1 » Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal, whose attendance at the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday earned his team the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, faces a long journey before he returns to the court. Beal suffered numerous injuries during the 2013 season and was forced to miss the final nine games of the campaign (as well as 20 of the last 25) after it was revealed that he had a stress injury (fracture) to his fibula. He was originally given a six-week timetable for recovery but is past that at this point. Beal told Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday that he has not “done any basketball-related activities” since the end of the season and will be “going to get another X-ray” in the next few weeks. He should be fine for the start of next season but must heal the stress fracture completely before he returns to the court.

2 » Florida Gators guard Michael Frazier II has accepted an invitation to try out for USA Basketball’s under-19 team, which will be coached by Florida head coach Billy Donovan through the 2013 U19 FIBA World Championship. Frazier, who is entering his sophomore season, will be one of 24 invitees competing for 12 roster spots. Training camp lasts for six days from June 14-19 in Colorado Springs, CO, but the roster will be finalized on June 16. Should he make the team, Frazier will join Donovan in Prague, Czech Republic from June 27-July 7 as Donovan looks to win a second FIBA gold medal. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity with USA Basketball,” Frazier said in a school release. “I’m really looking forward to competing with some of the best players in the country and trying to earn a place on the team.”

Read two more Florida Gators basketball news BITS…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Beal, Frazier, Larson, Prather

Tags: Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Cody Larson, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Michael Frazier, NBA, South Dakota State Jackrabbits, Washington Wizards

1 » Now that the undrafted free agents have been scooped up and rookie minicamp is in the books, the newest Florida Gators in the NFL have plenty of work to do to remain on their teams heading into the 2013 season, which starts in exactly four months. As of press time, there are 41 total Gators spread across 19 different NFL rosters. Below is a list of teams corresponding with the number of Florida players currently on their rosters and set to participate in their respective training camps.

(4): Miami, Washington
(3): Baltimore, New England, N.Y. Giants, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay
(2): Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville, Seattle
(1): Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis

2 » Gators guard Sydney Moss has accepted an invitation to try out with USA Basketball for a spot on the under-19 team that will compete in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championships from July 18-28. Team trails are being held May 16-19 in Colorado Springs, CO. Florida head coach Billy Donovan will be coaching the men’s team in the same event from June 17-July 7. He will begin his duties on June 14 in Colorado Springs as he tries to whittle down a 25-player tryout to the 12 that will earn spots on the final roster.

3 » Former Gators shortstop Nolan Fontana is raising eyebrows inside the Houston Astros organization with the way he is currently playing for the Class-A affiliate Lancaster JetHawks in the California League. Fontana (as of Tuesday) is leading the league in batting average (.369), walks (30), runs (29), on-base percentage (.504) and on-base plus slugging (1.071); he is also second in hits (41). As expected, Fontana is also proving to be an excellent defensive shortstop.

4 » Attorney John Morgan (of the law firm Morgan & Morgan) out of Orlando, FL has commissioned the below television commercial (which is also running as a radio spot) to support quarterback Tim Tebow and entice the Jacksonville Jaguars to sign the local product. Considering general manager Dave Caldwell made it perfectly clear months ago that Jacksonville was not interested in Tebow, Morgan is basically just wasting his money and using these advertisements to promote his name and business.

Tags: baseball, Billy Donovan, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Houston Astros, Lancaster JetHawks, MiLB, MLB, NFL, Nolan Fontana, Sydney Moss, Tim Tebow, USA, USA Basketball

Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan has been retained to continue leading USA Basketball during the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship set to take place from June 17-July 7 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Donovan, a court coach during the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team Training Camp two summers ago and head coach of the team that won the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship last summer, will represent his country as a head coach in international competition for the second time in his career. His coaching staff, which included Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart (a former Florida assistant) and Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, is also set to return.

“It’s such an honor to have this opportunity to represent our country with USA Basketball once again, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Donovan said. “Mark Few and Shaka Smart are both outstanding coaches. I have tremendous respect for them both and am glad for another chance to coach alongside them.”

The Donovan-led Americans breezed through last year’s event, amassing a 5-0 record and winning games by an average of 38.6 points to win the gold medal and qualify for the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship. USA Basketball hopes to see the team continue its success with Donovan at the helm.

“Our 19-and-under team is going to have as good a coaching staff as there is in coaches Donovan, Few and Smart,” said Jim Boeheim, Syracuse head coach and chair of the 2009-12 Junior National Team Committee. “It’s going to be a tremendous advantage to have the same staff that led the 18-and-under squad a year ago.”

Donovan will begin coaching the team on June 14 in Colorado Springs, CO as 25 players begin a five-day training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center with only 12 earning spots on the roster.

