Tennessee’s basketball team made strides this season winning 24 games and reaching the Sweet 16. The shooting percentages against Ohio State told the story. In the first half, Tennessee shot 56% and only 38% in the second. Ohio State hit 48% of their first half shots compared to a sizzling 58% in the second half. Senior Dane Bradshaw played his final game in a Vol uniform collecting five points and four rebounds. Tennessee’s biggest frustration was even though they successfully neutralized Ohio State center Greg Oden they still lost the game. Tennessee also hurt itself from the free throw line hitting only 8 of 17. After the frustration subsides in Knoxville, Coach Bruce Pearl and his team will realize that everyone returns except Bradshaw. The Vols could be the favorite to win the SEC next season.

Vanderbilt’s 22 wins tied them for the fifth best season in their history. The 1993 team went 28-6. Vandy also had a school record 578 assists. The Commodores started the season with a loss to Georgetown and ended the season with the same. Vanderbilt was disappointed that they couldn’t win the game after Hoya center Roy Hibbert fouled out. Vandy’s loss meant the end of the careers of seniors Derrick Byars, Dan Cage and Ted Skuchas. The Commodores won 10 games in the SEC for only the second time since the league was expanded in 1992. Vandy had six wins over top 25 foes. Shan Foster, the second leading scorer, and starters Alex Gordon and Ross Neltner return next season.

Where does Kentucky go for their head coach after Tubby Smith went to an appreciative Minnesota? The most mentioned candidates are Billy Donovan of Florida, John Calipari of Memphis, Tom Creane of Marquette, Billy Gillispie of Texas A & M, Mark Few of Gonzaga and Jay Wright of Villanova. Wildcat athletic director Mitch Barnhat has to at least ask Donovan, but the guess here is that he will end up with Calipari, Gillispie or Wright. Whoever gets the job will have the task of rebuilding the front court that returns only two scholarship players after the departures of Bobby Perry, Sheray Thomas, Lukasz Obrzut and Randolph Morris.

Arkansas is still looking for a coach after firing Stan Heath. Texas A & M coach Billy Gillispie appeared to be the leading candidate until he decided to stay.

SPRING FOOTBALL SEC/ACC

Tennessee has its spring game this Saturday. The Vols offense struggled in last Saturday’s scrimmage. Shortly after it was over, the quarterbacks and receivers were running stadium steps because of their lack of intensity. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton (15 -of -30 for 141 yards and one pick) and Nick Stevens (14- of- 27 for 114 yards and three picks) threw a combined four picks. The running game averaged only 3.5 yards per carry. Senior defensive back Jarod Parrish intercepted three of the passes. The receivers had several dropped passes. It was the first major scrimmage without quarterback Erik Ainge, who is out recovering from meniscus surgery. The offensive line had to double team defensive lineman Xavier Mitchell several times. Center Josh McNeil returned to action after recovering from an injury and being suspended for underage consumption of alcohol. Kicker Daniel Lincoln continues to kick well this spring.

Vol coach Phil Fulmer said after reviewing the film from Saturday’s scrimmage, that Crompton had done better than he realized. He went on to say that Crompton had the coaching staff’s complete confidence. Fulmer also said sophomore Quinton Hancock, who caught five passes for 75 yards, has been consistently the best receiver during the spring. Defensive tackles J T Mapu, Demonte Bolden and Dan Williams and ends Xavier Mitchell and Antonio Reynolds have had good spring. Redshirt freshman kicker Daniel Lincoln has been impressive, but not enough to beat out Britton Colquitt.

South Carolina scrimmaged for the first time last Saturday in front of 3,000 fans. Second team defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye, a mid-term enrollee from Hargrave Military Academy, led the Gamecocks defense with two of its six sacks and held the running game to zero yards on 28 attempts. Tailback Cory Boyd didn’t play due to a hamstring injury. Quarterback Blake Mitchell still holds the starting job, but Tommy Beecher might have edged past Chris Smelly for the backup position. Tight end Nick Prochak continues to draw praise from Coach Steve Spurrier. Tailbacks Taylor Rank and Bobby Wallace are getting plenty of reps without Cory Boyd, out with a hamstring and Mike Davis, out for the spring after having his knee scoped. Incoming freshmen Brian Maddox and Eric Baker, from Jacksonville will get long looks in the summer.

In Wednesday’s scrimmage, the Gamecock defense again dominated. Smelley played a bit better according to Spurrier. Receiver Mike West was the biggest offensive star carrying twice for 55 yards. Offensive lineman Justin Sorensen, who required 44 stitches after being hit with a bottle, returned to practice. Ajiboye played with the first team defense.

Ole Miss had a scrimmage last Friday that was dominated by the defense. Coach Ed Orgeron praised defensive coordinator John Thompson and his staff. Orgeron has had high praise for sophomore defensive tackle Marcus Tillman during the spring. He is also pleased with the progress of tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Orgeron said it was important for the offense that returns nine starters to find an identity. The coaches are keeping the quarterback battle quiet. It appears that Seth Adams and Brent Schaeffer are ahead of Cliff Davis and Michael Herrick.

The Rebels had practice No. 10 on Wednesday. Free safety Kendrick Lewis and defensive back Dustin Mouzan drew praise from Orgeron. They have a full scrimmage on Saturday.

Mississippi State had its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday. Coach Sly Croom made special teams a priority during the scrimmage. Kicker Adam Carlson made most of his field goals, but Blake Adams and the punt team struggled. Sophomore tailback Anthony Dixon and backup quarterback Josh Riddell played well. Riddell was 7- of- 10 passing for 86 yards and a score guiding the second team offense against the backup defense. Tailback Christian Ducre also ran 19 times for 100 yards and four scores, but he was criticized for two fumbles.

LSU Coach Les Miles was pleased with the effort of quarterback Matt Flynn (11- of- 22 for 135 yards and one score), who led the Purple team and Ryan Perrilloux (8- of- 23 for 155 yards and one score) who led the White team in last Saturday’s spring game. Both quarterbacks were sacked a total of five times. Redshirt freshman tailback Richard Murphy led all rushers with 85 yards on 11 carries. Tailback Keiland Williams ran eight times for 46 yards. Alley Broussard had 32 yards on eight carries. Linebacker Darry Beckwith led the White team with seven tackles. Safety Harry Coleman led the Purple team with 6.5 tackles. The offensive player of the spring was Flynn and the defensive player was Tyler Jackson.

A total of 15,000 fans came out for the spring game. Also in the spring game, the offense utilized either the Pro-I or the spread. LSU is three-deep at fullback, which helps in the I-formation. The Tigers are deeper at running back. Williams is the starter, but Murphy could take the backup job. The offensive line lacks depth. Early Doucet, who had 114 yards in returns, is the best receiver, but no other wide outs stepped up in the spring game.

Georgia’s defense dominated the first scrimmage last Saturday. Coach Mark Richt said the defense is faster than last year’s unit even though seven starters have to be replaced. Jeff Owens, Geno Atkins and Kade Weston are solid at defensive tackle. Redshirt defensive end Brandon Wood has been moved from defensive end to tackle. Jarius Wynn, who had two sacks in the scrimmage, is pushing Roderick Battle at one of the end positions. Quarterback Matthew Stafford had a touchdown pass to Mikey Henderson and backup quarterback Joe Cox hit Kenneth Harris on another scoring play. Henderson, who switched from defensive back to receiver last spring, is currently No. 1 at the flanker position.

Bulldog redshirt freshman offensive lineman Josh Davis is back from a knee injury, but freshman Tanner Strickland is in trouble with the law for possession of false identification. Richt said the punishment for Strickland will be handled internally. Offensive lineman Vince Vance, who has an injured PCL, is back at practice in non-contact work. True freshman Trinton Sturdivant has emerged ahead of redshirt freshman Josh Davis. Richt was also quick to praised linebackers Brandon Miller and Dannell Ellerbe. Georgia’s next scrimmage is Monday April 2. The Bulldogs received a verbal commitment from Brandon Boykin (5-11, 171), an athlete from Fayette County Georgia. He will likely play cornerback.

