Florida Gators forward DeVon Walker informed the team late last week that he had decided to transfer, and the program officially announced his decision on Monday.

Gators head coach Billy Donovan wished Walker well in a school release.

“DeVon has a bright future, and we hope for the best for him wherever he chooses to go,” Donovan said.

Walker played in 24 games as a true freshman but averaged just 4.0 minutes per contest. He scored 20 points in 99 total minutes during the 2012-13 campaign, making just 4-of-22 shots (1-of-7 threes) while grabbing 17 rebounds.

The second Florida freshman to transfer this month, Walker joins guard Braxton Ogbueze as 2012 commitments hoping the pastures are greener elsewhere.

“I’ve grown a lot this year, and I’m grateful to Coach Donovan, the staff and my teammates at Florida for everything,” Walker said in the same release.

Over the last two offseasons, the Gators have added three transfers including forward Dorian Finney-Smith and center Damontre Harris in 2012 and guard Eli Carter on April 30. Finney-Smith and Harris will both be active for the 2013-14 season, while Carter is hoping the NCAA approves a waiver that would allow him to play immediately without sitting out a year.

Florida also has a pair of five-star prospects – point guard Kasey Hill (Clermont, FL) and F/C Chris Walker (Bonifay, FL) – joining the program next season.

Minutes would have been hard to come by for both DeVon Walker and Ogbueze. The Gators will have just 11 scholarship players on the roster for the upcoming season should Hill and Chris Walker both be cleared academically.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Braxton Ogbueze, Chris Walker, Damontre Harris, DeVon Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith, Eli Carter, Kasey Hill, NCAA

Florida Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan met with the media on Wednesday to wrap up the 2012-13 season and look ahead to next year.

A MESSAGE TO THE TEAM: “WE GOT TO GET NASTIER.”

Donovan has not yet met with the Gators as an entire team for a postseason send-off into the summer (that will happen soon enough) but does have plenty on his agenda as it pertains to helping Florida improve in the offseason.

“We need to get better as a team in every area. I thought we did make some really good strides this year on the defensive end of the floor. … We didn’t score the ball as much or as well as I think we’re capable of for whatever reason. We’ve got to continue to try and get better there in that area,” he said. “[I’m] trying to figure out what we can do better in practice, what we can do better coaching staff-wise, what we can do better coaching these guys all the way around.”

One other area in which Donovan stressed that the Gators need to improve is overall team mentality. Basically, he wants Florida as a team to be tougher and more resilient. In other words, he envisions the Gators playing like one of the program’s greatest players did on a consistent, night-in, night-out basis.

“I didn’t create Joakim Noah’s passion, energy, intensity, heart, toughness. I didn’t create that. That was in there. I think as a coaching staff we fostered it. That’s an area our guys need to get better,” he explained.

“We need to be more relentless. We need to be tougher. We need a mental will. We have to be better there. When adversity hits and those things hit, we got to get tougher, we got to get more competitive, we got to get nastier, we got to have more of that internal drive and will in those moments. I think we displayed some of that [this year]. I think there were games where we really displayed that. … I think we got the capability, but we got to be more consistent doing that.”

Read much, much more from Donovan on Florida basketball..after the break!
Continue Reading » 4/10: Donovan wraps up season and speaks about Young, Yeguete, transfers, freshmen & more

Tags: Billy Donovan, Chris Walker, Damontre Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kasey Hill, Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin, Will Yeguete

A position of relative weakness for men’s basketball over the last two seasons has suddenly become one of immense strength as the Florida Gators officially announced on Monday that center Patric Young will return to school for his senior season.

“I have the chance to finish my degree and play another season for Coach [Billy] Donovan with great teammates and friends at a place I love,” said Young in a school release. “These first three years have gone by in a flash, and I can’t believe it is my senior year already. I have gotten better as a player and better as a man at the University of Florida. I believe God has my future in his hands, so all I am worried about now is getting better this summer and making it the hardest I have trained in my life.”

After spending his first year with the Gators as a reserve, Young has served as Florida’s starting center over the last two seasons, averaging 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game in each campaign. Donovan has chided Young for his consistency on occasion in order to get the absoulte most out of him on a game-to-game basis but the two have a great player-coach relationship.

“We’re excited that Patric will continue with us for his senior season,” said Donovan in the school release. “This was Patric’s decision to make, and he ultimately had to do what he felt was best for himself and his future.”

Young likely would have been a second-round pick in the upcoming 2013 NBA Draft had he declared and left school early.

Though stretch-four Erik Murphy (6’10″, 238 lbs.) had started alongside him, Young (6’9”, 249 lbs.) has been the Gators’ true big man and the only player on the team who could legitimately play center for an entire game.

That will not be the case next season as, with Young returning, Florida will boast arguably the best frontcourt in the nation.

