Alligator Army

Gators Can't Clinch NCAA Bid In 75-69 Loss To Mississippi State

2010-03-13T03:14:22Z

Florida had four chances to win one game and clinch an NCAA bid, but were 0-4 in those games, finishing with tonight's 75-69 loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Quarterfinals. UF will have to sweat out Selection Sunday while Miss State gets a chance to steal the SEC's fourth and possibly final NCAA invite.

The Gators (21-12) could not defend the 3-point line or score inside early as the Bulldogs (22-10) did everything right in the first half. Miss State led by as much as 19 before UF slowly came back, shrinking the lead to three points with 27 seconds left. However, the moment that will stick out to most UF fans came 20 seconds earlier, when UF was down by four.

Chandler Parsons pulled down one of his seven rebounds to start a fast break for the Gators. Wide open in the right wing corner was Dan Werner. But like a bad wide receiver, Werner ran before he caught the outlet pass, and the ball sailed through his hands and out of bounds. Werner finished with 3 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes. As much has he gets the scorn of Florida fans, it was Billy Donovan's mistake to again have Werner in during an important part of the game. Werner has demonstrated he cannot be trusted and can't handle the ball late. Donovan should get as much blame as Werner.

One play does not make a game and if UF does not make the tournament, they can point to the 7 of 22 shooting performance by Florida's forwards. Parsons eventually got to double figures with 10 points, but Miss State destroyed Werner (1-5 shooting), but especially Alex Tyus (5pts, 2-5 shooting) and Vernon Macklin (3pts, 1-3 shooting). Tyus was especially bad, chucking jumpers and getting stripped down low. This was in contrast to Jarvis Varnado (15pts, 4reb, 4blk), Kodi Augustus (10pts) and Romero Osby (8pts). Miss State also shot 10 of 20 from 3-point range, with all three starting guards in double figures.

Kenny Boynton (23pts, 8-16 shooting) and Erving Walker (19pts, 6-12 shooting) worked very hard to get their numbers. Boynton and Walker were also the only players willing to challenge Miss State's inside guys with high risk/high reward drives to the basket.

The most disappointing thing about tonight's game was that once again, Florida got outplayed in a must win game. Losing to a more talented team like Kentucky is one thing, but Miss State is no better or worse than the Gators. The Bulldogs hot start combined with UF's pillow soft inside game dug a hole too deep for Florida to recover from. But there is nothing that can be done now. The Gators have done this to themselves for the third consecutive season. All they can do is hope and pray that the Selection Committee has mercy on a team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games and 6 of their last 10.

Gator Basketball vs. Mississippi State, SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

2010-03-12T19:42:17Z

The Gators will secure their first NCAA bid since 2007 with a victory tonight over Mississippi State. But it will be a struggle as the teams are very similar to each other. The only reason why UF is inside of the bubble and Miss State is on the outside is UF's tougher out-of-conference schedule.

The Gators (21-11) score and allow nearly the same amount of points as Mississippi State (21-10). However, Miss State has a huge advantage in forward Jarvis Varnado. The senior is averaging 13.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. His 4.8 blocks per game makes him an intimidating force. Last time out against UF, Vernon Macklin got the best of Varnado, scoring 20 points to Varnado's 16. Macklin made Varnado work as he missed 10 shots. Macklin will have to replicate that effort again while adding rebounds. Against Auburn yesterday, Macklin had only two rebounds. Another night like that and Varnado will destroy him on the glass.

Looking back on the February 6 meeting (69-62 UF win), neither team shot well. The standouts were Chandler Parsons scoring 18, and Miss State's Ravern Johnson and Barry Stewart with 20, 12 points respectively. Johnson and Stewart were a combined 6-12 from the 3-point line, which Florida must keep defending. In SEC play, UF is 12th in 3-point percentage allowed and 11th in total 3-pointers allowed (116 of 320). If Florida can force the Bulldogs into shooting below 30% from the arc, UF should win. Varnado is good, but Miss State needs their guards to score to pull off a victory.

Life On The Bubble

2010-03-12T17:40:30Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

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Florida has benefited from a weak bubble this season as teams like Memphis, Seton Hall and USF fell early enough in their conference tournaments to knock themselves out. In addition, the only Mid-Major surprise was St. Mary's over Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference auto bid, but that only solidified the Gaels' bid rather than stealing one.

Tonight's game against Mississippi State is unique in a bubble sense because a win for Florida nearly guarantees an SEC bid. In watching the conference tournaments, it's not out of the ordinary to hear that a team needs two wins to get an NCAA bid. But usually, those wins come against better teams than Auburn and Mississippi State. I'm not saying that Mississippi State is bad, but Florida has already beat them (69-62 on Feb. 6 in Gainesville). In winning two games, UF would be confirming their stellar play when they won 9 of 12 games, not losing 3 of the last 4.

