Archive for April, 2009

A Possible Dynasty?

Posted by admin on April 13th, 2009   1 Comment

By: Brad Shortt

Looking back at some of the college considered a dynasty even today, I noticed several key points familiar with them all when the word dynasty was starting to be used.  They won big, they won often, and they won national titles, conference titles, and were in contention year in and year out.

The Florida Gator football program seems to be on the verge of having the greatest word to describe a program on the tips of people’s tongues across the nation.  That word is dynasty.  The Gators have won 2 of the last 3 national titles and SEC titles.  They have consistently been in the top 25 of the AP polls year in and year out over the past several years.

With the expectations for 2009, the returning players off of the 2008 national championship team led by Heisman winner, Tim Tebow, and defensive specialist, Brandon Spike, the Gators should be one of the favorites to win it all again.

If 3 of the last 4 and 2 straight national titles residing in Gainesville does not start the chatter of a dynasty in the making then I don’t know what would.  If the Gators come out and take care of business, they will put themselves in range for the opportunity to win another national title.  By winning the fourth in school history, the Gators over a 4 year span will have put together one of the best runs, if not the best to put the themselves at the top of the college ranks as the best team in the country.

A resume’ like that could only be described as a dynasty and to any member of the Gator Nation, better yet, anyone who considers themselves a true fan of college football in general, should be in awe of what Urban Meyer and the Florida Gator football program has done over the past few years.

To earn the title of “Dynasty”, what any college football player in any program should strive for, it all comes down to the success of the 2009 football season.  I for one, hope by years end, the word dynasty is associated with the Florida Gators.  Knowing the commitment and dedication of an Urban Meyer led football team and the focus and leadership of Tim “Superman” Tebow, I know the goal of becoming what so few have ever been branded as can become a reality.  It is called “DYNASTY”.

urban meyer

Post to Twitter

Q&A With Sha Brooks

Posted by admin on April 12th, 2009   No Comment

On Thursday, Sha Brooks became the 16th different player from the UF women’s basketball team to be taken in the WNBA draft. She was taken by the Phoenix Mercury in the third round of the 2009 draft (31st overall selection).

Brooks, a 5-foot-7 guard from Jackson, Tenn., had a fantastic senior season for the Gators, averaging 16.4 points, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She was a major reason Florida made it back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006 and the first time under Coach Amanda Butler, who just finished her second season at UF. Florida beat Temple 70-57 in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing 87-59 to eventual champion UConn in the second round. It was the team’s best finish since the 2003-04 season.

She led UF in four different categories (scoring, assists, made free throws and free-throw attempts) and was second in the SEC in scoring. Brooks has her name all over Florida’s record book. She is ranked No.1 in consecutive starts (123), total starts (125), made free throws (430), and free-throw attempts (550). She is also third all-time in steals (242) and 3-pointers (212). An interesting fact I thought I would throw out there is that Sha Brooks did not start playing basketball until she was in middle school. Look at all the hard work that has paid off for her now.

GSN recently sat down with Brooks to ask a few questions.

GSN:  How did it feel playing for coach Amanda Butler?

Excited because she was a gator and was very prideful. I knew that we would work hard and have a chance of doing something great.

GSN: What was your most memorable moment at University Of Florida?

I don’t have any really, my whole experience at UF has been a memorable moment. I guess just been about of Gator Nation and accomplishing some of my goals.

GSN:  How does it feel to get drafted to the WNBA?

Its a great feeling it’s always been my dream since I was little. So to actually see it have is the best thing that has happened to me.

GSN:  Who do you give the most credit for your success?

God, family, my teammate, and all my coaches.

GSN: What basketball player did you idolize when growing up?

Michael Jordan.

GSN: What advice would you give younger players to be able to play at the next level?

Just to keep working hard, stay focus and never let someone tell u that u can’t do something.

sha brooks

Post to Twitter

Chaney Continues Tradition Of Transfers

Posted by admin on April 12th, 2009   No Comment

By: Dan

The Gainesville Sun recently reported that freshman Allan Chaney has decided to transfer from the University of Florida.