The United States will begin the event in Group D along with China (FIBA Asia U18 gold), Ivory Coast (FIBA Africa U18 silver) and Russia (FIBA Europe U18 fourth place). The gold medal game is scheduled for July 7.

Tags: Billy Donovan, FIBA, FIBA Americas Championship, FIBA World Championship, Shaka Smart, USA, USA Basketball

1 » Florida Gators junior forward Erik Murphy has agreed to deferred prosecution for misdemeanor criminal trespassing, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Murphy, who will as part of the deal pay $440 in restitution and court costs while also performing 50 hours of community service and completing a substance abuse evaluation, was previously facing more serious charges before prosecutors agreed to reduce them. He will be on probation for alcohol and controlled substances for 12 months and must send a “meaningful” apology letter to the victim as well, the Sentinel reports. Murphy and redshirt freshman F Cody Larson, who also pled not guilty and will face the same charges on July 19, are currently indefinitely suspended from the basketball team. Head coach Billy Donovan said he would evaluate their statuses after their legal situations were settled. Receiving deferred prosecution and probation will likely allow Murphy and Larson (if he signs the same agreement) to return to the team for the 2011-12 season.

2 » Having lost twice during the event, the 2011 USA Basketball U19 Team finished in an uninspiring fifth place at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia. In his final game over the weekend, Florida sophomore center Patric Young turned in another efficient performance, going 4-for-5 from the field for nine points with five rebounds in 13 minutes. Team USA defeated Australia 78-77 in the contest, yet another close finish in an event filled with disappointment for the Americans.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Cody Larson, Erik Murphy, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Patric Young, USA, USA Basketball

1 » Though the story is no longer available on the team’s website due to the NBA lockout, the Detroit Pistons had posted an interesting column focusing on their No. 52 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, former Florida Gators center Vernon Macklin. Evaluating his performances in workouts, team vice president Scott Perry raved about Macklin’s potential. “The biggest thing is, he didn’t look out of place,” Perry said. “He was physical, strong, could hold his position in the low post defensively, long arms and he competed. That’s what you want to see.”

Macklin also received support from Detroit personnel director George David, who fueled him during the Portsmouth Invitational. “He said, ‘Are you going to be Joakim Noah or his backup?’” Macklin recalls. “After my first game at PIT, he texted me and said, ‘You were Joakim Noah today.’ And he said the same thing at the end of the workout.”

2 » The 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 Team faltered at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships on Wednesday, dropping a 87-85 contest to Croatia. Just a day earlier, the United States was triumphant in an equally close match, defeating Lithuania 107-105 in overtime. The constant in both games was the play of Florida sophomore center Patric Young, who has turned in some dominant performances after getting off to a slow start. Young went 5/7 both from the field and from the line for 15 points with seven rebounds in 26:24 on Tuesday and followed that up by shooting 7/8 from the floor for 16 points with eight boards in 26:19 on Wednesday. Over his last three international games, Young has shot 85.7 percent and averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.

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Tags: Buffalo Bills, David Nelson, Draft, Ensley Gammel, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Hannah Rogers, Joakin Noah, Jonotthan Harrison, Lynden Trail, NBA, NFL, Patric Young, planking, Portsmouth Invitational, Robert Clark, softball, USA, USA Basketball, Vernon Macklin

1 » The University of Florida athletic program finished no. 4 in the nation in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. Thirteen Florida Gators programs finished in the top 10 of their respective sport nationally including women’s tennis (No. 1), men’s indoor track & field (No. 1), baseball (No. 2), softball (No. 2), men’s outdoor track & field (No. 3), men’s basketball (No. 5), men’s swimming & diving (No. 5), lacrosse (No. 5), gymnastics (No. 7), women’s swimming & diving (No. 7), men’s tennis (No. 9), volleyball (No. 9), women’s golf (No. 10). It is the third-straight year that the Gators have finished in the top four in the Cup’s final rankings.

2 » Competing with the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team, Florida center Patric Young had some difficulties in the preliminary round of the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships against Egypt. Though Team USA won 115-60, Young only went 2-of-4 from the field for five points with eight rebounds in 14 minutes. Young played much better on Friday, posting 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting with seven boards in 18:30 as Team USA came back to top Serbia 80-78.

3 » Speaking of Young, he and head coach Billy Donovan mentioned a few times last season that he had to overcome some attitude issues during the first half off the year; once doing so, he felt much better about himself and his spot on the team. Young opened up even more about this to ESPN’s Diamond Leung, who spoke with him recently. “When you hear it over and over … if 500 people came in and told you you’re the best writer in the world, you’re going to start believing it, right?” he said. “You’re going to be the next best thing. You’re going to be one-and-done. You should be starting over Vernon Macklin. You should play 30-35 minutes a game. People say stuff like that. I was so mentally blocked that I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong and how it was hurting my team, and coaches had to sit me down and break that down for me, and I understood from that point on forward.”

4 » Dallas Mavericks guard Corey Brewer will be making his triumphant return to Gainesville, FL…for at least three days this summer. Brewer, a member of the Gators’ back-to-back men’s basketball NCAA National Championship teams, will host The Back 2 Back Youth Basketball Camp powered by Five Star Basketball in Gainesville, FL, from July 26-28. Brewer will donate all proceeds to Shands Children’s Hospital at UF and the “Corey Brewer Fight Diabetes Fund,” both benefiting the school’s medical center. “I had a great time with the kids last year. I am so fortunate to have played basketball at the University of Florida. I always like going back to give back to the community that has given me so much,” he told The Gainesville Sun.

Times: August 1-3 from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants: Boys and girls ages 9-18
Activities: Basketball drills, five-on-five games, contests, educational sessions, player evaluations, lectures and much more
Extras: Lunch, T-shirt, photo with Brewer, awards, certificate, etc.
Cost: $150 per camper
More information: http://www.CoreyBrewer.com

Tags: Back 2 Back Youth Basketball Camp, Billy Donovan, Corey Brewer, Dallas Mavericks, diving, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, field, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, National Championship, NCAA, Patric Young, Shands, softball, swimming, tennis, track, Univeristy of Florida, USA, USA Basketball, Vernon Macklin, volleyball

1 » Florida Gators sophomore center Patric Young was announced Sunday as one of 13 players to earn a spot on the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team. Following a two-day tryout in Colorado Springs, CO led in part by Florida head coach Billy Donovan, Young was picked as a finalist for the team while sophomore point guard Scottie Wilbekin was cut. Young will now take part in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia over the next few weeks.

While in Colorado Springs, Young was profiled by USA Basketball’s website and spoke about the trials and tribulations he faced during his freshman season. “There was definitely a dark period,” he said. “It was definitely a distraction. I was buying into how good people kept telling me I was and could be and let them influence the type of player I should be and my expectations for myself. I definitely let it all get to my head, and it wasn’t helping me.” Young praised Donovan for helping him clear his head and concentrate on the game. “Because of Coach Donovan, I just don’t listen to the other things anymore,” he added. “I feel like I have a lot of potential, but there’s a lot of room left to grow. I think I’m alright and I could be a good player, but when I do something that no one has ever done before, that’s when I’ll consider myself a great player. […] He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met, definitely the best coach I’ve ever had in my life. He’s helped me grow on the court and learn the game in a while new way. I really wouldn’t be anything without him. After just one year with him at Florida, I thought to myself, ‘What have I been doing my whole life?’ It’s amazing how much he taught me in one year.”

2 » University of Florida senior writer Scott Carter sat down with Gators head football coach Will Muschamp’s father Larry Muschamp for a feature about their relationship, growing up in Gainesville, FL and what if anything he passed on to him coaching-wise. “I’ve given him more advice than I should have,” Larry said. “We were just close and football was one of the things that held us together. Will is a driver. He is driven and that’s just the way he is. I don’t think I was ever driven that much and I loved coaching. I loved it tremendously, but I was not as dedicated as Will.” Read the rest of Carter’s story.

3 » No longer confined by the rigors of coaching, former Florida head coach Urban Meyer got the opportunity to relax on the lake this Father’s Day. Here is a picture taken by his daughter, Gigi Meyer, of her father wakeboarding:

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Tags: baseball, Billy Donovan, Braxton Ogbueze, Brian Johnson, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, NCAA, Patric Young, TD Ameritrade Park, University of Florida, USA, USA Basketball, Will Muschamp

Set to compete in the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team Training Camp from June 17-24 in Colorado Springs, CO, Florida Gators sophomores center Patric Young and freshman Scottie Wilbekin both hope to earn a spot on USA Basketball’s team for the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship taking place in Latvia from June-July.

Speaking with the media on Monday, both players conveyed their excitement and how important making the team is to them.

“Guys definitely want to make this team,’’ Young said. “It’s cutthroat. Guys are coming out there and bringing out their A-game. Some guys have great defense, great offense, but it comes down to how great of a team player you are and what you can bring.’’

Wilbekin agreed. “I watch the Olympics every four years, just to get the opportunity to do something like this is really special to me,’’ he said.

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Tags: Billy Donovan, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin, USA, USA Basketball