Florida Gators basketball (3-0) got back on track Friday night, using a team-high 23 points from freshman guard Kenny Boynton to defeat the Troy Trojans (2-1) 80-50 in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. After starting 0-for-5 from the floor and finishing the last game 0-10, sophomore point guard Erving Walker rebounded with 13 points in the second half along with three assists and six rebounds. Boynton also added four assists and six rebounds of his own.

Other double-digit scorers for the Gators included forwards junior Chandler Parsons and senior Dan Werner, who contributed 15 and 12, respectively. Parsons led Florida with seven rebounds while Werner found his touch, going 4-for-5 from three-point range.

Junior F Alex Tyus contributed two blocks and nine points but left the game with a sprained right ankle as time ticked away in the second half. “I am concerned about Tyus’ ankle,” head coach Billy Donovan said after the game. “I don’t know where that’s at.”

The Gators remain home for their next game against the in-state rival Florida State Seminoles. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the O’Connell Center. The game will air live on Sun Sports – check your local listings.

In other news… No. 13/13 Florida volleyball (20-5, 14-4 SEC) dropped a 3-1 heartbreaker (22-25, 25-23, 25-25, 25-22) to the Tennessee Volunteers (21-7, 14-4 SEC) on the road Friday. Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy recorded her nation-leading ninth triple-double of the season and the 15th of her career, while sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel contributed her eighth double-double of the year. Tennessee’s Nikki Fowler turned in a match-high 19 kills and was one of four Lady Vols to reach double figures in the victory. The Gators return to action on Sunday against the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, KY. Opening serve is set for 2 p.m.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, Erving Walker, Kelly Murphy, Kenny Boynton, Kristy Jaeckel, Nikki Fowler, Tennessee Volunteers, tennis, Troy Trojans, volleyball

1 » Florida Gators basketball (2-0) looks to keep on rolling as they take on the Troy Trojans (2-0) Friday at 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Shooting a combined 3-for-29 (10.3%) from behind the arc, the Gators are bucking a trend head coach Billy Donovan set upon his arrival to Gainesville, FL. Florida has traditionally been among the best in the Southeastern Conference in three-point shooting percentage as Donovan has made it a priority both in his recruiting and game plans. “I think for guys like Kenny [Boynton] and Erving [Walker], it is probably somewhat uncharacteristic,” Donovan said. “They have been shooting the ball well in practice. Chandler [Parsons] and Dan [Werner] are guys that maybe have been a little more up and down in their careers.”

2 » There’s plenty of other Gators sports action on the docket for the weekend. Men’s and women’s swimming & diving begin their participation in all-day weekend tournaments Friday. Women’s basketball (1-1) faces the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0) in Pittsburgh, PA, on Friday, and No. 13/13 volleyball (20-4, 14-3 SEC) heads to Knoxville, TN, to serve against the Tennessee Volunteers (20-7, 13-4 SEC) – both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. Volleyball will then travel to Lexington, KY, to take on the Kentucky Wildcats (26-2, 16-1 SEC) on Sunday at 2 p.m.

3 » Senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes has been named as one of the five finalists for the 25th annual Butkus Award honoring the nation’s top linebacker. Other finalists include Rolando McClain of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Sergia Kindle of the Texas Longhorns, Sean Weatherspoon of the Missouri Tigers and Eric Norwood of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

4 » Redshirt juniors running back Emmanuel Moody (sprained ankle) and defensive tackle Terron Sanders (rib/back) have been ruled out for the Florida International Golden Panthers game on Saturday. According to head coach Urban Meyer, senior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham is “50-50” for the game with an unspecified injury. This is a good week to rest any banged up players prior to the regular season finale against the Florida State Seminoles next weekend.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brandon Spikes, Butkus Award, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, diving, Emmanuel Moody, Erving Walker, Florida International Golden Panthers, Florida State Seminoles, Jermaine Cunningham, Kenny Boynton, Kentucky Wildcats, O'Connell Center, Pittsburgh Panthers, SEC, swimming, Tennessee Volunteers, Terron Sanders, Troy Trojans, Urban Meyer, volleyball, women's basketball

Though the score may not suggest it, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team (2-0) grinded out a 69-49 victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-2) Wednesday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Junior forward and sixth man Chandler Parsons led the Gators with great energy off the bench, scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds to record the team’s second double-double of the season.

