1 » There was plenty of good news to go around the Florida Gators football program over the weekend but one player in particular – junior long snapper Drew Ferris – may have received the best news of all when head coach Will Muschamp told him that he would be put on scholarship for his final two years with the team. Ferris, who walked on to the Gators in 2010 as a five-star long snapper (a designation given by Chris Rubio Long Snapping), played the position full-time on field goals and punts in 2011 and returns to that role this season.

2 » Florida point guard Erving Walker is unlikely to be selected in the 2012 NBA Draft later this year but is still doing his best to raise his stock by participating in the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament from April 11-14. It is the second-straight year that a former Gators player will be in the event as forward/center Vernon Macklin was a standout performer in 2011 and wound up being picked in the second round of the draft by the Detroit Pistons due in part to how impressive he was in the PIT.

3 » Houston Rockets F Chandler Parsons was credited for his defense on Kobe Bryant last time his team faced the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant, asked about him after the game, first joked that he did not know Parsons before saying he thought he had a great future in the league. This past week Parsons and Bryant went head-to-head again with the former producing a highlight Kobe-esque play on the offensive end.

4 » Florida junior guard Kenny Boynton announced on Twitter this week that he will be returning to the team for his senior season. GatorZone.com’s Chris Harry caught up with him following the announcement to inquire about the decision to which Boynton mostly said that his family and head coach Billy Donovan both agreed it would be more beneficial for him to stick around for one more year. Boynton also noted that “coming back and playing more of the point guard position” could help him overall in his quest to play in the NBA. Should freshman G Bradley Beal leave for the draft as many expect him to, Boynton may not have many opportunities to play point with sophomore Scottie Wilbekin returning and frosh Braxton Ogbueze joining the team for 2012-13. Should Beal return, Boynton could be shifted to point guard with redshirt junior Mike Rosario moving into the starting five (or he could split the duties with one of the other two).

Tags: Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Braxton Ogbueze, Chandler Parsons, Detroit Pistons, Draft, Drew Ferris, Erving Walker, Houston Rockets, Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, NBA, Scottie Wilbekin, Vernon Macklin, Will Muschamp

1 » Florida Gators basketball may have had a rough afternoon on Saturday, but Houston Rockets rookie forward Chandler Parsons had an explosive evening against Dallas. Not only did Parsons finish an impressive alley-oop pass from teammate Luis Scola, he also hit a game-tying trey with 3.3 seconds left in the game to force overtime. Though Houston would fall 101-99 in the end, Parsons had another solid night, scoring 12 points and adding 11 rebounds for the second double-double of his young career (his first was a 20 and 11 effort on Thursday) to go along with six assists in 46 minutes.

2 » Parsons was not the only former Florida player to have a memorable NBA moment on Saturday. Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was kicked out of his game after receiving a double technical. Noah was called for a foul, argued the call with some colorful language (technical) and then threw the basketball near the referee (second technical). Though he did not speak after the game, Noah expressed his thoughts in three succinct words on Twitter early Sunday morning.

Real shit day

— Joakim Noah (@JoakimNoah) March 25, 2012

Extra BIT » Gators sophomore center Patric Young‘s one-handed alley-oop dunk that somehow did not make SportsCenter’s top plays (of course).

Tags: Chandler Parsons, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Joakim Noah, NBA, Patric Young

1 » Teammates with the Miami Heat, power forward Udonis Haslem and guard Dwyane Wade made a friendly wager on Thursday night’s Sweet 16 match-up between the No. 7-seed Florida Gators and No. 3-seed Marquette Golden Eagles. Florida defeated Marquette 68-58 in Phoenix, AZ to advance to the Elite Eight; therefore, Wade will have to put a Gators license plate on his car for a year. You can watch Haslem and Wade discuss their bet in the clip below courtesy of WSVN 7.

The trash talking continued Friday, according to the Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman. Wade has already ordered the Gators license plate and will put it on the back of one of his cars; Haslem is trying to get him to put it on a new McClaren MP4-12C (price tag $230,000) that he received for his birthday. “Oh, he’s got to drive that,” Haslem told Winderman. “There’s no way, there’s no way he can’t drive a McClaren. It’s like a million-dollar car, too. I mean who’s putting that in a garage?” Haslem piled it on when the team met for practice on Friday. “U.D. made sure he made his mark,” forward LeBron James told the paper. “He came in with the Gator fight song this morning, played it on the bus, and he’s probably going to mess [with it] through the whole week.”

2 » Despite the fact that he was traded for to be a back-up quarterback and change-of-pace player, New York Jets signal caller Tim Tebow “sees a clear path to resuming his career as a starter” and supplanting Mark Sanchez, sources told the New York Daily News. That is perhaps the main reason why Tebow said going to New York over returning to Jacksonville (where most of his family and friends reside) was his preference. “They want me to come in and compete and get better as a quarterback and help the team any way possible,” Tebow said in a teleconference following his trade. “Whatever that role is, I will do my best. Every time I step on the field, I give my heart and soul.” The Daily News also notes that Tebow did not have the ability to pull the trigger on his destination, which is how both his and Denver Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway’s stories blend together.

The Broncos didn’t come to Tebow in the end and say: Okay Tim, where do you want to go? They had already solicited his opinion. [...] Tebow was impressed the Jets hung in there when it looked like the deal was falling apart: It convinced him how much the Jets wanted him. [...] Ultimately, Tebow felt the love coming from the Jets.

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Tags: Brad Culpepper, Chandler Parsons, Denver Broncos, Elite Eight, Houston Rockets, John Elway, Marquette Golden Eagles, Miami Heat, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, New York Jets, NFL, Sweet 16, Tim Tebow, Udonis Haslem

1 » Already in Phoenix, AZ preparing for their Sweet 16 game against the No. 3-seed Marquette Golden Eagles, the Florida Gators have been going through practices while also reflecting on the 2011-12 season. One hot topic of conversation has been the emergence of freshman guard Bradley Beal, who responded to a recent request from head coach Billy Donovan and has made the most out of his new opportunity. “The thing I tried to get through to him [was] stop worrying about your shot. Freshmen are going to have peaks and valleys shooting the basketball,” Donovan said, according to GatorZone.com. “I told him, ‘You do too many other things as a player that impact our team,’ and to start stepping up and trying to be more aggressive.” Beal has done just that after spending most of his season somewhat deffering to his more experienced teammates. He has begun been taking the ball to the hole more while simultaneously working on both his defense and rebounding; that in turn has helped increase his overall production. In fact, even his three-point shooting has improved. “I really took it upon myself to bear down and start guarding guys and crashing the boards,” he said. “My shot just ended up coming out of nowhere, really. Coach told me it was just a matter of me playing and getting my rhythm. Sure enough, it came.”

2 » Former Florida quarterback Chris Leak took a job with the AFL’s Jacksonville Sharks this year and was almost universally expected to be the team’s starting quarterback for the duration of the season. However, just days after throwing for five touchdowns in the team’s season opener, Leak was informed that he would no longer be the team’s starter. He was supplanted by Omar Jacobs, a player that was on the team as a backup last season, on Tuesday and reacted by skipping practice on Wednesday. According to the Florida Times-Union, Leak was immediately suspended by the Sharks; FOX 30 WAWS TV reported Wednesday that Jacksonville has already signed another signal caller, which makes it appear as if Leak will no longer be with the club.

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Tags: AFL, Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Chandler Parsons, Chris Leak, Denver Broncos, Houston Rockets, Jacksonville Sharks, John Elway, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, NFL, Sweet 16, Tim Tebow

1 » The Florida Gators recently let their own senior writer, GatorZone’s Scott Carter, in the football meeting rooms for two days as coaches watched film and prepared for spring practice. Three notes in particular stood out in the piece. (1) Former NFL safety Lance Schulters dropped by the facility. (2) Head coach Will Muschamp “fiery” when learning that some of his players’ lean-body mass and fast mass figures were not up to par. (3) Former Boise State backup quarterback Bush Hamdan is a football intern with the team. Doing a bit of research, former Florida graduate assistant Ryan Solesky (2006-09) has also returned to intern with the team.

2 » Gators freshman guard Bradley Beal has the NBA in his future but whether or not he decides to go pro after this season is a decision he has yet to make. “I have no clue,” he said. “I haven’t even really thought about it. Right now, I don’t know. I haven’t put too much thought into it. When that time comes I’m going to talk to Coach [Billy] Donovan and my family and we’re going to have to sit down and talk about it. When that time comes, it comes.” Beal also said he will be happy no matter what he decides. “If I leave, I still played a great year of college. I enjoyed it,” he said. “If I stay, it’s only going to make me get better. Either way it goes, I’m gaining something positive out of it.”

3 » Two former Florida players had top-notch performances in the NBA on Tuesday. Memphis Grizzlies center Marreese Speights scored a season- and team-high 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in a 116-111 double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Just under 500 miles away, forward Chandler Parsons scored a team-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting with seven boards, six dimes and a steal to lead his Houston Rockets over Oklahoma City. Parsons also registered another impressive dunk, this time over Serge Ibaka.

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Tags: Bradley Beal, Brittany Schutte, Chandler Parsons, Draft, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Houston Rockets, Kelsey Horton, Marreese Speights, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, softball, Will Muschamp

1 » Dateline Hollywood reported Thursday that Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has signed with Hollywood agency WME (formerly William Morris) for his “endorsements, public appearances, speaking engagements, TV, film, books, the works –even helping with his foundation.” Tebow had previously been represented by XV Enterprises, the company started by brother Robby Tebow and good friend Angel Gonzalez, for such endeavors. Though it was well-known that Tebow was XV’s only client at the time of its creation, considering his brother is a part of the firm and it is somewhat named after his jersey number (XV = 15), the move is undoubtedly an interesting one. XV landed Tebow endorsement deals with Nike, Jockey and FRS Energy (among others) and was behind him during the release of his book Through My Eyes and movie Everything in Between (in partnership with Fiction). Dateline Hollywood‘s report has been been confirmed though neither Tebow nor WME has spoken publicly on the matter.

2 » The Florida Gators announced that sophomore forward Will Yegute has decided have surgery on Friday to repair his broken left foot. Yeguete, who suffered a Jones fracture in his fifth metatarsal against Auburn on Tuesday, will have a screw placed in the foot to promote a stronger and quicker healing process. “The last few days have been tough,” Yeguete said, according to the school. “Basically, I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to have the surgery … and I’m going to.” Former Florida point guard Taurean Green suffered the same injury while playing overseas in Europe. Unlike Yeguete, Green chose not to have surgery and told OGGOA on Wednesday that the injury healed on his own and he has not had any problems with it since.

Extra BIT » NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has had plenty of fun with Tebow this year, including creating a new character named “Tebowie” – a combination of Tebow and David Bowie, but decided to poke at another former Gators player this week. In a segment on Wednesday’s show called “Sports Freak-Out,” Fallon and announcer Steve Higgins crack wise on the looks of a number of NBA players including none other than Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (1:30).

Tags: Chandler Parsons, Denver Broncos, Houston Rockets, Taurean Green, Tim Tebow, Will Yeguete, XV Enterprises

1 » No. 1 Florida Gators baseball (1-0) played like the top team in the country during their season opener on Friday, fighting back every time they were down and eventually toppling the No. 16 Cal State Fullerton Titans (0-1) 7-3 at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Down a run after a throwing error in the top of the second, the Gators tied the game when freshman designated hitter Taylor Gushue (1-4) turned on his first collegiate pitch and belted a homer to left field. Behind 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Florida used another solo shot – this time from senior right fielder Preston Tucker (1-3) – to even things up again. The Gators’ clutch hitting continued as a four-run seventh inning – including to pair of RBI singles by juniors catcher Mike Zunino (1-4) and first baseman Brian Johnson (2-4) – to jump ahead 7-3 and hold on for the victory. Junior right-handed pitcher Hudson Randall got the start for UF but gave up three earned runs on five hits with only one strikeout in 5.2 innings for the no decision. Coming on in relief with his team down a run, junior left-hander Steven Rodriguez (1-0) struck out three and gave up just one hit in 2.1 innings before senior RHP Greg Larson tossed the final inning to clinch the victory. Florida’s series with Cal State Fullerton continues Saturday and Sunday though neither game is being televised.

2 » No. 1 Florida softball (7-0) continued its hot start to the 2012 season with yet another run-rule victory as the Gators shut out the Michigan State Spartans (1-5) 8-0 in five innings Friday night at Pressly Softball Stadium in Gainesville. Florida took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth but crossed the plate five times in the inning to take a 7-0 lead. A RBI single by sophomore left fielder Kasey Fagan (1-2) in the bottom of the fifth wound up being a walk-off hit as it became the game-deciding run. Freshman 1B Lauren Haeger (2-2) led the way for the Gators with four RBIs, and junior C Brittany Schutte supported her with a 3-3 performance and a RBI of her own. Freshman third baseman Sami Fagan (2-3) also plated two runs and crossed home once herself. Continuing to prove her dominance on the mound, sophomore pitcher Hannah Rogers (5-0) tossed a complete game one-hitter with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.0 innings. UF will take on Michigan State twice more before the weekend concludes.

