1 » Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan has given a verbal scholarship offer to four-star 2012 shooting guard Michael Frazier (Tampa, FL), according to the St. Petersburg Times. Frazier, who currently boasts offers from 13 other schools ranging from Michigan to Harvard, has a 4.0 GPA and is “open to everybody right now.”

2 » Taking a look at Florida basketball on Thursday, Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports believes the Gators are in position to do something they have not done 2007 – make some serious noise in the NCAA Tournament. “Florida may not be what it was a few years back when the Gators won back-to-back national titles, but they are now in a position to make a deep tournament run over the next few years,” he writes. “In two years, the perimeter down in Gainesville will feature [Erving] Walker, [Kenny] Boynton, [Brad] Beal and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario with a backcourt of [Patric] Young, [Erik] Murphy, [Cody] Larson and [Will] Yeguete.”

3 » To help promote the release of EA Sports’ NCAA Football 11 video game, the company teamed up with Nike to release a signature Nike Trainer for the occasion. Blue with orange and white accents, the sneaker features reminders of former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow’s “Promise” speech on Sept. 27, 2008, a company logo and mention of the video game. One picture can be seen here, but the rest can be found at SoleCollector.com. The site reports that the shoe will be released in “extremely limited quantities in the very near future.” In other words…if you have the ability to buy them…pick up an extra size 11-11.5 for OGGOA…or we’re not friends anymore.

4 » Answering readers’ questions about the New England Patriots’ youth movement, Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe touched on how some former Florida players are progressing. About linebacker Brandon Spikes specifically, Young says he “was already being asked to call signals in the huddle with the second unit during spring camps and could well challenge incumbent Gary Guyton” for the job. The coaching staff also values the versatility that tight end Aaron Hernandez brings to the table; he will mostly be used as a receiver and H-back and could end up being a starter.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Billy Donovan, Brad Beal, Brandon Spikes, Cody Larson, Erik Murphy, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Michael Frazier, Mike Rosario, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, New England Patriots, NFL, Patric Young, Will Yeguete

Reported by OGGOA on July 9 and July 13, respectively, former Florida Gators guard/forward Mike Miller has decided to join the Miami Heat and power forward Matt Bonner has chosen to re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs.

Contract specifics for both players were made available Wednesday night.

Miller is set to sign a five-year, $29.8 million contract with the Heat on Thursday, according to FOX Sports. He will becoming the second former Florida player on the team alongside PF Udonis Haslem; the two Gators were also teammates in Gainesville, FL.

The Spurs have signed Bonner, a bench player for the team since 2006, to a four-year, $16 million deal that will help San Antonio maintain consistency in the front court.

OGGOA RELATED: Miller, Heat agree on five-year, $30 million deal
OGGOA RELATED: Matt Bonner agrees to return to San Antonio

Tags: Matt Bonner, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Udonis Haslem

Former Florida Gators power forward Matt Bonner agreed to contract terms with the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

After short stints with Italy’s Sicilia Messina (2003-04) and the Toronto Raptors (2004-06), he has spent the last four seasons with San Antonio after the team traded for him in 2006. A three-point specialist, Bonner shot 39 percent from downtown in 2009-10 and averaged 7.0 points per game as a bench player.

He was a member of the 2006-07 NBA Champion Spurs and is only one of two players (center Tiago Splitter) the team has signed so far this offseason.

Terms of his deal have not been disclosed per team policy.

Tags: Matt Bonner, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Sicilia Messina, Toronto Raptors

1 » Drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, Florida Gators junior closer Kevin Chapman realized his dream and solidified his future by officially signing with the team on Monday. Posting a 1.64 ERA and 3-0 record with 11 saves in 43.2 innings last season, Chapman struck out 44 batters and only walked seven. He has been assigned to the Royals’ Class A affiliate Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League and will do his best to work his way through the minor leagues and into the majors soon.

2 » While a number of the NBA’s top free agents were deciding their futures last week, some of college basketball and high school basketball’s top players participated in the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, OH. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla was on-site and had this to report about the two Gators who were invited:

Redshirt senior forward/center Vernon Macklin
Macklin is not a fluid athlete but is tough around the basket and gives a very good effort. He’s a big key for a Gator resurgence this season.

Senior forward Chandler Parsons
Parsons played well at the camp, showing an ability to slash to the rim and make jump shots, as well. For a right-hander, he’s a very dominant left-handed driver. I would work on that right hand the rest of the summer if I were Parsons.

An interview with Jenn Brown and update on Dwayne Schintzius…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Chapman, Parsons, Macklin, Brown

Tags: All-American, baseball, Carolina League, Chandler Parsons, Draft, Dwayne Schintzius, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Jenn Brown, Kansas City Royals, Kevin Chapman, LeBron James Skills Academy, MLB, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, SEC, Vernon Macklin, Wilmington Blue Rocks

Former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem has decided to turn down substantially larger offers from competing teams in order to remain with the Miami Heat, agreeing to a five-year, $20 million deal on Monday.

“I would be changing my DNA if I left just for money,” he told the Associated Press.

After signing guard Dwyane Wade to a six-year, $107 million contract and forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh to identical six-year, $110 million deals, Miami immediately concentrated on bringing two former Florida players under contract.

First, the Heat reached an agreement on a five-year, $30 million deal with guard/forward Mike Miller after trading former No. 2 overall pick PF Michael Beasley for cap space and a second round pick. With each of the “big three” sacrificing $15 million over the life of their deals, Miami made a move to bring back Haslem, Wade’s best friend on the team since the superstar was drafted in 2003.

Haslem drew serious interest from at least three other teams who put tempting offers on the table. The Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks each reportedly offered him a five-year, $34 million mid-level exception contract over the weekend, and the New Jersey Nets offered three years and $20 million last week.

“[I] turned down full mid level [exceptions] from Dallas and Denver. See [yo]u next season,” Haslem said in an e-mail to the paper.

Spending almost his entire life playing basketball in the state of Florida (spent one season in France), he decided to turn down higher contracts in order to play with his friend and be a part of what could be a very special team.

Think Haslem is happy to play with Miller again?

“That’s my boy from day one,” he told the Sun-Sentinel. “That’s my college roommate. He’s like Dwyane is to me, just a different color.”

A seven-year NBA veteran, Haslem earned $7.1 million with the Heat last season. He has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds throughout his career.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade considers former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem one of his best friends. That is likely one reason why he took almost $3 million less than cohorts forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh when signing with Miami a few days ago – to free up some money to re-sign Haslem.

Unfortunately for Wade and perhaps the Heat as well, Haslem has drawn interest from at least two other teams who have put solid and tempting offers on the table. First the New Jersey Nets and then the Dallas Mavericks each offered him a three-year, $20 million contract over the weekend, hoping to lure Haslem with a guarantee of more money and significantly more playing time.

Though he has spent almost his entire life playing basketball in the state of Florida, loves his home (as evidenced by his back tat) and wants to stick around, Haslem may be at the point in his career where the guarantee of a few million more per season significantly outweighs the ability to play with a close friend.

The Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz have been mentioned previously as teams who had expressed interest in Haslem.

A seven-year NBA veteran, he earned $7.1 million last season but is being looked at by New Jersey and Dallas as a full mid-level exception player. Miami can currently only offer $1.1 million per year – the veteran’s minimum – but will likely be able to up that offer as their available salary cap gets clearer.

Haslem has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds throughout his career.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Udonis Haslem, Utah Jazz

Before he started his senior year of high school or prepared to join the Florida Gators in Gainesville, FL, as the team’s highest rated commitment since guard Nick Calathes, five-star 2011 recruit Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) decided to represent his country by accepting a nomination to USA Basketball’s U-17 Men’s National Team in order to compete in the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men in Germany.

With his team taking home the Gold Medal on Sunday by easily defeating Poland 111-80, Beal completed a stellar stretch in which he was his country’s most consistent player. For that, he was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament with 18.3 points per game and 47.7 percent shooting from downtown (31-of-65). Here are his individual statistics from the event:

Friday, July 2 – 82-70 win vs. Argentina
Beal: 11 points, 4-11 FG, 2-5 3-PT, 4 REB, 3 AST, 4 BLK, 3 STL [35 minutes]
Saturday, July 3 – 102-66 win vs. Lithuania
Beal: 16 points (team-high), 6-10 FG, 2-6 3-PT, 3 AST, 3 STL [24 minutes]
Monday, July 5 – 113-73 win vs. China
Beal: 20 points, 5-12 FG, 5-11 3-PT, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL [22 minutes]
Tuesday, July 6 – 132-64 win vs. Egypt
Beal: 18 points (team-high), 6-10 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK [17 minutes]
Wednesday, July 7 – 112-75 win vs. Serbia
Beal: 20 points (team-high), 8-14 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 3 REB, 2 STL [25 minutes]
Friday, July 9 – 105-70 win vs. Australia
Beal: 25 points (team-high), 8-13 FG, 7-9 3-PT, 3 REB [22 minutes]
Saturday, July 10 – 103-80 win vs. Canada
Beal: 17 points, 6-14 FG, 4-11 3-PT, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK, 5 STL [32 minutes]
Sunday, July 11 – 111-80 win vs. Poland
Beal: 19 points, 7-13 FG, 5-9 3-PT, 5 REB [31 minutes]

Joining Beal on the FIBA All-Tournament Five was five-star power forward James McAdoo, a heralded recruit and North Carolina commit.

Florida head coach Billy Donovan was in attendance for the final few games of the international competition, hoping to seal the deal on Beal’s commitment while scouting five-star small forward Adonis Thomas (Memphis, TN) and four-star PF Johnny O’Bryant (Cleveland, MS).

Photo Credits: FIBA

Tags: Adonis Thomas, All-Tournament Five, Billy Donovan, Brad Beal, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, James McAdoo, Johnny O'Bryant, Nick Calathes, USA, USA Basketball

1 » Seemingly one of a few free agents unable to be re-signed by the Miami Heat after the team acquired guard Dwyane Wade, forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh, former Florida Gators PF Udonis Haslem is currently weighing his options of what team to join next. According to various reports, the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets all have interest in signing the NBA veteran who earned $7.1 million last season. It is also being mentioned that Miami does desire to keep Haslem but can currently only offer him a veteran’s minimum contract of $1.1 million. However, should president and general manager Pat Riley work out dual sign-and-trades with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, respectively, the team could theoretically re-sign all of their roleplaying free agents. Haslem has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in his seven-year career.

In related news… Former Gators PF Chris Richard has joined the Chicago Bulls‘ summer league team after being waved by the team following the 2009-10 season.

2 » Florida is very conscious of its intellectual property being utilized without consent elsewhere – whether it is for a money-making gimmick or, apparently, the mascot of a small rural school in Arkansas. According to the Associated Press, the Two Rivers School District in Russellville, AR, is being forced to change “the look of its mascot after the University of Florida said it infringed on their trademarked Gator logo and design.” The school will need to spend approximately $8,000 to remove the brand new logo from their gymnasium. Public relations-wise, UF does not come off looking too good here, but the school must protect its intellectual property…and this logo is as bad as it gets!

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Chris Bosh, Chris Richard, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Pat Riley, Toronto Raptors, Udonis Haslem, University of Florida, Utah Jazz