A missed layup by junior forward Alex Tyus with less than three second remaining resulted in the Florida Gators (15-6, 4-3 SEC) coming just short of upsetting the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (16-4, 4-2 SEC) on the road in Knoxville, TN. Tyus, who led the Gators with 18 points and seven rebounds, was hitting shots all game but unable to prevent a 61-60 victory by the Volunteers.

A clutch three-pointer by Florida junior F Chandler Parsons gave the Gators a one-point lead with 30 seconds left in the game. Following a timeout, Tennessee sophomore guard Scotty Hopson hit a long jump shot with 21 seconds remaining to put the Volunteers up by one. It was then that Tyus missed a layup on a pass into the post by sophomore point guard Erving Walker.

Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton were limited by Tennessee and shot a combined 5-of-20 from the field and 1-for-11 from downtown. Parsons was the team’s second leading scorer with 14 points; he added eight rebounds (seven of which came in the first half) and was 5-of-6 from the floor.

Read the rest of OGGOA’s No. 14 Tennessee vs. Florida game story after the jump!
Continue Reading » No. 14 Tennessee tops Florida in final seconds

Tags: Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Scotty Hopson, Tennessee Volunteers, Wayne Chism

Location: Thompson-Boiling Arena – Knoxville, TN [Capacity: 21,000]
Time: 1:00 p.m. (EST)

TV: CBS/CBSHD
Online: CBSSports.com

Odds: Tennessee -8, O/U 141

KEEP AN EYE ON…
-The dynamic backcourt of…sophomore point guard Erving Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton who are averaging 37.2 points (almost half of the team’s 75.3 total points) and 8.7 assists per game in SEC play this season.
- Speaking of Walker and Boynton…they have hit 39 of the Gators’ 45 treys in SEC play, and Walker is shooting 62.2 percent (23-of-37) from downtown in conference action.
- Junior forward Alex Tyus…who is dominating the front court, averaging 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds over the last 11 contests. He has hit double figures in 11 straight games and scored 15+ in six of those ten.
- Double-digit scoring by Vernon Macklin…Florida is 10-1 when the redshirt junior transfer center does so.
- Buzzer-beaters from Chandler Parsons…the junior forward has hit two game-winning three-pointers in January. He is also averaging 10.6 points and 6.5 boards per contest.
- Senior center Wayne Chism…who leads the Volunteers in rebounding (6.9) and blocks (1.4). He also accounts for a solid 11.8 points per game.
- Sophomore guard Scotty Hopson…who is tops on Tennessee in scoring with 13.8 points per game.

STREAKS:
- Tennessee leads the all-time series 68-48, winning 10 of the last 13 meetings.
- Last season, the Volunteers swept the series; they have won the last five meetings against the Gators (since 2007).
- Florida has not won in Knoxville since 2005, and head coach Billy Donovan is 12-14 against Tennessee.
- The Gators are on a four-game winning streak, their longest in SEC play since 2007.
- Allowing 95 and 89 points to its first to SEC opponents, the Gators have held teams to 62.8 points per game during their four-game winning streak. Florida is 10-1 this season when holding opponents to 60 points or less and 120-2 all-time under Donovan.
- The Gators are out-rebounding their opponents by 5.2 boards during their four-game winning streak.
- Tennessee defeated then-No. 1 Kansas earlier in the season and also has a quality win over rival Memphis.
- As a team, the Volunteers are forcing 19.1 turnovers per game, averaging 78.7 points per game and hitting 47.1 percent from the floor.

Read OGGOA’s Gators vs. No. 14 Volunteers preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Florida Gators vs. No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers

Tags: Adam Allen, Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Brian Williams, Bruce Pearl, Cameron Tatum, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, Melvin Goins, Ray Shipman, Scotty Hopson, Tennessee Volunteers, Tyler Smith, Wayne Chism

1 » In the immediate aftermath of dropping four-star safety Demar Dorsey (Lauderdale Lakes, FL), the Florida Gators contacted three-star tight end commitment Michael McFarland (Tampa, FL) and informed him that they no longer need him to grayshirt for the 2010 season as an additional scholarship has opened up. Instead, assistant head coach and defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney told McFarland that the Gators want him to enroll with the rest of his 2010 class. OGGOA believes McFarland will likely redshirt his first season.

2 » Freshman guard Kenny Boynton has the star power, sophomore point guard Erving Walker is hitting daggers from downtown, junior forward Chandler Parsons is nailing remarkable buzzer-beating game-winners and junior transfer center Vernon Macklin brings the size…so what exactly is junior F Alex Tyus’ role? Tyus is, simply put, the most consistent player on the team. He has scored double figures in 11 straight games with 15+ points in six of those contests all while being a terror in the paint and averaging almost eight rebounds per game. Through the ups and downs of the season, Tyus has been the constant either keeping the Gators in games or helping them pull off routs. He’s even been hitting three-pointers. “I feel like I’m understanding my role a little more,” Tyus told Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun. “I’m more comfortable.” If Tyus continues playing at this level, a triumvirate of himself, Boynton and Walker could very well propel Florida to its first March Madness birth in three seasons.

