1 » Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer sat down for a question-and-answer session with CBSSports.com’s Jeremy Fowler (believe it or not) that was published on Friday. In the piece, he mentions the Florida Gators on a few occasions, the highlights of which are below. Check out the other topics by clicking here.

On why ‘no question’ he would still be at Florida if health issues never surfaced
“I realized not too long after [around February 2011]. I called Jeremy [Foley] and said, ‘I made a mistake.’ Once I felt like everything was under control, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what did I do?’ I just told Jeremy as a friend in conversation. The talk was more about one day getting back into it. He was very supportive. Then I started at ESPN and had a ball with that, but is that enough? Is that what I was called to do? I planned to take more than a year [off] though.”

On regrets for the way his Florida tenure ended
“I didn’t at first. I thought we did a good job. We did our best. I look back now, the way it ended was certainly a regret. Does that mean it haunts me? Not at all. I’ve always felt our job is to do a good job and do it the right way, do it ethically and for the best interest of the student-athlete — check, check, check. I’ll always be associated with the school, and my great friends are there and all that. Absolutely none with that. It just wasn’t a normal way to move on. There would have been if I would have stayed out. I was worried about survival for a little bit.”

2 » Florida brought back a huge name in Gators tennis on Friday when the school announced that Mark Merklein has returned to the program as an assistant coach with the men’s team. Merklein, a two-time national champion (doubles in 1993, singles in 1994) and the 1994 SEC Player of the Year, earned four All-American nominations and three All-SEC nods while at Florida and was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Considered by many to be the best men’s tennis player in school history, Merklein wound up competing as a professional for 12 years and even serving as a volunteer assistant for the Gators from 1998-2002 while he was on the tour. He was the head coach of the USTA Player Development Center for six seasons (2006-11) before being hired by Michigan as an assistant coach for the past two years (2012-13). “When I left I even said to everyone, including Mr. [Jeremy] Foley, that it was a goal of mine to one day come back and coach and win national championships,” Merklein said in a school release. “I’ve said it so much now, it’s time to actually do it and put the work in. I’m excited to do that alongside [head coach Bryan Shelton].”

CLICK TO EXPAND and read two more BITS in this post.

Through the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, former Florida Gators forward Erik Murphy, the team’s leading three-point shooter last season (.453), will be keeping you up-to-date on his Path to the Draft via a weekly blog entry here on OGGOA.

Between workouts in Las Vegas, NV on Thursday, Murphy got in touch with OGGOA to discuss his experience and performance at the 2013 NBA Combine and what he has been doing to get ready for the draft over the last week.

The week leading into the combine, we kept doing what we were doing at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. We practiced drills that we knew they would test us on at the combine and just tried to make those become second nature. I flew up there Tuesday night and by the time we got to the JW Marriott, I just relaxed and went to sleep.

Wednesday was the first day of the combine, when everybody started to arrive. I got up early in the morning and basically did all kinds of media stuff. By the time I got done with the 10-15 interviews, it was the middle of the afternoon. Some guys had team interviews afterward but that was not on my schedule for the day. I hung out, saw a bunch of guys I met and knew from over the years (Peyton Siva, Deshaun Thomas, Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee, Gorgui Dieng, etc.), and then went to the gym to get some shots up and get a workout in before Thursday. It is kind of a long, boring day overall.

On Thursday we woke up around 6:30 a.m. and went downstairs to a ballroom. The first thing we did was take a urine test and then we had our blood drawn – a lot of blood. Then they took all of our measurements, a process that took about a half hour. We did a quick workout and then had breakfast before actually beginning the major workout part of the combine. There were a lot of drills, some of them specific by position – ball-handling, quick shots, one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, transition drills, catch-and-shoot, finishing at the rim. The workout probably lasted 60-75 minutes, and it was definitely a tough because you’re out there with a bunch of talented players.

Continue Reading » Erik Murphy – Path to 2013 NBA Draft: Combine

The Florida Gators have pounced on a relatively unknown 2014 prospect, landing a commitment late Thursday night from tight end C’yontai Lewis (Tuscaloosa, AL), according to InsidetheGators.com’s Blake Alderman.

Listed as 6’5” and 212 lbs. on Rivals, Lewis is a raw but talented athlete who Florida’s coaching staff believes can be molded into a great fit for their offensive scheme.

The two-star prospect was officially offered by the Gators on Tuesday and did not take long to make his decision, pulling the trigger on Thursday when he reached out and spoke with head coach Will Muschamp over the phone.

If Muschamp and the coaching staff have their way, Lewis will not be the only member of his family playing for Florida next season.