Mississippi State, because Florida is 9-7 in the league and 3-8 against the RPI top-50, might need another win to seal their bid. Which is why Florida has to be on their toes today. Miss State is fresh and knows that they could have already defeated Florida once this season. The Bulldogs resume is thinner than UF, but in the race for the fourth SEC bid, Miss State would have a huge case if Ole Miss falls to Tennessee today. Miss State's case would include a sweep over Ole Miss and defeating the previously assumed fourth bid in the Gators. The SEC semifinalists that are not named Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt could clinch NCAA bids.

Gators Survive And Advance, Defeat Auburn 78-69

2010-03-12T03:18:25Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

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Fighting off a stout Auburn offense, the Gators moved into the SEC Quarterfinals with a 78-69 win over the Tigers. While this will not be considered a quality win, it did help the Gators' (21-11) case to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Auburn (15-17) matched UF shot for shot in the second half. The Gators did have their usual second half breakdown, but it came at the start of the half, when UF's nine point lead became one. The lead became 13 and Florida made enough shots to make the lead permanent.

Against the smaller Tigers, the Gators had success inside by going to the goal and several dunks. Alex Tyus had one of the strangest 24 point, 11-16 shooting nights I can remember. His misses were awful left handed shots and his baby soft hands were stripped of the ball at least four times. But you take the good with the bad with Tyus. Just like his awesome dreads and hairline that starts at the top of his head.

Chandler Parsons was the other Gator standout, with his three first half 3-pointers sparking the Gators early. Parsons finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He got his points because he moved around the floor so well, which probably won't happen against a rugged Mississippi State Friday night. Vernon Macklin was the other Gator in double figures with 10 points. UF shot 49% as a team.

UF did not shut Auburn down completely, with the Tigers shooting 45%. But they were only 4 of 25 from the arc, while usually making nine 3-pointers per game. Frankie Sullivan scored 25, DeWayne Reed had 18, but the third guard, Tay Waller went missing. Waller finished with zero points and was 0-6 from the field. He had been averaging 17 points in SEC play.

Florida faces Mississippi State tomorrow at 7:30pm EST. If Florida defeats the Bulldogs, the Gators are definitely in the NCAA Tournament. If Miss State wins, they could steal the fourth SEC bid.

Gator Basketball vs. Auburn; SEC Tournament First Round

2010-03-11T19:30:36Z

On February 18, Florida defeated Auburn 78-70. Since then, UF has gone 2-3 and Auburn has gone 3-2, with each team playing inconsistently.

In February, the Gators (20-11, 9-7 SEC) won because they made 32 of 40 free throws. Maybe some of those trips to the line could have resulted in made shots, but Florida foul shooting saved the day against an Auburn (15-16, 6-10) team that is scoring about 74 points per game in the SEC.

For Florida to win tonight, they need constant offensive pressure. Auburn will score, but they are last in SEC points per game allowed (76.5; UF allows 69.3ppg) and 11th in SEC field goal percentage allowed (48&; UF allows 45%). Part of Auburn's problem is that they foul too much, so UF needs to make the most of their trips to the line.

As I mentioned earlier, the Gators need Chandler Parsons. But, with the possibility of having to play three games in consecutive days, UF needs to score inside and at the line; high percentage plays. Vernon Macklin last time out against Auburn only attempted four shots. That's not going to work. Auburn could play hack-a-Vernon, but Macklin is 12-21 at the line in his last five games. Also in their previous meeting, four Gators were in double figures, a necessity to fight back against Auburn's high scoring offense.

Auburn could pull this out. As they showed in their 89-80 victory over Mississippi State, the Tigers can blow the doors off with a high field goal percentage and knocking down three pointers. Guard Tay Waller leads Auburn with 17.4ppg in SEC play and has scored 20+ points in each of the last five games. About half of his shots will come from three-point range, which means Florida cannot let him get hot early.

Chandler Parsons Shall Lead The Gators

2010-03-11T13:53:34Z

More photos » David Manning - AP

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The best player on the Gators is not their leading scorer or their second leading scorer. It's not their senior or their center. It is a guy who came to UF to carry the bags for his more famous friend, and has worked his ass off, becoming the most crucial part of the Gator offense.

The emergence of Chandler Parsons has been extraordinary. Given a starting role after sickness and lack of ability forced Dan Werner to the bench, Parsons has become the straw that stirs the drink. If he struggles or cannot get open, Florida will lose. That is why tonight against Auburn and hopefully tomorrow against Mississippi State, the Gators need to get Parsons touches.

You could make the case Parsons isn't that impressive. His scoring has gone from 9.2 to 11.9ppg, but his minutes increased from 26 to 30 per game. However, since last season, his field goal, free throw and three-point percentages have all gone up. Parsons is shooting 50% (4% higher), 36% from the arc (6% higher) and made huge gains in free throw shooting (56% to 67%). You would think with more minutes, those numbers would fall. Parsons is also averaging 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

The increased numbers for Parsons also means increased attention. Since being locked down at the end of the Georgia game when he had to give up a chance for a game winner to the wide open Werner, Parsons is 3-10 shooting. Against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, Parsons had no chances, and the result was hoping Erving Walker would step up. Two losses followed and now UF is in the position of possibly winning the next two games to get to the NCAA Tournament.

