Gator Clause

The Carl Moore Watch continues for the Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE -- Everyone remembers what it took to get Carl Moore to sign with Florida, right? Everyone remembers the mini-controversies his recruitment spawned, correct?

Well, nearly two and half years after UF quarterback Tim Tebow phoned Moore the night Tebow won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, the receiver from California still hasn't made good on his side of the deal. Will he ever? That's the question everyone wants to know as spring practice winds down and Moore continues to miss practices. Moore missed his second consecutive practice on Wednesday. UF's spring scrimmage -- the Orange & Blue Debut -- is set for April 10. Will Moore be suiting up for the Gators? On Wednesday, that possibility was left unanswered by UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio.

Addazio said that Moore is dealing with "personal issues" and the coach gave no timetable for Moore's return. Calls to Moore's mother, Jackie Moore, were not returned on Wednesday evening.

Moore stormed off the practice field on Saturday and hasn't been seen since. Are we to assume that Moore's public show of emotion -- he got angry right in front of about a dozen reporters on Saturday -- and his absences since that day are related? It would unfair to Moore to jump to conclusions at this point. All that is certain is that Moore hasn't been practicing and he's not injured. Moore missed all of the 2009 season with an injured back, according to UF coach Urban Meyer. On Wednesday, when asked if Moore was having problems with his back, Addazio reiterated that Moore's problems were "personal" and not physical.

Moore is the only senior receiver on the Gators' roster. This is his final chance to contribute. How will he be remembered? To be continued ...

-jo-

Former Gator dancer Erin Andrews of ESPN does the Gator Chomp on 'Dancing With The Stars'

GAINESVILLE -- Erin Andrews, good dancer. Erin Andrews, Gator for life. Skip to the five-minute mark of this YouTube video for proof.

Former Gator Bubba Caldwell says Tim Tebow will be a great quarterback but not an elite passer

GAINESVILLE -- Former Florida Gators' receiver Bubba Caldwell of the Cincinnati Bengals doesn't think Tim Tebow will ever be an "elite passer," but Caldwell does think Tebow will have success in the NFL.

Caldwell shared his opinion on Tebow with the Bengals' official website. Here's what Caldwell said about Tebow:

"He needs time. He needs to sit behind one of those good quarterbacks for about three years because I know he's going to put in the work and the effort to be a great quarterback. He's going to learn. I don't think he's going to be an elite passer ever. But he's a playmaker. He'll get the ball there. He probably can't make the prettiest looking passes. But he's going to use what he has to his advantage--running, scrambling, making passes. He's got a strong arm and I think he can make the throws, but they may not be the prettiest."

For what it's worth, this is probably the best explanation of Tebow's abilities that I've heard. Bubba hit the nail on the head. Maybe Todd McShay should be taking notes. Being an "elite passer" is highly overrated. Tebow would much rather be known as a "great quarterback."

-jo-

Gators recruit Patric Young throws down at McDonald's All-American slam dunk contest

Gators commitment Patric Young of Jacksonville is No.21. Guard Ray McCallum (6-1) of Michigan is considering Florida.

-jo-

Another Haden likely on the way to Florida Gators via Boston College

GAINESVILLE -- Former Boston College running back Josh Haden will likely transfer to Florida, according to brother Joe Haden.

Joe Haden, the former UF cornerback, said during an interview with NFL.com that "I have a little brother. He's a running back at Boston College. He's transferring now to probably Florida." Here's a link to the video. CLICK ME! 

Josh Haden rushed for 213 yards on 58 carries and touchdown last season. He is entering his third season of eligibility and will have sit out a season if he transfer to Florida.

Jordan Haden is a true freshman safety for the Gators.

-jo-

Gators Tim Tebow shares in young couple's special moment

So, if you didn't make the trip to The Gardens Mall on Saturday, here's what you missed. According to YouTube, Tebow helped Ian Lis propose to Sarah Springer during Tebow's autograph session. Tebow had the ring for 45 minutes while the couple waited in line for a photo. Classy move, Mr. Lis! You the man!

-jo-

Gators appear to be considering I-formation. Do they have the personnel to pull it off?

FYI: If you follow me on Twitter, you pretty much know all of this stuff already. So, follow me on Twitter and all your wildest dreams will come true. www.twitter.com/JoeGoodyMiaHrld

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators' offense practiced almost exclusively out of the I-formation on Monday.

Rising redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley called plays from under center and Florida fullbacks T.J. Pridemore and Steve Wilks practiced more on Monday than I think they have in two seasons. A quick aside: Pridemore is a crazy person. Seriously, this guy is psycho on the football field. At one point during Monday's practice, he ripped off defensive end Kedric Johnson's helmet and threw it at him.

All coach Urban Meyer could do was smile.

Johnson screamed, "He is #$$&! stupid!"

Tight ends coach Brian White wasn't too concerned about Johnson's safety, but did point out to Pridemore, "Don't throw helmets! They'll kick you out of the game!"

Since this whole fullback, I-formation experiment is new for Florida, I don't really know enough about Pridemore and Wilks other than to say Pridemore definitely plays with a mean streak and Wilks appears to be a little faster than Pridemore. Of course, speed is always relative when you're talking about fullbacks.

ANYWAY, I am very intriguing by the Gators' offense this spring and you should be, too. Everyone probably likes the idea of Meyer and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio trying new things to fit the quarterbacking style of traditional passer John Brantley, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Gators have the personnel to pull it off. UF currently does not have a reliable option at tight end. That's a serious problem for any I-formation.

Redshirt freshman Jordan Reed is currently the Gators' starting tight end. Reed, who was recruited to UF as a quarterback, appears to be a superb athlete and is learning the position quickly. He made several impressive catches on Monday and even ran the Wildcat. Still, this spring is the first time he has played the position. It's a work in progress.

Reed's back-up, freshman Gerald Christian, is another young but talented player. The West Palm Beach Dwyer product is by far the strongest freshman on the team. He can bench 215 pounds 21 times, which is pretty remarkable for an early enrollee.

Another quick observation about the I-formation package before we move on. On Monday, Brantley appeared more comfortable running traditional plays from under center (passing, hand offs, play action) than the option. One of Brantley's option pitches was pretty ugly and he heard an earful from Addazio.

WHERE IS CARL MOORE?
UF fifth-year senior Carl Moore wasn't at practice on Monday.

The receiver from California is a projected starter after returning from a back injury that sidelined him last season. On Monday, Moore's position coach didn't know why his senior wasn't at practice and a UF spokesman didn't know if Moore missed practice because of an injury or something else.

Moore walked off the practice field on Saturday visibly frustrated about something. He appeared to be complaining rather loudly to a teammate.

MAJOR WRIGHT MAKES A VISIT
Former UF safety Major Wright attended practice on Monday. He was in Gainesville for the day working out for Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Wright has worked out privately for the Jets, Patriots and Browns.

-jo-

Brandon Knight still considering Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE -- There still might be a chance, Gators fans. There still might be a slim chance that UF coach Billy Donovan will land Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest point guard Brandon Knight.

A recruiting website reported last week that Knight's decision to sign with Kentucky is all but a done deal. Knight refuted that speculation on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, telling Rivals.com that he isn't favoring Kentucky or any other school.

"All my schools are balanced," said Knight, who plans on signing with either Florida, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas or Connecticut in April. Basketball's signing period begins April 14.

Knight is in Ohio practicing for the McDonald's All-America game. He was recently named the national Gatorade Player of the Year for second consecutive season. Knight did confirm a report that Florida isn't recruiting him as hard as other schools. But the 6-3 combo guard made a point to explain that Florida is still an option.

"I still have an offer," Knight said. "They're not not recruiting me. They're just trying to make sure they get a point guard before the signing period is over."

Florida desperately needs to sign a point guard in 2010. The Gators currently have three guards on their roster, but only two -- returning starters Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton Jr. -- contributed significantly to the team this season. The situation became more dire when sophomore Ray Shipman made the decision last week to transfer.

With Knight still undecided, Donovan can't afford to focus his recruiting efforts solely on one player. Knight seemed to respect that situation on Sunday. 

"I don't feel anything is wrong with it," he said. "It's smart. As a head coach, you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket and not end up with anything. They just don't feel as strongly as they did before. Since they're the hometown school, they thought I would have signed early or something of that nature. I'm not exactly sure."

-jo-

Identity crisis on Florida Gators' offense

Just in case anyone missed today's Sunday Focus in the Herald. CLICK ME!

-jo-

It's the Urban-Meyer-write-your-own-cutline game! Fun for all Gators and non Gators alike.

 
Florida coach Urban Meyer after practice on Wednesday: "Say what!?! Oh no you didn't!"

-jo-

RECRUITING: Gators Urban Meyer busy dishing out the scholarship offers at quarterback

GAINESVILLE -- Here's an initial list of high school quarterbacks to keep an eye on this season. Florida has reportedly offered each of these players a scholarship. UF's biggest need next season will be at quarterback, in my opinion.