Four more BITS on Corey Brewer, Tim Tebow and more after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: McFarland, Tyus, Brewer, Tebow

Tags: Al Horford, Alex Tyus, Atlanta Hawks, baseball, Chandler Parsons, Chicago Bulls, Corey Brewer, Dan McCarney, Demar Dorsey, Donovan McNabb, Erving Walker, Focus on the Family, grayshirt, Joakim Noah, Kenny Boynton, March Madness, Michael McFarland, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Sarah Palin, Super Bowl XLIV, Tim Tebow, Vernon Macklin

Attempting to come away with their fourth consecutive victory, the Florida Gators (15-5, 4-2 SEC) kept their momentum going with a 87-71 thrashing of the Georgia Bulldogs (9-9, 1-4 SEC) Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL. Four Gators finished in double figures including junior forward Alex Tyus, who put up a career-high 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

Sophomore point guard Erving Walker (4-of-6 from downtown) and freshman guard Kenny Boynton (8-for-16 from the field) each scored 21 points, though Walker added 10 assists to his performance. Walker gave Florida its second lead of the game on a three-pointer with 8:57 left in the first half, and the Gators would not relinquish the advantage for the remainder of the contest. Redshirt junior center Vernon Macklin was good for 12 points of his own, shooting 50 percent on the evening.

Read the rest of OGGOA’s Gators vs. Bulldogs game story after the jump!
Continue Reading » Gators basketball chomps Bulldogs 87-71

Tags: Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, Erving Walker, Georgia Bulldogs, Kenny Boynton, O'Connell Center, Ricky McPhee, Trey Thompkins, Vernon Macklin

1 » Florida Gators (14-5, 3-2 SEC) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (9-8, 1-3 SEC) Pre-Game:
- Lines: Florida -8.5; O/U 134
- Florida leads the all-time series 102-95, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings.
- Last season, the Gators and Bulldogs split the series; UF won 83-57 at home while UGA took an 88-86 decision in Athens, GA.
- Florida is 10-2 at home and 19-6 overall against Georgia under Billy Donovan, winning seven straight and 10 of the last 11 in Gainesville.
- Allowing 95 and 89 points to its first to SEC opponents, the Gators have held teams to 60.0 points per game during a three-game winning streak. Florida is 10-1 this season when holding opponents to 60 points or less and 120-2 all-time under Donovan.
-Sophomore point guard Erving Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton are averaging 38.2 points (almost half of the team’s 73.0 total points) and 7.8 assists per game in SEC play this season.
- Walker and Boynton have hit 32 of the Gators’ 38 treys in SEC play, and Walker is shooting 61.3 percent (19-of-31) from downtown in conference action.
- Junior forward Alex Tyus is dominating the front court, averaging 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds over the last ten contests. He has hit double figures in 10 straight games and scored 15+ in five of those ten.
- Florida has not surrendered a fast break point in its last two games.
- Georgia is coming off its most impressive win of the season, taking down then-No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday; they have also defeated Illinois and then-No. 17 Georgia Tech.
- Sophomore F Trey Thompkins leads the Bulldogs in both scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg). Georgia is averaging 5.1 blocked shots per game and is out-rebounding opponents by +4.5 boards per contest.

2 » Though the Gators recently held off the South Carolina Gamecocks with another miraculous shot from junior F Chandler Parsons, the team must put that moment out of its collective mind and focus on the opponent ahead. The Bulldogs present a tough test and Donovan has repeatedly told his team not to take them lightly. “We’re not going to underestimate Georgia,” Parsons said. “They are a great team. Everyone saw what they just did to Tennessee.” Sounds like the message has stuck.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Georgia Bulldogs, Kenny Boynton, SEC, Trey Thompkins

Chants of “Chandler! Chandler! Chandler!” rang throughout the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Saturday night as a second game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer of the season by junior forward Chandler Parsons helped the Florida Gators (14-5, 3-2 SEC) pull off a last-second 58-56 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks (11-8, 2-3 SEC). Parsons, whose previous buzzer-beater came on a 75-foot shot against the N.C. State Wolfpack in overtime on Jan. 3, was similarly shutout from downtown (0-for-3) before hitting the clincher.

“After the shot, Dan [Werner] was heady enough to get the ball out fast and Erving [Walker] made a real unselfish play by finding me, and I was just fortunate enough to knock it down,” Parsons told ESPN after the game. “I’m a confident shooter. If I miss four or if I miss 10, I’m going to keep shooting the ball with the same amount of confidence.”