Alabama picked up two verbal commitments on Saturday. The first was Undra Billingsley (6-4, 260), a defensive end from Woodlawn High in Birmingham. Corey Smith, one of the nation’s highest ranking kicking prospects, also committed. He is from Bunker Hill, West Virginia. The Tide started spring practice last Saturday. Coach Nick Saban said the emphasis this spring was on stamina and conditioning. Saban also mentioned that receiver Tyrone Prothro would undergo a further procedure to correct the fractures in his lower left leg that he sustained in the Florida game on Oct. 1, 2005. Receiver D J Hall and quarterback John Parker Wilson were the only two players that Saban singled out after practice. Defensive end Zeke Knight was cleared to practice after having surgery for a heart murmur. Brian Motley has moved from center to the defensive line.

The Tide’s first offseason under Saban is called the “Fourth Quarter Program” with an emphasis in preparing players to be the stronger team in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Wallace Gilberry has lost nearly 15 pounds on the program. Alabama never came back when trailing in the fourth quarter during the Mike Shula era. Alabama donned the pads on Wednesday. Saban said the offensive line, quarterback John Parker Wilson and the receivers are developing. He said the defense needs to understand what he wants them to do and that special teams is a work in progress. Redshirt freshman safety Andy Davis has left the team for personal reasons. Ivan Machett (5-10, 205), a running back from St. Paul High in Mobile, Ala., has verbally committed to Alabama. Mississippi State, Colorado and Purdue have offered him. He had 1400 yards and 22 touchdowns. Machett bench presses 315 pounds and squats 525.

Auburn picked up a verbal commitment from Drew Cole (6-0, 180), a defensive back from Picayune, Miss. He had 59 tackles and 16 pass breakups his junior year. On May 17, at a Birmingham Golf Course, Coach Tommy Tuberville and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier meet in a golf challenge for charity.

Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt has decided on the punishment for defensive end Antwain Robinson who was arrested last week on misdemeanor shoplifting charges. Robinson will be penalized internally and he will be required to do some community service work. The Hogs are back at practice. Quarterbacks Casey Dick and Nathan Emert are working on their drills throwing over nets. Nutt had praise for safety Matt Hewitt.

Hog senior defensive tackle Marcus Harrison will miss the rest of spring with a torn ACL in his left knee. In addition to the torn ACL, Harrison has a bone bruise. His recovery time is estimated to be five or six months. Ben Cleveland (6-4, 248) has moved from tight end to fullback. He is backing up fullback Peyton Hillis, who has recovered from a thigh injury (calcium buildup).

Kentucky started spring practice Wednesday. The pre-spring depth chart shows suspended offensive linemen Garry Williams and Christian Johnson both holding on to their starting positions even though Coach Rich Brooks has yet to announce their status.

Steve Brown, the new coordinator after being promoted, is in charge of revitalizing the Wildcats defense. Brown wants the defense to react instead of concentrate on schemes as they did under Mike Archer. During the Rich Brooks tenure, Kentucky has allowed 197 yards rushing per game and 95 touchdowns on the ground. The defense has some promising players such as middle linebacker Micah Johnson, and linemen Jeremy Jarmon, Corey Peters and Ricky Lumpkin.

Florida worked on the return game on Monday with Mon Williams, Joe Hayden, Jarred Fayson, Brandon James and Kestahn Moore taking turns on kickoffs. Despite losing 9 starters, the defense won Saturday’s scrimmage and the first two rotations of Monday’s drills. Quarterback Cam Newton looked better. Tim Tebow was hot in 7- on- 7 drills, but struggled more in 11- on -11 activities. The quarterback-center exchanges have been problematic. Tailback Chevon Walker had some of his best runs yet in Wednesday’s practice. Linebacker Brandon Spikes continues to play well. Tebow struggled Wednesday.

FSU quarterback Xavier Lee (6- of- 10 for 93 yards) hit receiver Greg Carr for a 31-yard touchdown as one of the highlights in Saturday’s scrimmage. He also hit freshman Damon McDaniel for a 28-yard pass play. Quarterback Drew Weatherford was 4- of- 11 for 69 yards. Antone Smith (7 for 90 yards) had a 65- yard run against the second team defense. There were nine runs of eight yards or more. Assistant coach Lawrence Dawsey has put an emphasis on blocking for the receivers this spring. Receiver Preston Parker and De’Cody Fagg had big blocks that opened up runs. Sophomore cornerback Jamie Robinson is almost back from a sprained ankle that plagued him all of last season. Junior running back Jamaal Edwards scored twice in the scrimmage. The defense settled down after the first scrimmage. Defensive end Neefy Moffett had two sacks and a tackle for loss. None of the offensive touchdowns came against the first team defense. Linebacker Anthony Kelly was back in action after being off nearly a year and a half with a groin and shoulder injury.