Against Auburn on February 18, Parsons led UF with 17 points in the 78-70 win. It may take another 17 tonight for Florida to move on in the SEC Tournament.

OH NOES: Tebow Scores Below Average On Wonderlic

2010-03-11T00:40:42Z

As if Tim Tebow needed something else to hurt his draft stock. From the Palm Beach Post;

Tebow scored slightly below average for an NFL quarterback on the Wonderlic test, a 12-minute, 50-question exam given at the Combine that assesses a person's learning and problem-solving abilities.

Tebow scored a 22 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test, an NFL source told the Post Wednesday. The score falls slightly below the average score for an NFL quarterback, which is 24. But the average for 30 quarterbacks slated to start in 2010 is even higher, at 28.5. And the average score among the past seven Super Bowl winners is a 30.1.

There could be several reasons for scoring 22 out of 50. Tebow didn't prepare for the test, he's a bad test taker (I seem to remember this being a criticism of home schooled kids and the FCAT), or he isn't smart enough for the position (Tebow was better than the nationwide average of 21 or 20). However, the Wonderlic, like every IQ test, is criticized for too much focus on one thing and not enough focus on something else.

The Post story also mentions that Tebow would be 25th among current NFL starters according to his score. The real problem isn't the score, but where he finished. Tebow needs to make people think he is an elite quarterback prospect. Finishing in the Wonderlic behind Sam Bradford (36), Colt McCoy (25) and Jimmy Clausen (23) won't help. It's just another blemish on Tebow's resume.

Which Gator Team Will Show Up At The SEC Tournament?

2010-03-10T18:00:58Z

More photos » Aaron E. Daye - AP

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Florida's up-and-down season is back down again with a three game losing streak to finish the season. It is hard to remember now, but with UF defeated Michigan State during FSU weekend, the feeling among a lot of Gator fans was that the Gators were finally back. If you were in a Gainesville bar or restaurant that Friday night in November, you were feeling flashbacks to 2006.

The eight game losing streak was followed by an expected loss to Syracuse. The following losses to Richmond and South Alabama at home erased the fuzzy feelings from defeating the Spartans. But then, the Gators won 9 of 12 games, and should have defeated Tennessee, if Alex Tyus had been able to hit a 15 foot open jumper.

Since then, UF has been 3-5, with bad losses to South Carolina and Georgia. In their wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee, the Gators demonstrated that they can play a 40 minute game, which has been lacking in the recent three game losing streak. There isn't one stat that jumps out, but there is proof that when Florida plays inside and outside, they win.

In those two games, Chandler Parsons, Vernon Macklin and Erving Walker were each in double figures. That did not happen in any of the three games Florida has lost since. Walker, for all his faults, can give the Gators a huge lift when he is making jumpers. He can try to go to the basket, but Parsons and Macklin need the ball in their hands, so Walker's drives come at the expense of Florida's other options. Parsons can move without the ball, but he needs help now in that teams are more focused on guarding him. Against UK and Vanderbilt, Parsons scored a combined 12 points.

Macklin is a different story. When he wants to assert himself, he can drop 15 points and not miss anything. If he starts getting bumped around or manhandled on defense, he becomes pillow soft and not worth working the offense through him. The Vanderbilt game was a good example of this as Macklin scored 21 points, but only 3 in the final nine minutes. When UF was struggling, they needed Macklin and easy points inside. But with Vandy working him on defense, Macklin was missing on the other end.

Anything is possible with the Gators in the SEC Tournament. They could lose to Auburn, as they did last year in Tampa. Or cruise into the semifinals, securing a bid for the NCAAs.

Realigning SEC Basketball

2010-03-10T06:37:09Z

In 2010, the top four teams in the SEC East (Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida) finished 24-0 against the SEC West. The gap is so wide that no SEC West teams are favored to advance to the Conference Semifinals or reach the NCAA Tournament. The performance of the West this season and in much of this decade has led to calls of ending the SEC's divisions for basketball. Realignment, however, is a flawed solution to a short term problem.

In February, Clay Travis did a very good job of breaking down the reasons for why the West is so inferior to the East. However, in calling for ending divisional play in basketball or more equal divisions, he avoids addressing of how the schedule would work. The SEC could play a round robin of 15 games, but that would make the SEC the only Big Six conference with less than 16 conference games. Plus, that would create an uneven home-road schedule for some teams. You could do a round robin, plus some home-and-home series like the Big East or Big Ten. But if you're blowing up the divisions to increase competition, only home-and-homes among similarly skilled teams make sense. Who would then determine who has skill and who doesn't? Would it change year to year and cause the SEC schedule to be built by the votes of administrators?