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Tags: baseball, Brian Johnson, Brittany Schutte, Cal State Fullerton Titans, Chandler Parsons, Corey Brewer, D1 Sports Training, David Lee, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Greg Larson, Hannah Rogers, Houston Rockets, Hudson Randall, Kasey Fagan, Lauren Haeger, Marreese Speights, McKethan Stadium, Memphis Grizzlies, Michigan State Spartans, Mike Zunino, NBA, Pressly Softball Stadium, Preston Tucker, Sami Fagan, softball, Steven Rodriguez, Taylor Gushue, Tim Tebow

1 » Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow rarely takes much time off from football and is already continuing to work on his game this offseason. According to ESPNLosAngeles.com, which spoke with new UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone on Wednesday, Tebow has been in Southern California since last weekend working on his quarterbacking. “He just came out here to throw and work on a few things and see if we can just become a little more efficient in what he’s doing,” Mazzone said. “Throwing motion, footwork, everything I work on with all my quarterbacks.” Ensuring that while he helps Tebow he is simultaneously not going against Denver’s teachings, Mazzone (who has also worked with the former Heisman Trophy winner in each of the last two offseasons) expects to continue training with him for at least four more days if not longer. The goal is to work on Tebow’s passing efficiency as he completed less than 50 percent of his throws a year ago. “It’s kind of like a golfer who hit that bad drive,” he said of Tebow’s motion. “Every other guy in the foursome can tell you what you did wrong and all three opinions are different. We’re just going out and kind of going back to the basics and working on some fundamentals to try and become a little more efficient.”

2 » No. 1/3 Florida Gators softball (6-0) routed the Jacksonville Dolphins (2-4) in their home opener on Wednesday, run-ruling the visitors 10-2 in six innings. Freshman pitcher Lauren Haeger, starting for the first time in Gainesville, FL, struck out seven batters her a complete game four-hitter and did not allow a single earned run in her outing. Finding a power stroke early this season, junior designated hitter Kelsey Horton (2-3) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second for Florida’s first runs of the game and finished the contest with three RBIs. Junior first baseman Ensley Gammel (1-2, R, BB) added a two-RBI double in the fourth, junior catcher Brittany Schutte (2-3, RBI, 2 R, BB) continued her hot start from the plate, and sophomore shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (1-1, 2 BB) crossed the plate three times. UF will conclude their four-game home stand with a Friday-Sunday series against Michigan State.

3 » Also taking on Jacksonville in their home opener on Wednesday, No. 4 Gators lacrosse (1-1) toppled the Dolphins (0-1) with a 14-5 rout thanks to a pair of five-goal performances from freshman midfielder Nora Barry and junior attacker Gabi Wiegand. Barry, who also tied a school record with six draw controls, added three ground balls and four forced turnovers in the match. Junior M Brittany Dashiell had a goal and three assists and was the only other Florida player with more than two shots on the evening (three), while junior goalkeeper Mikey Meagher played strong in the box, tallying six saves while allowing just five goals. UF heads on the road Sunday to face UMBC in Baltimore, MD before returning to Gainesville for three-straight home games.

4 » Wednesday was a good night for two former Gators basketball players. Posting season-highs in minutes, points, rebounds and shooting (on more than five attempts), Memphis Grizzlies center Marreese Speights played 38 minutes and earned a double-double of 20 points (on 10-of-13 shooting) with 18 boards and two blocks. He led Memphis to a 105-100 win over New Jersey and has now performed very efficiently in three of his last four games. Over 1,500 miles away, forward Chandler Parsons and the Houston Rockets topped Oklahoma City 96-95 partially due to the former Florida player’s efforts. Parsons scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and filled his stat line with seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.

Tags: Brittany Dashiell, Brittany Schutte, Chandler Parsons, Cheyenne Coyle, Denver Broncos, Ensley Gammel, Gabi Wiegand, Heisman Trophy, Houston Rockets, Jacksonville Dolphins, Kelsey Horton, lacrosse, Lauren Haeger, Marreese Speights, Memphis Grizzlies, Mikey Meagher, NBA, NFL, Nora Barry, softball, Tim Tebow