1 » After losing its opening match, the No. 4 Florida Gators gymnastics team (2-1, 2-0 SEC) won its second straight contest of the season Friday. Florida traveled to face the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (3-2, 1-2 SEC) in Lexington, KY, and took home a 196.05-195.35 victory at Memorial Coliseum. Freshman sensation Ashanée Dickerson won her third-straight all-around competition with a total of 39.25. Overall, the Gators finished the day with at least a share of four of five event titles. Florida continues its streak of facing ranked SEC opponents when it hosts the No. 16 LSU Tigers on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. for the fourth annual Gators Link to Pink meet in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Learn about three more big Gators victories, injury updates on a football and basketball player and David Lee’s season-high night after the jump…
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Gators take home four wins Friday

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Antoine Benneteau, Ashanée Dickerson, Auburn Tigers, Central Florida Knights, Claudio Romano, Conor Dwyer, David Lee, Dee Finley, diving, gymnastics, Kenny Kadji, Kentucky Wildcats, Linder Stadium, Marc Rocafort, Memorial Coliseum, NBA, New York Knicks, Omar Pinzon, O’Connell Center, Ring Tennis Complex, swimming, tennis

Location: RBC Center – Raleigh, NC [Capacity: 19,722]
Time: 3:00 p.m. (EST)

TV: FSN/SUN
Online: GatorVision
XM: 199

Odds: EVEN, O/U “OFF”

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Players scoring in double-figures…four Gators starters and one bench player are all averaging double-digit points. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton averages 14.2 ppg while junior forwards Alex Tyus and Chandler Parsons, redshrit junior center Vernon Macklin and sophomore point guard Erving Walker all average 11.9-10.3 ppg.
- Tyus…who is averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last four games.
- Assists…Boynton and Walker have 109 assists to just 49 turnovers this season.
- N.C. State forward Tracy Smith…who leads his team in scoring and rebounding with averages of 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
- Three-point line…in Florida’s 10 wins, the Gators are holding teams to 24.5 percent shooting and 4.2 makes from behind the arc; in their three losses, the opposition is shooting 39.5 percent from three (5.7 makes per game).

STREAKS:
- Florida trails the all-time series against N.C. State 6-3; however, the Gators have won the last two meetings including a 68-66 victory last year in Gainesville, FL.
- Under head coach Billy Donovan, Florida is 16-9 against the ACC, 3-0 in last three.
- The Gators are 5-0 this season when nabbing double-digit steals.
- Florida is 29-5 in the month of January since 2005 and has not dropped its first game of the New Year since 2005. The Gators went 7-2 in January 2009.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. N.C. State Wolfpack preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Gameday: Florida Gators vs. N.C. State Wolfpack

Tags: ACC, Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, N.C. State Wolfpack, Ray Shipman, RBC Center, SEC, Sidney Lowe, Tracy Smith, Vernon Macklin

Still trying to recover from three straight losses after climbing to No. 10/11 in the AP Top 25 and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls three weeks ago, Florida Gators basketball (10-3) rolled the Presbyterian Blue Hose (2-12) 79-38 on Wednesday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Junior forward Chandler Parsons led Florida with 21 points including two three-pointers and three dunks.

Fellow forwards juniorAlex Tyus and freshman Erik Murphy posted double-doubles in the Gators’ victory, scoring 16 points each; Tyus collected 13 rebounds while Murphy grabbed 11 boards. Florida shot 30 percent from downtown with freshman guard Kenny Boynton going 3-for-8 from beyond the arc, leading the team in makes and attempts while finishing with 14 points. Freshman point guard Rod Tishman saw seven minutes of limited action, earning two points, rebounds and assists.

Gators sophomores G/F Ray Shipman (knee) and center Kenny Kadji (back) both sat out the contest; starting redshirt junior transfer C Vernon Macklin only played 14 minutes. F Jake Trovli led the Blue House with 14 points. Florida will next face the North Carolina State Wolfpack in Raleigh, NC, on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, at 3 p.m.

Also on Wednesday, the women’s basketball team (7-6) defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins (1-9) for head coach Amanda Butler’s 50th win at the school. The Gators shot 54.5 percent from the floor while limiting Jacksonville to only 26.5 percent shooting. Sophomore G Trumae Lucas and freshman F Jennifer George led the team with 15 points each while senior F Sharielle Smith turned in the sixth double-double of her career with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Amanda Butler, Chandler Parsons, Erik Murphy, Jacksonville Dolphins, Jake Trovli, Jennifer George, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, O'Connell Center, Presbyterian Blue Hose, Ray Shipman, Rod Tishman, Sharielle Smith, Trumae Lucas, Vernon Macklin, women's basketball

1 » One day after advancing to the finals of the Gator Holiday Classic with a dominating 62-35 win over the Southern Jaguars, Florida Gators women’s basketball (5-6) fell to the High Point Panthers (5-6) 75-68 at home in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Senior forward Sharielle Smith led the Gators with a team-high 11 points for the fifth double-double of her career (11 rebounds).

2 » Though they lost head coach Brian Kelly to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and their interim coach, Jeff Quinn, accepted the head job with the Buffalo Bulls, the Cincinnati Bearcats are playing better than ever, according to quarterback Tony Pike. “I think this has been our best week of practice this season,” Pike said. “It’s been a relief to get back on the field. The success we’ve had this season had been overshadowed by the other stuff.” The Bearcats and Gators will both descend on New Orleans, LA, on Saturday to begin practice for the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

3 » A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Florida freshman guard Kenny Boynton has already delighted fans with his exciting play and aggressive style. His shot selection, however, leaves much to be desired. Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun took a closer look at Boynton’s struggles – the freshman sensation is shooting only 37 percent from the floor and a measly 21.9 percent from beyond the arc. In the Gators’ loss last Saturday against the Richmond Spiders, Boynton was 0-6 from three-point range, some of which were simply bad shots. “Kenny may have taken some bad shots, but I think the same thing can be said of the rest of our team,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “Guys are going to have ups and downs. He’s got to have the freedom to take good shots, to take unchallenged shots.” While his shot selection may be questionable, one key to Boynton’s success in the backcourt is his penchant to hold onto the ball; he has a sterling 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio.

4 » Though Donovan and his players are certainly not making excuses, one of the reason’s for Florida’s recent struggles on the court (aside from the high quality of opponents faced) are their injuries. Only six of the team’s 11 scholarship players are healthy, with the frontcourt being especially banged up. Junior forward Chandler Parsons (torn leg muscle), redshirt junior transfer center Vernon Macklin (pulled gluteus muscle) and sophomore C Kenny Kadji (back) will all likely be good-to-go Tuesday. Freshman F Erik Murphy (shoulder), on the other hand, may sit and rest. “Those kind of injuries that we have right now are similar to a lot of teams and what they go through,” Donovan said. “But there’s no question [that other teams] have a lot more depth than we do right now.”

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brian Kelly, Buffalo Bulls, Chandler Parsons, Cincinnati Bearcats, Erik Murphy, Florida Gators, Gator Holiday Classic, High Point Panthers, