Just a few hours after officially announcing that freshman guard Bradley Beal will forfeit his remaining eligibility and declare for the 2012 NBA Draft, the Florida Gators received a bit of good news as three-star small forward DeVon Walker (Winter Haven, FL) officially committed to join the team’s 2012 recruiting class.

A member of the Rivals150 as the No. 142-ranked player in the country, Walker originally committed to Central Florida but changed his mind and gave his pledge to Florida over Alabama, Clemson and Kansas State on Friday. He averaged 23.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists during his senior year at Winter Haven High School.

News of Walker’s choice leaked Thursday evening though it was a badly kept secret that he had decided to stay in-state and play for the Gators earlier in the week.

Florida’s pursuit of Walker undoubtedly and understandably intensified once head coach Billy Donovan had an inclination that Beal would leave the program early and got final word of his player’s decision on Monday.

At 6’6” and 187 lbs., Walker has a lot of versatility and will play wing for the Gators though he may also be called upon to help the team in the post in a smaller lineup. He is already solid on the defensive end and will concentrate on improving his shot and overall offensive game in order to become even more of an all-around player.

Walker is the fourth player to commit to be part of Florida’s 2012 signing class joining four-star point guard Braxton Ogbueze (Charlotte, NC), four-star G Michael Frazier (Montverde, FL) and three-star G Dillon Graham (Orlando, FL). The Gators have one open scholarship remaining and are hoping that five-star power forward Anthony Bennett (Henderson, NV) chooses to fill it when he makes his decision in early May.

Tags: Anthony Bennett, Bradley Beal, Braxton Ogbueze, DeVon Walker, Dillon Graham, Draft, Michael Frazier, NBA

It’s official.

Florida Gators freshman guard Bradley Beal announced Friday that he will relinquish his three remaining years of NCAA eligibility and declare for the 2012 NBA Draft.

Beal, a standout first-year player who led the Gators with 34.2 minutes and 6.7 rebounds per game last season, averaged 14.8 points (second-most on the team) on 44.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.9 percent from downtown and 76.9 percent from the free throw line. He increased those averages with a fantastic postseason in which he averaged 16.5 points and eight boards while improving his shooting nearly 10 percent both from the floor and beyond the arc.

“He has all the intangibles to be a great, great pro and to play a long, long time,” head coach Billy Donovan said on Friday. “Besides his basketball ability, the one thing I admire about him more than anything else from the time he stepped foot on this campus, he has been a great teammate. He has been really unselfish. He has worked incredibly hard. Winning is very important to him. Chemistry on a team is very important to him. Coming in and fitting in to a team with an experienced backcourt coming back, the way he handled himself the entire year was really remarkable in my opinion with so much expectations placed on him and him having his own individual expectations. I personally feel like he is ready for this next step in his life.”

He continued, “The one thing that’s great about him is he has a great awareness about what a team needs and there’s not really any area of the game that he cannot inject himself into and make an impact. That’s the thing that’s so special about him. Wherever you play him or whatever you ask him to do, if it’s going to impact winning, he’s going to do those things. That’s why I think he’s a great player because he has such an impact on winning whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s defending, whether it’s getting to the free throw line by taking it to the basket, whether it’s extra passing, whether it’s getting guys shots. He just has a real great understanding for a young kid of what goes into winning not only on the floor but even in the locker room, off the court chemistry-wise. He’s really a special, special kid.”

A consensus first-team All-SEC selection, Beal made his decision over the last few weeks before deciding on Monday. He was “fighting back tears” (according to Florida) when he sat down with Donovan.

“It was just so hard to come in here the other day and tell Coach that I was leaving,” Beal said in a statement. “I got very emotional when I was telling him. I love this place. I love this program. I really bought into the whole experience. I may not have had the best [season] I could have had, but in terms of just fun and enjoying the game it could not have been any better.”

He noted on Friday that moving on to the NBA just felt like the right move.

“It was the right time. Coach just told me, he said whenever I decide, whatever I decide, he said just make sure I’m at peace with it. That’s basically what I was trying to do,” Beal said. “When it came down to it, I just wanted to make sure I was comfortable telling coach and just comfortable with my decision and just make sure I was 100 percent [because] there’s no looking back now.”

Beal made sure to point out that being “one-and-done” was not something he had planned but rather something that just happened after the season.

“Coming in I never thought about [leaving after one year] to be honest with you,” he said. “When I committed, I told myself I’m going to be here for four years because when you go to a college, you don’t just commit for one year. You go for four years.”

He may not be able to look back or change his mind but Beal’s decision to leave the University of Florida certainly did not come lightly.

Continue Reading » Florida G Bradley Beal declares for 2012 NBA Draft

Tags: All-SEC, Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Draft, NBA

1 » Florida Gators junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2012 Orange & Blue Debut and photographer David Carr happened to capture the moment about one second before the injury occurred. As you can see below, courtesy of InsidetheGators.com, Powell was pulling up from attacking the ball carrier as he believed freshman LB Antonio Morrison had him tackled. However, redshirt sophomore tackle Chaz Green kept playing through the whistle (as he should) and shoved Powell in the back to get him away from the play. Powell planted his left foot at the same time as the push and tore his ACL as a consequence.

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Tags: Antonio Morrison, baseball, Brian Johnson, Chaz Green, Draft, Gabi Wiegand, Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, Kitty Cullen, lacrosse, Mike Zunino, MLB, New York Giants, New York Jets, Nolan Fontana, Nora Barry, Ronald Powell, Will Hill

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

Florida Gators junior guard Kenny Boynton made it official Thursday morning, announcing on Twitter that he has decided to return to school for his senior season.

To confirm the questions being ask lately I have reached a decision and I am returning to Gainesville for my senior season #go gators

— K.B (@K_Boynton1) April 5, 2012

The Gators’ leading scorer this past season, Boynton averaged 15.9 points per game while also registering 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.8 steals in 31.6 minutes. He shot 44.0 percent from the field, 75.4 percent from the line and 40.7 percent from downtown, making strides in his overall game play and improving his stroke from beyond the arc by 7.6 percent compared to his sophomore season.

Boynton registered 15 or more points in 20 of Florida’s first 28 games but struggled towards the end of the season, only eclipsing that figure once over the team’s last nine contests in a third-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 15-seed Norfolk State. He shot 33.0 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from three over that nine-game stretch and would undoubtedly like to end his career on a higher note.

With Boynton returning to the Gators, he has the unique opportunity to become the school’s all-time leader in a number of major categories including (among others) scoring, games started, minutes played and three-point field goals made.

Boynton is the third non-senior to commit to returning to Florida for the 2012-13 season, joining sophomore Patric Young and redshirt junior G Mike Rosario. The Gators are still waiting to hear from freshman G Bradley Beal, who could reportedly take until April 29 to decide whether or not he will enter his name into the 2012 NBA Draft. Beal is considered a consensus lottery selection and potential top-five pick who has been projected to go as high as No. 3 overall in the draft.

Photo Credit: FOX Sports Florida

Tags: Bradley Beal, Draft, Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, NBA, Patric Young

1 » Despite well-documented problems off the field (marijuana arrests) and a number of questions about his maturity (four children under the age of four supposedly by three different women), former Florida Gators cornerback Janoris Jenkins continues to be a hot name for teams looking for secondary talent in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions have recently emerged as a team in serious contention for Jenkins’s services with the No. 23 overall pick. However, the team and its front office are undoubtedly doing their due diligence on Jenkins. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions met with Jenkins at the 2012 Under Armour Senior Bowl and “are expected to host him on a visit” soon. When asked about him in particular, general manager Martin Mayhew played coy: “Wouldn’t you like to know that?” he said. “Like I said, we’ve got a lot of work to do in the process, and we haven’t done it all.”

2 » Florida senior center fielder Michelle Moultrie picked up a second weekly award on Tuesday as she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for her dominant performance the prior weekend. Moultrie went 8/11 with two home runs, three doubles, four RBIs, six runs and a stolen base as UF swept Arkansas on the road. She was also named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday for her efforts.

3 » In a question-and-answer session with ESPN, Gators five-star defensive end/Buck linebacker commitment Dante Fowler, Jr. divulged some specifics about his personality and excitement to don the orange and blue sooner than later. Fowler noted not only that he recently got some advice from junior Buck LB Ronald Powell but also that he is “actually like a big teddy bear” instead of a “big, mean person” that some think he is just because he plays football. “People might say that I’m kind of shy because I put my head down when I talk and stuff,” he said. “But I’m a big teddy bear. My favorite TV show is iCarly. I’m going to be a big teddy bear off the field, but on the field I’m all business.”

4 » USA Today has released a compiled list of the salaries of the 68 head coaches participating in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Florida’s Billy Donovan came in No. 4 on the list in terms of total pay, earning $3.64 million for 2011-12 with a maximum bonus of $454,000. Though Donovan’s salary and bonuses are high, they are very much in-line with what Kansas’ Bill Self ($3.63M, $425K max bonus) and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($3.60M, $425K max bonus) bring in annually. The only men above Donovan are Kentucky’s John Calipari ($5.39M, $850K max bonus), Louisville’s Rick Pitino ($4.81M, $575K max bonus) and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski ($4.70M). Alabama’s Anthony Grant ($1.84M, $415K max bonus) is ranked No. 18 on the list and Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart ($1.21M, $621K max bonus) checks in at No. 30.

Tags: Anthony Grant, Billy Donovan, Dante Fowler, Detroit Lions, Draft, Janoris Jenkins, John Calipari, Michelle Moultrie, NFL, Player of the Week, Ronald Powell, SEC, Senior Bowl, Shaka Smart, softball, USA Softball

1 » Left with tens of thousands of blank jerseys for each NFL team, Reebok (the league’s former uniform and apparel partner) was prepared to scrap the jerseys before the 2012 season began as the NFL reached an agreement with Nike to take their place going forward. However, in a last-ditch effort to clear their stock and make a cash grab in the process, Reebok feverishly produced thousands of New York Jets jerseys with quarterback Tim Tebow‘s name and number on them after he was traded from the Denver Broncos last week. Reebok saw it as their last chance to clear some stock and not take a loss on the jerseys, but Nike saw it another way. According to CNBC‘s Darren Rovell, Nike has decided to sue Reebok for creating the jerseys and is seeking both damages and for the company to destroy any that remain on the market. “We have filed a complaint relating to unauthorized use of Tim Tebow’s name on New York Jets related apparel,” the company told Rovell in a statement. “Nike is authorized and licensed to use Tim Tebow’s name on products. We have no further comment at this stage.” Due to the NFL/NFLPA’s deal with Reebok expiring at the end of the league year, Nike contends that the company had no right to create any products with a player’s likeness. Nike is set to release their new NFL uniform designs at the beginning of April and put them on sale around the 2012 NFL Draft. It is expected that there will only be minor uniform changes in 2012 but that most teams will see some signifigant differences in 2013.

2 » Florida Gators redshirt senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter, one of the anchors on the defensive line this season, spoke on Tuesday about a number of issues concerning himself and the team. With so few healthy players at his position on the field, Hunter has been getting even more work in than usual but feels like it is paying off in the long run. “It’s very tough. We’re playing a lot more snaps than we normally have to in the rotation. It’s not as strong. But the guys we do have are going hard in practice and everyone is getting better,” he said. “Any time you have a chance to get more snaps, it’s always beneficial towards you. I feel like I’ve gotten a little bit better as far as some technique things I was struggling with last year as far as pass rushing. The more snaps I have to go against the ones on the offensive line have definitely benefitted me.” Hunter credited defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for his vast improvements on the field. “My fundamentals have shot through the roof with him. He’s very patient with me to say the least. We’ll stay after if I need extra film work, he’s always there for me,” he said.

Hunter also confirmed what head coach Will Muschamp said on Monday – junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell has had a fantastic offseason and was the standout player at Saturday’s scrimmage. “He’s probably had the best offseason that I’ve seen from anyone since I’ve been here,” he said. “He’s worked so hard in the offseason and it’s really paying off for him right now. He’s more mature both on and off the field, on the field his pass rushing is unbelievable right now. He’s so stout against the run. He’s really looking good for us right now.” With Powell playing well and both redshirt senior defensive end/Sam linebacker Lerentee McCray and junior DT Dominique Easley coming back from injury, Hunter believes Florida’s defensive line has the chance to be one of the best the school has seen, even putting them up there with the guys from 2008.

» On redshirt senior tight end Omarius Hines’s work at running back: “Yeah, he’s big. He’s hard to tackle. He runs really hard – him and [Chris] ”Juice” Johnson. They’re both running very hard for us right now.”

» On redshirt senior guard James Wilson: “He looks better than ever. He looks like his shape is getting there. From the end of last year to now, I’d say he’s in the best shape he’s been in – he’s looking good.”

Tags: Chris Johnson, Dan Quinn, Denver Broncos, Dominique Easley, Draft, James Wilson, Lerentee McCray, New York Jets, NFL, Omar Hunter, Omarius Hines, Ronald Powell, Tim Tebow

1 » NFL.com’s Gil Brandt took a look back at the Florida Gators’ Pro Day on March 13 and came away with some very interesting information. He clocked Rainey in at 4.41 and 4.35 seconds in his 40-yard dashes and said that he also impressed while working out at wide receiver. Brandt (among others) believes Rainey is a sure-fire third-round pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. He also noted that WR Denote Thompson “ran blistering 4.31 and 4.32 40s” and also worked out as a defensive back and “looked good, even though he has no experience playing there.”

2 » Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was ejected from Saturday’s game after throwing a ball near a referee but was contrite and apologetic on Sunday when asked about the situation. “I don’t know what’s going to happen about that,” Noah said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I just want to apologize to the ref. I just feel bad for what happened. I just want to apologize to the ref for coming at him like that. It was wrong of me. I was just frustrated. I just hope he reads this and accepts my apology.” The NBA decided not to suspend Noah for his actions, which were not overly aggressive.

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Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Bradley Beal, Chicago Bulls, Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Draft, Hannah Rogers, Joakim Noah, Kenny Boynton, lacrosse, Michelle Moultrie, NBA, NFL, Nora Barry, Ohio State Buckeyes, Ole Miss Rebels, Patric Young, Player of the Week, SEC, Shannon Gilroy, softball, tennis