Braxton Miller (Huber Heights, Ohio)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 199
Offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, LSU, Miami (Fl), Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, etc...
Thoughts: Miller is a prototypical dual-threat quarterback for Huber Heights Wayne High. Huber Heights is a suburb of Dayton. Florida was late to offer Miller but Meyer has been recruiting him hard ever since. Ohio State is the favorite here. Miller is reportedly visiting Florida around April 10 for the spring game.

Christian LeMay (Matthews, N.C.)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 187
Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, etc...
Thoughts: LeMay should probably be considered the Gators' top target.

Teddy Bridgewater (Miami Northwestern)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 192
Offers: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fl), Ohio State, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, USC, West Virginia, etc...
Thoughts: Teddy Ball Game is the heir apparent to Jacory Harris at Miami. Good luck prying this kid away from the Hurricanes. I don't see it happening.

Kiehl Frazier (Springdale, Ark.)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 215
Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Kansas State, LSU, Memphis, Miami (Fl), Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Texas, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Western Michigan
Thoughts: Any kid from Springdale, Ark., should be considered a Razorback in waiting.

Marquise Williams (Charlotte)
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 220
Offers: Clemson, Florida, LSU, Maryland, Miami (Fl), Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Thoughts: Charlotte's anti-Chris Leak.

Max Wittek (Santa Ana, Cali.)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 205
Offers: California, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon State, South Carolina, UCLA, USC
Thoughts: Another Brian White recruiting special. This Mater Dei High quarterback seems to fit the Florida mold. It's Meyer vs. Lane Kiffin all over again!

Justin Worley (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 197
Offers: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee
 Thoughts: Looks like a John Brantley clone.

Jeff Driskel (Oviedo)
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 225
Offers: Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, FIU, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Thoughts: One of top prospects in the state.

-jo-

Is Tim Tebow a top 15 pick?

GAINESVILLE -- Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will be in Palm Beach Gardens at 1 p.m. on Saturday signing autographs at The Gardens Mall. Should you make the drive north to see Timmy? Bring your pocket book if you're interested. Tebow is selling his signature for $160 a pop. Photos with Tim are $75.

Tebow has been making the autograph circuit lately and making some pretty good cash doing it after signing a contract with an memorabilia company. Of course, Tebow hopes to become a millionaire on the first day of the NFL Draft. Will it happen? The pundits say no. Bob Tebow says yes.

Tebow's father told a Jacksonville television director this week that his son will be taken before the 16th pick. No clue where Bob came up with that number. Maybe he know something we don't. Perhaps. Or maybe he's just trying to put a little pressure on Jacksonville, which has the 10th overall pick. Either way, it's interesting that Bob Tebow would make such a statement.

When asked if Jacksonville might trade down and take Tebow later in the first round, Bob Tebow said, "He'll be gone. Somebody is going to take him."

Tebow has worked out privately for several NFL teams, including the Washington Redskins. The Redskins have the fourth overall pick. It would be the draft shock of the last decade if new 'Skins vice president and coach Mike Shanahan took Tebow at four.

Many think the idea of Tebow being drafted in the first round is preposterous. I'm not one of those people. He is worth the risk when you take into account his work ethic, leadership abilities and fan following. He's durable, he's a lightning rode of positive emotions, he makes the people around him better and the guy is already more marketable than most of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Oh, and did I mention he started three seasons for the University of Florida, graduated with honors, beat Sam Bradford head-to-head in the 2009 national championship game and was statistically one of the most efficient passers in college football. News flash: NFL teams like efficiency.

If his father is correct, and Tebow will be gone after the 15th pick, here's where I think Tebow will be drafted. If Jacksonville doesn't take him with the 10th pick then Tebow will go to Seattle at 14. Go ahead, call me crazy, but Pete Carroll is starting over in Seattle and I'd be willing to bet he'd like to do it with Tebow. 

-jo-

Gators QB John Brantley back at practice after bout with strep throat and likes that Meyer defends his players

GAINESVILLE -- UF assistant coach Steve Addazio told reporters on Friday that he had strep throat.

Obviously, my question was "So, you got Brantley sick?"

Addazio was quick to clarify.

"No!" he said. "He got me sick!"

Addazio said on Friday that both Brantley and Marcus Gilbert had strep throat this week. Brantley was back at practice on Friday and looking good. Gilbert of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas is still out. Addazio said that Gilbert sits too close to him during team meetings and described Gilbert as "so germy."

Brantley looked really good on Friday. His favorite targets were Deonte Thompson, Stephen Alli and Chris Rainey (Oh, by the way, Chris Rainey was back on Friday as well). At one point, those three receivers were lining up with the first team. Don't look into that too much, though. Plenty can change between now and ... Saturday. The Gators will scrimmage on Saturday morning. There will not be an player availability for reporters afterwards.

Players were, however, made available on Friday and Brantley was asked about UF coach Urban Meyer's conversation with an Orlando Sentinel reporter.

"Coach Meyer has our back and that's what you want to see out of your coaches," Brantley said. "We trust our coaches and they trust us and that's what we want to see."

A few observations...

-Stephen Alli is only a redshirt freshman but this guy is looking great in practice. I think the staff is really trying to find a spot for him this fall.

-Senior cornerback Moses Jenkins made some great plays on Friday. He's currently running with the first-team defense.

-Fans were waiting for Urban Meyer after practice. Meyer left through the side gate.

-Chris Rainey looked great at slot receiver on Friday. One of his cuts made true freshman Matt Elam fall on his face. Elam is trying to learn the nickel back position.

-First-team defensive end Justin Trattou told me that he worked out all offseason with defensive tackle Omar Hunter and that Hunter is in the best shape of his life. Trattou is looking good as well.

-Addazio said that seven offensive linemen are either hurt or sick. The seven: Maurice Hurt, Kyle Koehne, Carl Johnson, Marcus Gilbert, Matt Patchan, Sam Robey and David Young.

-Safety Josh Evans was on crutches on Friday.

-Dee Finley looks to be a quick study at linebacker.

-Safety Ahmad Black appears to be one of the main defensive leaders this spring. The players look up to him and he's very vocal in practice. Black said that returning for his senior season was an easy decision.

-jo-

National media frenzy about Urban Meyer a good thing for Gators

GAINESVILLE -- As predicted, the national media is hammering Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer for his conversation with an Orlando Sentinel reporter. If you think all the negative press is a bad thing, you're wrong. The old adage applies here: All press is good press.

Florida Gators football is the most interesting thing going right now in college football. It's spring, for crying out loud. Spring football is usually so boring. Not in Gainesville. In Hogtown, the buzz around spring practice sounds like a chainsaw. Here's a sampling of all the press Florida is receiving today:

BULLYING THREATS ALL PART OF MEYER'S GAME PLAN by FoxSports.com

URBAN MEYER OWES ORLANDO SENTINEL WRITER JEREMY FOWLER AN APOLOGY, by the San Francisco Chronicle

FLORIDA GATORS COACH CONFRONTS ORLANDO SENTINEL REPORTER OVER DEONTE THOMPSON QUOTE, by the New York Daily News

URBAN MEYER ISSUES NEW RULES FOR MEDIA, ESPN.com Page 2

MEYER WRONG -- AGAIN -- IN CONFRONTATION WITH REPORTER, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SO MUCH FOR EASING BACK INTO THINGS, ESPN.com blogger

FLORIDA COACH THREATENS REPORTER OVER RECEIVER QUOTES, Chicago Sun-Times

MEYER GETS MAD, Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

MEYER'S BULLY ACT EMBARRASSES FLORIDA, Fanhouse.com

URBAN MEYER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, Topeka Capital-Journal

URBAN MEYER: THE SMOKE MONSTOR OF COLLEGE SPORTS, Fanhouse.com

DID URBAN MEYER GO TOO FAR?, Birmingham News

URBAN MEYER VERBALLY ATTACKS NEWSPAPER REPORTER AFTER FLORIDA PRACTICE, USA Today

FLORIDA NEEDS TO CONTEMPLATE URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAM, Fanhouse.com

What do all these headlines tell us? Well, for starters, it tells us that Fanhouse.com needs a content editor. Seriously, do three columnists really need to weigh in on this one topic? Besides that, it tells us that Florida is the most talked about college football team in the country.

You know who's not ripping Meyer right now? Florida fans. That's all that really matters, right? During the Canes' heyday, did all the negative national press hurt UM? No, it actually fueled UM's success. The same logic applies here.

-jo-

Broward's Brombacher pitches perfect game for Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE -- Before we begin another day of overanalyzing Urban Meyer's WWF smack down of now famous and soon to be First Amendment hero/martyr/saint Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel, let's take a moment to point out some news that actually means something. That's right, folks, Stephanie Brombacher of the Florida Gators softball team pitched a perfect game on Thursday night.

The Plantation American Heritage grad faced 15 batters and sat them all down in a five-inning, 10-0 victory against South Florida. Brombacher's performance comes at an important time for 13th-ranked Florida (21-3, 4-1 SEC). The Gators travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend for a three-game series against the fifth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (22-7). Saturday's 2:30 p.m. game will be on ESPNU. Two wins against Alabama would likely move Florida into second place in the Southeastern Conference (behind LSU).

Brombacher (17-3) needed just 56 pitches to retire her 15 batters on Thursday. It was the first perfect game for a Florida pitcher in six years. The junior right-hander struck out five USF Bulls to give her 116 strikeouts on the season.

