Super Bowl Update

Few things to share before I hit the bed for a few hours of sleep before Troy's final spring practice at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

***I did write a football story in the Saturday Dothan Eagle on the defense hoping to show improvement. Obviously the offense has had the upper hand in spring practice this spring. Read more on that HERE.

***Off the topic of spring football, two former Trojan baseball players had their teams square off for the Class 2A, Area 4 title. Lee Hyde's Wicksburg Panthers took the crown beating Drew Miller's G.W. Long Rebels 9-8 in the first game of the doubleheader to clinch it.

***Troy's baseball team lost again, 12-10. Even in a rough season, I was hoping Tyler Ray could pitch his way to the Troy and Sun Belt career wins record. Ray started off 2-0, but hasn't gotten a win since. His bullpen and defense let him down, blowing leads in two of those games (Bethune-Cookman and Monmouth). Ray has to get wins in each of his last five regular season Friday starts, and Troy has to qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament and get Ray a win there for him to break the record. I remember when Ray was a skinny freshman pitching on Friday nights and hopefully he can end his career on a high note over the last few weeks. Game recap HERE and box score HERE. Troy and Middle Tennessee play tonight at 6.

***Some Sun Belt hoops happenings. North Texas head coach Johnny Jones is leaving for LSU, and that leaves UNT in somewhat of a bind, though whoever gets that job will have a stout roster waiting for him unless a bunch of guys transfer out. Jones had built a program that won more consistently in the league over the years. The Mean Green were always a thorn in Troy's side under Jones, especially in 2010 when Troy had a great shot to reach the NCAA Tournament, but UNT's size was way too much in a 3-point win in the SBC Tourney finals.

Western Kentucky is losing another one of its talented freshmen, as forward Vinny Zollo is transferring. He joins Derrick Gordon, the team's best player, who is also transferring after his freshman season. After the finish WKU had, it surprises me that some guys with bright futures are transferring out of the program.

UALR's Chuck Guy, a starting guard who helped UALR beat Troy in the final game in Sartain is also transferring.