers to participate. She was also looking for more stories and anecdotes.

Anyone with a story to share can call it in to 859-278-5550, or e-mail it to info@kyfutureleaders.org, or fax 859-276-2090. The same contact information can be used for RSVPs to attend -- reservations are needed in advance.

The Happy Chandler Scholarship program gives scholarships to Kentucky students to attend Kentucky colleges.

Unhappy birthday

To Andy Kennedy. He turned 40 on Thursday, the same day his Ole Miss team lost an overtime thriller to Georgia.

"A tremendous game," he said before adding, "I wish I could have enjoyed it."

The 97-95 loss "devastated" the Rebels, who came to the SEC Tournament believing they had to win one or more games to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.

When asked how the loss to Georgia affected Ole Miss's chances for a bid, Kennedy said, "I think you know the answer to that. I think we all know the answer to that. Realistically, I mean, I can say it, we're not going to the NCAA Tournament. You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that."

Happy birthday

To Patrick Patterson. UK's star freshman turned 19 on Friday (otherwise known as the night the tornado hit the SEC Tournament).

His parents, Buster and Tywanna, were in Atlanta to help him mark the occasion.

Jerry Tipton covers UK basketball for the Herald-Leader. This article contains his opinions and observations. He can be reached at jtipton@herald-leader.com.

SEC's top 75

To mark the 75th anniversary of SEC basketball, The Gainesville Sun asked a number of longtime writers and broadcasters to select the top 75 players. Last week, I shared my ballot. Here are the results:

1. Pete Maravich, LSU

2. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU

3. Bernard King, Tennessee

4. Dan Issel, Kentucky

5. Bob Pettit, LSU

6. Dominique Wilkins, Georgia

7. Chuck Person, Auburn

8. Chris Jackson, LSU

9. Bailey Howell, Mississippi St.

10. Charles Barkley, Auburn

11. Allan Houston, Tennessee

12. Corliss Williamson, Arkansas

13. Ernie Grunfeld, Tennessee

14. Dale Ellis, Tennessee

15. Reggie King, Alabama

16. Cliff Hagan, Kentucky

17. Leon Douglas, Alabama

18. Jeff Malone, Mississippi St.

19. Clyde Lee, Vanderbilt

20. Alex Groza, Kentucky

21. Kyle Macy, Kentucky

22. Ralph Beard, Kentucky

23. Neal Walk, Florida

24. Kenny Walker, Kentucky

25. Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky

26. Kevin Grevey, Kentucky

27. Joakim Noah, Florida

28. John Mengelt, Auburn

29. Jack Givens, Kentucky

30. Frank Ramsey, Kentucky

31. Louie Dampier, Kentucky

32. Cotton Nash, Kentucky

33. Vern Fleming, Georgia

34. John Stroud, Ole Miss

35. Durand Macklin, LSU

36. Al Horford, Florida

37. Will Perdue, Vanderbilt

38. Sam Bowie, Kentucky

39. Scotty Thurman, Arkansas

40. Vernon Maxwell, Florida

41. Johnny Neumann, Ole Miss

42. Tony Delk, Kentucky

43. Glen Davis, LSU

44. Wendell Hudson, Alabama

45. Chris Lofton, Tennessee

46. Wes Person, Auburn

47. Erick Dampier, Mississippi St.

48. Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky

49. Reggie Johnson, Tennessee

50. Donnie Kessinger, Ole Miss

51. Derrick McKey, Alabama

52. Pat Riley, Kentucky

53. Bob Lienhard, Georgia

54. Ron Mercer, Kentucky

55. Jan van Breda Kolff, Vanderbilt

56. Todd Day, Arkansas

57. Corey Brewer, Florida

58. Udonis Haslem, Florida

59. Tony White, Tennessee

60. Rick Robey, Kentucky

61. Roger Kaiser, Georgia Tech

62. Robert Horry, Alabama

63. Gerald Glass, Ole Miss

64. Mike Miller, Florida

65. Antonio McDyess, Alabama

66. Eddie Johnson, Auburn

67. Rex Chapman, Kentucky

68. Antoine Walker, Kentucky

69. Stromile Swift, LSU

70. Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi St.

71. Willie Anderson, Georgia

72. Tom Boerwinkle, Tennessee

73. B.J. McKie, South Carolina

74. Carlos Clark, Ole Miss

75. Joe Dean, LSU

Honorable mention (named on two or more ballots): Ennis Whatley, Alabama; Latrell Sprewell, Alabama; Jarvis Hayes, Georgia; Ronnie Williams, Florida; Mike Mitchell, Auburn; Billy McCaffery, Vanderbilt; Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas; Rickey Brown, Mississippi St.; Charles Cleveland, Alabama; Litterial Green, Georgia; Dan Cross, Florida; Ron Widby, Tennessee, Tyrone Nix, Tennessee; Ansu Sesay, Mississippi; Mario Austin, Mississippi State; Matt Frieje, Vanderbilt, T.R. Dunn, Alabama. Voters: Pat Forde of ESPN.com, Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., Bill Koss of Sun Sports, Rick Cleveland of the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, John Adams of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Scott Rabalais of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, Tim Brando of CBS Sports, Alabama radio personality Paul Finebaum, Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun and myself.