Read the Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks game story after the jump!
Continue Reading » Parsons’ buzzer-beater propels UF over USC

Tags: Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, Devan Downey, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, O'Connell Center, South Carolina Gamecocks

1 » Florida Gators (13-5, 2-2) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (11-7, 2-2) Pre-Game:
- Florida leads the all-time series 35-20, winning 19 of the last 23 meetings.
- Last season, the Gators and Gamecocks split the series; UF won 97-93 at home while USC took a 70-69 decision in Columbia, SC.
- Florida has won three straight vs. South Carolina in Gainesville and 10 of the last 11.
- Sophomore point guard Erving Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton are averaging 38.6 points (more than half of the team’s 76.8) and 7.8 assists per game in SEC play this season.
- Walker and Boynton are 29-for-34 from downtown; Walker is shooting 59.3 percent from three in the last four games and has combined with Boynton to hit 29-of-66 treys (43.9 percent). The rest of the team is struggling.
- After not having a 20-point game in his first 50 games with the Gators, Walker has had three in his last four outings including a career-high 27 points Thursday vs. Arkansas.
- Junior forward Alex Tyus is dominating the front court, averaging 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds over the last nine contests. He has hit double figures in nine straight games and scored 15+ in five of those nine.
- Gamecocks senior guard Devan Downey, a first-team All-SEC selection, leads his team in points (21.2), assists (3.8) and steals (3.2). He is averaging 30.3 points in conference play and has scored 25 in all four SEC games with two 30-point outings.

2 » Dueling articles were posted by The Gainesville Sun and Florida Today on Walker and Downey, likely the premiere match-up of Saturday evening’s game. Kevin Brockaway explains that size isn’t everything when it comes to Walker and Downey while David Jones tells you that the teams’ little guards look to put up big numbers.

Extra Bit » Florida five-star safety commitment and early enrollee Matt Elam will be presented the state’s Mr. Football award during halftime of the game.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Devan Downey, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Matt Elam, Mr. Football, South Carolina Gamecocks

Sophomore point guard Erving Walker turned in a career-high 27 points to lead the Florida Gators (13-5, 2-2 SEC) over the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-10, 1-2 SEC) 71-66 on the road at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR. Walker began the game by hitting his first five shots (four from downtown) and finished 7-of-12 (5-of-6) on the night.

Junior forward Alex Tyus started 0-for-5 but finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth double-double of his career. Tyus hit the boards hard in the second half, as did fellow junior F Chandler Parsons who left with 11 rebounds but only six points on 1-of-8 shooting after initially going 0-for-7. Razorbacks’ guard Courtney Fortson completed a double-double of his own with 14 points and 11 assists, while G Rotnei Clarke led Arkansas with 17 points shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.

The Gators started the game 2-of-12 from the field and 0-for-3 from downtown until Walker made a three to tie it up at 11. He finished the half with 15 points while the rest of the team was only 4-of-25 from the field and 0-for-6 from three for 11 total points. Walker continued his dominance in the second half with an opening trey, a shot that gave him Florida’s last 10 points on both sides of the break.

A 10-2 run by the Razorbacks would tie the game, and a three-point play by Fortson gave Arkansas the lead back for the first time in the second half. Clarke would go on to score 11-straight points for the Razorbacks including a three that put Arkansas back up 56-55 with 6:40 remaining. However, the Gators countered with a 9-0 run, would eventually take a game-high nine-point lead and were able to hold on from there.

Freshman G Kenny Boynton contributed 13 points but was only 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. Senior F Dan Werner and freshman F Erik Murphy were a combined 0-for-7 from the field; Werner was ineffective throughout the contest while Murphy was tentative in the paint and missed a number of easy layups and put-backs.

Florida was able to out-rebound Arkansas 42-29. The Gators only shot 35.5 percent from the field compared to 44.2 percent by the home team, but made 21-of-26 free throws against Arkansas’ 12-of-17 from the charity stripe.

The Gators return home to face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
——-
The Florida women’s basketball team (10-9, 3-3 SEC) lost 82-58 on the road in Tuscaloosa, AL, to the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-10, 1-5 SEC) at the Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide were previously winless in conference play before absolutely throttling the Gators Thursday night. Florida’s 24-point loss was their worst this season. Tierney Jenkins led Alabama with a double-double on 28 points and 12 rebounds while Celiscia Farmer and Ericka Russell added 19 and 18 points, respectively. Senior forward Sharielle Smith was the Gators’ most productive player with nine points and nine rebounds.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alex Tyus, Arkansas Razorbacks, Bud Walton Arena, Celiscia Farmer, Chandler Parsons, Coleman Coliseum, Courtney Fortson, Dan Werner, Ericka Russell, Erik Murphy, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Rotnei Clarke, Sharielle Smith, Tierney Jenkins, women's basketball