Archive for March, 2009

Calathes Declaring For NBA Draft

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2009   No Comment

By: Brandon

Florida sophomore guard Nick Calathes has came to a decision that he will enter his name into the NBA draft, but he also has kept another option for him to return for his junior year.

Calathes averaged 17 points and 6 assists per contest this year. He was also the only player in the Nation to average better than 15 points, five rebounds, and six assists per game. Pretty impressive I say, no wonder why this kid has thoughts about entering the NBA draft.

Nick set a new record for 231 assists this season, which passed his last record that was set at 221 a year ago. Along with his 1,170 points in his first two seasons at Florida. Calathes set a team high this season with 12 20-point games and recording his second career triple double at UF against Georgia.

There is no doubt in my mind this kid can play in the NBA, but I don’t see Calathes doing a whole lot just yet. Another year at Florida would really get him ready for the big league rather than leaving his sophomore season. What if he turns out like Taurean Green? Even though he declared for the draft, he still has not hired an agent.

I support Nick 100% and wish him the best of luck. What ever decision he makes I’m sure is the right one for him and his family, but lets just hope the outcome is returning for his junior year.

nick calathes

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Gators First Week Of Spring Practice Recap

Posted by admin on March 30th, 2009   No Comment

By: Brandon

The Gators have already hit the field last Wednesday for the start of the spring practice for the new year of 2009. Some information you may not have heard throughout the first week of practice may be mentioned in this recap.

Wide Receivers:
Some say that Florida may be lacking in the wide receiver spots since Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy left, but that might be a little too much of exaggeration. Riley Cooper has been absent from practice due to his is participating in Gator baseball and is doing exceptionally well. Cooper will not attend any spring events this year.

David Nelson had a magnificent first day of practice which was not really surprising. Ever since last year, you could tell this kid is something special. Nelsons quickness has gradually improved over the past months and should be exciting to watch.

Junior receiver Justin Williams had a OK first day practice. Yeah, he caught some balls without a doubt, but also missed several that should have been easy catches. Justin shot up and down, but should be another excellent collection on this Gator roster.

Injuries:
The first day was slow for a few. Brandon James missed out due to a foot injury, Carlos Dunlap (abdominal muscle), and Matt Patchan suffered a knee injury. Mike Pouncey’s shoulder and Carl Johnson’s knee kept them from having any contact but they did participate in walk through drills. The following players did participate in warm ups but then took it easy for the rest of the day. Omarius Hines (thigh) Jim Barrie (knee) and Brandon Hicks (shoulder).

Top 5 for day 1:

1) Nelson- Most improving WR
2) Wondy Pierre-Louis
3) William Green -A lot faster
4) Markihe Anderson
5) Tebow – Tim got off to a very slow start but picked it all back up on the 7 on 7 drills. His throwing was excellent.

Third Day: Defense Wins
Despite sitting a few of the starters out in the defense/offense scrimmage, it still did not make any kind of difference because they still dominated against the offense, which really doesn’t surprise me at all. Tim Tebow and the rest of the Gator offense did put up a fight, but still came up short on the last play which they were held up at the goal line by the defense.

Top 5 for day 3:

1) Will Hill- Excellent red zone drills, followed by tremendous interception.
2) Frankie Hammond Jr. – Showed excellent hands
3) Jon Bostic- Really didn’t do anything first few days but went all out today.
4) Aaron Hernandez- Tebows main target to throw to, caught everything that was threw to him.
5) Emmanuel Moody- Made big plays on third down, scored touchdown in redzone drill.

The Goods and the Bad:

Good:
Florida is returning practically the whole entire defense from last season. Huge weapons for the upcoming season.

Good:
Jaye Howard has been a leader lately and has really stepped up. Most impressive lineman as stated by GatorBait. Probably one of the best defensive weapons all week long. Howard weighs roughly about 300 pounds and has a ton of speed.

Bad:
Running backs Emmanuel Moody and Chris Rainey have not had a great week running the ball. Rainey did get a good lick by linebacker Brandon Spikes late in the week and has yet been able to break open for a decent gain. And with Jeffrey Demps missing the weekend practices, it does not get any easier for Florida.

