Sprints // 03.24.09

The South loves this Grant. Anthony Grant has suddenly become the target of not one but two SEC basketball head coaching searches, with both Alabama and Georgia appearing to zero in the VCU coach. Mal Moore will apparently take his special Wells Fargo plane-load of cash to interview Grant as soon as possible.

Maybe sooner, seeing as how Georgia is already having to bat down reports that Grant has been offered the job with the Dawgs. Those reports usually mean:

(a) A deal is close
(b) A deal is not close, and Grant's side wants to put pressure on Georgia
(c) A deal is not close, and Grant's side wants to put pressure on another suitor
(d) Grant is really looking for a contract extension and wants to put pressure on VCU.

Another coach, Missouri's Mike Anderson, is learning the art of the non-denial denial -- also in reference to both Georgia and Alabama. (What, is Moore just following Damon Evans on FlightAware or something?)

His only response: "We're in the Sweet 16. We're talking about the Memphis Tigers today."

The key to the non-denial denial, which Saban never learned: Never used the words "no" or "not." Anderson didn't -- therefore, speculate way, Interwebs!

But, as Seth Emerson and others have pointed out, expect no offers in the next few days. Kentucky's season and Billy Gillispie's tenure there live, thanks to a victory against Creighton -- meaning no answers until after the Wildcats' NIT run is over.

Oh, and just in case you were starting to get all this straight, Emerson blows up the room with this gem.

Still, just for fun here's the scenario: Gillispie leaves Kentucky, which lures Donovan away from Florida, which hires Grant.

Which, of course, leaves Georgia and Alabama both looking for someone entirely different.

Don't worry, Dawgs and Tides(? Tiders?) -- Gillispie's staying put. I know because people who were wrong before say he's in trouble, so they must be wrong again.

SEC in the NIT today. Auburn plays Baylor at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Florida taking the floor against Penn State two hours later.

Wonderlicious! Matthew Stafford scores well on the Wonderlic, which means it was either administered by Gary Danielson or has a very important keg-lifting element. Percy Harvin, meanwhile, fares poorly -- but it doesn't matter, because by the time they'd graded his Wonderlic, he'd already run to Paris, gotten his picture taken in front of the Eiffel Tower and returned to the test center.

If you're Florida's QBs coach ... This is actually about the best advice you can get.

Jay Culter is 'our quarterback.' So say the Broncos -- unless, you know, they trade him.

Another blow to the SEC's reputation. One team in the Fulmer Cup Top 10? And in a five-way tie for sixth?!? C'mon, guys, you can do better than that.

Wind sprints. SEC Football > Big East Basketball, according to Alligator Army ... The answer is probably "Yes" ... Nick Calathes might or might not be NBA bound -- thanks for the news flash ... Will Emmanuel Moody ever get to start, anywhere?