Freshman guard Kenny Boynton and redshirt junior transfer center Vernon Macklin were the other Florida players who shined offensively, scoring 22 and 15 points, respectively. Boynton shot 50% from the field while Macklin was 7-9 adding seven rebounds to his performance. Through two games, Boynton, Macklin and Parsons have accounted for 63.6% of the Gators’ offense (91 of 143 points). Sophomore point guard Erving Walker led the team with six assists and, though he was 0-10 from the field, added nine points on free throws.

The Eagles kept the Gators in check for much of the contest, going into the half with Florida only holding a 26-25 lead. Up 55-47 with 4:17 remaining, the Gators slowly pulled away to their eventual 20-point margin of victory. For the second straight game, Florida was on the verge of breaking a 579-game record of scoring at least one three-pointer. Parsons nailed one with around six minutes to go, and Boynton followed with the first make of his career from beyond the arc. The Gators are only 3-29 from three-point range on the season, an absurdly low number for a Billy Donovan-coached team.

Florida basketball returns to action Friday when they face the Troy Trojans at home in Gainesville, FL, at 7 p.m. The game is being carried by FOX Sports Florida, so be sure to check your local listings for availability.

Note: Louisville Cardinals head basketball coach Rick Pitino, father of new Gators assistant Richard Pitino, was in the house watching the game with Bill Donovan, Sr.

Tags: Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Georgia Southern Eagles, Kenny Boynton, Richard Pitino, Vernon Macklin

Florida Gators men’s basketball (1-0) began the 2009-10 season with a 74-46 win over the Stetson Hatters (0-1) on Sunday afternoon in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Four Gators scored in double digits as junior forward Alex Tyus posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Freshman guard Kenny Boynton, redshirt junior transfer center Vernon Macklin and junior forward Chandler Parsons were the other Florida players who shined offensively, scoring 12, 13 and 12 points, respectively. Macklin recorded a team-high three blocks while sophomore point guard Erving Walker led the team with three assists.

The Gators were in danger of blowing a school record for consecutive games with a three pointer until Parsons nailed one with just 33 seconds left in the game. Before that, Florida had missed 12 straight and shot only 7.7% from behind the arc on the day.

Above all else, Florida played superb defense against the Hatters, holding them to 46 points on a combined 16/56 (28.6%) from the field and 2/17 (11.8%) from three. “I was really pleased with our defense, because I didn’t think we had much of an offensive flow at all,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “I thought our guys kept a pretty good focus in trying to defend all 40 minutes.”

Gators basketball returns to action Wednesday when the Georgia Southern Eagles visit Gainesville, FL, at 7 p.m. The game is being carried by Fox Sports Florida, so be sure to check your local listings for availability.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, O'Connell Center, Stetson Hatters, Vernon Macklin

Coming off two consecutive trips to the National Invitational Tournament, the Florida Gators basketball team is looking to return to the glory it experienced just a few short years ago. With guard Nick Calathes leaving to play professional basketball in Greece and an influx of talented players, head coach Billy Donovan hopes to wipe the sour taste the last two seasons have put in fans’ mouths. With that, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive presents our 2009-10 Florida Gators Basketball Preview.

STARTING FIVE:

PG Erving Walker – sophomore, 5’8”, 171 lbs.
2008 STATS: 10.1 PPG – 2.4 APG – .434 FG% – .419 3P% – 1.5 RPG – 23.1 MPG
A spark plug known more for his shooting and penetrating than passing, Walker was a pleasant surprise for the Gators in 2008. Starting the season as the team’s sixth man, he moved into the starting lineup at year’s end, earning a reputation as a sharp-shooter who could be trusted to put the ball in the hoop when the game was on the line. Walker was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team and led Florida in three-point percentage (.419). His breakout performance came against the Auburn Tigers, when he hit two late three pointers to help send the Gators to a 68-65 win. Walker must improve his ball handling, court vision and willingness to dish the ball in order to allow Boynton to move around and not be forced to play point.

G Kenny Boynton – freshman, 6’2”, 183 lbs.
2008 STATS (HS): 33 PPG – .58 FG%
Boynton is the pride of the Gators’ 2009 recruiting class, a consensus five-star guard who was ranked No. 9 overall on ESPN’s Top-100 list, No. 12 by Rivals and No. 15 by Scout. He is the 12th McDonald’s All-American signed by Donovan and the third-leading scorer in the history of Florida high school basketball. Quick both with and without the ball, Boynton is highly competitive and athletic with the ability to play either backcourt position. He can get his shot off at will, whether it be a quick pull up jumper, deep three-pointer, floater down the lane or penetrating layup. Boynton is also a tough defender who is strong with quick feet laterally. In his two games so far in the Orange and Blue, Boynton has averaged 23.5 points in 25.5 minutes.

