1 » Florida Gators redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson is looking to quiet the doubters from last season – especially those who said he had bad hands. “I don’t know where that came from, but it came,” Thompson said according to the Florida Times-Union. “I guess because I dropped the ball against Charleston Southern the first game. People started saying I couldn’t catch.” WR coach Zach Azzanni agrees. “Deonte doesn’t have bad hands,” he said. “Maybe he didn’t make a couple plays he should have last year, but he’s got fantastic hands. […] Catching the ball is a learned skill. He can certainly catch the ball. There are some details he was lacking last year that we’re going to try to improve and hopefully it helps him and improves him.”

Three more BITS on basketball’s buzz, Green-Beckham and Lawrence’s future…
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Thompson, buzz, Green, Lawrence

Tags: Casey Prather, Deonte Thompson, Dorial Green, Dorial Green-Beckham, Larry Shyatt, Patric Young, Zach Azzanni

1 » While some in the media fawned over the false commitment story surrounding five-star 2011 athlete James Wilder, Jr. (Tampa, FL) on Thursday, the Florida Gators have been setting their sights on one of the best players available in the 2012 recruiting session. That man is five-star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (Springfield, MO), who Florida has targeted as their No. 1 target next year. A source who spoke with OGGOA Friday told us that Green has already visited the University of Florida and met with head football coach Urban Meyer and head basketball coach Billy Donovan. Though he is a two-sport star in high school, it is unknown if he plans to pursue both opportunities in college; however, one would expect the Gators to be open to such a concession if it is requested. MaxPreps national football editor Stephen Spiewak wrote a terrific profile piece on Green on Thursday – check it out.

2 » Former Florida golfers are continuing to make noise at The Open Championship at St. Andrews. After two rounds of action, 50-year-old Mark Calcavecchia is in second place; he is 7-under through two rounds of 70 and 67, respectively, and five shots off the lead. It is also worth noting that Calcavecchia has experience in this event, winning The Open in 1989 at Troon by beating Greg Norman and Wayne Grady in a playoff. Brian Gay, on the other hand, fell to T144 (+11) after shooting an 83 on Friday. Camillo Villegas is still in action, currently T43 (-1) through 12 holes; he shot a four-under 72 on Thursday. OGGOA will update all scores when the second round is completed.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brian Gay, Camillo Villegas, Dorial Green, Dorial Green-Beckham, golf, James Wilder, Mark Calcavecchia, The Open Championship, Urban Meyer