His cousin, four-star athlete Bo Scarbrough (Tuscaloosa, AL), is currently committed to Alabama but supposedly has interest in playing for the Gators.

The cousins are expected to visit Florida together in June, according to Alderman, and the Gators are hoping to see continued improvement from Lewis over the next year.

Lewis camped at Mississippi State last summer and also holds an offer from the school, according to Andrew Bone of Rivals affiliate TideSports.com. His offer list is expected to fill up shortly as many other teams have begun taking notice of his talents.

He is the eighth member of the Gators’ 2014 recruiting class, which lost a pair of four-star commitments in the last week.

Three former Florida Gators basketball players – two veterans and one rookie – earned 2012-13 regular season honors from the NBA this year.

On Thursday, Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee was named to the All-NBA third team, becoming just the second player in school history to receive such an honor (Al Horford, third team, 2010-11). Lee concluded the season first in the league in double-doubles and top-five in defensive rebounds, total rebounds and efficiency. He was also top-10 in field goals made and triple-doubles.

Lee averaged a double-double of 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds (with 3.5 assists) per game while shooting .519 from the field and .797 from the charity stripe.

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was chosen to the NBA’s All-Defensive team for the second time in three years and remains the only Florida player to ever receive the honor. He was chosen for the second team in 2010-11 but garnered first-team honors this season as he received eight first-place votes (out of 30 voters).

Noah ranked in the top-10 in offensive rebounds, blocks and triple-doubles this season. He averaged career-bests of 11.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.2 steals in a career-high 36.8 minutes per game in 2012-13.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was a near-unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie first team, receiving 28-of-29 first-place votes.

Beal became the sixth Gators player to be chosen to the All-Rookie team (Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Horford, Chandler Parsons) and the fourth to be picked for the first team (Williams, Miller, Horford).

While battling through numerous injuries, Beal averaged 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting .410 from the field, .386 from three and .786 from the free throw line in 31.2 minutes per game.

At least one former Florida player was named to each of the three teams in the same season for the first time in school history.

1 » After falling short of a third-straight team national title, Florida Gators women’s tennis felt confident that its three singles competitors would make some noise in the 2013 NCAA Singles Championship, which began on Wednesday. Instead, all three Florida women lost their first-round matches and were eliminated from the competition. No. 1 senior Lauren Embree continued her tough week by being upset 3-6, 2-6. Just two days earlier, Embree suffered the first NCAA dual match singles loss of her career when she was similarly beaten in straight sets. For one of the greatest tennis players in school history, both results are shocking. No. 17 junior Sofie Oyen (3-6, 4-6) and No. 51 junior Alex Cercone (3-6, 7-6, 4-6) also dropped their matches; all three lost to lower-ranked competitors. The No. 11 duo of Embree/Oyen will participate in the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championship beginning on Thursday.

2 » The “Chuck Norris wears Tim Tebow pajamas” joke that was so often mentioned during former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow’s college days got the actor’s attention at the time. The two wound up meeting and becoming friendly. Now Norris (via the conservative-slanted website NewsBusters) is campaigning on Tebow’s behalf, questioning why he is not currently employed by an NFL team despite proving to be a clutch player. In this 1,075-word rant, Norris calls Tebow “a winner – plain and simple” while arguing that the two are very similar as people and that is why the Jacksonville Jaguars should be signing the controversial player.

I’ve heard the critics say Tebow has poor technical skills, but the truth is that Tim is a natural leader, an amazingly gifted football player, an inspiration to his team and the possessor of intense determination and strategy to bring any team to victory — no matter what the odds. One can improve technique, but leadership is innate. That is why I believe that Tebow could be a superstar and legend in the NFL.

Tebow is a player who rises to the occasion and delivers big in critical moments. He reminds me of myself when I used to compete in martial arts. I would spar with my black belts in class, and sometimes they would outscore me. Yet in the tournaments, I would defeat them. My students used to ask me, “Why is it that we can contend equally against you in class but can’t beat you in the tournaments?” My answer was always the same: “When it counts, I rise to the occasion.”

3 » Florida junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy is receiving a ton of praise heading into the 2013 season, especially from ESPN’s draft analysts. Mel Kiper, Jr. has Purifoy ranked as his No. 10 overall prospect, and Todd McShay believes he is approaching “top-tier” cornerback status. “FLA CB Purifoy (#15) needs strength and to improve [his] ‘off’ cover skills, but [he] has feet, balance, hips, instincts to become [a] top-tier NFL corner,” he tweeted on Wednesday. McShay has Purifoy ranked as his No. 19 overall prospect and also sees him making an impact as a punt return specialist in the NFL.