-jo-

Sophomore Josh Evans likely out for the spring

GAINESVILLE -- Lost in the all the sword fighting of Wednesday post-practice nonsense was some pretty important news. Sophomore defensive back Josh Evans is likely out for the spring with a left knee injury, according to a team official.

The extent of the injury is unknown, but Evans of New Jersey went down at the beginning of Monday's practice during light contact drills. Losing Evans is a blow for the Gators. He was a solid contributor and expected to compete for a spot on the Gators' two-deep depth chart this fall. He still will, but his knee injury might be a minor set back.

-jo-

Video of Urban Meyer outburst

So, here's the video of Urban Meyer's exchange with an Orlando Sentinel reporter. Nice work by photographer Steve Johnson (soon to be a Miami Herald summer intern) for recording the action. Like I wrote before, the incident is not has bad as people are making it out to be. Should have been handled privately and without the threats, but I'm pretty sure Urban isn't going to try and prevent a newspaper from covering his team regardless of what's written. That would be a dumb move.

'High-major schools' already reaching out to the Ray Shipman network; Miami in play

GAINESVILLE -- Several "high-major schools" have already contacted Miami Monsignor Pace coach Mark Lieberman about adding Ray Shipman to their rosters. Shipman announced his intentions to transfer from the University of Florida on Wednesday.

The bottom line here is that with his athleticism and good grades, Shipman will have plenty of options in the coming weeks. But knowing Shipman, he'll probably stay close to home. Expect the Shipman family to strongly consider the University of Miami. Miami has already contacted Lieberman and Shipman Sr. about adding the sophomore guard.

Lieberman called Miami a "viable option" on Thursday. Expect more about the Shipman story from Herald reporter Barry Jackson, as Gator Clause has now passed the Shipman baton back to South Florida.

-jo-

My take on Urban Meyer's outburst

GAINESVILLE -- Urban Meyer is a smart man. He's one of the best coaches in the business. Maybe THE best. Those have been my opinions about Meyer since I began covering the Florida Gators nearly four years ago. Those opinions were reaffirmed on Wednesday when he publicly confronted a reporter about a story regarding receiver Deonte Thompson.

What was written and who wrote it and what newspaper the guy worked for: all that stuff isn't important. At least not to Meyer. You know what's important to Meyer? His football team. And right now -- this spring -- they're young, searching for confidence, searching for starters, searching for leaders, banged up at key positions, new coaches, questions lingering about Meyer's health, new quarterback, no more Tim Tebow, no more Brandon Spikes, no more Joe Haden. Basically, it's a mess of really talented but young players trying to figure out how to be a team. Meyer simply helped the process along on Wednesday. He provided a spark. He gave his Gators something to rally behind. It's us against them, gentlemen, good guys vs. bad guys, and I got your backs.

In reality, is that the case? Is a reporter really a "bad guy," as Meyer so strategically put it. No, of course not. They're just guys covering sports, doing their jobs, selling papers, getting hits. But reality, or perspective, is an interesting thing. One guy's reality is not the next guy's reality. Meyer is very good -- no, great; like Patton-esque -- at shaping his players' realities. So sorry the fall guy had to be a reporter. As one American writer so wryly put it, so it goes.

The media will likely hammer Meyer on Thursday about Wednesday's outburst. That's just the way it works. We all know this and Meyer knows this, too. He's smart. Oh, so smart. Time to circle the wagons, boys. Players were not made available for interviews on Wednesday and probably won't be for awhile. Instead, Meyer made himself available. What Meyer did wasn't out of line. It was out of character, but certainly not out of line. He didn't swear. He didn't raise his voice. Most of the stuff he said wasn't true, but when has that ever mattered. Meyer was just being a leader for a team that needs one. Welcome back.

-jo-

Florida Gators QB John Brantley misses practice with strep throat; Receiver in hospital; Urban Meyer questions/threatens reporter

GAINESVILLE -- Quickly before I write for tomorrow's paper, here's a run down of news and observations from Florida's football practice on Wednesday.

-QB John Brantley missed practice with strep throat and a fever.

-Why is freshman QB Trey Burton always getting hit? He's wearing the red jersey! That means go easy on the guy. He's pretty important.

-Brandon Spikes and Carlos Dunlap were at practice.

-Dorian Munroe was in street clothes. Says he's still hopeful he can play next season. A Florida official says it's not likely.

-Receiver T.J. Lawrence visited Shands Hospital on Wednesday to undergo tests, according to a Florida official. Specifics were not available on Wednesday afternoon.

-Players were not made available after practice. Instead, coach Urban Meyer expressed his concerns -- very publicly, I might add -- with a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel about a blog post that was written about UF receiver Deonte Thompson.

"If that was my son, we'd be going rounds right now," Meyer said.

The blog post apparently suggested that Thompson didn't like Tim Tebow's quarterbacking style. Meyer later called the reporter "a bad guy."

Meyer was attempting to protect his player from media scrutiny. At least that's how I interpreted the incident, which was very awkward. Meyer isn't known for showing much emotion, so he must have been pretty mad. It was only the second time this spring that Meyer has spoken with reporters.

Essentially, Meyer told the reporter that if he painted a Florida player in a bad light again that the Orlando Sentinel would be banned from the University of Florida.

"Be very careful," Meyer said.

-jo-

Crazy day of stories involving Florida Gators includes Tebow reportedly being told to "Shut the BLANK up!" about a prayer

GAINESVILLE -- A pretty bizarre day for the Florida Gators. Here's a run down.

1. Ray Shipman, the SEC's men's basketball scholar athlete of the year, is transferring from Florida. Shipman's father told the Miami Herald some interesting things on Wednesday. The full story will be in the print edition of The Herald on Thursday and on MiamiHerald.com later today.

2. Former UF basketball player Walter Hodge, whose jersey is hanging up in the Gators' practice gym, is apparently selling his 2006 national championship ring on ebay for $12,500.

3. According to ProFootballTalk.com, a prospect at the NFL Combine told former UF quarterback Tim Tebow to "Shut the BLANK up!" when Tebow asked a group of players to pray before taking the Wonderlic. LINK! What an absolute jerk that guy must be. Wouldn't want him on my team.

-jo-

Florida Gators Ray Shipman transferring. Is the Ivy League in his future?

[THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED]

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida guard Ray Shipman is transferring.

Ray Shipman Sr. said on Wednesday that his son is leaving Florida because coach Billy Donovan pigeon-holed him as a defensive stopper early in his career and never allowed Shipman to develop his confidence. Shipman, a former recipient of the Florida Mr. Basketball award, has been a reserve for two years. He averaged 2.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game as a sophomore. He finished his career at UF with over 50 steals.

Shipman is the fifth player to leave the program in the past two years. The list includes Jonathan Mitchell (Rutgers), Jai Lucas (Texas), Eloy Vargas (Miami Dade College) and Allan Chaney (Virginia Tech).

UF returns all five of its starters next season but Florida now only has three guards: Kenny Boynton Jr., Erving Walker and Nimrod Tishman. Tishman, a freshman from Tel Aviv, hardly ever played last season.

Shipman was named the Southeastern Conference scholar athlete of the year this season. His father said on Wednesday that his son hasn't decided on another school but might be considering one in the Ivy League.

-jo-

Florida Gators baseball moves up to No.2 in Baseball America

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida baseball team is ranked No.2 nationally this week by Baseball America after going 5-0 last week.

The Gators were previously ranked No.6 but moved up after sweeping Mississippi State over the weekend. This is the highest Florida has been ranked by Baseball America since it was ranked No.1 in 2006. Florida (16-3) hosts Florida Gulf Coast (12-6) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to Oxford, Miss., for a weekend series against No.17 Ole Miss. Florida hasn't swept the state of Mississippi since 2002.

Things you should know about the Gators' baseball team:

1. UF hasn't committed an error in the past five games.
2. Preston Tucker batted .417 against MSU. Tucker is currently ranked ninth in the SEC with a .389 batting average. He also has 19 RBI.
3. Sophomore left fielder Tyler Thompson dazzled with his glove and bat against MSU. He went 5-for-8 and made a pair of impressive defensive plays in the opener against the Bulldogs.
4. UF's pitching staff had 2.33 ERA against MSU.
5. Austin Maddox, a true freshman from Jacksonville, continues to bash the baseball. He had a three-run homer in the eighth inning of Sunday's 4-1 win against MSU. Maddox (6-3, 220 pounds) has six home runs, 27 RBI and is batting .367 with a .671 slugging percentage.
6. Maddox and Matt den Dekker of Fort Laurderdale lead the Gators with 29 hits.

-jo-

 

UF's receivers were inconsistent last season. Will the new guys be much better? Spring is a proving ground.

