Looking at Brown: Bryce Brown is part of an ongoing NCAA investigation to confirm the Tennessee tailback’s amateur status, Coach Lane Kiffin told the Knoxville News Sentinel (Tenn.). Kiffin said Brown is eligible but said he doesn’t know if Brown will be able to play in the Volunteers’ season opener against Western Kentucky on Sept. 5. “They can rule whenever they want,” a visibly frustrated Kiffin said following practice. At question is money raised for Brown and other players to attend football camps while Brown was a sophomore at Wichita, Kan. East High School, Kiffin said. The investigation has been ongoing since at least February. Tennessee’s recruitment of Brown is not part of the investigation, Kiffin said. Neither is the recruitment from any other school. “I think it’s a gigantic distraction,” Kiffin said of the issue. Kiffin said the practice of raising money for high school players to attend camps is common. Kiffin said five or six other high school players also were involved with the fund raising. “None of them are dealing with this but him,” Kiffin said.
Huskies getting ready for LSU: Through most of the first 10 practices of fall camp, Washington’s defensive front seven has seemed to have its way. But the running attack finally got going Tuesday in the Huskies’ first full-scale scrimmage of the preseason. They gained 197 yards on 36 carries, and all but 14 yards came when the second and third units were on the field. “The outside was looking real open today, so we just took advantage,” said tailback Curtis Shaw, who had a team-high 70 yards on four carries, including a long of 55 that set up one touchdown. “And you see the results.” To read the Seattle Times’ coverage of the scrimmage, click here.
Looks like he’ll need a bigger trophy case: The American Baseball Coaches Association has voted LSU’s Paul Mainieri as the national coach of the year. The ABCA is the fourth national baseball organization to recognize Mainieri as coach of the year, joining Collegiate Baseball newspaper, Baseball America magazine and Rivals.com. Mainieri coached the Tigers to a 56-17 record and a College World Series championship during the 2009 season.
