Southeastern RUMORS & NEWS

New Orleans Times-Picayune "Chalk up another offseason win for LSU basketball, as the Tigers reeled in a big fish in 5-star forward Trendon Watford. Watford announced his commitment to LSU on Monday afternoon (May 20) in a ceremony at his high school in Birmingham, Alabama. Watford chose LSU over..." May 20

Arizona Daily Star "Already with a highly regarded recruiting class boosting expectations next season, Arizona improved its long-term future Tuesday when former Kentucky guard Jemarl (‘juh-MALL’) Baker Jr. announced he would transfer to UA. A 6-foot-4-inch combo guard from Menifee,..." May 15

Saturday Down South "Connor Vanover is coming home. The 7-foot-3 Little Rock native played only one season for Cal before deciding to leave the program via transfer and announced on Wednesday he plans to continue his athletic career at Arkansas to play in Eric Musselman’s program. Due to..." May 15

Larry Brown Sports "Even coaches that recently took a new job will be subject to some speculation when a position like Michigan’s opens up, but Nate Oats won’t be heading to Ann Arbor. Oats, who was only hired by Alabama in March, shot down all speculation linking him to the newly-vacant..." May 13

Kentucky Sports "Another commitment for next season means yet another talented option on the perimeter for John Calipari, who appears to be building a roster well-suited to the “positionless” brand of basketball that he’s been pitching for the past few years. Four-star prospect..." May 10

The Spun "Kenyon Martin Jr., the son of the former NBA star big man, has announced a major college basketball commitment. Martin Jr., a power forward out of Sierra Canyon in California, has committed to Jerry Stackhouse and Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-6 power forward is a three-star..." May 05

Bucky's 5th Quarter "The Kentucky Wildcats are still in the hunt for Jalen Johnson. The five-star small forward announced his final four on Saturday, and it includes Kentucky. Also making the cut were the Duke Blue Devils, Arizona Wildcats and Wisconsin Badgers. Though four schools..." May 05

The Big Lead "Will Wade might be in some trouble. LSU’s head coach has been implicated in the latest NCAA corruption trial. This latest blow might be damming. The video that aired in court showed former Arizona assistant Emanuel “Book” Richardson discussing Wade reportedly..." April 30

SI "The details of the meeting between LSU and basketball coach Will Wade on April 12 are becoming clear. As part of his reinstatement, the coach made concessions in his contract, according to documents obtained by Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger as part of a public records request. Under..." April 26

The Spun "The Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball program will have a former NBA star as head coach and the son of an NBA legend as a player in 2019-20. The SEC school hired former NBA star Jerry Stackhouse to lead the program following the firing of head coach Bryce..." April 26

The Advocate "LSU basketball coach Will Wade forfeited performance bonuses for his team’s SEC championship season and agreed to contract changes making it easier for LSU to fire him if the NCAA cites him for serious infractions. Wade signed off on the changes on April 14, the same day..." April 25

Larry Brown Sports "One lucky college basketball program will likely be benefiting from the services of Johnny Juzang later this year. Juzang announced on Instagram Wednesday that he is reclassifying to 2019, which would make him eligible to play this year. He says he will make his college announcement..." April 25

CBS Sports "LSU and athletic director Joe Alleva on Wednesday finalized an agreement to have Alleva step down from his AD job and transition into a "special assistant to the president for donor relations" role with the Tigers. "We are grateful to Joe for his years of service and dedication..." April 19

ESPN "A judge in a federal court ruled Friday that Arizona coach Sean Miller and LSU coach Will Wade will not have to testify in next week's federal trial into college basketball corruption. Miller and Wade were subpoenaed by Steven Haney, attorney for former agent-runner Christian..." April 19

ESPN "Former Arkansas coach Mike Anderson is in negotiations to become the next head coach for St. John's, sources confirmed to ESPN. Anderson, 59, emerged as the favorite on Thursday night, according to sources. Yale's James Jones and former George Mason and Georgia..." April 19

A Sea of Blue "The Kentucky Wildcats have signed Bucknell Bison grad transfer Nate Sestina. The news came just an hour after the school signed five-star La Lumiere forward Keion Brooks, as the late signing period begins today. “It’s been an amazing ride from Emporium..." April 18

The Big Lead "Embattled LSU athletic director Joe Alleva is expected to step down from his positions, according to multiple reporters. The Baton Rouge Business Report was first with the news. Though Alleva is coming off one of LSU’s strongest seasons in years for its football, basketball,..." April 17

Larry Brown Sports "Rick Barnes was pursued by UCLA earlier this month before ultimately landing a new deal to remain at Tennessee, and the longtime coach is not trying to hide the fact that money played a huge role in his decision. UCLA made a strong push to hire Barnes and reportedly offered him..." April 16

ESPN "LSU has reinstated Will Wade as its men's basketball coach, Tigers athletic director Joe Alleva announced Sunday night. Wade was suspended more than a month ago for not meeting with the school and answering questions regarding his relationship with runner-agent Christian..." April 15