GAINESVILLE — We're talking receivers today. Florida has plenty this spring but they're all either unproven or unknown. To make the spring even more interesting, UF's receivers' coach is new. What's more, the quarterback is a first-year starter. In other words, there's a lot for Urban Meyer to be worried about. Zach Azzanni is the new receivers' coach. He comes from one of Michigan's directional schools (it's not important) and is replacing turncoat Billy Gonzales, who is now coaching receivers at Louisiana State. Azzanni seems like a pretty sharp guy. I interviewed him on Monday and this was the most interesting thing he said: "Coach Gonzales did a hell of a job and he was a great coach but it’s always good to give a fresh start to some people sometimes and some of these guys needed a fresh start and they were all excited about the change. Every coach has their own style and philosophy and I’ve brought some things maybe they haven’t heard before and maybe a different way of teaching the same thing Coach Gonzales did — just kind of shock them a little bit, just kind of put the shockers in their heart and got them going again. And that’s a good thing.” Note to self: Remind Azzanni to avoid heart metaphors. ANYWAY, Azzanni has his work cut out for him this season. Florida might have a lot of receivers but that doesn't necessarily mean Florida has a lot of good receivers just yet. I haven't seen any potential All-SEC pass catchers this spring (despite what I wrote on Saturday), so that means Azzanni is going to need to develop some talent between now and the fall so Florida can take full advantage of quarterback John Brantley's arm. "Everyone keeps reminding me of that," Azzanni said. "I’m excited about it, to be quite honest with you. I walked in here with a bunch of guys that want to learn and not a bunch of guys that have the answers and have played four years of football and just go no matter what. These guys are all kind of looking at me bright eyed because none of them had an extensive amount of playing time except Deonte [Thompson]. So, it’s kind of neat that I get to mold them in the way of my style and my philosophy." Last season, Florida's receivers pretty much lacked style. Last season, it seemed like all of Florida's receivers suffered through a bad cause of the yips at some point. You know what the yips are, right? The yips are an internal rash that forms on the brains of athletes and flares up, impairing hand-eye coordination, when touchdowns are imminent. Deonte Thompson, Riley Cooper and Brandon James know all about the yips. They passed it around the locker room last season like swine flu. Another form of the yips brain rash affects men when they attempt to communicate with women. Alcohol cures this form of the yips. ANYWAY, Florida's receivers were so yippy last season that the leading receiver was actually a tight end. Aaron Hernandez led the team with 68 receptions for 850 yards. That's an interesting offense, isn't it? The quarterback led the team in carries and the tight end led the team in receptions. ANYWAY, the Gators' three leading receivers from 2009 — Hernandez, Cooper and Nelson — are all gone. Thompson was Tebow's fourth option. Thompson wasn't happy with his role last season, but he did it to himself after dropping about 390 touchdown passes in the first two games. The memory of all those drops has Urban Meyer concerned this spring. Meyer has only spoken to reporters one time so far this spring but here's one of the most important things he said: "[Thompson] has got to be the man." Of course, the best way for a receiver to cure himself of brain rash is to first come to grips ... with his yips. Bada-Bing! According to Azzanni, Thompson seems to have done just that. "I can’t say enough about the way he has come out with his hunger,” Azzanni said. “He knows he hasn’t lived up to the billing. He knows that. He’s humble. He’s letting his guard down. He says, ‘Coach, coach me. I want to be the best receiver here and I want to catch all those balls I may not have caught in the fall and I want to block better and I want to run better routes. What do I need to do?'" Catch touchdowns, Deonte. Just catch touchdowns. One reporter asked Thompson on Monday if he thought his career at UF has been a disappointment so far. “I wouldn’t say a disappointment, I’d just say a lot of things didn’t go as planned,” Thompson said. “But things are going to get better here in the future.” If Thompson is an unproven receiver, then the rest of UF's receivers are simply unknown. Who will step up and win playing time? That's the big question this spring. Things are so unsettled that running back Chris Rainey has been moved to slot receiver, the position vacated by Brandon James. Ideally, the slot-receiver position would be reserved for Andre Debose, but the status of his recovering hamstring is still uncertain. Making matters worse, Rainey recently pulled his hamstring and isn't practicing. Beyond Thompson, Florida's returning receivers combined to catch 24 passes last season: Omarius Hines (14), Justin Williams (six) and Frankie Hammond Jr. (four). Hines is currently competing with Thompson for the primary wide-receiver position, the one vacated by Cooper. A rising redshirt sophomore, Hines showed glimpses of potential last season but didn't play much. Hammond Jr., another rising redshirt sophomore, has been waiting patiently for this spring as well. The other receiver position, the one Nelson manned in 2009, seems to be reserved for fifth-year senior Carl Moore, but there are no guarantees that Moore will be healthy in the fall. He suffered a back injury last year and missed the entire season. He's competing in contact drills this spring but hasn't returned to his old form, which was a still a work in progress when he injured his back. "We’re being smart with him," Azzanni said. "He hasn’t played football in a year. He’s a little rusty because he hasn’t been out here for a year, but we’re knocking some of the rust off and he’s out here every day full go." Moore is currently behind redshirt freshman Stephen Alli, the 6-5 receiver from Canada. Alli seems to have plenty of potential, but he's young. Still, he has been one of the most impressive receivers so far this spring. With Debose still recovering from his complicated surgery (hamstring tendon), the slot-receiver position is a major cause for concern. Florida didn't get much out of James last season and the offense struggled because of it. Rainey is an option but for now true freshmen Solomon Patton and Robert Clark are receiving most of the practice time at the position. Nothing is certain (other than Thompson "has to be the man"), so here's a guess at the depth chart for receivers if everyone is healthy by the preseason: 'Z' receiver (deep threat) Deonte Thompson Omarius Hines Frankie Hammond Jr. Quinton Dunbar enrollees this summer 'Y' receiver (possession receiver) Carl Moore Stephen Alli T.J. Lawrence Justin Williams Adrian Coxson enrollees this summer Slot receiver (Percy position) Andre Debose Chris Rainey Solomon Patton Robert Clark Chris Dunkley enrollees this summer -jo-

QB Brantley, receivers impressive during Florida Gators' Saturday practice

GAINESVILLE -- OK, I'll be the first one to write it: John Brantley is a better passer than Tim Tebow.

Brantley has made some incredible throws during the first few days of spring practice. He's still got a long way to go to be a better football player than Tebow, but Brantley's arm is at a different level than his predecessor. The redshirt junior-to-be had another impressive outing on Saturday, firing the ball all over the field and making pretty much every Florida receiver look like a preseason All-SEC candidate. OK, that might be an overstatement, but Brantley certainly seems to make things easy for UF's receivers.

Florida scrimmaged from 12:18 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. It was a spirited workout, chalked full of colorful commentary from senior-to-be Ahmad Black, who teamed with sophomore-to-be Jon Bostic to stuff running back Emmanuel Moody in the backfield at one point. 

"We're playing football now, boy," Black screamed at UF offensive guard Carl Johnson after the play.

"Shut your butt up," Johnson screamed back.

The offense apparently won the scrimmage, but it took them about five tries to do so. According to strength coach Mickey Marotti, the winners were awarded with Gatorade after practice while the losers were refreshed by water from a "garden hose." Some might prefer reclaimed swamp water over Gatorade, but that's a topic for a different blog post.

The highlight of the scrimmage was a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brantley to receiver Deonte Thompson. Other observations from Saturday's practice:

--Sophomore-to-be Jon Bostic lined up with the first-team defense at middle linebacker. It appears Bostic and redshirt sophomore-to-be Brendan Beal are battling for the postion, which was vacated by All-American Brandon Spikes.

--Moses Jenkins continues to line up with the first-team defense at cornerback. A senior-to-be, Jenkins appears to be competing with redshirt sophomore-to-be Jeremy Brown for Joe Haden's old position.

--Freshman cornerback Josh Evans appeared to injury his knee at the beginning of practice.

--Redshirt freshman-to-be offensive lineman Kyle Koehne did not practice on Saturday. His right arm was in a sling.

--Carl Johnson (shoulder) is not participating in spring practice.

--Defensive tackles Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh did not practice due to injuries.

--Former quarterback Jordan Reed, a redshirt freshman-to-be, is participating with the first-team offense at tight end.

--True freshman tight end Gerald Christian (6-3, 240) is already bigger than former UF tight end Aaron Hernandez. Keep an eye on Christian, he seems to be incredibly talented.

--The best receiver on Saturday was redshirt sophomore-to-be Stephen Alli. He made several impressive receptions. It's going to be tough to keep Alli (6-5, 214 pounds) off the field.

--Running back Jeff Demps watched practice in street clothes. He's focusing on outdoor track this spring. Demps recently won the indoor track national championship in the 60-meter dash.

--Emmanuel Moody better step up his game this spring. Sophomore-to-be Mike Gillislee of Deland looked good on Saturday. He's fast and tough to bring down. He broke about five tackles on one long run during the scrimmage.

--Will Hill looked comfortable at free safety. He made several impressive plays throughout the day.

--Back-up quarterback Trey Burton, a true freshman, seems to be a pretty tough kid. Burton powered his way into the end zone on the final play of the scrimmage. Redshirt sophomore-to-be offensive tackle David Young helped, pulling Burton by the helmet for the final two yards.

--Burton made one freshman mistake during the scrimmage when he trotted into the end zone on a naked bootleg. Quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler and defensive line coach Dan McCarney got in Burton's face and screamed at him through both of his helmet's ear holes about sprinting into the end zone. Burton will not be making that mistake again.

