FOUR BITS: Macklin, Poyner, Portis, Shipman
1 » Florida Gators redshirt senior center Vernon Macklin, currently participating in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament with forward Alex Tyus, scored 19 points on 50 percent shooting and notched 12 rebounds in his first game at the event on Thursday. NBA.com wrote a profile piece about him on Friday, looking about his entire career as well as strengths and weaknesses that may – or may not – find him a spot on a NBA roster this upcoming season. The feature also has a blurb about Tyus, who has scored a combined 25 points and grabbed 21 total rebounds in two PIT games, at the end.
2 » Left-handed pitcher and dynamic hitter Bobby Poyner, a Florida baseball commitment, tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder and will miss the remainderof his high school career. According to the Palm Beach Post, Poyner went 6-1 as a senior with a 1.91 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 40.1 innings to go along with a .404 batting average. In his last full season, he finished 9-3 with a 1.86 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 64 innings.
4 » Though Gators basketball had plenty of success without him this year, former Florida guard/forward Ray Shipman is thrilled that he decided to transfer to play football for the Central Florida Knights. After spending his first season on UCF’s scout team in order to get into football shape after playing basketball for two years, Shipman is now listed on the team’s spring depth chart as a starting outside linebacker. Part of the reason for his success is his praiseworthy dedication, which he planned to give since the moment he stepped back on the gridiron. “[The coaches] get tired of seeing me,” Shipman told the Orlando Sentinel. “I told [the linebackers coach] when I first got here, ‘Coach, I’m going to be nagging you. I’m going to be in your office every day right after class. If you’re here at night, I’m going to be here, too.”
Damn, Sugar Ray Shipman is up to 6-4, 240 in basically a year of football training. I wonder what that brother is gonna look like in the fall!
Actually, he’s listed officially at 6-5, 237. If you ask me, he’s going to end up at defensive end, but they SHOULD put his behind at tight end, if they’re smart…
That’s a great quote by Ray Shipman, good luck to him… His body was more suited for football anyways
It is great to see that Macklin and Tyus continue to play well just like in the tournament. I am hoping that they both succeed in the NBA.
Macklin will get an honest chance to play in the NBA…..but tyus will be extremely. Lucky to even get drafted..and if by some miracle tyus does get drafted …he will never make an NBA regular season roster….he may have stepped up in the ncaa tourney but don’t forget how he never played up to the small expectations we fans had after horford and noah left….he is the epitomy of underachieving….