Chaney, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward from Baltimore, had a pretty uneventful freshman year at UF. He only averaged three points a game and missed 13 of the team’s 36 games. The highlight of his freshman campaign came in the 86-84 win over Washington. Chaney actually got the start in the game, played 23 minutes and scored 13 points in what ended up being Florida’s best non-conference game of the season.

Chaney’s departure from the program is the latest in a somewhat startling trend during Billy Donovan’s tenure as Florida’s head coach. For whatever reason, a number of Donovan’s recruits have come to Gainesville, only to transfer to another program.

Among the players who have transferred are Orien Greene (Louisiana-Lafayette), James White (Cincinnati), Mario Boggan (Oklahoma State), Ryan Appleby (Washington) and Mohamed Abukar (San Diego State), to name a few. Some of the transfers have been very successful at their new schools. During Boggan’s senior season, he averaged 19 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. A lot of his success at OSU could be contributed to the fact that he trimmed down. When he finished at Oklahoma State, he weighed 240. At one point in his career at UF, he weighed 313 pounds.

White also had some success at Cincinnati. In his last year at UC, he had 16.3 points and 5.1 boards per game. A key to his emergence was the wide-open style that Cincinnati ran. White was the most athletic player at Florida when he was there, and he was able to put that athleticism to good use with the Bearcats.

One cannot help but wonder why some players have elected to leave Gainesville for seemingly greener pastures. Donovan doesn’t seem like the kind of coach who will coddle and baby his players. Maybe some of the players can’t handle Donovan’s tough love. Another factor, certainly, is playing time. Billy D is a tremendous recruiter, and there are only so many minutes available in a game. Whatever the reasons may be, hopefully Donovan figures it out so Florida stops hemorrhaging top-flight talent.

Post to Twitter

Florida Freshman Allan Chaney To Transfer

Posted by admin on April 12th, 2009   No Comment

By: Brandon

After riding through a bumpy season this year, freshman forward Allan Chaney has decided that he will transfer out of Florida.

Chaney might not of seen the floor as much as he projected, but the time and effort he had put in this season was much appreciated. Allan averaged 3 points  and 2 rebounds per contest in a total of 23 games which two of them he started in.

Even though Florida does not really have a true big man since the loss of Joakim Noah and Al Horford, Chaney was one of the ones you could describe as big. Chaney suffered injuries late in the season and that was one of the reasons why he might be transfering. He had the feeling where he was unwanted or he felt left out.

Chaney was suspended after the win against Miami in the N.I.T tournament for disciplinary actions with the trainer. An update I saw on Chaney’s profile said that “All this will make me stronger”. Two years in a row now Billy Donovan has a player leaving. Last year, Jai Lucas left and had to sit out this year but will be suited up as a Texas Longhorn next year. We do not know yet where Chaney will end up, but lets wish him the best of luck where ever he ends up and that he made the right decision.

allan chaney

Post to Twitter

2009 Florida Gators Spring Game – Orange vs Blue

Posted by admin on April 12th, 2009   3 Comments

By: Brandon Kendrick

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009

Time: 1:00 pm

Radio: Gator Radio Network

Television Replay: Sun Sports (Date/Time TBA)

Tickets:
- General Admission ($5), free for UF students, UF Alumni Association members and Gator Boosters with ID
- Tickets can be bought online at gatorzone.com/tickets, or by calling 352-375-4683, ext 6800.

Fan Attractions:
1. Powder Puff tournament
- The UF Student Government is hosting a Powder Puff tournament Friday, April 17. At this flag football event, fans can not only watch, but participate in a pass, punt, and kick contest. The winner of the contest will be recognized at the Orange vs Blue game, and the powder puff finals will be held prior to the Orange vs Blue spring game.

2. Fastest Gator On Campus
- For the second year, the fastest Gator players from this year’s team will compete against the fastest non-athletes on campus in the 40 yard dash. This year’s event will separate contestants into two weight classes (under 225 lbs/over 225 lbs). Preliminary races were held on April 2nd and April 9th. The semifinals are on Friday, and the finals will take place on Saturday, right before the spring game.

3. Urban Meyer Book Autograph Session
- At Gate 1, from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m., Coach Meyer will be signing copies of the book, “Urban’s Way” – by author Buddy Martin. The cost of the book is $25, and the money collected will benefit the Florida Opportunity Scholars program at the University of Florida.

Come out and watch the Gators kick-off their jouney to repeat as national champions!

Go Gators

Post to Twitter

Painter’s Departure Could Open Door For A Point Guard

Posted by admin on April 9th, 2009   No Comment

By: Dan

Various media outlets are reporting that DeShawn Painter, a 6-foot-9, 195-pound power forward, wants to get out of his commitment to the University of Florida. Painter has already signed a national letter of intent, so Billy Donovan would have to agree to release Painter before he could pursue other options.

Painter, a four-star recruit according to scout.com, has not done anything official yet, so this could all be hearsay. But if Painter does leave, it does create an interesting situation with the Florida basketball team.

As it stands right now, the Gators are in somewhat of a numbers game. The team can only have 12 scholarship players. With the graduation of Walter Hodge, Florida has 10 scholarship players on the roster. (That’s assuming that Nick Calathes comes back to UF). If all three of the incoming freshmen (Painter, Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy) honor their letters of intent, then that would leave Florida with 13 scholarship players, and Donovan would have to cut someone. In that scenario, the two most likely candidates would be Adam Allen and Eloy Vargas. After a fairly quiet freshman year (4 points, 10.4 minutes per game), Allen missed all of the 2008-09 campaign with a knee injury.
Vargas made less noise as a freshman than Allen did. He averaged less than one point and one rebound a game and only played in nine games. It’s hard to say what Donovan would do in this situation, but I think he’d probably stick with Allen. At least he showed that, when healthy, he could contribute to the team.

On the other hand, if Calathes elects to go pro and Painter is released from his commitment, a scholarship position would open up. A few different names have circulated, but the one Gator fans should be the most excited about is Rico Pickett.
The good news is that Pickett started 20 games as a freshman at Alabama and averaged 5.9 points per game. The bad news is that Pickett was suspended twice while a member of the Crimson Tide. First, he had to sit for one game for being late to a practice and disrespecting former coach Mark Gottfried. Later in the season, he was suspended indefinitely for failing to comply with team rules (whatever that means). He ended up transferring Miami-Dade College.

Some readers may be wondering what there is to be excited about. Well, Pickett averaged 17.4 points a game and 4.6 assists at MDC. He was named first-team all-conference and helped the Sharks to a Southern Conference title.

More importantly, by all accounts, Pickett can create his own shot. He’s big enough (6-foot-3) to take the ball to the basket without getting swatted or bullied (unlike Erving Walker) and is athletic enough to finish at the hoop (unlike Calathes). Florida had a number of deficiencies this year, but one of the biggest problems was that no one had the ability to slash to the basket. For the most part, everyone except Alex Tyus was stuck on the perimeter. Ray Shipman showed flashes of being able to take the ball to the hole, but didn’t do it consistently enough.

Pickett showed a lack of maturity at Alabama and has to clean up his act. Hopefully a year in JUCO did the trick. Of course, if Calathes goes to the NBA and Painter stays, or if Calathes stays and Painter goes, I just wrote this blog for nothing. But if both guys leave, Gator fans should cross their fingers and hope for Pickett.

deshawn painter

Post to Twitter

Q & A With 2010 Commit Matthew Elam

Posted by admin on April 9th, 2009   No Comment

By: Brandon

We caught up with 2010 commit from Dwyer in West Palm Beach Matthew Elam and got to sit down with him and see why he chose to be a Gator or even why the Gators chose him.