--Burton's wind-up passing motion is about as slow as Tebow's baseball delivery. Compared to Brantley's all-world arm, Burton's arm needs some work.

--Don't be surprised when Burton runs some Wildcat next fall. He's a good runner.

--Sam Robey (knee) did not practice on Saturday. Maurice Hurt appears to be the back-up center right now.

--Dee Finley has moved to linebacker.

DEPTH CHARTS

--Here's Saturday's starting offensive line, from left to right: Xavier Nixon, James Wilson, Mike Pouncey, Maurice Hurt, Marcus Gilbert.

--Saturday's first-team receivers: Deonte Thompson and Carl Moore.

--Saturday's first-team fullback: Steven Wilks.

--Saturday's first-team running back: Emmanuel Moody.

--Second-team offensive line, from left to right: David Young, Jon Halapio, Maurice Hurt, Jonotthan Harrison.

--Second-team receivers: Frankie Hammond Jr., Omarius Hines, Justin Williams.

--Second-team running back: Mike Gillislee.

--Second-team fullback: T.J. Pridemore.

--First-team defensive line, from left to right: Duke Lemmens, Jaye Howard, Omar Hunter, Justin Trattou.

-First-team linebackers: Brandon Hick (will), Jon Bostic (strong), A.J. Jones (sam)

--First-team cornerbacks: Moses Jenkins and Janoris Jenkins.

--First-team safeties: Will Hill and Ahmad Black.

--Second-team defensive line: William Green, Earl Okine, Kedric Johnson.

--Second-team linebackers: Jelani Jenkins (will), Brendan Beal (strong), Jonathan James (sam).

--Second-team cornerbacks: Jaylen Watkins and Jeremy Brown.

--Second-team safeties: Miguel Carodine and Jordan Haden.

-jo-

Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan's No.1 priority: Recruiting Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest guard Brandon Knight

OKLAHOMA CITY — The recruiting race to win the favor of Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest point guard Brandon Knight became a sprint for Florida coach Billy Donovan on Friday.

Donovan and the Florida Gators lost to Brigham Young University 99-92 on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City. Florida’s weakness was obvious. The Gators, who committed 21 turnovers, lacked depth and skill at the point-guard position. With the season now over, Donovan and his assistants will make their final recruiting push to land Knight, the nation’s top recruit, in an attempt to shore up the Gators’ backcourt. College basketball's signing period begins on April 14.

“I’ve got to do a better job, you know, providing a little bit more depth to our team,” Donovan said on Thursday. “That’s definitely something we need. We need depth in our backcourt.”

Florida began the season with one point guard, sophomore Erving Walker, after former Gators freshman Jai Lucas transferred to Texas. Walker was erratic throughout the season and on Thursday struggled in his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, committing seven turnovers and making just four of his 16 field-goal attempts.

Walker was thoroughly out played by BYU guards Jimmer Fredette, who scored 37 points, and Michael Loyd Jr., who had 26 points. Florida freshman guard Kenny Boynton Jr. scored 27 points, including 5 of 10 from three-point range, but fouled out with four minutes to play in double overtime.

“It’s hard to ask those guys to shoot the ball at the level you need them to,” Donovan said. “Where a guy like Fredette is resting and they’re using some of the other guys to really play defense. That’s what makes them a good team. They have a lot of depth.”

The Gators only lose one player (senior forward Dan Werner) from this season’s team but Walker, Boynton and sophomore Ray Shipman are the only guards expected to return next season. Adding Knight would make the Gators a contender to win the Southeastern Conference in 2011 but landing him will be difficult.

Florida has recruited Knight for several seasons but the Miami native, who grew up in Coral Springs, has given no indication that he is favoring the Gators. He is expected to choose between Florida, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Connecticut and Syracuse.

“I look at making this decision as one of the most important decisions I’ll make in my life,” Boynton recently wrote in SLAM magazine. “As a result, I am being very patient so I will make the right decision and go to a place that will best benefit me as a person, student and athlete.”

Florida’s top competitor in the Knight Sweepstakes appears to be Kentucky. With his dribble-drive offense, Wildcats coach John Calipari has a reputation for preparing point guards for the NBA. Losing Knight to Kentucky would be considered yet another recruiting defeat for Florida and Donovan, who has gone head-to-head with two Kentucky head coaches in recent years for some of the nation’s best players and lost.

In 2007, a few months after Florida won its second national title, Donovan failed to sign West Virginia prep star Patrick Patterson, who instead chose Kentucky and former UK coach Billy Gillispie. Donovan again watched another top recruit sign with Kentucky instead of Florida in 2009 when Alabama native Eric Bledsoe signed with Calipari. Bledsoe made eight three-pointers on Thursday in Kentucky’s first-round NCAA Tournament win against East Tennessee State.

“I did not know what to expect this year coming in with basically a freshman point guard in Walker, because he never played there before, and Boynton as a freshman two-guard and having no subs for those guys and really not another handler,” Donovan said.

-jo-

Knight Meter Reader Losing Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe to Kentucky has set back UF\\\'s basketball program for three years. Will that trend continue with Brandon Knight? Yes, Knight is going to Kentucky. No, Knight is staying instate and going to Florida. Knight will not sign with a team in the SEC. view results

FINAL: BYU 99, Florida 92 in double overtime

OKLAHOMA CITY — The tenth-seeded Florida Gators lost to seventh-seeded Brigham Young 99-92 in double overtime on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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UF freshman guard Kenny Boynton Jr. of Pompano Beach led the Gators with 27 points, including five three-pointes. BYU junior guard Jimmer Fredette had a game-high 35 points. Gators junior forward Chandler Parsons had 20 points and 10 rebounds. UF center Vernon Macklin had 16 points and seven rebounds.
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Fredette had back-to-back three-pointers in the second overtime to give BYU a 93-86 lead with 1:22 left. Florida had shots to win the game at the end of regulation and the first overtime but missed.
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The Gators trailed by 13 points with 12:27 left in the second half before Boynton scored 14 consecutive points for UF, cutting BYU’s lead to three with 4:36 to play. Boynton scored 18 points in the second half, including 17 in period’s final eight minutes.

#30#

SECOND OVERTIME BELOW (More Internet trouble)
Kenny Boynton fouled out with 3:57 left. BYU with first lead since 68-66. Cougars up 85-81 with 3:56 left.

FIRST OVERTIME SUMMARY BELOW
Going into the second overtime here at the Ford Center. UF and BYU are tied at 81-all. Kenny Boynton Jr. has 26 points for UF while Jimmer Fredette has 27 for BYU.

FIRST OVERTIME LIVE BLOG BELOW
--Gators fail to get off a shot on final possession. That's twice Florida has had a chance to win it at the buzzer but failed. Second-chance points saved UF in the first overtime.

--Gators playing for the final shot after an excellent defensive play from Vernon Macklin and Kenny Boyton Jr. The Gators combined to strip BYU's Jimmer Fredette with 19.4 seconds left. UF calls timeout for final shot. UF 81, BYU 81 with 19.4 left in overtime.

--Parsons with an excellent second effort to give UF an 81-79 lead with 1:20 left. BYU answers with a lay-up from Lloyd Jr. with 55.6 to go.

--Boynton with a terrible mistake with 1:35 left, dribbling the ball off his knee. Lloyd Jr. gets the steal and converts a pair of free throws. UF 79, BYU 79 with 1:23 left.

The Gators began overtime with a 4-0 run before BYU's Lloyd Jr. made a pair of free throws. UF 79, BYU 77 with 1:42 to play in overtime.

SECOND HALF SUMMARY BELOW
What an amazing effort by Florida's Kenny Boynton Jr. and his Gators in the second half to send this game into overtime.

Florida trailed 59-46 with 12:27 to play before Boynton, the star freshman from Browad County, took over the game. It was freshman Erik Murphy who started the Gators' comeback with a three-point play inside. Three-point plays became a common theme in the second half for UF. After Murphy's effort, UF had seven more three-point plays or shots.

Boynton had 18 points in the second half, including four three-pointers. On defense, Boynton played well against Jimmer Fredette, limiting the junior's looks at the end of regulation.

SECOND HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
NOTE: [LIVE BLOGGING RUINED BY POOR INTERNET IN THE FORD CENTER]

--Kenny Boynton swishes a three-pointer with 6:04 left to cut BYU's lead to four. BYU 61, UF 57. Crucn time.

Kenny Boynton's lay-up and free throw with 7:28 cut BYU's lead to 61-54 with 7:28 to play. UF barely hanging on to NCAA Tournament second-round hopes. Is it time to call the airline and change my flight out of Oklahoma City for Friday?

--Such a close game here in the second half at the Ford Center. Gators with their fifth turnover with 11:46 to play. Mistakes like that and missed free throws will send the Gators home early. BYU is 0 of 5 from three-point range in the second half. BYU 49, UF 46.

BYU's Jimmer Fredette has excellent balance and strength with the ball in his hands. Nice move to the basketball past Boynton with 15:14 left in the game. UF's Vernon Macklin carrying Gators right now. Mack with five consective points to cut BYU's lead to 47-45

--UF's Chandler Parsons with his first dunk of the game. Nice baseline move to cut BYU's lead to 43-40 with 15:56 left in the game.