Divisional play is a good thing because it puts a premium on defeating your rivals. While success and failure is cyclical, Florida will always hate Georgia, Alabama will always hate Auburn, and everyone will always hate Tennessee. Making the SEC into North-South or a single table with unbalanced scheduling only breaks up the best teams. But they will still be the best teams. Major League Baseball always runs into this problem and has considered realignment for about the hundredth time in my lifetime. Moving the Tampa Bay Rays out of the AL East may give them an easier road to the pennant, but they would still have to play the Yankees or Red Sox in the playoffs.

Travis is right in that the Conference Tournament should be seeded 1-12. After awarding the top two seeds to division winners, it makes much more sense to seed everyone by record. Only in the SEC could Tennessee, a team that defeated two No. 1 ranked teams, be given the same seed as Arkansas, who finished the season on a five game losing streak. Basing seeding on divisional finish also alters the NCAA selections. Let's say that UF defeats Auburn and Mississippi State to get to the SEC Semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Ole Miss defeats Tennessee to move into the SEC Semifinals. We assume that UF needs two wins, but does Ole Miss need two wins too? They both finished in the semis, so are they the same level of team? Could Ole Miss' win over UT look better than UF's since it was at a neutral site, and push Ole Miss in as the fourth SEC bid? It is a lot of questions but it demonstrates how the seeding system is less than perfect.

I expect to hear this same realignment argument in ten years when Billy Donovan is retired, Kentucky is under sanctions, Bruce Pearl is dead of overheating, while Arkansas and LSU compete in Final Fours and Auburn uses their new arena and white limo to pull in top-10 classes. Keep the divisions as they are and eventually you will see a power shift.

Tim Tebow To The Bills, Jaguars, Panthers, Seahawks, or Steelers?

2010-03-09T19:01:49Z

Tim Tebow has always said he needed only 1 of 32 teams to think he is an NFL-caliber quarterback. However, it is to his financial benefit to get four or five teams to think that, creating competition and a nice contract on Draft Day.

Following Florida's Pro Day on March 17, Tebow will have workouts with the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, two teams that have immediate needs at quarterback. The Buffalo's Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick clearly are not good enough to take the Bills back to the playoffs. Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly has also endorsed Tebow. The Bills have the 9th and 41st picks. Some Bills fans think Tebow is Alex Smith 2.0 because both were coached by Urban Meyer. This is like saying Danny Wuerffel and Stephen Garcia are similar because both were coached by Steve Spurrier.

In Seattle, the Seahawks have Matt Hasselbeck but just traded long time backup Seneca Wallace to the Browns. That nearly confirms the Seahawks will take a QB. The Seahawks have the 6th and 14th picks, making it unlikely they would take Tebow there since he has not convinced anyone he is a first round pick. However, Seattle picks 40th, which is a possible landing spot for Tebow.

The Panthers released Jake Delhomme last week, making Matt Moore their "Quarterback Of The Future" or at least the "Quarterback Who Won't Throw Every Pass To The Other Team." Carolina has the 48th and 78th picks, which they could use on a quarterback. Plus, Tebow would feel at home in the Bible Belt, even if North Carolina is bluer than the rest of the Deep South. Speaking for myself, I would root hard against Tebow if he was on Carolina. As a Bucs fan, the Panthers are the Oakland Raiders of the NFC, and get away with it because they have neon blue uniforms and play in front of a bunch of credit card and banking executives. But on the road, Panther fans are so bad, they make Saints fans look like the Kennedys. They had their team trainer giving steroids to players, who were never punished. Oh, and it's the team of Rae Carruth too.

With Ben Roethlisberger being unable to keep his pants on, maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the Tebow Race. Since last season, we and others have compared Tebow to Big Ben. And Mike Tomlin has done it too.

The recent news, in addition to having only former Oregon QB Dennis Dixon behind Roethlisberger, could make the Steelers take a second look at Tebow. He would also fit into the mold of Dixon and Ben with being a tall, mobile guy. Pittsburgh has the 18th and 52nd picks.

Of course, the team with the most to gain and lose, is the Jaguars. Tebow is the hometown boy and played for the college team of choice in Jacksonville. Plus, he might singlehandedly keep the Jags from being sold and moving to Los Angeles. (However, owner Wayne Weaver continues to say he is committed to Jacksonville. Just like Howard Schultz's commitment to keeping the Sonics in Seattle.) The huge fan support of selecting Tebow is offset by the rebellion among some who think Tebow is not worth the pick. (Tangent: I don't think the owner of Draft15.com is a Jags fan and is instead just trying to make a buck selling tshirts. Nice job of finally getting around to supporting the local team, asshole.)

Tebow has always put a lot of pressure on himself, so saving the NFL in Jacksonville while kneecapping the qualified David Garrard, might be perfect for him. The huge problem is that Jax picks at 10th and 74th. If CJ Spiller (by the way, another North Florida kid) is available, the Jags can't pass him up. That means the Jags might have to mortgage their future to move back into the first round, all for a guy that could be a bust. For Jacksonville, Tebow is high risk but high reward if it works.

