From: Benjamin
You would expect the defending National Champions to get some preseason love from the media, and that is the case with the 2011 YardCocks. Junior centerfielder and reigning CWS MVP, Jackie Bradley Jr., is ranked the #6 college prospect for the June MLB draft by Baseball America. Redshirt sophomore closer, Matt Price, comes in at #45. There was some talk about moving the Sumter native to the rotation, but at this point he is expected to remain the closer. Both are also Louisville Slugger Pre-season All Americans. Every team that Coach Tanner has taken to the CWS had a big time stopper, so keeping Price in that role is a big deal. We expect Michael Roth to move into the rotation, possibly on Sunday. This would allow a right hander to throw on Saturday in between the lefty Roth and projected Friday starter, Tyler Webb. Roth could then be used in spot duty on Friday for a lefty lefty matchup or two, much in the way Scott Barber was used to close on Friday and start on Sunday in Tanner's early years.
What can be said about basketball? A young team will take its lumps, and anyone who grew sleepy watching Dave Odom's teams dribble around halfcourt for 25 seconds each possession appreciates Coach Horn's uptempo play. However, can we play some defense please! I admit to not watching a whole lot of basketball this season, but I can count on one hand the times we threw it into the post in the games I watched. Where is Tony Kitchings when you need him? Give us a post presence. The freshmen have tremendous potential and not to sound like a broken record, but we will never maintain a consistent high level of play without better free throw shooting. 61% as a team this year. 61% with no one guarding you. Lakeem Jackson is a whale of a defender but is a bench warmer at the end of tight ballgames since he shoots 45%. This is after an off-season of intense free throw practice. Young teams need support and some confidence boosting wins. Hopefully, the dreadfully poor SEC will provide just that.
