TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama has rewarded football coach Kalen DeBoer and men’s basketball coach Nate Oats for getting their teams to the postseason. DeBoer is getting a $2 million raise — up to $12.5 million — and a two-year contract extension after leading the Crimson Tide to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, where Alabama lost to eventual national champion Indiana. Oats is getting a $1.2 million raise — up to $7.2 million — and a two-year contract extension after leading Alabama to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, where the Crimson Tide lost to eventual national champion Michigan. Alabama announced both deals during a board of trustees meeting.
UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is going through a championship drought, the kind of lull the football league last endured more than two decades ago. Not only has the SEC watched a Big Ten team hoist the College Football Playoff trophy each of the last three years, the once-seemingly unmatched powerhouse hasn’t even played in the title game since Georgia closed out the 2022 season with a crown. It might be more of a head-scratching fluke than an eye-opening fade. If the SEC is going to end its skid, quarterback play surely will be key. Some starting spots are filled while others are very much up for grabs following spring practice.
UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference showcases standouts and stars every year. Some are known commodities while others are on the verge of becoming household names. A number of non-quarterbacks from the powerhouse league garnered attention before, during and after spring practice and could end up being future NFL draft picks. The list includes Alabama left tackle Jackson Lloyd, Arkansas defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr., LSU cornerback DJ Pickett and Texas receiver Cam Coleman.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. has declared for the NBA draft after a freshman season in which he was a consensus first-team All-American and the nation’s third-leading scorer. Acuff was Associated Press SEC player of the year and winner of the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard. Acuff joined Pete Maravich as the only players in Southeastern Conference history to lead the league in scoring and assists. He averaged 23.5 points per game and 6.4 assists. He scored the most points by a freshman in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament with 60.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — If Florida wins the national championship next season, Draymond Green should get a ring. The Golden State Warriors forward was instrumental in convincing Gators star Thomas Haugh to postpose his NBA future and stay in school another year. Haugh re-signed with Florida nearly a week after teammate and close friend Alex Condon did the same. Haugh's announcement came following a conversation with Green in which they discussed an NBA lifestyle versus college. Coach Todd Golden will be around, too. He says he's “definitely planning on coaching the Gators” amid a report that he would be a target if the Warriors and coach Steve Kerr part ways.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt women’s basketball coach Shea Ralph has agreed to a contract extension following her fifth and best season yet in leading the Commodores to the Sweet 16 and earning AP Coach of the Year honors. Athletic director Candice Storey Lee announced the extension Wednesday. Ralph led a team that returned only one starter to the most successful season in school history. Vanderbilt went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged Southeastern Conference schedule. The Commodores finished tied for second in the conference, matching the best finish in program history. Attendance also is up at Memorial Gym.
UNDATED (AP) — Former Saint Mary’s forward Paulius Murauskas is joining former coach Randy Bennett at Arizona State. Bennett was named Arizona State’s coach on March 23 and Murauskas announced on Instagram that he will be following his coach to the desert. St. John’s also made a big splash in the transfer portal, adding former Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-8 Murauskas saw limited action as a freshman at Arizona before thriving in two years at Saint Mary’s. The Lithuanian forward averaged 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a junior. Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds last season, scoring at least 20 points eight times.
UNDATED (AP) — Establishing team chemistry in college football is tougher than ever with so many players not staying at the same school for four years. But it’s still doable. Succeeding in the transfer portal era requires altering offseason objectives. Players aren’t just getting to know the playbook. They’re getting to know one another. New Mexico provides a model example on how teams can build chemistry even after roster overhauls. The Lobos had 75 newcomers last year and still went 9-4 for their first winning season since 2016.