--BYU's Jimmer Fredette with six straight points to begin the second half, slashing to the basketball at will to give BYU a 43-38 lead with 16:32 left in the game. Meanwhile, Florida with four turnovers already in the second half.

--Gators begin the second half in man defense and force a poor three-point shot by BYU's Emery. BYU leads UF 37-35 with 18:41 left in the first half.

Halftime stats from BYU 35, Florida 33...

FLORIDA
Pretty balanced scoring for Florida. Gators guard Kenny Boynton leads UF with eight points and three assits. Chandler Parsons has four points and four assists. Alex Tyus with four points. Erving Walker with five points and three turnovers. Dan Werner playing well with four points and plenty of hustle plays. Vernon Macklin with four points. Murphy with four points in seven minutes.

BYU
Reserve Michael Lloyd Jr. leads BYU with 10 points. Jimmer Fredette with eight points. Hartsock with six. 

FIRST HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
(this is a running commentary of the first half)
--Great play to end the first half for Florida. Parsons misses the wide-open three-pointer at the buzzer. BYU 35, Florida at the break.

Boynton fouled while shooting a three and makes free throws. BYU 35, UF 33 with 30 seconds left in first half.

--BYU with a 14-2 run after Haws' jumper with 2:49 to play in the first half here at the Ford Center. Billy Donovan called a timeout to regroup his team, which has been undone by reserve guard Michael Lloyd Jr.

--BYU's Lloyd Jr. with his own 10-0 run to give BYU a 31-28 lead with 4:14 to play in first half at the Ford Center. UF's Alex Tyus ends the run with a bucket but BYU's Hartsock nails a three-pointer. BYU 33, Florida 30 with 3:15 to play. All these with BYU's Fredette on the bench.

--Excellent back-door cut by Dan Werner to give UF a 26-21 lead with 7:38 left in the first half. Erik Murphy follows with block on one end and a lay-up on the other, UF 28, BYU 21 with 6:45 left.

--Another three-pointer, this time by Chandler Parsons, gives Florida a 24-19 lead with 7:51 left in the first half here at the Ford Center. Florida is shooting 3 of 7 from three-point range while BYU is 1 of 3 from distance. Billy Donovan did an excellent job with the scouting report. The Gators couldn't ask for more right now.

--Back to back three-pointers by Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton Jr. with 10:09 left. Gators not allowing BYU to run and Boynton playing well on Fredette.

--Important three-pointer from Erving Walker with 11:04 to play. Gators lead BYU 14-13.

--Chandler Parsons 1 of 4 from free-throw line during first nine minutes of the game. Vernon Macklin with two fouls with 11:29 to play in first half. Not good for the Gators.

--Vernon Macklin leads Florida with four points and Jimmer Fredette leads BYU with four points with 11:46 left in the first half. BYU up 13-11. BYU shooting 6 of 13 from the field while Florida is 5 of 11.

-Florida leads BYU 9-8 with 15:41 to play. Kenny Boynton Jr. is guarding BYU's Jimmer Fredette. UF's line-up after the first timeout: Parsons, Murphy, Shipman, Werner, Walker.

PREGAME PREDICTION
Florida's two-season hiatus from the NCAA Tournament is about to end. How long will the run last? We'll be blogging live during the game right here on Gator Clause.

Prediction: BYU 81, Florida 75

-jo-

Florida Gators vs. BYU: Five keys to victory

ALERT!!! If you haven't already, please sign up for this blog's NCAA Tournament pool. We're giving away a free beach shirt from the 2009 BCS national championship. It's something any Gators fan would enjoy. Everyone is welcomed to sign up! Read this link to learn how. CLICK ME!

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The Gators haven't lost a game in the NCAA Tournament in five seasons. That's pretty good. Of course, UF hasn't played a NCAA Tournament game in three seasons. That's not good.

So, what needs to happen for UF to defeat BYU in the first round on Thursday? Here's a list. We'll try to get to five but then add some filler if needed.

1. Defend the three!

This first one's a biggie. BYU can bomb from beyond the arc. The Cougars are shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range. That's pretty darn good. In fact, that's tied for the second best three-point field goal percentage in the nation. Cornell, the Ivy League champ, enters the NCAA Tournament with a 43.4 field goal percentage from three-point range.

BYU has three main threats from the perimeter: Jimmer Fredette (21.7 ppg), Emery Jackson (12.6 ppg) and Jonathan Tavernari (10.3 ppg). Fredette leads the team in three-point shooting percentage, connecting on three-pointers 44.8 percent of the time. He's a slasher but has also made 73 three-pointers this season. By comparison Florida's Kenny Boynton Jr. leads the Gators with 67 three-point field goals, but at a much success rate (28.5 percent).

Jackson leads BYU with 80 three pointers (43 shooting percentage). All told, BYU has FOUR perimeter shooters with better three-pointer field goal shooting percentages than UF's most consistent three-pointer shooter, forward Chandler Parsons (36.7 percent from three).

Meanwhile, Florida (21-12) heads to Oklahoma City, Okla., ranked 75th nationally in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents a three-point bucket 32.1 percent of the time. Boynton, Walker and likely Ray Shipman will combine to defend Fredette and Jackson. Limiting these players is key to a UF victory. BYU is shot 33 percent from three-point range in its five losses.

Here are the three-point field-goal percentages in BYU's five losses this season: Utah State 71, BYU 61 (33.3 percent); New Mexico 76, BYU 72 (42.1 percent); UNLV 88, BYU 74 (25.9 percent); New Mexico 83, BYU 81 (43.5 percent); UNLV 70, BYU 66 (37.5 percent). Fredette

2. Own the boards!

Here's another area where Florida can ulimately limit the Cougars number of three-point shots. BYU's leading rebounder, 6-8 forward Noah Hartsock, is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Florida's Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons and Vernon Macklin are averaging more rebounds per game than Hartsock. BYU doesn't miss as many shots as Florida, but when they do on Thursday, Florida must get to the ball first.

3. Don't be satisfied!

Florida coach Billy Donovan spoke passionately about this topic on Monday. His message to the team this week is to not be satisfied with simply making the NCAA Tournament. That's not the goal. The goal is to win games.

4. Turnovers!

Florida is forcing an average of 15.3 turnovers during wins and 11 turnovers during losses. For a team like UF, every turnover makes a difference.

5. Use the bench, Billy!

In Florida's 21 wins, Ray Shipman and Erik Murphy have averaged more minutes off the bench than in UF's 12 losses.

-jo-

Free 2009 BCS championship gear up for grabs with Gator Clause NCAA Tournament pool. Join now! It's free and you can cheat!

GAINESVILLE -- OK, if you're a loyal reader of Gator Clause, then you should know the drill by now. If you're new to the game, then listen up! It's time to give away cool Gators-related gear for free!

Enter the Official Gator Clause March Madness Pool and you could be the owner of a 2009 BCS championship buttondown beach shirt. That's right, folks. Gator Clause received this gift when we covered the Florida Gators win against Oklahoma and we never wore it. Instead, we put it away and saved it for Gators fans during March Madness. For the price of admission (and the price of admission is FREE!) you could wow all of your co-workers and friends with a piece of history! The tags are still on the shirt! It's old but it's new! It's throwback for free!

Last year's tournament give away went beautifully and some lucky Gators fan from Pennsylvania rocked a 2009 BCS championship hat featuring, no lie, the gopher from the movie Caddyshack. I would contend that this year's prize is even better. Here's all you have to do to win the shirt: Enter the Official Gator Clause March Madness Pool and click on my blog about 150 times a day (or once) and leave thought-provoking comments from time to time.

Here's the link to enter the Official Gator Clause March Madness Pool! CLICK ME! When you get to the link, click on "Join a Group" and search/enter/find the group named "Gator Clause". The group ID number is 102246. The group password (now this part is important) is "donovan". Make sure it's lowercase. Have fun and best of luck. Create as many brackets as you like. I don't care if you cheat. In fact, I encourage it!

-jo-

Florida Gators dancing!

GAINESVILLE — They didn’t finish strongly, but the Florida Gators did enough. UF is going back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2006 and 2007.

Florida (21-12) received the No.10 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional on Sunday and will play No.7-seeded Brigham Young (29-5) on Thursday in Oklahoma City. A win in the first round and Florida will face either No.2-seeded Kansas State, the runner-up in the Big 12 Conference tournament, or No.15-seeded North Texas, winners of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

“We’re very, very excited, and grateful for the opportunity,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said in a press release after CBS’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show. “I’m most excited for our players having a chance to experience this, for most of them this is something they haven’t been through yet.”

Gators senior forward Dan Werner and redshirt junior center Vernon Macklin are the only players on the Gators’ roster who have experienced the NCAA Tournament. Werner was a little-used reserve in 2007 when Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer led the Gators to the Final Four in Atlanta and defeated Greg Oden’s Ohio State in the championship game. Macklin was a reserve at Georgetown before transferring to Florida two seasons ago.