Billy Gonzales made an excellent move by recruiting Matt. With all this talent this young man has and only a junior, its incredible and good news for the Gators. The 6 foot 205 pound safety committed to UF back in October 2008, and which I believe made the right decision. Elam is an all around type of player in high school. Switching from running back, receiver, safety, he can do it all. In 2008, Elam rushed for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns while grabbing 39 catches for 776 yards and 8 touchdowns. Defensive wise, he recorded 91 tackles, 21 of them for a loss and 9 sacks his junior year at Dwyer. Matt also has serious speed, running a 4.44 forty. When the time comes for Elam at UF, you will most likely see him playing as a free safety. Below you will read the questions and answers, followed by a highlight video of Matthew Elam.

How did it feel visiting Gainesville?

” It was really great, the time I was up there I really enjoyed myself. ”

What other schools did you consider besides Florida? What were some things you liked about them?

” West Virginia, Alabama, Oregon, Kentucky. The coaches are really great, fans are outragious & they are winning programs. ”

What stood out to you about Florida?

” Coach Meyer, I have known him for about 10 years.  He coached my older brother at Notre Dame. Coach Meyer was sitting on my couch when I was about 7 years old and he showed me the wide receiver stance. ”

What do you think are strong points of your game?

” Basically coming up & making great tackles. ”

What are your goals you would like to reach while playing for UF?

” First get an education, then win defensive honors and a National championship.

How long have you been a Florida Gator?

” Since Urban Meyer came to UF. ”

matthew elam

Post to Twitter

Potential Rift With Donovan Could Be At Root Of Calathes’ Decision

Posted by admin on April 8th, 2009   No Comment

By: Dan

It appears that there might be a little more than meets the eye when it comes to Nick Calathes’ decision to try his luck in the NBA draft.

Kevin Brockway, UF men’s basketball beat writer for The Gainesville Sun, recently wrote in a blog that Calathes was more than a little upset when Billy Donovan benched him down the stretch of the loss against Mississippi State March 4. Brockway wrote that Calathes wasn’t the same after the MSU loss, and the spat with Donovan could be at the heart of that. He also wrote that Donovan lost confidence in Calathes when he bricked three free throws in the 3-point loss to Kentucky in early February.

While Brockway may very well be spot on with his assertions, I have to disagree with the fact that a rift between Billy and Nick caused Calathes’ poor play down the stretch. Rather, I believe that Calathes was terribly fatigued after having to carry Florida on his back for an entire season.

Not only was he called on to get everyone else involved on offense, but he was also Florida’s primary offensive weapon. That had to put a great deal of strain on Calathes, who is still only a sophomore.

The Gators didn’t have another real point guard on the roster. I know that super freshman Erving Walker played the position in spurts, but I see him as a point guard in the mold of UF transfer Jai Lucas, a guy who has pretty good handles but looks for his own shot first. And neither Lucas nor Walker is anywhere near the passer that Calathes is.

On top of that, Florida didn’t have much offensive firepower after Calathes. Alex Tyus (12.5) and Walker (10.1) both averaged more than 10 points a game, but Tyus, a power forward forced to play center, had to go up against bigger guys night in and night out, which hurt his offensive production. At 5-foot-8, Walker was an excellent shooter, but was too small to penetrate and get baskets in close. And the supporting cast, namely Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner and Walter Hodge, left much to be desired.

That left the onus on Calathes, and by the end of the season, I think he was gassed. In the final 10 games of the season, which includes three games before the controversial MSU game, he averaged just 13 points and shot 40.7 percent from the floor. Both numbers are well before his season averages (17.2 points, 48.2 percent). To me, that’s a clear indication of a kid who was burnt out after averaging 33.3 minutes a game, not a sign of a kid who is fed up with his coach.
I watched the Mississippi State game, and while I was surprised that Calathes didn’t play down the stretch, I really couldn’t fault Donovan for the decision. He had an awful game. He was making bad decisions and he was missing wide-open shots. If there was ever a game that he deserved to get benched, that was it.

It’s important to note that Calathes hasn’t hired an agent, so he could still come back to UF. If he’s getting good advice, he will come back, because he’s clearly not ready for professional basketball. If he does come back, I think it could be a special year for the Gators and Calathes. The team will have much better depth next year, and with Kenny Boynton and some much needed bulk inside, Calathes would not be a one-man band.

nick calathes

Post to Twitter