Here's the latest Vanderbilt Commodore news from around the internet. I'm hopeful to be more diligent and regular with the daily links post. Here's everything I found relevant over the last 24 hours:
Vanderbilt Commodore Football
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Jamie Newberg rates the 2012 football recruiting in the SEC East. Here's a choice quote from the Vanderbilt section:
This group is led by the dynamic athlete Brian Kimbrow (Memphis, Tenn./East), who should bring a Percy Harvin-like ability to the offense.
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Jeff Lockridge talks about how the diminutive RBs in the current freshman class are turning heads in practice. We may have a new nickname on our hands, thanks to Coach Franklin:
"We’re giving [freshman Mitchell Hester] more reps in practice, and he’s been doing good things," Coach James Franklin said. "He’s got tremendous quickness, tremendous lateral quickness. I call him the sidewinder."
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Jeff Lockridge's Monday practice report. Typical stuff in here. OH AND COACH FRANKLIN LEVELED ANDRE HAL. LIKE LITERALLY PUT HIM ON HIS ASS.
After Franklin was intercepted by LB Archibald Barnes on a pass over the middle, the coach gave chase toward the front left pylon as Barnes attempted to return the pick for a score. Sophomore DB Andre Hal was shielding Barnes when Franklin – not wearing any pads, mind you – put two arms into Hal and sent him flying out of bounds. It was a priceless moment. "I didn’t know who it was (I hit)," Franklin said. "I was trying to find out who it was. It was fun. It was fun to get out there and compete with them and fly around and show them how competitive that we’re all going to be in this program … everyone."
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This is a little old, but Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg wants everyone to know that they're wrong about Jay Cutler.
Basketball and baseball after the jump.
Vanderbilt Commodore Basketball
- Yahoo's Jason King rated the ten best basketball players in the SEC in 2011-2012. John Jenkins, Festus Ezeli both made the cut, while Jeffery Taylor just missed it. I hope JT reads this and goes berserk.
- Interested in highlights of John Jenkins and Team USA at the World University Games? Of course you are.
Vanderbilt Commodore Baseball
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Jerome Boettcher gives an overview of where the Commodores stand after MLB's signing day last night:
Clinard will provide the leadership and experience for what will be a young pitching staff. Kevin Ziomek returns after a freshman All-American season. The lefty was 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 27 appearances, including five starts. Fellow freshman phenom T.J. Pecoraro (7-0, 1.59 ERA) is expected to miss most or all of the 2012 campaign after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery.
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The amount of money Tyler Beede turned down last night has set a new high-water mark for the baseball program with respect to high school recruits and foregoing MLB overtures:
Auburn's Tyler Beede turned down a $2.5 million signing bonus tonight from the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that picked the hard-throwing right-hander 21st overall in June's MLB draft. ... "They were still far off," Beede said. "They ended up getting to $2.5 million, but that still wasn't what we valued the Vanderbilt education at. It was obviously the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I'm tremendously excited."
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Predictably, there are some "TROLLonto" Blue Jays fans that are not too happy with Mr. Beede right now. Here's why:
They have made outstanding draft choices like Roy Halladay, Vernon Wells and Chris Carpenter over the years. And there have been June draft picks they’d rather forget, such as Augie Schmidt, Matt Stark and Greg David, once dealt for visas. Yet, the first player the Blue Jays selected their first 34 seasons had always signed. Always. Until Monday night when right-hander Tyler Beede declined the Jays $2-million US offer to pitch for the Vanderbilt University Commodores.
Hey Toronto fans:
