1 » The Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley explained the Florida Gators‘ status as a 2010 NCAA Tournament team as succinctly as possible: “They’re in. I think.” The Gators appear to have clinched an at-large berth in March Madness for the first time in three seasons with their victory Thursday in the first round of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament against the Auburn Tigers. Then again, anything can happen with the Selection Committee. Florida has a chance to remove any doubts tonight against a team they already beat this season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

2 » Though the SEC is delaying the announcement of its entire football schedule due to some conflicts, it was announced Friday that the Gators’ away contest against the defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 2, 2010, will be CBS’ lone prime time game of the season. Each year, CBS picks one conference game to air at 8 p.m., and for 2010 it has decided to choose a rematch of the last two SEC Championship games – a rubber match if you will – between the Gators and Crimson Tide. Then again, the game could very well be less of a rubber match and more of a precursor to the 2010 SEC Championship in Atlanta, GA. Mark your calendars.

3 » While the win Thursday did wonders for Florida, it has likely done just the opposite for Auburn. Tigers head coach Jeff Lebo, who was on the hot seat before the tournament, is likely to get the boot if you believe many of Auburn’s fans and boosters. Gators head coach Billy Donovan has gone out of his way to praise Lebo at every opportunity he has gotten, but the respect of his peers will probably not be enough to save the embattled coach. UPDATE: Just moments after OGGOA posted this, The Birmingham News reported that Lebo will be fired.

4 » Bubble Watch: Illinois (18-13) vs. No. 18 Wisconsin (2:25 p.m.), Rhode Island (22-8) vs. Saint Louis (2:30 p.m.), Mississippi (21-9) vs. No. 13 Tennessee (3:15 p.m.), Dayton (20-11) vs. Xavier [in] (6:30 p.m.), Georgia Tech (20-11) vs. No. 19 Maryland (7 p.m.), Minnesota (19-12) vs. No. 11 Michigan State (8:55 p.m.), San Diego State (23-8) vs. No. 8 New Mexico (9:00 p.m.), Washington (22-9) vs. Stanford (11:30 p.m.)

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Billy Donovan, Jeff Lebo, March Madness, Mississippi State Bulldogs, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, SEC, SEC Championship, selection committee

1 » For all of the flack that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has received about his mechanics and throwing motion, perhaps forcing a player to tinker with something that they have used to reach a high level of success is not the best thing to do. (Who would have thunk it?) Bruce Feldman of ESPN breaks down an instance where adjustments like these did an injustice rather than facilitated an improvement, focusing on the story of Steve and Chris Walsh of the Miami Hurricanes.

Additional note: ESPN NFL Draft talking heads Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay have both upgraded their projections, agreeing that Tebow will likely be a second-round pick in the upcoming event. However, both made sure to state that picking him that early is indeed “a reach” by any team that does so.

Three more BITS on Tishman, LSU’s Sheppard and women’s tennis after the jump!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Tebow, Tishman, Shepard, tennis

Tags: Allie Will, Billy Donovan, Chris Walsh, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, LSU Tigers, Marrit Boonstra, Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina Tar Heels, Ring Tennis Complex, Rod Tishman, Russell Shepard, Steve Walsh, tennis, Tim Tebow

The Florida Gators will host Pro Scout Day for football players who have decided to enter the 2010 NFL Draft on Wed., March 17 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

More than 15 players – including quarterback Tim Tebow, linebacker Brandon Spikes, cornerback Joe Haden, defensive end Carlos Dunlap, center Maurkice Pouncey and tight end Aaron Hernandez – are scheduled to work out as representatives from every NFL team will be on hand for evaluation purposes.

The Swamp will be open beginning at 8:30 a.m., though the on-field portion of the event will not begin until 10 a.m. Fans will be allowed to enter via Gate 2.

As speculated by OGGOA, restrooms and concession stands will be open. Video cameras, food/drink containers, bottles, cans and a variety of other items are prohibited.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Draft, Joe Haden, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, The Swamp, Tim Tebow

1 » Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow scored a 22 on his Wonderlic exam at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, according to Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post. By comparison, the average for a NFL QB is 24. Former Miami Dolphins QB and Hall of Famer Dan Marino posted a 13; Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a 48. OGGOA sees no need to expand further on this revelation.

2 » ESPN NFL Draft analysts and talking head Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay released their latest mock drafts Wednesday, and two former Gators continue to appear as potential first-round selections. McShay believes cornerback Joe Haden will be selected No. 7 overall by the Cleveland Browns, while Kiper counters that he will go No. 13 to the San Francisco 49ers. However, Kiper has center Maurkice Pouncey being taken at No. 24 by the Philadelphia Eagles, while McShay has him lasting until the end of the first round – going No. 31 to the Indianapolis Colts.

3 » Florida freshman guard Kenny Boynton and sophomore point guard Erving Walker were both recognized by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday for their contributions on the court this season. However, junior forward Chandler Parsons was snubbed by the conference – not that he cares. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me,” Parsons told The Florida Times-Union. “I haven’t even seen them, didn’t even know. As long as my team keeps winning and we get to where we want to, no individual accolades are needed for me. I didn’t get many in high school. I don’t expect any here.”