Good:
The Gators switched their linebackers in and out through the week. Florida has one of the best linebackers in the Nation, so don’t look for any of them to sit on the bench this year. Lerentee McCray continues to show improvement.

Bad
Going back to the wide receivers, Justin Williams has not really showed a lot of improvement. Right now he is leaning on the edge. He was outplayed by other receivers such as Nelson, Carl Moore, and T.J Lawrence. If Williams does not start stepping up and showing he deserves a starting spot, then it will be a long season for the young man.

Photo by: Casey Brooke Lawson/ gatorbait.net

Photo by: Casey Brooke Lawson/ gatorbait.net

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No Credence To Billy D Rumors

Posted by admin on March 28th, 2009   1 Comment

By: Dan

After some anxious moments for the Gator Nation, Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan quickly dispelled the rumors that the UF head coach and former Kentucky assistant would be returning to Lexington.
There were a number of rumors surrounding Donovan and a possible flirtation with the school that gave Donovan his coaching start. First, there were several questions regarding a mystery plane that left from the Gainesville Regional Airport to an airport just outside Lexington earlier in the week. Then there was the speculation surrounding former UF assistant Anthony Grant. People wondered if Grant held off on taking the Alabama job because he was waiting to see if the position at UF would open up. Grant was on a plane headed to Florida when Donovan decided to ditch the Magic and return to Gainesville in 2007. On a side note, Grant took the Alabama job Friday, after taking Virginia Commonwealth to two NCAA tournaments in a three-year span.

When you stop and think about it, there was really no question that Billy Donovan would remain at Florida. Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley came on a sports talk radio show in Jacksonville and said that the Donovan-to-Kentucky talk was nothing more than speculation, but even if there were legitimate conversations between Billy and the Wildcats, Donovan would be prudent to turn down any offer from Kentucky.

As was evidenced when he reneged on the Orlando deal, Donovan’s family is very important in any career decision he would make. His wife Christine really likes Gainesville, and Donovan was responsible for the creation of St. Francis, Gainesville’s only Catholic high school. His son, Billy Donovan Jr., is a junior at St. Francis, and it’s not likely that he would pull his son out of school before his senior year.

From a basketball perspective, going to Kentucky doesn’t make sense for two reasons. First, the pressure would be unbelievable. Kentucky fans are somewhat like Notre Dame football fans in that the expectations outweigh the reality. The Wildcats haven’t been relevant on a national scale for a number of years, but the Big Blue Nation still expects Kentucky to be among the national elite. Secondly, Billy Gillispie, who Kentucky fired after two years at the helm Friday, left the program in worse shape than when he took over two years ago. Kentucky fans can say what they want about former coach Tubby Smith, but the Wildcats never missed the NCAA tournament under him. Kentucky barely made the Big Dance in Gillispie’s first year and had to settle for an NIT berth in year two.

Deep down, I think Donovan is determined to make Florida a perennial powerhouse. Just about all of the basketball success the Gators have had is because of Donovan, and I think that the dean of SEC basketball is determined to build his own legacy at the school he helped build, rather than being just another name at a program rich with history.

billy donovab will not leave the university of florida

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2009 Florida Gators Football Kicks Off

Posted by admin on March 27th, 2009   3 Comments

By: Brandon Kendrick

After coming off of a championship season last year, many sports analyst are predicting that the Gators will win another one this year. With the return of quarterback Tim Tebow and the entire defense, including defensive captain Brandon Spikes, the Florida Gators football team looks better than ever. Let’s take a look at this year’s spring roster.

Offense

Quarterback Tim Tebow

Quarterback:
No problem here at quarterback. Tim Tebow will be anchoring the Gators offense for his final year. Urban Meyer may try using back-up John Brantley in the two quarterback system that he ran back in 2006.

Running Back/Fullback:
The Gators lost Kestahn Moore due to graduation but, with the return of speedsters Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and the powerful bruiser Emmanuel Moody, the Gators should have a top 10 ranked backfield once again. Fullbacks haven’t been used too much since the departure of Billy Latsko back in 2006. The players that will be battling for a starting job at fullback are:

42 Steven Wilks FB 6-1 230 RSO
48 Rick Burgess FB 6-1 230 SR
45 T.J. Pridemore FB 6-1 241 SO

Wide Receiver:

With the losses of Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, the Gators will be looking for replacements at the wide receiver position. Although there is plenty of depth, there is a lack of game experience between the receivers. Battling for starting spots and playing time are the following:

83 David Nelson WR 6-5 212 RSR
11 Riley Cooper WR 6-3 215 SR
16 Carl Moore WR 6-3 225 SR
22 Cade Holliday WR 5-11 194 RSR
39 Joey Sorrentino WR 5-7 175 RSR
7 Justin Williams WR 6-0 205 RJR
3 Brandon Frazier WR 6-3 216 RJR
6 Deonte Thompson WR 6-0 201 RSO
88 Paul Wilson WR 6-0 191 RSO
85 Frankie Hammond, Jr. WR 6-0 175 SO
82 Omarius Hines WR 6-0 204 RFR
18 T.J. Lawrence WR 6-1 196 RFR

Deonte Thompson, David Nelson, and Riley Cooper will most likely be the starters, considering the fact that they’re the most experienced and proven receivers on the team. It will be interesting to see the other receivers battle this spring.

Offensive Line:
The Pouncey twins will be the leaders of the offensive line. Florida lost three starters from last year but shouldn’t have a problem finding replacements. There is plenty of depth at this position. As planned, it will be excellent if Matt Patchan, James Wilson, and David Young develop.

Tight End:
There are only two scholarship tight ends on the roster, junior Aaron Hernandez and freshman Desmond Parks. The other tight end is a walk-on, Christopher Coleman. Urban Meyer’s spread offense can be ran with one tight end but the other tight ends still need to be able to contribute, especially if Hernandez gets injured or fatigued during a game. Coleman dressed for four games last season and only saw playing time against The Citadel. While working with the scout team last year, he showed that he does possess some receiving skills. Desmond Parks, a three star recruit, is an early freshman enrollee that has the speed and catching ability that the Gators look for in a tight end. He will definitely get a lot of reps this spring.

Defense
Defense

Defensive Line:
The Gators are pretty thin at defensive tackle. With the departures of Torrey Davis and John Brown, and the injury to Brandon Antwine, there’s not much depth and experience left after Lawrence Marsh. Troy Epps and Omar Hunter are both coming off of injuries and the new junior college transfer Edwin Herbert needs time to physically develop. Jaye Howard, who was recruited two years ago to play defensive end at UF, has grown into a full-time defensive tackle. He and Epps both had in-game experience last season. At defensive end, the Gators are set. The monster, Carlos Dunlap, and Jermaine Cunningham should both have exceptional years.

Linebacker:
This is one of the strongest positions on the Gators football team this year. There were no losses from last year. All of the linebackers return, including the leader, Brandon Spikes. The Gators are two deep at this position on the depth chart. The potential starters are Brandon Spikes(MLB), Ryan Stamper(OLB), and A.J. Jones or Dustin Doe(OLB). Expect Brandon Hicks to battle for a starting outside linebacker position as well.

Cornerback/Safety:
Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins….enough said. These guys will be the starters once again this year. It’s a lot that’s expected from them this year. Haden is a third year starter and is a possible candidate for the All-American team. Jenkins had an excellent freshman year last season. The scary thing is, he only can get better from now on, as he is entering his sophomore year. The back-ups are very experienced. Wondy Pierre-Louis and Markihe Anderson have both been on the team for three years and have contributed to the team each year. Junior Moses Jenkins, redshirt freshman Jeremy Brown, and redshirt freshman Adrian Bushnell will compete for playing time this year, most likely on the special teams. At the safety position, the Gators are returning Ahmad Black, Major Wright, Will Hill, and Dorian Munroe. Black and Wright will most likely be the starters again. Hill, Munroe, and incoming prep school transfer, Dee Finley, will be battling for playing time.

Special Teams
Brandon James

Kicker/Punter:
Caleb Sturgis and Jonathan Phillips both returned from last year. Caleb Sturgis will most likely handle the kick-off duties while Jonathan Phillips will be the field goal kicker, the same as last year. Also coming back from last year’s team is the punter, Chas Henry. Last year, he averaged forty three yards per punt.

Kick Return/Punt Return:
Back deep for the Gators will be return specialist Brandon James. James is so fun to watch. He’s one of the best returners, if not the best returner in the NCAA. I dare any opposing team to kick it to Brandon James. Meyer might also throw speedsters Chris Rainey and/or Jeff Demps back there as well. Boy, oh boy!….one question, what teams will be able to stop the Gators special teams? The answer: NONE.

Florida Gators

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Gators Hear The Noise From Rocky Top

Posted by admin on March 26th, 2009   1 Comment

By: Dan

Ever since Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin as its football coach, there has been a
never-ending supply of sound bites emanating from Knoxville.
Kiffin has wasted little time ruffling the feathers of the big dogs in the SEC, and
Florida has been no exception. First he said that fans would be singing “Rocky Top”
all night long after the Vols beat UF. Then there was the infamous comments
regarding Urban Meyer and Nu’Keese Richardson that proved Kiffin still had a lot to
learn about college football recruiting and NCAA rules.

While some people might view Kiffin’s comments as harmless drivel, it’s clear that
he has caught the attention of the Florida football players. In a story written by
ESPN.com’s Chris Low, several UF players expressed their displeasure about Kiffin
coming after their head coach. In fact, they told Low that pictures of Kiffin have
been posted in the locker room.

“I couldn’t believe what he said,” Ahmad Black said in Low’s story. “Not trying to
be cocky or anything, but we’ve beaten them four years in a row … by a lot, too. But
taking shots at our coach is like taking shots at us. We’re family. It’s definitely
personal now.”

Now I’ve heard several sports talk radio hosts say that comments like Kiffin’s have
no bearing on the outcome of a game, and if college football players feel that they
need that extra motivation, then there’s something wrong with them.
I disagree 100 percent. The modern athlete, especially in college, is all about
respect. If a team feels like it has been disrespected, then you can bet that the
players will be especially motivated to correct the disrespect.

You don’t have to look any further than last year’s game against Georgia for
evidence of this. In 2007, the Bulldogs performed the “Gator Stomp” after their
first touchdown and went on to win the game. The memory of Georgia’s celebration
stayed with the Gators for an entire year. Meyer even wrote about it in his book.
And when the two teams lined up in 2008, Florida took out all its frustration on the
Bulldogs and gave them a 49-10 beatdown, complete with timeouts at the end of the
fourth quarter that sent a strong message.

Just looking at the rosters, I don’t think that anyone would pick Tennessee to beat
Florida in the Swamp Sept. 19. But with Kiffin’s comments adding fuel to Florida’s
fire, expect the Gators to come out and pummel the Vols.

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Baby Gators Have A Lot Of Growing Up To Do

Posted by admin on March 25th, 2009   No Comment

By: Dan Shanks

Florida’s run at an NIT championship came to an end Tuesday night, as No. 2 seed
Penn State came to the O’Connell Center and knocked off the Gators 71-62.
Coming into this season, I hoped that the “Baby Gators” would be able to put
everything together and make an NCAA Tournament run. Looking back, those
expectations were probably a little bit unrealistic.

Yes, Florida didn’t lose any seniors and returned a great deal of experience from
last year’s team. But the Gators did lose Marreese Speights, who has put together a
pretty impressive rookie campaign with the 76ers (15.3 mpg, 7.8ppg, 3.7 rpg). Had
Speights returned, it definitely would’ve helped Florida on the inside, and we all
know that the Gators have been struggling to score and defend in the post.
I watched the game last night and still saw numerous examples that proved this team
has a lot of growing up to do. Perhaps the most troubling part of last night’s game
was Florida’s lack of urgency on the defensive end, especially in the first half. I
was stunned to see the Nittany Lions have countless wide-open 3-point attempts
because the Gators were slow to rotate in the 2-3 zone.

The defense was really a case of pick your poison, because when Florida went to a
man-to-man defense, Jamelle Cornley ate the Gators alive on the inside. He scored 23
points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Florida simply could not defend the wide
body one-on-one.

I was excited to see the Gators play with some intensity down the stretch. After
looking very lethargic for most of the second half, Florida went on a 9-1 run that
featured a number of impressive hustle plays and cut Penn State’s lead to 61-59. But
the Gators seemed to run out of gas down the stretch as the Nittany Lions pulled
away.

