Boudreaux named to SEC basketball post
Boudreaux, a
“We are extremely pleased to have someone of Gerald’s experience and knowledge to lead our men’s basketball officiating program,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “Gerald’s passion for college basketball and his leadership qualities made him an obvious choice for this position.”
Boudreaux has been selected to work the NCAA Final Four five times, including the championship games in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. He also was an official for 16 consecutive NCAA and SEC Tournaments.
In 2000, Boudreaux was honored as the Naismith College Mens Basketball Official of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
He currently serves as the Director of the Parks & Recreation Department for the Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Dugas, Clark pick up LSWA baseball honors
First baseman Tyler Dugas of
Dugas, a senior from
He was 9-for-17 with a homer, three runs scored and three RBIs.
Dugas, who did not strike out last week, recorded a .706 slugging percentage and a .529 on-base percentage, and he handled 38 chances without an error.
Clark, a senior right-hander from Columbia, Miss., was named Pitcher of the Week after compiling a 3-0 record in three appearances as the Demons won four games, including a three-game sweep of Lamar.
SEC to get sorted out with two big showdowns
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The stunning win now puts Miami in position to be the beneficiary should Southern California or Texas falter down the stretch.
Alabama also was a big winner with the Virginia Tech loss. But before the third-ranked Tide can start thinking about the BCS and Rose Bowl, they have to be ready for No. 5 LSU to pay a visit this week.
Since the loss of star wide receiver Tyrone Prothro, the offense has stagnated. Only against Utah State did Alabama manage more than 17 points in the four games since Prothro's injury.
Last week's 17-0 defeat of Mississippi State came with two defensive touchdowns. So the pressure is clearly on quarterback Brodie Croyle and the offense to put some points on the board.
Even if Croyle and the Tide manage to raise their level of play, this still shapes up to be a classic, old-school, low-scoring SEC game. Alabama ranks first in the nation in scoring defense and third in total defense. LSU is sixth in scoring defense and 12th in total defense.
It could come down to one play or one mistake. The Tigers would take control of the SEC West if they manage to escape Tuscaloosa. They would have wins against Alabama and Auburn and just need to beat Ole Miss and Arkansas to secure a trip to the conference title game.
If the Tide can scrape by with a win, there is still the task of beating Auburn on the road next week to complete an unbeaten season.
Speaking of Auburn, the Tigers have their own huge game on their plate. They travel to No. 9 Georgia, knowing a loss there and an Alabama win gives the West crown to their rivals.
In the East, the Bulldogs still control their own destiny with a one-game lead on Florida — a win and they're in. But a slip up against Auburn would put the Gators in position to claim the trip to Atlanta. One thing working in Georgia's favor is the return of D.J. Shockley, who sat out the loss to Florida because of a knee injury.
Outside of the SEC, the schedule gets much lighter. Southern California travels to California to face the skidding Bears, Notre Dame tries to maintain its dominance of Navy, and the annual Bowden Bowl between Clemson and Florida State kicks off.
Next week should be much more enticing with the rivalries of Ohio State-Michigan, Alabama-Auburn, Clemson-South Carolina and Virginia-Virginia Tech taking center stage.
Big 12's basketball teams shoot for Big D
Dallas will again be the epicenter for the start of March Madness in the Big 12 when the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship returns for the third time in four years.
All games will be played at the American Airlines Center beginning with first-round games on March 9 and culminating in the championship game at 2 p.m. on March 12.
Dallas has been good to its neighbors just across the Red River. Oklahoma won the first Big 12 tournament at American Airlines Center in 2003. Oklahoma State won the next year in Dallas.
All other Big 12 tournaments have been played in Kansas City's Kemper Arena. Kansas City is building a new downtown arena to rival AAC.
More Colleges
The Big 12 will also host NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games March 17 and 19 at American Airlines Center. Big 12 teams like Texas and Oklahoma, who have Final Four potential, will be playing this season to secure an extra weekend in Dallas.
BIG 12 INSIDER
The most stunning story line of the Big 12 season rests on life-support. With one more Baylor loss, the phrase "bowl-bound Bears" will not apply to this year's scrappy bunch of overachievers.
On the flip side, Baylor (4-5) has gotten past the toughest stretch of its schedule -- consecutive games against Oklahoma, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 2 Texas -- with its postseason hopes intact. The last remaining obstacles between the Bears and a bowl-eligible record are Missouri (5-4), which has lost its past two games, and Oklahoma State (3-5), which is riding a five-game losing streak.
In coach Guy Morriss' estimation, his crew lacks nothing in terms of talent or momentum heading into either matchup. On that point, he's exactly right. Baylor has a better defense than either Missouri or OSU, an asset Morriss hopes to use as his trump card in lifting the Bears out of the South Division basement and into the postseason for the first time since 1994.
The challenge will be propping up players' psyches as they head to Columbia, Mo., mired in a quarterback controversy and shaking off the residue of consecutive shutout losses to Texas Tech (28-0) and Texas (62-0). Morriss said he's encouraged by the way players have dismissed recent struggles and embraced the concept of playing a "one-game season" against Missouri.
