BasketBlog: SEC Men Georgia

Tonight’s live blog goes "live" at 7:30 p.m. as the Razorbacks take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 8:45 p.m. The game is televised on the SEC Network, check your local listings, and it will also stream through ESPN360. The new media team is on the ground at the Bridgestone Arena all day, and we’ll have periodic updates.

x<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9e1a7efee9" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9e1a7efee9" >SEC Tournament — Arkansas vs. Georgia</a>

In the meantime, take a moment to vote for U.S. Reed’s shot in the ESPN Buzzer Beaters competition. Today, Reed’s winner against Louisville is matched up against Drew Nichols of UNC-Wilmington. Vote here.

4:16 p.m. — Cue Rocky Top, UT just officially awakened from its sleep-walk and LSU is quickly down 10, 44-34, as the Tigers call a time out after a huge alley-oop dunk.

3:59 p.m. — UT managing to get a lead, 34-30, over LSU in the early second half. Still, no great cushion yet for the Vols.

3:50 p.m. — While we continue testing the blogger interface, we’ll keep some notes down here. Mike Nail has ambled in, and the 29-year veteran Voice of the Razorbacks tells us he’s not feeling very good today. Bit of a fever and flu-like symptoms, but that will not keep him from calling the game. Your blogger and media members kid with Mike about playing hurt, and he’s not even joking around. "I will call this game," Mike says. It’s that kind of determination that’s kept him in the chair for 29 years.

3:24 p.m. — Game two goes to halftime, 21-21. Men’s basketball or football between LSU and Tennessee? That’s a season halftime low for #15.

3:06 p.m. — 12-9? #15 UT has nine points at the third media time out? This really could be upset day.

2:30 p.m. — LSU and Tennessee tip-off.

2:15 p.m. — And so the upsets begin as Alabama rallies from the 18 deficit to a 68-63 win over South Carolina.

1:50 p.m. — USC game getting interesting as Alabama cuts it back to five, 57-54, with about five left.

1:30 p.m. — More of the Arkansas media starting to arrive here at the arena. South Carolina is starting to pull away, up by 18 at this point.

12:55 p.m. — An 11-5 run by South Carolina takes the Gamecocks to halftime, 38-27. When I snapped that quick pic, it was still a close game. Not so much here at intermission. Next game willl be LSU and Tennessee, which should be a crowd, at 2:15 p.m.

12:40 p.m. — "Is there a greater college fan base than Kentucky basketball?" says the talent for the first game. We can hear their call over the in-house audio in the media area. Well, I can think of a few groups that might say no — and three of them have big convocations this weekend. The first is the nationally-ranked Razorback baseball hord, and the Hog Pen fanatics, assemble for the final weekend of non-conference action this weekend. Arkansas crowds have already been large as the Razorback fans chase another national top 5 ranking. Those games are at 3:05 Friday, 2:05 Saturday and 1:05 on Sunday. In the midst of that, the top 10 ranked fans of the No. 7 Razorback gymnastics team takes on Pitt at Barnhill Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday. Of course, during all of this, some of the nation’s best track and field fans are treated to the pinnacle of the sport — the Division I NCAA Indoor Championships — on Friday and Saturday.

Noon — Welcome to the GEC. Um, I mean the Gaylord Entertainment Center. No, wait, the Sommet Center. Arrgh, the Arena at Nashville. What’s the name of this place now? Oh, let’s check the notes — this year it’s the Bridgetone Arena. Home of the men’s and women’s SEC basketball tournaments several times, it seems this fantastic facility has had as many names as it has hosted the league hoopfests.

Below, parked right outside the media entrance. Well, welcome to Nashville, I suppose