The preview is a LOT longer than this. Read the rest after the jump…
Continue Reading » 2009-10 Florida Gators Basketball Preview

Tags: Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, Erik Murphy, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, Legends Classic, March Madness, NCAA, Nick Calathes, NIT, Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Ray Shipman, Rod Tishman, SEC/Big East Invitational, Vernon Macklin

1 » In 2008, the Florida Gators defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 56-6 in The Swamp, handing head coach Steve Spurrier the worst loss of his career. A year later, Gamecocks players are inspired and more confident in their ability to compete and potentially defeat the Gators. “They haven’t done as much as they’ve done last year,” defensive tackle Nathan Pepper said. “But they’ve definitely done a lot this season.”

2 » Speaking of South Carolina, Spurrier said Tuesday that he will be taking over his team’s play calling beginning this week against Florida. Spurrier’s decision came based on the fact that the Gamecocks are struggling to score points and have not scored more than 16 in any of their last four Southeastern Conference games.

3 » Gators offensive coordinator Steve Addazio had an interesting day in front of the media on Tuesday. According to transcripts, Addazio went on…and on…and on…for eight minutes about his offense, game planning and the team being undefeated. You can read the “short” form here, listen to the audio here or read the entire transcript here.

More on Harvin and Murphy, SEC coaching salaries and Walker after the jump…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: SC confident; Spurrier; Addazio speaks; Harvin/Murphy; coaching salaries; Walker Q&A

Tags: Ed Orgeron, Erving Walker, Louis Murphy, Monte Kiffin, Nathan Pepper, NFL, Percy Harvin, SEC, South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Addazio, Steve Spurrier, Tennessee Volunteers, The Swamp, Urban Meyer

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team closed out the 2009-10 exhibition season Monday night, defeating Webber International 104-53 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Gators freshman guard Kenny Boynton led the team in scoring for the second straight game, compiling 25 points on 6-of-11 shooting including going 5/8 from three-point range. Boynton added three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Also shining for Florida on Monday night was sophomore guard Ray Shipman, who went 7/11 for 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. Other Gators scoring in double digits included sophomore center Kenny Kadji (11) and both sophomore point guard Erving Walker and junior forward Chandler Parsons (12). Walker had a team-high nine assists while Parsons led the way with nine rebounds and Kadji got on the box score with eight boards of his own. As a whole, Florida shot 53.7% from the field, 41.7% from three and only 71% from the line. The Gators were able to put in 33 points off turnovers and 15 on second chances, while the bench contributed 49.

Florida starts the 2009-10 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 against the Stetson Hatters at 4 p.m. inside the O’Dome. The game will air live on FSN/Sun Sports. You can always check OGGOA‘s basketball page for the Gators’ complete schedule and more.

Tags: Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, O'Connell Center, Ray Shipman

The University of Florida‘s men’s basketball team began their 2009-10 season Monday night, defeating Saint Leo 95-46 in an exhibition game at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Gators freshman guard Kenny Boynton led the team with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting while going 5/9 from three-point range. Boynton also contributed six rebounds, two assists and three steals and appeared to tweak his knee at some point in the second half. The extent of the injury is not known, though it did not look serious to those in attendance and it is believed he will be fine to play in Florida’s next exhibition game.

Junior forward Alex Tyus recorded a team-high nine rebounds and added 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while sophomore point guard Erving Walker was good for 16 points and led the way with nine assists. Redshirt junior transfer center Vernon Macklin grabbed four rebounds and seven points. Also of note is that Israeli freshman PG Nimrod Tishman wants to be known as “Rod” (good choice) during his Gators career.

Football’s sophmore kicker Caleb Sturgis, volleyball’s senior libero Elyse Cusack and soccer players Lauren Hyde and McKenzie Barney all took home individual awards from the Southeastern Conference on Monday. Sturgis was named Special Teams Player of the Week, Cusack and Hyde both earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for their respective sports and Barney won Freshman of the Week. Sturgis kicked a 56-yard and 44-yard field goal in the Gators win over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Caleb Sturgis, Elyse Cusack, Erving Walker, Georgia Bulldogs, Kenny Boynton, Lauren Hyde, McKenzie Barney, Nimrod Tishman, O'Connell Center, Rod Tishman, Saint Leo, SEC, soccer, Vernon Macklin, volleyball