4 » If you have find yourself wondering what Florida’s sports nutrition program is like, check out this feature by Scott Carter, the senior writer on Florida’s official website, which profiles the program and Sarah Snyder, the Gators’ director of nutrition. “What can give you that upper edge if everyone is doing the same amount of practice time, the same amount of intensity?” Snyder asked rhetorically. “Hydration and nutrition come into play, and recovery comes into play.”

1 » Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal, whose attendance at the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday earned his team the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, faces a long journey before he returns to the court. Beal suffered numerous injuries during the 2013 season and was forced to miss the final nine games of the campaign (as well as 20 of the last 25) after it was revealed that he had a stress injury (fracture) to his fibula. He was originally given a six-week timetable for recovery but is past that at this point. Beal told Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday that he has not “done any basketball-related activities” since the end of the season and will be “going to get another X-ray” in the next few weeks. He should be fine for the start of next season but must heal the stress fracture completely before he returns to the court.

2 » Florida Gators guard Michael Frazier II has accepted an invitation to try out for USA Basketball’s under-19 team, which will be coached by Florida head coach Billy Donovan through the 2013 U19 FIBA World Championship. Frazier, who is entering his sophomore season, will be one of 24 invitees competing for 12 roster spots. Training camp lasts for six days from June 14-19 in Colorado Springs, CO, but the roster will be finalized on June 16. Should he make the team, Frazier will join Donovan in Prague, Czech Republic from June 27-July 7 as Donovan looks to win a second FIBA gold medal. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity with USA Basketball,” Frazier said in a school release. “I’m really looking forward to competing with some of the best players in the country and trying to earn a place on the team.”

Read two more Florida Gators basketball news BITS…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Beal, Frazier, Larson, Prather

Florida Gators forward Will Yeguete underwent an arthroscopic debridement on his right knee Wednesday morning and will be sidelined for approximately four months.

Yeguete had arthroscopic surgery on his knee during the season in February but was made well aware that the procedure was unlikely to be a permanent fix or long-term solution. He was motivated to have the in-season surgery in order to return to the court and help his team during postseason play, something he completely missed during his sophomore season when a foot injury sidelined him for the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Billy Donovan noted on April 10 that a second surgery for Yeguete, who is entering his senior season, was certain but the timing of it was unknown.

Yeguete had the option to undergo surgery in the offseason or – if he felt he could handle the discomfort – wait until the end of his collegiate career.

“That’s probably definitely an option that is going to be on the table that they’re going to look at and consider probably very strongly. He was able to play with his knee the way it was, so he’s going to have to make a decision of what he wants to do.”

Yeguete’s knee swelled up during the postseason and he was forced to have it drained prior to Florida’s game against Florida Gulf Coast. It was obvious that he did not have the same explosiveness or leaping ability after he returned from the first surgery.

New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is the most famous athlete to undergo knee debridement surgery; he had it on each of his knees this past season. The procedure cleans out infected tissue from a joint while simultaneously clearing bone fragments, cartilage and other debris that could be effecting natural movement. Bones may also be smoothed during the procedure.

A four-month rehabilitation schedule would put Yeguete on track to return to the court at the end of September. This month, the NCAA ruled that teams can begin practicing in late-September, moving up the start of the sport’s season more than a month.

By Andrew Olson – OGGOA Contributor

Coming off losing three of their last four regular season games, eight-seed Florida Gators baseball (29-28) went one-and-out in the 2013 Southeastern Conference Tournament, losing 6-3 to the nine-seed Texas A&M Aggies (31-25) in a single-elimination first round game on Tuesday.

After going on a winning streak in April where they won 11-of-12 games, the Gators looked to have significantly improved their chances of participating in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Florida has not done itself any favors since, losing nine of its last 13 games and putting its NCAA Tournament hopes in the hands of the selection committee, which must weigh UF’s difficult schedule against its disappointing finish to the season.

The Gators got the start they were looking for on Tuesday, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Florida first got on the board without a hit as sophomore right fielder Justin Shafer (0/4, R) reached on an error, advanced to second on a balk, moved up to third on a failed pick-off attempt and scored on a ground out by senior first baseman Vickash Ramjit (0/4, RBI). The Gators got their second run of the inning off three singles with sophomore designated hitter Zack Powers (1/4, R) crossing the plate when senior shortstop Cody Dent (1/2, RBI) knocked him home.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Johnny Magliozzi (6.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R [4 ER], BB, 6 K) started smooth by retiring the first 10 batters he faced but ran into trouble in the middle innings Aggies third baseman Hunter Melton tilted the score 3-2 in Texas A&M’s favor with a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

Continue Reading » Gators baseball quickly eliminated from SEC Tournament, NCAA hopes in jeopardy