“We’re all excited to be in the NCAA Tournament,” Werner said in a press release. “It’s such a great feeling. That being said, now we need to turn our focus to BYU and need to come with the right mindset and take full advantage of this opportunity.”

The Gators’ at-large bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament is especially sweet for Werner, who has been criticized by fans for his role in the Gators’ 0-3 losing streak to end the regular season. Florida left Nashville, Tenn., on Friday dejected after losing to Mississippi State in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. It had been speculated that the loss to Mississippi State, coupled with the large number of upsets in other conference championship games, would combine to keep Florida out of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee had other plans for the Gators, though. Florida shares its No.10 seed along with two other teams that received at-large bids, Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Missouri of the Big 12. Those No.10-seeded teams were considered destined for the NCAA Tournament before the conference tournaments began.

“It was a stressful 48 hours not knowing if we were in or out,” Florida junior forward Chandler Parsons said in a press release. “We’re really excited to be a part of it. For most of us it’s our first experience with the NCAA Tournament.”

Florida made the NCAA Tournament while SEC members Mississippi State (23-11) and Ole Miss (21-10) did not. The Gators defeated Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., during the regular season and UF defeated Mississippi State at home. After dispatching Florida in the SEC Tournament, Mississippi State went on to knock off No.20 Vanderbilt in the semifinals. The Bulldogs lost to No.2 Kentucky in overtime of the SEC tournament championship game on Sunday.

After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009, Florida beefed up its non-conference schedule this season. That change in philosophy appeared to help Florida earn its at-large bid on Sunday. Florida defeated three teams this season with a top 50 RPI rating: Michigan State, Florida State and Tennessee. Florida also played Richmond, Xavier and Syracuse, non-conference opponents now in the NCAA Tournament.

"Probably a couple of years ago, we weren't even in position to beat a Michigan State or a Florida State or go on the road and win some of the games that we've won," Donovan said. "This team has certainly played a much, much more difficult schedule and probably as difficult a schedule as we've played in quite some time."

-jo-

Did the Florida Gators do enough to make the NCAA Tournament?

It couldn't have gone much worse for Florida on Friday night in Nashville. Mississippi State defeated the Gators 75-69 but it really wasn't that close.

Did Florida need to win on Friday to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament or did Billy Donovan's Gators already have a bid locked up before the game? I think the Gators are headed to the NIT. Plenty of others think differently.

We'll have another blog post on Saturday night or Sunday morning about what NCAA Tournament selection committee might be considering when analyzing UF's season. For now, here are the Cliff Notes:

1. UF has three wins against teams with an RPI better than 50: Tennessee, Michigan State and Florida State.
2. UF somehow lost to South Alabama at home.
3. The Gators beefed up their non-conference schedule this season in the hopes of impressing the NCAA. UF lost to Xavier, Richmond and Syracuse.

-jo-

Florida Gators face Mississippi State on Friday with at-large bid possibly in the balance

The easy part is over: Florida 78, Auburn 69 on Thursday in Nashville in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. Now comes the game the Florida Gators have failed to win in the previous two seasons -- the one that will earn them an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

That's the scenario for Friday's game against Mississippi State if you're one of the observers who thinks Florida needed to win two games in the SEC tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. Count me in that group. (In terms of making the NCAA Tournament, a win against pathetic Auburn did absolutely nothing to help Florida except keep hope alive.) Tipoff against Mississippi State is set for 7:30 p.m. in Nashville.

Mississippi State (21-10) is the SEC West's top-seeded team. After defeating Auburn, the Gators are now 7-0 this season against the SEC West. The Gators defeated the Bulldogs 69-62 early this season.

"[Mississippi State] is a tough team," Parsons said. "They're a really good team. Obviously, they watched our game tonight. We're just going to have to get back to the hotel and get some rest. We know it's going to be a tough challenge, but we're up for it. We know what [Jarvis Varnado] is capable of doing. The big thing for us is to keep defending and doing the physical plays, and offense will come."

On Thursday, Florida (21-11) looked impressive against an Auburn team that might have been playing for the job security of its coach, Jeff Lebo. Rumors are swirling around the SEC that Lebo might be out at Auburn after this season. The Tigers move into a new $90 million arena next season.

The Gators dominated Auburn inside and defensively UF held Tigers guard Tay Waller, AU's leading scorer, to zero points. Those were the keys to the game. The win snapped Florida's three-game losing streak to end the regular season. 

UF forward Alex Tyus led the Gators with 24 points. He scored 21 in UF's SEC tournament loss to Auburn last season. Chandler Parsons had 21, including 3 of 4 from three-point range. Vernon Macklin scored 10. Florida point guard Erving Walker was 0 of 4 from the field but did make 6 of 6 from the free-throw line and had six assists and only one turnover. As a team, Florida only had seven turnovers.

Freshman point guard Kenny Boynton Jr. entered the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament with just two three-pointers in his last two games. He made three three-pointers on Thursday. Overall, Florida shot 46.7 percent (7 of 15) from behind the arc.

Auburn cut Florida's lead to five points with 1:40 left in the game when Boynton made his third three-pointer of the night. Parsons followed the three-pointer with a driving lay-up to put the game away. Earlier in the second half, Mississippi State cut Florida's lead to 42-41 before Boynton made a pair of three-pointers during a 8-0 Florida run.

-jo-

Do you want a 96-team NCAA Tournament? Billy Donovan does and so do I.

The Florida Gators take on Auburn at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. The Gators probably need to win to keep alive the hope of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Check back here after the game for my thoughts on the contest.

Before tipoff, I wanted to get some feedback from basketball fans on whether or not they support a 96-team playoff. Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan supports the idea, which is being considered by the NCAA. What do fans want? I'm all for it, but maybe not for the same reasons as Donovan. Here's a link to Donovan's perspective. From my perspective, an expanded bracket could get more mid-majors into the tournament. Here's how:

The NCAA Tournament should only be expanded to 96 teams if more smaller schools are given the chance to participate. How do you make this fair? By giving all regular-season conference champions an automatic bid. This would allow more mid majors an opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament. A positive spin-off of this new rule would also make college basketball's regular season more relevant.

Thoughts welcomed. Leave a comment.

In other news, former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow scored a 22 on the Wonderlic, according to the Palm Beach Post. Thoughts? I don't see this hurting his draft status. The national average (for all prospective employees and not just football players) is 21.

-jo-

Gators fall to No.6 despite road wins at Miami

GAINESVILLE -- Here's an example of just how competitive college baseball can be in the state of Florida. The Gators won two of three games this weekend at Miami's Mark Light Field but fell one spot in the national rankings thanks to Florida State.

Florida was ranked No.6 nationally by Baseball America on Monday. FSU was No.5 and Miami was No.20. The Gators (7-2) lost to Florida State early last week and FSU (10-0) swept Georgia this weekend.

Congrats to UF sophomore Tommy Toledo, who pitched five scoreless innings on Sunday against the Canes. Toledo, a promising right-hander out of high school, missed all of 2009 with a shoulder injury. After surgery and nearly a year of rehab, Toledo is back on the mound and has a 2-0 record in three starts. He leads the UF pitching staff in innings pitched (13.2) and strikeouts (16) and has a 1.98 ERA.

Florida senior centerfielder Matt den Dekker of Fort Lauderdale currently leads the team with a .409 batting average.

-jo-

Top five reasons the Gators men's basketball team has struggled since 2007 and eight reasons there is hope for the future

GAINESVILLE -- There's more to the current struggles of the Florida men's basketball team than just losing its six best players off a national championship team three years ago ... (in order of importance, according to me)

1. Leadership: The 2006 and 2007 championship teams had it all, but what they had in abundance was leadership. Joakim Noah demanded everyone's best effort. He pulled it out of each player. Since Noah left for the NBA, a leader has failed to emerge at UF. Chandler Parsons is currently the closest thing to a vocal leader on the Gators' team. The only thing Alex Tyus and Joakim Noah have in common is bad hair. I currently see absolutely no substance to Alex Tyus. He just doesn't seem to care. Maybe he'll figure things out in the offseason (or, better yet, before the SEC tournament). Here's to hoping.

2. Attrition: Between players always leaving and assistant coaches always leaving, it's amazing the basketball team has won at least 20 games each season since 2007. Consider this starting line-up: G Nick Calathes, G Kenny Boynton Jr., F Chandler Parsons, F Marreese Speights, C Vernon Macklin. That's a pretty good starting five with Alex Tyus, Erik Murphy, Dan Werner, Jai Lucas/Erving Walker and Ray Shipman coming off the bench. But Speights left for the NBA after his sophomore season (2008) and Calathes left for Greece after his sophomore season (2009). It's hard to build a good team when your best players are leaving after their sophomore seasons. Now, instead of being a role player in his freshman season, Kenny Boynton Jr. is being relied upon to be an instant star. He wasn't ready for that. That brings us to ...