Joining Young, the two-time SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, will be junior transfer Damontre Harris (6’10”, 228 lbs.) and five-star freshman Chris Walker (6’9”, 220 lbs.). Forwards Will Yeguete (6’7” 240 lbs.) and Casey Prather (6’6”, 208 lbs.) will both return for their senior seasons, and Florida will finally get to see sophomore transfer Dorian Finney-Smith (6’8”, 205 lbs.) in action.

The Gators will be able to rotate at least six players in their three frontcourt positions but will need to develop the backcourt after losing starting guards Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario to graduation. Point guard Scottie Wilbekin will be the only other returning member of Florida’s starting five aside from Young.

Photo Credit: David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Tags: Billy Donovan, Casey Prather, Chris Walker, Damontre Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, Draft, NBA, Patric Young, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Scottie Wilbekin, SEC, Will Yeguete

For the first time in 138 days, No. 6/8 Florida Gators basketball (22-5, 12-3 SEC) practiced on Thursday with a full complement of players.

Junior forwards Will Yeguete (knee) and Casey Prather (facial laceration), freshman guard Michael Frazier II (concussion) and even junior transfer center Damontre Harris (torn labrum) returned to the court for Florida. (Harris, who is sitting out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules, remains unable to suit up in games.)

However, just 32 minutes into practice, Frazier “was rendered virtually incapacitated by back spasms” and “had to be carried to the training room for icing and treatment,” according to Florida’s school website.

The Gators reportedly expect Frazier to return to practice on Friday. Should his back act up again and he sit most of the two practices held heading into Saturday’s game, his availability to play in the weekend contest would certainly be in question.

Already dicey to play Saturday is Yeguete, who returned to practice just 20 days after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 8. Head coach Billy Donovan said Thursday before practice that Yeguete would be monitored and may miss Saturday’s game even if his knee does not swell during workouts leading up to the contest.

Continue Reading » Yeguete (knee) returns but Frazier (back) limited

Tags: Billy Donovan, Casey Prather, Damontre Harris, Michael Frazier, Will Yeguete

1 » Florida Gators junior center Damontre Harris was arrested early Wednesday morning after he failed to appear at an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 16, 2012. Harris, who was cited by a member of the University Police Department on July 16 for driving without a valid in-state license, was supposed to take care of the necessary paperwork and pay the fines associated with his infraction but never did as instructed. He was served a delinquency notice after failing to pay his original fine within 30 days and assessed an additional $32 in fines between Aug. 21 and Sept. 28.

2 » Florida announced Wednesday that junior swimmer Elizabeth Beisel (swimming) and former catcher Mike Zunino (baseball) have been named winners of the 2012 Ben Hill Griffin Award. The honor, given to the top male and female student-athletes each season, “is based primarily on athletic achievement” with “academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement” also a consideration, according to UF. Zunino, who received the award for the second-straight year, won every major collegiate baseball award at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Beisel, the 2012 SEC Female Swimmer of the Year, also earned an individual national title in the 200-meter backstroke.

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

Tags: Aubrey Hill, baseball, Ben Hill Griffin Award, Chandler Parsons, Damontre Harris, Elizabeth Beisel, Houston Rockets, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Zunino, NBA, NCAA, SEC, Swimmer of the Year, swimming

1 » According to Mike Max of Minnesota CBS affiliate WCCO, former Florida Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin is on the Minnesota Vikings’ trading block. As was speculated previously, Max reports that “the No. 1 reason Percy Harvin left the team this season was not his injury, but it was motivated by a blowup he had with Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier.” Harvin, who reportedly got in a verbal argument with former Minnesota head coach Brad Childress and once reportedly attempted to choke former Gators wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales after the two got in an argument during practice, supposedly “had an embarrassing tirade directed towards Frasier, disrespecting the coach during the season when Harvin was sidelined with an injured ankle.” Shortly thereafter, the Vikings put him on injured reserve. A MVP candidate during the 2012 season until he got injured, Harvin is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He will likely command a second-round pick with some additional compensation but not the first-round selection his talent deserves as front offices have concerns about his injury history and demeanor within a team environment. Harvin can be traded when free agency begins for the 2013 league year on March 12.

2 » Two players Florida would love to have in uniform right now while the team’s roster is under siege by injuries are transfers junior center Damontre Harris and sophomore forward Dorian Finney-Smith. Unfortunately for the Gators, the two are sitting out their NCAA-mandated redshirt season; fortunately for UF, the duo is forming a close bond and preparing to contribute in 2013-14. Harris, who is still recovering from surgery he had on a torn labrum, told Florida’s school website that “the worst part” of the whole situation is “put[ting] in the work everybody else puts in, but you don’t get to show or perform or demonstrate all that work.” He added, “I think about it every day…actually wearing a Gator uniform. I’ve even had dreams about it but then I wake up knowing I still have to wait ‘till next year.” Finney-Smith is equally anxious. “I just wish I’d signed with Florida out of high school,” he said. “Can’t do nothing about it now, though, but practice hard and wait for my time to get here.”

