Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats praised Mark Sears' response after he was benched against LSU, but did not say whether he would start at Mississippi State.

Vanderbilt's roster construction and Morez Johnson's rapidlly-improving defense among trends Isaac Trotter is tracking.

I wasn't happy with the flagrant foul," Oats said Wednesday. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. MEMORY LANE:Ex-Alabama basketball player says Nate Oats was 'not capping ...