Before we get started with this week’s SDS Mailbag, I have a programming note. There won’t be a Mailbag next week, as I am taking off to be the best man at one of my best friend’s weddings.

It’ll be interesting to see how the socially distant wedding goes, but it should be fun! Either way, the Mailbag will return on Friday, July 24.

Now, let’s dive into your questions for this week’s edition of the SDS Mailbag:

Robert:

With The Basketball Tournament (featuring alumni of big-name colleges around the country competing for a $1 million, winner-takes-all prize) going on right now, what 5 SEC players would you pick to be part of a starting lineup that could win the title?

So the way I understand this tournament is that you need players who are out of college but aren’t in the NBA (as it wouldn’t make much sense for an NBA player to participate in this and risk injury). I’ve actually been watching quite a bit of TBT this year (including House of ’Paign’s huge win over No. 1 seed Carmen’s Crew on Wednesday), so let’s give this question a shot.

There are so many great former SEC players who fit this mold, but only 5 can make it in the starting lineup. Here’s who I’d choose for the 5 guys who could win it all:

  • G: Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss
  • G: Mason Jones, Arkansas
  • G: Bryce Brown, Auburn
  • F: Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
  • F: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

Henderson provides the flair. Brown, Jones and Davis provide a variety of scoring options and Varnado is a defensive force in the paint. I think that team can win it all.

And, yes, I realize Jones is fresh out of college and getting ready to embark on a potential NBA career. But, I haven’t seen him mentioned in many mock drafts. TBT would be a great chance for him to show what he can do in competition since there aren’t any NBA workouts ahead of this draft.

Also, Joe Johnson is absolutely the sixth man and the No. 1 crunch-time option for this team.

Joe:

Now that it looks like there might not be any nonconference football games this year, what SEC nonconference game are you most disappointed we won’t get to see?

Honestly, the one I’ll miss most if the SEC follows the example the Big Ten set on Thursday is the season opener between Alabama and USC in Dallas. Bringing a team from California and a team from Alabama to the Dallas area doesn’t seem like a good idea right now, so if every conference goes to a conference-only schedule, I’ll miss the showdown between the Tide and the Trojans.

I think USC QB Kedon Slovis is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender this year, and I was excited to see what he could do against Alabama’s tough defense. Then, there was the start of the Mac Jones era, Dylan Moses’ return and getting a first look at Najee Harris as a senior on the Alabama side.

Alabama probably would have won the game pretty comfortably, but now it’s likely we never get to see how that game plays out. I’m also disappointed we won’t get to see Ole Miss vs. Baylor in Week 1 if the SEC goes to a league-only schedule, too.

@SChinni12:

With sports gearing up to hopefully come back, what are a few of your favorite things you’ve done during the stay-at-home, no-sports era?

Well, there was that day I sat around and did nothing. Then there was the day I sat around and did nothing. Oh, and let’s not forget about the day I sat around and did nothing!

Seriously, though, I have done a few things that have been enjoyable during quarantine. I’ve been doing a lot of reading (I highly recommend “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari and “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa), so that’s been nice. I’ve been doing more cooking too. My fajitas are top-notch, if I do say so myself. And, with the English Premier League back in action, I’ve been watching a lot of the other kind of football (go Tottenham, I guess?).

Fortunately, though, sports do seem like they’re coming back. Men’s and women’s soccer is back already. Baseball is gearing up for a shortened 2020 campaign and NBA players are heading to the Orlando bubble to prepare for the restart of their season. I can’t wait to watch some elite team sports being played in America again.

@Dobbe8:

Which fictional football coach do you think would be the best college recruiter?

As much as I wish the answer to this question was Coach Klein from “The Waterboy,” I’m going to go with Coach Eric Taylor from “Friday Night Lights.” He already has connections in Texas, which is a big-time recruiting state for college football teams. And, he has a track record of success.

“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” is also a heck of a slogan that could be marketed to recruits who were interested in the program. I assume he’d be the coach of one of the big Texas schools, like Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU or Texas A&M.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.