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

Tags: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Damontre Harris, Darren O'Day, Dorian Finney-Smith, Eddie Lovett, field, Husky Classic, Marquis Dendy, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Taylor Burke, track, Virginia Tech Elite Meet

With just one day until the Florida Gators‘ 2012-13 basketball season gets underway, the first half of OGGOA‘s series – The Countdown – takes a look at those scholarship players on the roster wearing jerseys ranging from No. 33-11.

10 – Dorian Finney-Smith (Portsmouth, VA)
Sophomore transfer forward
6’8” 205 lbs.

Quick Bio/2011-12 Season: A former four-star recruit and the No. 31 overall player in the country, Finney-Smith spent his freshman season playing for Virginia Tech. He made 30 starts and played in all 33 of his team’s games, averaging 6.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. For his efforts, Finney-Smith was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He chose Florida over a list of possible destinations including Memphis, Louisville and Iowa State. He is from the same town as Vernon Macklin; the two are friends.

2012-13 Outlook: Due to NCAA transfer rules, Finney-Smith will be ineligible to play this season and will instead take a redshirt. He will, however, be able to practice with the Gators. “I think Dodo is a guy that creates a level of competitiveness,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “Dodo’s played in the ACC, so he has an idea [of what it takes to play at this level].”

5 – Scottie Wilbekin (Gainesville, FL)
Junior point guard
6’2” 176 lbs.

Quick Bio: A two-star recruit coming out of high school, Wilbekin skipped his senior season and accepted a scholarship to UF as a junior. A lifelong Florida fan, Wilbekin proved to be a capable backup point guard as a freshman. He posted the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team (2.2), led the Gators in assists five times, earned one start and was the first player to come off of the bench in 16 of the team’s games.

2011-12 Season: Wilbekin again backed up Erving Walker at point guard but had a much more impressive campaign, improving his shooting by 10 percent and three-point shooting by nearly 20 percent. He only averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game but shot 45.7 percent from downtown and proved that he could be a capable player for Florida.

2012-13 Outlook: Moving into the starting lineup, Wilbekin is being counted on to play the majority of the minutes at point guard even though he will be spelled at times. Donovan praised the way he played during fall practice, noting that the team is going to try to take advantage of his size and athleticism. “In practice I’ve been shooting a lot more than I did the last two years. It’s coming pretty natural,” Wilbekin said a few weeks ago. Donovan was not so keen on Wilbekin one day before the team’s season opener as he learned of some news early in the morning and decided to suspend him indefinitely beginning with Friday’s game against Georgetown. Donovan said Wilbekin feels remorse for his mistake, and the coach expects the player to be better in the long run when he learns to take responsibility for his actions.

Read about FOUR more players in The Countdown…after the break!
Continue Reading » The Countdown: Florida Gators roster (10-1)

Tags: Billy Donovan, Damontre Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, Scottie Wilbekin

Just months after being taken off of scholarship and promising to earn his way back into the good graces of head coach Billy Donovan, Florida Gators redshirt sophomore forward Cody Larson has decided to quit the team.

“After a lot of careful thought, I have decided that I need to place my focus on my personal life and my academics,” Larson said in a team statement. “I really appreciate Coach Donovan and the whole staff here at Florida for the support they have given me and that made this decision harder than ever.”

According to Scout.com, which first reported Larson’s decision, it is currently unknown if he will eventually transfer in order to play elsewhere though he does plan to finish out the academic year in Gainesville, FL.

“I know this was a difficult decision for Cody. He has made great strides in his personal growth, and I’m very proud of him for that,” Donovan said in a statement. “All of us here wish him the best as he moves on from our team.”

Donovan’s decision to recruit Larson was a controversial one. The South Dakota native, who was originally committed to Iowa but backed out after a coaching change, was coming off of an arrest for a misdemeanor drug charge when he committed to Florida.

After taking a redshirt his first year on campus, Larson was arrested at the conclusion of the season on April 10 in St. Augustine, FL and charged with third-degree felony burglary (it was later reduced to a second-degree misdemeanor). The arrest nevertheless violated his two-year probation, and he was forced to return to South Dakota to attempt to avoid jail time.

Aside from his off-the-court issues, Larson’s did not make the jump Donovan expected him to on the court. He played in 25 games as a reserve last season, averaging just 0.5 points and 0.8 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor in less than six minutes per game. Larson occasionally appeared unsure of himself on the floor and often made errors on both ends of the court.

The Gators did not lose a frontcourt member in the offseason meaning Larson was unlikely to see extended or additional playing time during the 2012-13 campaign.

While his departure may not have much impact on Florida’s game rotation, it does hurt the team in practice as he is now the second player listed at 6’9″ or taller who will no longer be working with the team between games. The Gators lost junior transfer center Damontre Harris to a shoulder injury just last week.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Cody Larson, Damontre Harris