3. Recruiting: Missing on Patrick Patterson in 2007 really set back the program a couple seasons. Missing on Eric Bledsoe in 2009 has seemingly had the same effect. Amazingly, both of those players are at Kentucky. Kentucky is currently one of the best teams in the country and is being led by a first-year head coach whose programs get busted for cheating everywhere he goes! Meanwhile, Florida has had to settle for players like Nimrod Tishman, who seems to be a complete waste of a scholarship. Sad, I know. Maybe Nimrod can learn how to play a little defense and prove me wrong. Here's to hoping, but it seems more likely that Nimrod is just the latest in a long list of players who didn't or haven't developed properly or were just complete recruiting misses: Jon Mitchell, Adam Allen, Eloy Vargas, Kenny Kadji (final verdict still pending) and even Dan Werner and Ray Shipman to lesser degrees. As result of all these recruiting misses and busts, the Gators' bench is extremely thin. The team only has one point guard and the only quality power forward on the team is Macklin, a transfer from Georgetown.

4. Confidence/Toughness/Desire/Talent: Dan Werner is the toughest player on the Gators' team, perhaps because he's the only link between UF now and UF in its glory years, when UF was the toughest team in the nation. But what Werner has in toughness and desire, he unfortunately lacks in overall talent. Name one player on the Gators' team who could start for Kentucky? Name one player on the Gators' team who could start for Vanderbilt? If the Florida-Vanderbilt game had been played on a neutral court, UF would have lost by 20. Just like the Florida-Tennessee game, it seemed like the refs (meaning the SEC) did everything possible to get Florida a win to improve its NCAA Tournament resume. Even then, UF couldn't get it done. That's just a lack of confidence/toughness/desire/talent, with talent being the least important.

5. Injuries: Kenny Kadji and Adam Allen have both been injured the entire season. Allen's career really never got going. Kadji's development has stalled because of a bad back. Injuries are a poor excuse. Every program has injuries.

Obviously, I've been pretty critical here with this blog post, but you know what? At least it shows that someone cares. Caring is a good thing. Maybe that's the reason these rumors of Donovan leaving Florida keep popping up? Not enough people care about Florida basketball. Can you image the negative press Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas would be receiving right now if those programs were in a position to miss the NCAA Tournament three years in a row?

Now that I've laid out the reasons why Florida has fallen off since 2007, it's time to outline the reasons why there is hope for the future.

1. Billy Donovan is still one of the best coaches in the country. He's had a tough run of late, but it's not like the program is in complete disarray. Keeping Donovan at Florida is the most important thing for the program's long-term success.

2. The team loses one significant player after this season, Werner. There are some good players returning. Chandler Parsons seems to be on the verge of having an All-SEC season as a senior. He should not even consider leaving Florida for the pros after this season. The same goes for Vernon Macklin, who will be a senior next season.

3. Kenny Boynton Jr. has had a decent season as a freshman. He needs to work on his shooting, but his overall defense and effort has been good. Boynton should make a significant jump in development next season if he dedicates himself to improving his shot in the offseason.

4. Point guard Erving Walker needs some help in the backcourt. Donovan must sign a quality point guard this offseason. Landing Brandon Knight, or someone of that caliber, should be a top priority. Can Nimrod Tishman develop his game enough this offseason to contribute off the bench next season? If he can't, then cut him loose and recruit another combo guard.

5. Alex Tyus is a pretty good player but he must demand more of himself. He should be the leader of this team. Anything else is unacceptable. He should start his transformation by shaving his head. Make a big deal about. Hold a ceremony at midcourt in the O'Dome.

6. There is still hope for Ray Shipman and Kenny Kadji but it's going to take a lot of work. Shipman and Kadji need to train like madmen this offseason. Eight hours a day. Every day. Sprints, running, shooting, lifting, eating properly. No more trips back to Miami for Shipman -- just shooting drills, sprints, shooting drills, stadium steps and even more shooting drills when he's dog tired. Shipman can be a good player if he puts in the work. Kadji needs to transform his body after he returns from his back surgery. More importantly, Kadji must transform his attitude. Get nasty. Get mean. Get junkyard-dog tough. Get in touch with Al Horford.

7. The same goes for Vernon Macklin. Your future as a basketball player is on the line, Vernon. Work harder than Tim Tebow this offseason and you might (MIGHT!) be able to make it in the pros. Talent means nothing if you don't put in the work.

8. Forward Erik Murphy appears to have the potential to develop into a solid player and Florida will gain some much-needed frontcourt depth with the addition of Jacksonville-area recruit Patric Young (6-8, 220 pounds).

Florida can challenge Kentucky next season for the SEC title, but it's going to take discipline over the offseason from players like Shipman and Kadji, toughness from players like Parsons, Macklin and Boynton and leadership from players like Tyus and Walker. Oh, and one or two guards who can come in and contribute immediately.

-jo-

Loss to Vandy leaves Gators with difficult scenarios to make NCAA Tournament

GAINESVILLE -- It was difficult to watch, it made Gators fans sick to their stomachs, but Tuesday night's loss to Vanderbilt wasn't the death of the Florida Gators basketball season. Nope. Death could come more slowly.

The loss to No.13 Vanderbilt on Tuesday at O'Connell Center didn't lock the Gators out of the NCAA Tournament but it certainly made things much more difficult for coach Billy Donovan and his talent-strapped band of hard-working plucksters. There seem to be three main scenarios by which the Gators can still play their way into the NCAA Tournament. Here they are:

1. Get lucky in Kentucky.

2. The more likely scenario: Lose to the Kentucky on Sunday, but then defeat Mississippi State in the second round of the SEC Tournament next week. This game would likely be a play-in game to the NCAA Tournament, at least that's what the Gators are hoping. It won't be easy. Florida plays on Thursday evening while Mississippi State will have a first-round bye. Upsets during conference-championship week could keep the Gators out of the NCAA Tournament. At this point, UF will be rooting for teams like Butler and Siena.

3. Music City Miracle: Somehow win the SEC Tournament.

-jo-

Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden isn't fast? This is why I hate the NFL Combine!

GAINESVILLE -- Joe Haden ran a 4.57 today at the NFL Combine. This was covered like a natural tragedy on the NFL Network. Now everyone thinks Joe Haden is slow. This is why I hate the NFL Combine.

Joe Haden ran a crummy 40 time, according to people who know all things about 40 times and are experts at understanding how a straight-line sprint of 40 yards translates to the football field. Those same people would have wet themselves if Wondy Pierre-Louis had worked out at the NFL Combine. "Who is this guy?" they would say. "He has ALL the skills to be an amazing cornerback in the NFL. Someone sign this man to a contract!"

Folks, Joe Haden is not slow by any standard or any measure. In fact, Joe Haden was one of the fastest players on the University of Florida football team last season. I can remember vividly watching the team run conditioning sprints during practice and thinking, Haden is beating everyone and it looks like he's hardly trying. Joe Haden is so naturally fast and athletic that he arrived at Florida as a quarterback, switched to cornerback during the preseason and was starting at corner as a true freshman. Sure, he was rough around the edges back then, but he was so fast that it didn't matter. Now he's slow? Wrong. This is why I hate the NFL Combine.

Another reason why I hate the NFL Combine: So, Tim Tebow apparently had a good effort in the vertical jump, 38.5 inches. Apparently, that's the best vertical ever by a quarterback. Even better than Michael Vick. Now you're trying to tell me that Tebow is a better athlete than Michael Vick? Are you nuts? Get a grip people. This is why I hate the NFL Combine. Since when does it matter how high a quarterback can jump? Is Tebow going to jump-pass on every down?

-jo-

Dan Werner, SHOOT OR PASS; Chandler Parsons, GET'N FANCY

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida men's basketball team has two games left in the regular season against the two best teams in the Southeastern Conference.

A win against either Vanderbilt (7 p.m. Tuesday) or Kentucky (noon Sunday) would strengthen the Gators' NCAA Tournament resume. A win against both would help the Gators' seeding. A loss against both would leave Florida 0-3 to finish the season and 5-5 in its last 10 games. UF went 3-7 in 2008 and missed the tournament. UF went 4-6 in 2009 ... and missed the tournament. Seems like finishing flat is frowned upon.

Of course, knocking off Kentucky in Lexington on the final day of the regular season seems unlikely for the Gators. That means one thing: UF need to upset Vanderbilt at the O'Connell Center on Tuesday. Dan Werner's NCAA Tournament hopes might depend on it.

ABOUT THE LOSS TO GEORGIA...

I'm not into bashing college athletes, especially dudes as seemingly generous as Werner, so that's not going to happen here. Should Dan Werner have taken the shot at the end of the game against Georgia or passed it? Considering the situation, a shot certainly seemed like an option.

Werner passed it, a Georgia defender made a nice play and the Gators lost. Time ran out. Georgia 78, Florida 76. Maybe that was the play UF coach Billy Donovan drew up, for Werner to pass. Either way, the ball was in the hands of the only senior on the team with the game on the line. That's usually a good thing.

The loss to Georgia, the worst team in the SEC East, makes Tuesday's game against Vandy all the more important. Vanderbilt manhandled UF earlier this season in Nashville and, considering Tennessee's victory against Kentucky over the weekend, the Gators could use a quality win. Of the four teams in the SEC East with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, Florida seems like the team on the bubble.

Tennessee is currently ranked 14 in the RPI, according to RealTimeRPI.com. Florida is 46.

CHANDLER PARSONS, GET'N FANCY ...

-jo-