I do have high hopes that Florida will be able to get over the NIT hump and make its
way into the Big Dance next year. At the midpoint of the season, I was concerned
that Nick Calathes might try his hand at the NBA draft, but I don’t think that he
will now, given the struggles he’s had down the stretch. The Gators are losing
senior Walter Hodge, but with the arrivals of incoming freshmen Kenny Boynton, Erik
Murphy and DeShawn Painter and Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin, they should be
poised to contend for the SEC crown and make some noise during March Madness.

florida gator guard nick calathes<

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Is This Years 2009 Football Team The Greatest?

Posted by admin on March 23rd, 2009   3 Comments

By: Brandon

I have been hearing everywhere from people talking about how good Florida football is going to be this 2009 season and I want to see myself if it’s going to be true. Do you want to know what I think?

I believe we have the best coaching staff in the Nation and one of the best ever at the University Of Florida. From coach Urban Meyer and all the way down to the strength and conditioning coach and trainers we are loaded. Thank you god for this amazing staff.

Another thing that should be in our favor is our schedule. The first couple home games should be cakewalks before Florida opens up to Tennessee, but then it is back down to the weak SEC teams. With the schedule for 2009 the Gators have, they should go undefeated. But my only concern is what if it came down to the BCS selection time and they look at the strength of schedule? As long as the Florida Gators maintain to be undefeated and run up the score on all their opponents, then maybe it will be a repeat for Tim Tebow and the Gators in 2009.

Have you ever seen Florida loaded with this much talent before? I know I haven’t. It’s just crazy how Florida drives in so much talent. Shoot if you look at any other team in the country, you will see the majority of their players from the state of Florida. We have too much talent in our sunshine state but the best go to Florida and we are praised to have them. Look at the stars now for 2009 and then look at the rising stars who are only freshman and sophomores. Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, Chris Rainey, Demps, then look at the top prospect we have on our side now. Andre Debose. I’m stoked to see what this years football club has in store for us Gator fans. And with our unbelievable defense we should have this year, there is no doubt in my mind why we should not go undefeated. You will probably see one of the best defenses the University Of Florida will ever have.

The only few concerns I have is one, how well will we do without Percy Harvin? Two, the lack of depth on the O-line, and three, how well will our DL do in 2009? Time will only tell and it’s August when we will find out. Our biggest threat might be the LSU game and someone else who we would need to worry about is Snead and the rest of the Ole Miss Rebels who Florida would only have a chance of facing if they make it in the SEC championship.

So in order for the Florida Gators to be “the best ever” they will need to go undefeated, win the SEC and MNC and then all the fans and Gator Nation can say this 2009 Florida Gator team is the best in school history.

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Brooks Leads Gators Past Temple

Posted by admin on March 23rd, 2009   No Comment

Sha Brooks and the Gators took an eight point lead going into the locker room but it seemed like it just wasn’t enough for the young squad. They were even shooting 61 percent from the field and did not allow Temple to make one three pointer. But they just did not play as physical in the first half as they did in the second.

Florida out rebounded Temple in the second half 22-12 in the 70-57 victory in the NCAA tournament which was Florida’s first NCAA tournament win since 2004. They knew it was time for a change and the change had been made.

Sha Brooks mentioned how Temple was much tougher than they were in the first half, allowing them to grab extra offensive rebounds, diving and recovering the loose balls. But that did not happen in the second half.

The lady Gators have a tough game ahead of them as they will face unbeaten Connecticut who is 34-0. Florida will need to come up with everything they have. Play like it is the last game of their college career. The intensity needs to be up, mental and physical toughness needs to show if they want to advance and pull an upset on this very good ball club.

In Florida’s victory over Temple, Sha Brooks led the Gators with 18 points, while teammates Marshae Dotson and Steffi Sorensen both added 13 a piece. Sorensen recorded her first career double-double at Florida after grabbing 13 boards.

The Gators really need to eliminate turnovers as well. 21 turnovers against Temple is not very good and it sure will not help them get past the Huskies if it happens again. But solid defense and taking care of the ball will lead to an upsetting victory for the lady Gators.

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