"We either win this one, or we're home for Christmas," Morriss said. "The carrot is still dangling out in front of us. We've just got to grab it."
To pull that off, defenders must grab and tackle elusive Missouri quarterback Brad Smith before he makes big plays. The offense, which will be led by quarterback Terrance Parks, must find the end zone for the first time since Oct. 22. Then, do it again. And again.
Baylor players have not lost their swagger in the wake of consecutive setbacks to the league's top two teams, Morriss said.
"I don't think the kids have a confidence problem at all," Morriss said. "It's more of an execution problem. Everybody's got to focus. ... If we can convince them of that, we're going to be in good shape. I think they'll bounce back. They are very resilient."
Clearly, the Baylor players grasp the gravity of their situation. Cornerback Anthony Arline said he's prepared to dig in his heels and fight for Baylor's bowl destiny because, "since Sept. 3 [when Baylor won its opener], we knew we had something special in store for us as a team."
Succumbing to the pressure of a bowl-or-bust matchup is not a concern, cornerback C.J. Wilson said.
"We're not the type of people to be uptight," Wilson said. "Our goal is still out there. We've got the whole world to gain."
But not for much longer. For these Bears, the window of opportunity to carve out a place in the history books as Baylor's first bowl team of the Big 12 era is rapidly closing.
QUICK HITS
Creating a gap: Texas Tech tailback Taurean Henderson has not returned a punt or kickoff this season. Yet he leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards (135.7 average) by more than 25 yards per game.
Coach Mike Leach said he considers that an "impressive" feat, as well as a testament to the overall productivity of a player who leads the league in scoring (21 touchdowns), ranks fourth in rushing yards per game (84.1) and is tied for third in receptions per game (5.9).
"He is the most productive guy [in the league]," Leach said. "Looking at his all-purpose yards, which is the most important thing, he is ... really explosive. He has withstood the test of time."
Henderson, a senior, heads into Saturday's game against Oklahoma State needing 6 receiving yards to become only the third player in Division I-A history with 2,000 career yards as a rusher and receiver. The other two are Stanford's Darrin Nelson and Tulane's Mewelde Moore.
Evaluations coming: Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione said he plans to take a hard look at "everything" involved with the Aggies' ongoing defensive struggles when the season ends. Entering Saturday's game against Oklahoma, A&M ranks 105th nationally in total defense (448.6 yards per game) and 116th in pass defense (321.2 yards per game).
The first assistant to be placed under the microscope will be defensive coordinator Carl Torbush.
"The first responsibility is me, and he's second," Franchione said.
Asked about postseason plans, Franchione said: "You evaluate everything ... yourself, your staff, everything you're doing. You don't rush into rash decisions."
Battling the best: Texas' offensive linemen and running backs look forward to Saturday's game against Kansas, the team with the nation's top-rated run defense (64.1 yards per game, 1.9 per carry, 2 rushing TDs allowed).
It will mark the Longhorns' fourth matchup of the season against a run defense ranked among the nation's top five. Texas already has been productive enough against Oklahoma (No. 2), Ohio State (No. 3) and Colorado (No. 5) to head into Saturday's game ranked third nationally in rushing, at 278.6 yards per game.
"You want to play your best against the best," said offensive tackle Justin Blalock, explaining his eagerness for Saturday's showdown. "We have a pretty good track record so far."
Asked why the Big 12 features three of the nation's top five run defenses, Blalock said: "Some of it could be playing Texas Tech."
Or Nebraska. The league's primary pass-first teams rank 98th (Tech) and 110th (Nebraska) nationally in rushing offense.
Frustration up front: Texas A&M began the season hoping a veteran defensive line could generate enough havoc to take pressure off a young secondary.
With two games remaining in the regular season, A&M (5-4, 3-3) ranks sixth among Big 12 teams in sacks (21) but is 116th among the nation's 117 teams in Division I-A in pass defense.
So, has the front met expectations or fallen short?
"Oh, I can't say it's been either one yet," coach Dennis Franchione said. "Everything is interwoven on that side of the ball."
Franchione said opponents have neutralized the impact of A&M's defensive line with a steady diet of extra blockers and rollout passes, making sack totals misleading.
Turning to Taylor: After watching practices this week, Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said coaches will focus Saturday's ground game around receiver Ramonce Taylor.
Because of injuries to other players, Taylor shifted from wide receiver to tailback in last week's 62-0 rout of Baylor and rushed for a career-high 102 yards on 15 carries.
"The thing about having [Taylor] in the backfield, besides his speed and ability to catch the ball, is it's easier to get him the ball," Davis said.
Among the players who have started games at tailback for the Longhorns, Taylor (9.0) and freshman Jamaal Charles (7.5) have the highest yards-per-carry averages. They are expected to share the brunt of the rushing load against Kansas, Davis said.