SEC Basketball Power Poll March 7-13

2010-03-09T13:00:23Z

Our ballot. Final results at Garnet and Black Attack.

1. Kentucky: The Cats look good enough to have their 2010 Final Four run forfeited in five years while John Calipari is coaching the Brooklyn Nets.

2. Vanderbilt: Was losing to South Carolina at home a sign of bigger concerns? They did need OT to be Georgia at home, too.

3. Tennessee: As much as I think the guy is a huge publicity whore and phony, Bruce Pearl is a good coach. Their curb stomping of Miss State was another example of how good UT can be.

4. Ole Miss: The Rebs' 4-game winning streak to end the season coincided with Chris Warren's most recent tear. He also averaged less than 2 turns over the last 4 games, a number inflated by 5 turns against Arky on Saturday.

5. Florida: On a three-game losing streak. If you can't take care of your business, you shouldn't make the tournament.

6. Mississippi State: On a two-game losing streak. If you can't take care of your business, you shouldn't make the tournament.

7. Alabama: They defeated South Carolina a week ago. Why can't they do it again at the SEC Tournament?

8. South Carolina: Devan Downey, and his 26.2ppg in SEC games, are the Cocks only hope in Nashville.

9. University of Auburn: Had the Tigers not put the Gators on the line 40 times (making 38), Auburn's 78-70 loss in Gainesville would have been a lot closer. This is what they are reminding themselves prior to the SEC Tourney matchup.

10. Arkansas: Two 4-game losing streaks and a 5-game losing streak to end the season. Ugh.

11. Georgia: The best 5-11 SEC team ever. Until they lost to LSU.

12. LSU: Getting hot at the right time, baby!

What Is Florida's Problem?

2010-03-08T06:59:18Z

More photos » David Manning - AP

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For the third consecutive season, the Gators could have sealed an NCAA bid by winning 10 conference games but failed. Why does this keep happening? Here are our theories;

Expectations are too high: Coming into 2008, UF had made nine straight NCAA appearances, won three straight SEC Tournaments and two straight NCAA Championships. Oh and Billy Donovan came back to supposedly coach this great incoming class. We don't know if the pressure was too much to handle, but you'd think after tarnishing the program, the players would have gotten over the expectations and just played ball in 2010.

Not talented: Looking at Florida's starting five, could any of them play in the NBA? Could any of them play in the Big East? (Remember, Vernon Macklin left Georgetown because he wasn't playing.) Chandler Parsons could contribute off the bench, but none of the Gators would be a game changer like John Wall or Patrick Patterson. You need good guards and Erving Walker does not matchup with Devan Downey, Scotty Hopson or Jermaine Beal. Kenny Boynton and Ray Shipman may get there, but not with Walker standing in the way. UF also has pillow soft forwards in Dan Werner and Alex Tyus. In his defense, Werner had the same identity crisis as David Lee, in that he didn't know to bang inside or shoot the j. The difference is that Lee could be successful in both roles. Werner was never successful in either. However, Werner is impressive in taking charges.

Bad coaching: It hurts me to say this, but Donovan has to take a lot of blame for this. UF does not have a set offense or defense, so they can't have average talent and turn them into an annual contender (like Syracuse and the zone defense). Before you say, "Well, they don't have big men," or "A lot of guys left early," remember that Donovan put this team together. He knew who would jump ship and who needed to be cuddled and told sweet things in order to keep them in Gainesville (like Tyus after nearly leaving last summer). While Donovan does not seem as frustrated with the 2010 Gators as he was with the 2009 Gators (when he wouldn't let them wear UF gear or practice in the nice gym), something is missing and it has to start at the top.

All the good players left or got hurt: 2008 should have had Brewer, Green, Horford and Noah. 2009 should have had Marreese Speights, Jai Lucas and Jonathan Mitchell. 2010 should have had Nick Calathes and Kenny Kadji. With that in mind, losses happen to everyone, but UF seems especially hit hard. When you consider the talent that left, it makes the remaining Florida guys seem like the second string.

Other: Changing jerseys to the stupid alligator print with duct tape? Donovan losing recruiting battles? The O'Dome smelling like chlorine and plastic? Let us know what else could be the problem.

Poll

What is Florida's problem?

Gator Baseball Takes 2 Of 3 At Miami

2010-03-07T23:06:12Z

Splitting the first two games of the series, Florida defeated Miami 4-2 in Coral Gables, taking the finale of the weekend series. The Gators' success this weekend came as a result of great pitching.

Florida (7-2) had two sophomores and a freshman pitching this weekend. Sunday, sophomore Tommy Toledo got the ball, his biggest start following shoulder surgery that caused a medical redshirt last season. Toledo was not dominant, but effective in going five innings and allowing five hits, two runs (1 ER), one walk and stroking out four. Toledo left the game with a 3-1 lead after 3B Bryson Smith hit a three-run homer in the fifth. It was Smith's second homer and sixth RBI of 2010.

Kevin Chapman followed with four innings in relief, keeping the Hurricanes (7-3) off-balance and creating ground ball outs. Chapman allowed one hit and struck out two for his second save this season. Toledo moves to 2-0 in three starts.

Saturday evening's 9-6 loss to the Canes was the only bump for UF, as freshman Brian Johnson allowed six hits and five runs (2 ER). He did show flashes of brilliance by striking out five in 4.2 innings. UF had a 3-2 lead after scoring three in the fifth, but Miami scored six in the next two innings to ice it.

Sophomore southpaw Alex Panteliodis had the weekend's best performance Friday in UF's 7-1 win. Panteliodis held UM hitless in the first four innings, finishing with two hits, one earned run in 5.2 innings. He also had eight strikeouts and two walks. He moved to 3-0, but his first win as a starter in 2010. Sophomore Nick Maronde, who has struggled, earned the save with 3.1 IP scoreless.

The Gators have a pair of games against Illinois State this week, with Charleston Southern coming in on the weekend.

Kentucky Defeats Florida 74-66; NCAA Bid Will Have To Come In Nashville

2010-03-07T19:44:12Z

More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

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The Gators finished the regular season on a three-game losing streak with their 74-66 loss to Kentucky. The Gators are 20-11, but more importantly 9-7 in the SEC, when 10-6 would have nearly guaranteed an NCAA bid.

Once again, five minute stretches of no offense sunk the Gators. With 5:35 left, UF fought back to a 62-60 deficit. But Kentucky (29-2, 14-2) went on a 6-0 run, with UF not scoring until the 1:40 mark, to make it 68-62. It is even worse when you realize that at 10:34, it was 59-56 for UK as neither team was making buckets in the last 10 minutes. Florida had chances to comeback, but could not rise to the challenge.

UK did play good defense, using their length to force UF into 13 turnovers while blocking eight shots. Patrick Patterson scored 13 for the 'Cats, but DeMarcus Cousins had eight points, instead being a monster UF had to drive and shoot around. UK's guards were the stars, with John Wall scoring 11 and eight assists, while Eric Bledsoe and Darius Miller each got 14 points.

Chandler Parsons, in a replay of his Vanderbilt performance, struggled with nine points on 2-6 shooting. Alex Tyus got 12, Kenny Boynton got 11 and Erik Murphy had 11. Late in the game, Billy Donovan kept Dan Werner (who attempted zero shots, zero points and had three rebounds in 25 minutes) in the game over Murphy, who added six rebounds in his 17 minutes. Erving Walker was 3 of 15 shooting for eight points, but his eight rebounds and four assists were enough to keep him in over Ray Shipman (nine points on 3-4 shooting in nine minutes).

During the game, a friend texted me to say that, "This is, by far, the most frustrating Gator team to watch ever. Zook's teams included." I agreed with this, but my knowledge of Gator sports begins with Steve Spurrier, so I don't know how accurate this is. What I do know is that while Kentucky and Tennessee are more talented than Florida, those teams can play a 40 minute game. Florida, in the last three seasons, can't play 40 minutes. Against good teams, Florida fails to function for 5-10 minutes, either at the beginning or the end. It may have against cost them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida faces Auburn (15-16, 6-10) Thursday at 7:30 ET in the SEC Tournament. The winner faces Mississippi State (21-10, 9-7) on Friday. Should UF face Miss State, the winner might get the final SEC bid.

Gator Basketball @ Kentucky

2010-03-07T06:16:56Z

Phil Sandlin - AP

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On February 23, the Gators were 9-4 in the league after defeating Tennessee. Needing to win one of their next two games to clinch an NCAA bid, the Gators lost both by a combined score of six points. Today, barring a miracle, they will lose their third straight game, with a loss at Kentucky. (This Gator team has made me a bitter man. But I am hoping for a reverse jinx.)

If it seems too negative to assume that Florida (20-10, 9-6 SEC), it is based on recent history. The Gators' best road win this season was at Ole Miss (21-9, 9-7), who has won their last four games and might steal the fourth and final SEC invitation. Of UF five road wins, only Jacksonville and Ole Miss finished above .500 in their league. The last time UF defeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena was February of 2007.

The Wildcats (28-2, 13-2) defeated UF in January by bludgeoning them; UK made 36 field goals (51%) and had four starters in double figures. UK's 89-77 win came on a night when John Wall struggled, making 7-17 for 19 points. Eric Bledsoe was the stud, scoring 25 and missing only three shots. UF actually took a one point lead with 5:12 left, but was outscored 15-3 to close it out. That game, like every loss this season, was marked by an inability to play a 40 minute game.

Chandler Parsons has been thinking the right things heading into this game, but the writing is on the wall, no pun intended. UK is 18-0 at home, and while they have looked shaky in some road games, they are not losing this game. Especially with Patrick Patterson getting the third-year senior treatment Sunday. Parsons is the only guy Florida has who can match the NBA talent the Cats have (because he works his ass off), but Parsons is finally breaking down from carrying everyone else.

The best thing for Florida is to use Kentucky to prepare for their opening SEC Tournament game against Auburn. Florida has to get in the NCAA Tournament, but the route won't go through Rupp. It will go through Nashville.

Gator Baseball Charges Into Danger At Miami

2010-03-05T07:47:23Z

Tuesday night, the Gators were manhandled by FSU 10-5, with UF allowing seven runs in the first inning. Earlier that same night, Miami defeated USF 15-2. This weekend in Coral Gables, Florida (5-1) faces Miami (6-1) in another top-10 matchup for the Gators.

The series can be a good measure of how good the Gators will be. In 2005, UF won 2 of 3 in the series and finished second in Omaha. They swept the Canes in 2006 and missed the tournament. Last season, UF was swept in Gainesville, but won two against Miami in the regionals during a rebuilding season for UM.

The Canes always seem to have a great catcher and Yasmani Grandal is carrying on that tradition. He had nine RBI and 10 hits in 26 at-bats. Grandal is supported by 3b Harold Martinez (10 RBI, 3 HR) and OF Chris Pelaez (13 hits in 20 AB). The Canes have an experienced staff, which they did not alway have last season. Friday night's starter is junior southpaw Chris Hernandez, who led UM in wins last season. Hernandez beat the Gators in the first meeting of 2009, but took the lost in the first regional game. UF sophomore Alex Panteliodis gets the ball on Friday. He was 0-1 in two appearances against UM in 2009, pitching 10.1 innings and allowing seven runs on 16 hits.

Saturday, the Canes run out senior righty Jason Santana, who allowed two runs on four hits in four innings against UF in 2009. The Gators put stud freshman Brian Johnson on the bump, who pitched 5.2 innings of shutout ball in his only start on Feb. 20 against USF.

Sunday starter, Tommy Toledo, faced the Canes in Coral Gables in 2008. He had a no decision, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on four hits. He faces UM's Eric Erickson, who like Toledo, missed all of 2009 with arm surgery.

As a team, the Gators are hitting well (.333). But Preston Tucker can make this lineup go and he hasn't done it yet. The sophomore has one RBI and zero extra base hits in 24 at-bats. Tucker needs to be the big bopper in the lineup. Perhaps Miami can be his tonic, as Tucker was 8 for 16 with four RBI against UM in 2009.

How Andy Staples' CASH System Could Work

2010-03-04T19:12:47Z

Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples wrote a story a few weeks ago about the Collegiate Athletic Select Hegemony (CASH). Under this plan, the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC would become 16-team super leagues and break away from the NCAA. It would not create a playoff system for college football, but the resulting money from bowl games and television coverage would mean that;

64 athletic departments would be completely self-sufficient; no chief executive would ever again have to explain to a state legislature why he needs government funds to build a softball stadium

This week, the Florida State Legislature began their annual session of being ideologues more worried about raising cash than governing for 60 days. Among the issues already discussed are building casinos and making sure there is money for people to get gun permits. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education is in a high stakes lottery for Federal education funding. That cash is essential as the Legislature has cut funding to education in Florida, including the University of Florida. It has gotten to the point that UF asks their alumni to lobby their legislators (who hate doing real work in an election year) in addition to paying for their usual lobbyists.

But, wait, what does politics have to do with college sports? Everything.

Staples' argument that the CASH system would make enough cash for universities to no longer use tax dollars for sports (I'm looking at you Doak Campbell Stadium) is a good one. We make fun of FSU for putting classrooms in Doak to pay for luxury suites, but a lot of schools have done similar things. Florida's University Athletic Association is unique in that it is self-sufficient. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is a state building, but renovations and luxury boxes have been bought and paid for by the UAA. The UAA also has given $53 million to UF's academics since 1990 and $6 million in UF's last budget.

That money is now necessary for Florida's survival as UF faces a similar battle as other public institutions across the country; state legislatures cutting funding as education costs rise. It is so bad in California, home of six of the top-15 US News and World Report Public Universities, that there have been wide scale protests. California has an epic budget hole, but every state is trying to cut back after spending like junkies in the last decade. It cuts across the aisle too, as Republicans have found their conservative roots again and President Obama considers freezing some spending.

As funding drops, college sports income is going through the roof. The SEC on CBS/ESPN package and Big Ten Network are cash cows. The elites of the Pac-10 are even considering adding two teams to play a conference championship game. All of this is happening as the NCAA considers breaking their $6 billion contract with CBS for March Madness for an even bigger contract.

Staples' system makes sense because the four super leagues do not have to share with 120 football teams or 340 basketball teams. CASH also creates marquee matchups every weekend. Instead of out-of-conference Charleston Southern opening Florida's season, UF goes out-of-conference against Clemson. The O'Dome would see sellout crowds again with conference rivals Oklahoma and West Virginia. The 64 schools would have to build facilities just to hold the cash they take in.

At Florida, this means the UAA giving more to academics, which also encourages academic freedom as UF can do whatever they want with the sports cash. At schools where there is no barrier between academics and athletics, sports cash means a new research hospital, 100 new professors, or more scholarships. It should also mean public funds that universities should have gotten can be funneled into elementary, middle and high schools.

Staples does not address this, choosing to look more at the possibility that CASH creates Triple-A basketball and football programs. He also wonders if the university presidents would give up on amateurism and enter a system that prints money. I think they would, once they understand how much money the schools could make. The more money schools make, the more money school presidents make. Universities will still rely on some public funding, but their fortunes won't rise and fall with the housing market or political trends.

Tim Tebow Inc.

2010-03-04T08:21:23Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

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Tim Tebow's appeal has always been that he is a hard working kid, who loves Jesus, his Mom and Dad and the Gators. We don't know that much about Tebow (or any Gator), so we don't know how much is legit and how much is a facade. We accept everything is legit, but since Tebow has left college, we can become more curious. Especially about his actions leading up to the NFL Draft.

People have made money off Tebow for a while, from UF selling No. 15 jerseys to those awful "I Heart T Bow" shirts. Maybe then we shouldn't be surprised that Tebow is charging $160 for an autograph Saturday in Jacksonville. That $160 does include a free Bible verse, but you have to pay $25 extra for "06/08 Champs" next to Tebow's signature. A "portion" or "some" of the proceeds will go towards the Tim Tebow Foundation.

One question we should ask Tebow is why he is charging $160 for an autograph. And he has to answer about his charity. For instance; how much of that $160 is actually helping people and how much will pay for the fancy website and staff? A "portion" and "some" could be 1% or 99%. (As a reference, here is the most recent tax information for the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association.) Tebow is an adult and he can handle this stuff.

Tebow can apparently also handle speaking engagements, making a documentary film and training for the NFL Draft. Of all this stuff, only one thing benefits Tebow long term; the Draft. Instead of spending every waking moment in the gym, trying to secure millions of dollars, Tebow is being pulled in every direction. It seems clear that either Tebow or his handlers think NFL success is guaranteed, so it's no big deal to spend time at Daytona instead of in training. Or, and this is far more dangerous, his handlers want to make cash on Tebow before his star power runs out.

Tebow and his handlers have every right to make as much money as humanly possible. But like the family who buys a $250,000 house because they think they will always afford it, they are narrow minded. In their minds, it won't matter if Tebow is drafted in the third round, because he will be successful anyway. But any NFL fan can tell you that players can be a victim of circumstance. Quarterbacks get stuck behind awful offensive lines and fail. Defensive ends get double teams and bad stat lines because their linemen suck. What happens if Tebow is drafted by a team with a long term quarterback, like New England? Does he earn the league minimum and hope to be the next Matt Cassel? What if he becomes a bigger, stronger Joey Harrington? Will Tebow's time spent in other endeavors have had a negative impact? That's another question that could be asked of Tebow.

I mentioned at the top that we really don't know a lot about Tebow. For instance, it is possible that Tebow does not want to be an NFL player. He has a higher calling and he had to wait for his UF career to end to actually commit to it. Tebow continues to talk about how badly he wants to become an NFL quarterback. But he is not going to do that by spending the weeks before the Draft working as an ATM for his handlers.

Do The Gators Deserve To Go To The NCAA Tournament?

2010-03-03T15:27:18Z

Ok, kids. You know the drill. Let us know more in the comments.

Poll

Do the Gators deserve to go to the NCAA Tournament?

Same Old Crap; Gators Lose To Vanderbilt 64-60

2010-03-03T02:45:25Z

With a chance to erase the epic fails of the last two seasons, the Gators score one point in the final four minutes and lose 64-60 to Vanderbilt. The Gators are 20-10, but 9-6 in the league when 10 wins can guarantee an NCAA spot. Kentucky stands in the way of a tenth win on Sunday.

Vanderbilt (23-6, 12-3) played a beautiful inside-outside game as A.J. Ogilvy (16pts, 8reb) abused Vernon Macklin and guard John Jenkins was on fire with 18 points on six 3-pointers. Macklin did score 21, but it came on a night when Chandler Parsons finally hit the wall, as he scored 3 points and attempted four shots. It did not help that Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker were a combined 3-24 from the field. Boynton missed an open 3-pointer with ten seconds left as Billy Donovan could never find someone to consistently run the offense.

Dan Werner was cheered on Senior Night, a difference from the usual response he gets. Werner played more aggressively than he has all season, scoring 8 and pulling 5 rebounds. However, his own goal gave Vandy the 62-60 lead with 2:24 left that they would never give up.

Vandy raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first half and led by 12 before UF clawed their way back to a three point game at the half. But it was apparent that Vandy was too much for Florida, and once again, the Gators could not win when it counts most. Florida goes to Kentucky (27-2, 12-2) Sunday.