In Monday’s scrimmage, the receivers made an impression as Richard Goodman scored on a 65-yard pass from Weatherford and Preston Parker (three catches for 72 yards) scored on a 29-yard pass play that involved a big block from Carr. Freshman receiver Damon McDaniel caught three passes for 25 yards in the scrimmage. Both Lee and Weatherford completed 10- of- 12 passes for around 130 yards. The knock on Weatherford hasn’t been his accuracy or decision-making, but his lack of big plays. Junior cornerback Tony Carter continues to come up with impact plays including an interception from Lee in the same scrimmage. The offense has scored in only three times in 18 tries during goal-line scrimmages that followed its two half-scrimmages.

FSU has another mini-scrimmage on Wednesday where the defense dominated. Part of the problem was starting center John Frady didn’t participate. Lee was 6- of- 11 for 51 yards and Weatherford was 5- of- 13 for 67 yards. The defense, which had five tackles for loss and three pass breakups, allowed only three plays of significance all afternoon. Parker, who lined up with the first team again, separated his shoulder and is probably out for the remainder of the spring. Tailback Marcus Sims is progressing after being demoted on the depth chart.

Miami had its first scrimmage under Randy Shannon on Saturday in front of 1,000 fans with the defense dominating. The offense scored three times and kickers Daren Daly and Matt Bosher hit three of six field goals. Bosher said he expects to be the punter and Daly said he has been told that he is the kicker. Quarterback Kyle Wright started with the first team and completed 15- of- 33 passes for 89 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. Kirby Freeman was 13- of- 24 for 189 yards and one score. He connected on his first seven passes. Receiver Lance Leggett had six catches for 96 yards. Tailback Graig Cooper (8 for 27 yards) had several nice runs. Fullback Jerrell Mabry had a 35 yard touchdown catch and run. Miami has a verbal commitment from Brandon Washington (6-4, 314), an offensive tackle from Miami Edison.

Cane offensive coordinator Patrick Nix said both Freeman and Wright are about the same coming out of the most recent scrimmage. With Derrick Morse out, Matt Pipho is getting most of the snaps at center. The line allowed no sacks in Saturday’s scrimmage. The next scrimmage is Friday at 6 pm.

Clemson is back at practice. Sophomore offensive lineman Jamarcus Grant was not in practice because the home he was living in burned down last week. Running back Ray Ray McElrathbey has returned to action after being suspended for a week due to academics. The quarterback race is a four-man race including true freshman Willy Korn. Tailback C J Spiller was late getting back from spring break. He had to run extra laps, but there were no other consequences.

Maryland started spring practice this week with all eyes on the quarterback battle between Josh Portis and Jordan Steffy, who has been in the system for three years. Sophomore Chris Turner and redshirt freshman Jeremy Ricker are also in the mix.

Virgina’s top receiver Kevin Ogletree could miss the 2007 season with a torn ACL. He caught 52 passes last season.

Dennis Dodd in CBSSportsline.com said during the January American Football Coaches Association meeting Division I-A coaches endorsed a seeded four-team playoff. He also said SEC presidents will discuss a proposal for a college football playoff during the spring meetings in May according to the Tampa Tribune. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said the coaches favored a four-team playoff where the No. 1 seed would play the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 seed would play No. 3. The winners would meet a week later for the title. With the current double-hosting format, the structure is in place for a “plus-one” model. This season New Orleans double hosts the games. Discussions begin midway through next year on a new TV contract. The one with Fox expires in 2010. Also, the Cotton Bowl is expected to join the BCS rotation with its new state-of-the art stadium. A four-team rotation could begin in 2010 or 2011. BCS commissioners will meet at the end of April in New Orleans.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FLA., HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON ESPN 1460 ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS ON THE RUMBLE WITH MIKE DEMPSEY AND TOM MCMANUS.