Für unsere Gäste » round exits in 2008-09.DEL POTRO VS. WAW

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When talking to SEC coaches, the list of reasons why the league hasnt had a bigger presence recently in the NCAA Tournament is long:Weak scheduling. Backlash for football dominance. Poor recruiting. Coaching turnover.Now, coaches say theyve addressed all those hurdles but have one more to conquer -- perception.Only three teams reached the tournament in March for the third time in four years and even worse, only one team reached the regional semifinals. The dismal showing reinforced the idea that the SEC just cant compete on the court as well as the league does on the football field.Respect can earn more NCAA Tournament berths, and more tournament teams boost a conferences identity. SEC coaches have been working to toughen up scheduling, recruiting and play on the court, but Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said theyre also fighting something else.Its not the perception. Its the reality, Pearl said Wednesday at the SEC Tipoff media days event. The reality is that we have not been able to get enough teams into the NCAA Tournament.This league has a pretty proud basketball tradition that doesnt hang completely on Kentucky.The SEC earned six NCAA Tournament bids in 1987 when it was still a 10-team league. Since 1992, Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky have won at least one national title each, while LSU and Mississippi State reached a Final Four. Alabama and Tennessee have played in regional finals during that stretch with three others advancing to regional semifinals. The SEC sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament every year between 1999 and 2004.But the reality of the SECs tradition differs from the perception of its current state. Add it up and the numbers show the SEC hasnt earned as many as six NCAA bids in a year since 2008.SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey took steps to correct this problem by hiring former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese as a special adviser on mens basketball and hired Dan Leibovitz as an associate commissioner. Tranghese attended the leagues spring meeting in May in Florida, and Kentucky coach John Calipari said its good for the league to have extra sets of eyes focused on mens basketball.But Calipari defended the SEC, noting Kentucky and Florida played in the 2014 Final Four with Tennessee reaching a regional semifinal that same year. Texas A&M reached a regional semifinal last spring.A lot of this is the perception of it, Calipari said. I dont know how you fight that.South Carolina coach Frank Martin says having Tranghese and Leibovitz will help with how the league is perceived. A school-record 25 wins last season didnt help Martins Gamecocks earn an NCAA berth in March.Georgia coach Mark Fox would like to see the selection committee be more transparent about what teams should target. His Bulldogs hoped to pick up a top-50 win against South Carolina late last season only to be told that a win would knock the Gamecocks out of the top 50 in the RPI.It cant be a moving target, Fox said.Florida coach Mike White says luck plays a role. He believes as many as three teams missed out last season by a missed free throw, missed block-out for a rebound or a half-court shot at the buzzer falling.Andy Kennedy, now the dean of SEC coaches at Mississippi following Kevin Stallings departure from Vanderbilt, said the SEC has beefed up its non-conference schedules and is starting to see dividends. Each SEC team has at least one nonconference game against a Power Five opponent with Michigan visiting South Carolina on Nov. 23 in just one of the big games.The league also had up to seven teams contending for NCAA berths in recent years until the SEC tournament. Kennedy said being unable to finish in the league tournament dropped the final numbers.Then theres SEC fatigue.I think people get so overwhelmed with the dominance that is SEC football they all want to take a pause from the SEC, Kennedy said. They happen to want to pause when were in the midst of our conference schedule. We have to do our jobs ... This should be a five-, six-, seven-bid league every year, and my hope is we can get back soon.Leibovitz has been reaching out to each SEC school to see what the league can do to support promoting programs on campus and recruiting. The league also is reaching out to event promoters pitching SEC teams and other leagues for possible matchups that can boost the RPI.I think were just at a time where weve planted some good seed and we just have to let them grow, Leibovitz said.Results may come sooner than some expect. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said leagues go through cycles, and the message from Tranghese has been that the SEC is close.I think were in position where we can turn that this year, and Ill be shocked if we dont, Barnes said.---Online:AP College Basketball website: http://collegebasketball.ap.org/ and AP-Top 25 Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalkerNike Baseball Jerseys . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Soccer Jerseys 2020 . 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"The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said.LONDON -- Serena Williams and Roger Federer on Centre Court.Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic on No. 1 Court.Theres plenty to watch on Day 5 at Wimbledon, partly because rain has affected the schedule and organizers are still trying to play catch-up.The Williams sisters, who have won a combined 11 titles at the All England Club, should get to watch each other play Friday. Venus, seeded No. 8, is up first on Court No. 1 against 29th-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia in the third round. The top-seeded Serena is second on Centre Court against another American, Christina McHale, in the second round.Venus is a five-time champion at the All England Club, but last went as far as the quarterfinals in 2010. Her career has been slowed in recent years by Sjogrens syndrome, a condition that can cause joint pain and saps energy.On Friday, shell be back on one of the bigger courts after spending Thursday winning on Court 18, one of the smaller stadiums that is still considered to be a show court.Im not so much into disrespect. Im willing to play anywhere, any time, said Venus, who was asked about the lack of top mens matches on the outside courts.Its not the ideal schedule for the women. Wed like to see equal amount of matches. We dont want more, just the same amount, thats all.Little sister Serena, a six-time Wimbledon champion and the defending champion, will be second in the main stadium. Although Serena is the title favorite, she has lost in the Australian Open and French Open finals this year and last won a major title -- her 21st -- at Wimbledon last year.Here are some other matches to look ffor on Friday:ROGER AND NOVAK: Federer and Djokovic, who have won a combined 10 titles at Wimbledon, will each follow a Williams sister on court.ddddddddddddFederer, who lost to Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, will face Daniel Evans of Britain on Centre Court. Djokovic will take on 28th-seeded Sam Querrey of the United States on Court No. 1.Both Federer and Djokovic are chasing history, as usual. Federer is looking for a record eighth Wimbledon title, while Djokovic is on course for a calendar-year Grand Slam -- a feat that has not been done since Rod Laver in 1969.ANOTHER WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: There will be another former Wimbledon champion on court Friday when 10th-seeded Petra Kvitova takes on Ekaterina Makarova on No. 2 Court in the second round.Kvitova, who is from the Czech Republic, won the title at the All England Club in 2011 and `14. Last year, however, she lost in the fourth round -- her worst result at Wimbledon since back-to-back first-round exits in 2008-09.DEL POTRO VS. WAWRINKA: The opening match on Centre Court will be between a pair of players who have combined to win the other three major titles, but never Wimbledon.Stan Wawrinka, a former Australian Open and French Open champion from Switzerland, will take on 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in the second round.Del Potro has won three of his five matches against Wawrinka, but the fourth-seeded Swiss won their only matchup on grass at Wimbledon in 2008. ' ' '