ESPN "Calling his freshman season at Kentucky "incredible," Wildcats guard Tyler Herro announced Friday that he will test the NBA draft process. "As Coach Cal and the staff promised, it was the hardest thing I've ever done," Herro said in a..." April 12

247 Sports "An Alabama men's basketball player is testing the NBA draft waters. Crimson Tide wing Tevin Mack has submitted the necessary paperwork and is expected to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft, 247Sports' Evan Daniels first reported. Mack will not hire an agent,..." April 12

Alabama "Bruce Pearl will be at Auburn for the foreseeable future. The fifth-year coach agreed to a new five-year contract with Auburn that extends through the 2023-24 season, the program announced Friday. The contract extension comes after Pearl led Auburn to its most successful season in..." April 12

New Orleans Times-Picayune "The stalemate between suspended LSU basketball coach Will Wade and university officials is drawing to a close, as the two parties are scheduled to meet on Friday (April 12). “I can confirm there is a meeting scheduled tomorrow with Coach Wade, LSU officials and the NCAA within..." April 11

A Sea of Blue "Kentucky Wildcats freshman wing Keldon Johnson has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. The 6-6 freshman joins a long list of one-and-dones under John Calipari. And he’s likely to join the list of those drafted in the first round. Johnson had a bit of..." April 10

Yahoo! Sports "The UCLA basketball coaching search is reportedly moving to the next name on its list. Again. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has decided to stay with the Volunteers after negotiating a significant raise, Chris Low of ESPN reports.

April 09

USA Today "Rick Barnes netted his second national coach of the year award on Sunday. And later Sunday, the fourth-year Tennessee coach was reported as a "serious candidate" for the UCLA job, according to 247Sports' Evan Daniels. The Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch..." April 08

WVLT "On the same day that Tennessee's Rick Barnes was named the Naismith national coach of the year, rumors are swirling about his future on Rocky Top. According to ESPN's Chris Low, UCLA has offered Barnes $5 million a year for an unknown number of years, while Tennessee has..." April 08

ESPN "Auburn coach Bruce Pearl isn't dwelling on the missed call on a potential double dribble by Virginia's Ty Jerome that might have helped his team advance to the national title game. Pearl said Monday on ESPN's Get Up! that human error is a part of the game and..." April 08

Sporting News "Auburn senior Bryce Brown wasn't happy with the way his team's Final Four appearance ended as he called for the NCAA to find new referees.  The fifth-seeded Tigers led No. 1 Virginia by two points with less than two seconds remaining in Saturday's game when Cavaliers..." April 07

The Big Lead "Of course, after Auburn’s heartbreaking, controversial loss in the Final Four, it is Charles Barkley’s take and analysis we all are looking for. Shockingly, unlike Chuck’s expected reaction, he actually said it was a foul. He is correct here. It is..." April 07

KATV "After four historic seasons at Nevada, coach Eric Musselman appears to be moving onto his next challenge. The Wolf Pack’s head basketball coach since March 2015 is in final negotiations to accept the the same position at Arkansas, according to a multiple national reports. Nevada..." April 07

ESPN "Kentucky was one of the finalists in Zion Williamson's recruitment -- but even John Calipari didn't expect this type of freshman season from the Duke star. "We recruited Zion. I probably missed him a little bit," Calipari said Friday on The Dan Patrick Show. "I..." April 06

USA Today "Bruce Pearl, Auburn’s head basketball coach, has no plans to hide that he’s only the fourth Jewish head basketball coach to reach the Final Four. “I’m kind of loud and I’m kind of proud,’’ Pearl said Friday. April 06

Larry Brown Sports "John Calipari has a response for critics of his new lifetime contract with Kentucky. Calipari parlayed some interest from UCLA into a sweeter deal with Kentucky that is a lifetime contract. Some people aren’t too happy about that deal, and Calipari thinks those are just..." April 05

Tennessean "Jerry Stackhouse is Vanderbilt's new basketball coach, a source confirmed to The Tennessean. Stackhouse is a former North Carolina star player, NBA All-Star, G-League Coach of the Year and, most recently, a first-year assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies this..." April 05

College Basketball Talk "After a breakout redshirt junior year, Bucknell’s Nate Sestina is headed to the big time. The forward from Emporium, Penn. will graduate transfer to Kentucky and finish his career with the Wildcats next season, he announced Thursday. “It’s been an amazing..." April 04

ESPN "Texas A&M is expected to hire Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams as its next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. An official announcement is expected later this week. The agreement was first reported by CBS Sports. Williams has been considered the heavy favorite to..." April 03

ESPN "Jerry Stackhouse is in talks with Vanderbilt to become its next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. Stackhouse, an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies, was the head coach of the Raptors 905 G League team the past two years. He was named D-League Coach of the..." April 02

Louisville Courier-Journal "The sound of Auburn fans roaring as the final seconds ticked off in the Tigers’ Elite Eight 77-71 upset of Kentucky might have been confused for grumbles from the growing crowd of doubters questioning whether John Calipari’s system is broken. Had one of PJ..." April 01

Bleacher Report "Kentucky has reportedly offered head coach John Calipari the equivalent of a lifetime contract in response to UCLA's offer of a six-year, $48 million deal, according to Seth Davis of The Athletic. " April 01

Kentucky Sports "John Calipari has agreed to terms on a long-term contract with the University of Kentucky and will finish his career as head coach of the Wildcats, UK announced Monday evening. Calipari, who completed his 10th season as Kentucky head coach with Sunday’s overtime loss to Auburn..." April 01

CBS Sports "Not even a torn ACL could keep Auburn star Chuma Okeke away from what figures to be a thrilling Elite Eight finish on Sunday afternoon between No. 2 seed Kentucky and No. 5 seed Auburn. Okeke was at the the team hotel to watch the first half where he witnessed the Wildcats take a..." March 31

USA Today "There might be teams better than Auburn. There is no team tougher, however. Kansas. North Carolina. Kentucky. They are the titans of college basketball, winners of more games than any other programs. And Auburn, a school where basketball has mostly been something to pass the..." March 31

ESPN "For someone who was questionable with a foot injury until shortly before tipoff, PJ Washington had a huge role for Kentucky in its Sweet 16 victory over Houston. Washington, Kentucky's leading scorer and rebounder in the regular season, didn't start but played 26 minutes and..." March 30

CBS Sports "No. 5 seed Auburn's 97-80 win over No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16 was bittersweet. On one hand, the victory sent the Tigers to their second Elite Eight in school history and was further proof that, when this team is hot, they have Final Four potential. On the other hand, they..." March 30

Montgomery Advertiser "Chuma Okeke's season is officially over. Auburn star sophomore power forward suffered a torn ACL in the second half of Friday's Sweet 16 game against North Carolina, an MRI revealed Saturday morning. Coach Bruce Pearl announced the news at a press conference Saturday..." March 30

Bleacher Report "Texas A&M is reportedly prepared to offer Virginia Tech head basketball coach Buzz Williams a multiyear contract worth $3.5 million annually after Duke eliminated the Hokies in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament Friday night. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported the update..." March 30

USA Today "Bruce Pearl could outlive a cat. Just one of his run-ins with the NCAA would have been enough to torpedo the career of pretty much any other coach. There was the secret taping of a recruit to try and bust a rival. There was the barbecue with recruits, at his house, which he made worse..." March 29

Larry Brown Sports "The saga of Brad Calipari has been one Kentucky fans have followed closely throughout the year, and it may have a big twist involved. Calipari, the son of Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, played two seasons — 2016-17 and 2017-18 — for the Wildcats. He..." March 28

The Spun "Johnny Dawkins’ UCF squad almost took down Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Sunday. It looks like he also has drawn the attention of Vanderbilt. According to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Vanderbilt is making Dawkins a “top target” for its head..." March 27

WKYT "PJ Washington’s cast on his foot was removed yesterday, according to a source familiar with the situation. This comes after Kentucky's top scorer and rebounder continues to recover from a foot sprain he suffered in the SEC Tournament. Washington was back in..." March 27

ABC 11 "University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne announced on Wednesday that Nate Oats has been named head coach of the Crimson Tide men’s basketball program. Oats, who was named the 2018 and 2019 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year and is one of 11 finalists for the..." March 27

Bleacher Report "Mike Anderson's run as head basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks has come to an end after eight seasons. Per Josh Bertaccini of 92.1 The Ticket, Anderson was relieved of his duties by the school on Tuesday.  " March 26

Sportsnaut "The Alabama Crimson Tide are looking for a new head basketball coach now that Avery Johnson is on his way out with a settlement. Naturally, former Louisville coach Rick Pitino has been mentioned among the potential replacements. When asked about the chatter, Pitino chose to once..." March 25

CBS Sports "Missouri center Jontay Porter has re-injured the knee that kept him out for his entire sophomore season in 2018-19. Porter tore his right ACL in the preseason against Southern Illinois and had been working to rehab it in time for the 2019 NBA Draft. According to the Kansas City Star,..." March 24

The Score "Tennessee survived a scare against Iowa, escaping with an 83-77 OT win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers advanced to their first Sweet 16 since 2016, winning even with star guard Admiral Schofield on the bench during the latter stages of the game, including..." March 24

Alabama "The Avery Johnson era is officially over in Tuscaloosa. After four seasons in the middle of the SEC pack, the separation between Alabama and its head basketball coach is complete. The two sides were negotiating a separation Thursday and a deal was announced..." March 24

Sporting News "Vanderbilt has fired third-year men's basketball coach Bryce Drew, the school announced on Friday. "Vanderbilt is committed to competing at the highest levels on and off the court. After careful consideration, we've decided to make a change to the leadership of our..." March 22