Anchor Drop: What now, NCAA?

Mar 31, 2023 - 12:00 PM

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Good morning.

Optional Musical Accompaniment

And we’ll blow right past the baseball and tennis action today to give you this, straight from the mouth of Vanderbilt linebacker C.J. Taylor during yesterday’s post-practice media availability.

Because, well, what Taylor described sounds like tampering. Taylor says that “there were conversations” with Tennessee about him entering the transfer portal, which is interesting because NCAA rules are pretty damn clear that there are not supposed to be conversations between Tennessee and a Vanderbilt player who’s not in the transfer portal. And it’s not as though Tennessee’s baseball coach wasn’t suspended last month for, well, tampering with a Kansas shortstop who ultimately ended up transferring to Tennessee.

Meantime, the media that covers Tennessee has reacted in the predictable manner of “everyone does it so I don’t see what the big deal is, also lol what are rules,” that veered into the unintentionally hilarious:

I’m honestly shocked to see that a media outlet ran the story because there could be about 10 of these reports every day this offseason if media outlets pursued the stories. Everyone knows that players are being contacted through back channels. Typically it happens via a high school coach or a close family friend.

That might as well read “if the media did its fucking job and reported on what everybody knows is obviously going on, there’d be about ten of these stories every day.” Because it’s rampant, because everybody has figured out that the NCAA had its testicles removed in the Alston ruling and is currently enforcing only the most minor of violations. I mean, C.J. Taylor literally has a cousin who is a onetime Vanderbilt commit former Tennessee player so they probably wouldn’t have to go very far to find a “family friend.”

But also, if the NCAA wants to make an example of someone... well, they’re already investigating Tennessee for major violations that occurred under Jeremy Pruitt. Might as well sniff around and find out if the rule-breaking has stopped. What even is a compliance office?

All right, onto today’s action, and there’s quite a bit of it. Baseball’s series opener against Georgia has been moved up to 4:30 PM CT today; the game will be on the SEC Network+. Vanderbilt has won eight in a row, including its first six SEC games.

Women’s tennis hosts a doubleheader today against Alabama at 2:00 PM CT, followed by a match against Bellarmine. Men’s tennis visits the Crimson Tide at 4:00 PM CT.

Sports on TV

All times Central. SEC baseball schedule here.

• 3:00 PM: PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open, Second Round (Golf Channel)
• 5:30 PM: MLB: Mets at Marlins or White Sox at Astros (MLB Network)
• 6:00 PM: NCAA Women’s Final Four: LSU vs. Virginia Tech (ESPN)
• 6:00 PM: NHL: Rangers at Sabres (NHL Network)
• 7:00 PM: NBA: Lakers at Timberwolves (NBA TV)
• 8:00 PM: NCAA Women’s Final Four: Iowa vs. South Carolina (ESPN)
• 9:30 PM: NBA: Nuggets at Suns (NBA TV)

Scoreboard

SEC Baseball: South Carolina 6, Mississippi State 4 ... LSU 5, Tennessee 2.

MLB: Braves 7, Nationals 2 ... Yankees 5, Giants 0 ... Orioles 10, Red Sox 9 ... Cubs 4, Brewers 0 ... Rays 4, Tigers 0 ... Rangers 11, Phillies 7 ... Twins 2, Royals 0 ... Mets 5, Marlins 3 ... Pirates 5, Reds 4 ... Blue Jays 10, Cardinals 9 ... White Sox 3, Astros 2 ... Rockies 7, Padres 2 ... A’s 2, Angels 1 ... Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 2 ... Mariners 3, Guardians 0.

NBA: Celtics 140, Bucks 99 ... Pelicans 107, Nuggets 88.

NHL: Bruins 2, Blue Jackets 1 ... Panthers 5, Canadiens 2 ... Devils 2, Rangers 1 ... Senators 5, Flyers 4 ... Penguins 2, Predators 0 ... Lightning 5, Capitals 1 ... Red Wings 3, Hurricanes 2 ... Blues 5, Blackhawks 3 ... Oilers 2, Kings 0 ... Kraken 4, Ducks 1 ... Sharks 4, Golden Knights 3.