4 » Updating an item reported late Wednesday, five-star basketball recruit Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has decided to remove Miami (FL) from his top five and replace them with Syracuse. Knight is also considering Florida, Kentucky, Kansas and Connecticut and will likely decide in just over a month’s time.

Tags: Brandon Knight, Chandler Parsons, combine, Draft, Erving Walker, Joe Haden, Kenny Boynton, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, SEC, Tim Tebow, Wonderlic

A stellar three-year college football career in the toughest conference in the country should be enough to convince NFL scouts, coaches and front office personnel that former Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden will succeed as a professional. And it looked like it was enough, until Haden ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine about two weeks ago.

Ever since, Haden has been doing little but working on his 40 time, mostly because he is confident that he can do better – much better. His father, Joe Haden, Sr., told the Palm Beach Post Tuesday that Haden’s performance at the combine was not representative of his true speed. In fact, Haden, Sr. revealed that his son’s back tightened up as he has recently been dealing with lower back pain from working out and weight lifting.

“We had stopped doing some of the heavier lifting, but it just stiffened up on him, one of those things,” Haden, Sr. told the Post. “It’s just really affected him. I wish I had known, because I would have had him not even work out.”

Evaluators do not want to hear excuses. All they care about is improvement, and Haden plans to do just that at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17.

“The 40 is what time it is right now. That’s the big bang for the buck, that’s what the scouts want to see,” Haden, Sr. said. “He’s preparing very hard, very hard, to put it mildly. […] For Joe, all his life, (speed) has been his biggest strength. So for something to happen like that for him, I mean, Joe ran a 4.5 40 in the ninth grade. It was just something that was a blip.”

That blip happened twice in one day, injury or not. And Haden has fallen out of the top 10 on most team’s draft boards, according to various scouts and evaluators throughout the league. When a player falters at the combine or faces other adversity before the NFL Draft, it is usually his agent – not his father – stepping up to quiet those doubters and shout about the qualifications of his client.

That is where this gets even more interesting.

While quarterback Tim Tebow chose Jimmy Sexton, wide receiver Riley Cooper and center Maurkice Pouncey picked Joel Segal and defensive end Carlos Dunlap signed up with Todd France, Haden’s representation remains somewhat of a mystery.

An OGGOA source has confirmed that Haden is being represented by DSI Sports, specifically agent Malik Hafeez Shareef. Certified in Sept. 2007 by the NFL Players Association, Shareef does not have a client in the NFL and failed at placing his previous one (WR Brandon Whittington of Purdue) with a professional team last season. For the record, Whittington had 26 catches for 206 yards and one touchdown in two seasons with the Boilermakers and is not anywhere near the same caliber player as Haden, who will be drafted ahead of any other Florida player in 2010.

So who exactly is Shareef, and why did Haden choose him over more established agents who would have done their best to squash any concern over his “slow” 40 time? Is he simply a NFLPA-certified front man so Haden, Sr. can manage his son’s career?

Either way, an explanation is needed for the little-to-no damage control that was done on behalf of Haden after his sub-standard 40-yard dash became one of the biggest stories coming out of the combine.

Tags: Carlos Dunlap, combine, Draft, Joe Haden, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, Pro Day, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow

Released from Alachua County Jail on Jan. 20 after posting a reduced $40,000 bond, former Florida Gators cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis was charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief on March 4. Wednesday, Pierre-Louis pled guilty to both charges and received a sentence of one year of probation from the judge.

Originally arrested and held on five felony counts related to domestic abuse (domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, simple battery, kidnapping/false imprisonment and obstruction of justice/tampering with a witness), Pierre-Louis’ charges were reduced to damaging a door and cell phone in his then-girlfriend and accuser Starlett Lazenberry’s apartment.

In court on Jan. 19, Lazenberry denied much of the police report attributed to statements she made to law enforcement after calling 911 the morning of the alleged incident. “I do not fear for my life or anything like that,” Lazenberry told the court. “He’s not a danger to anyone. He couldn’t hurt a frog.”

Though Lazenberry asked that the charges against Pierre-Louis be dropped, the case was placed in the hands of State Attorney Bill Cervone. Cervone held an investigation to determine whether or not there was sufficient evidence to mount a case against Pierre-Louis and eventually decided on the two misdemeanor charges.

Tags: arrest, Starlett Lazenberry, Wondy Pierre-Louis

1 » Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer’s leave of absence is supposed to come to an end on March 17 when spring practice begins. While he has certainly taken an uncharacteristic amount of time away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Meyer has been far from “absent” over the last few months. “It’s not like he’s been here at 6 a.m., but he’s sat in on a couple of meetings,” assistant head coach Dan McCarney told the Orlando Sentinel. “His text messages to us are still going strong. But clearly he’s tried to get away by removing himself from the daily operations, and I’m sure (his wife) Shelley has had a lot to do with that.” Even so, McCartney said Meyer is “ready to start grinding” next week.

2 » So every Jacksonville Jaguars fan wants former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow wearing their team’s colors next season, right? Not so fast. In a poll of 800 Jaguars fans conducted during a telephone fan forum with team general manager Gene Smith Tuesday night, 55 percent of season ticket holder respondents voted against the team drafting Tebow. Needless to say, some were “stunned” by the response.

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Dan McCarney, Gene Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer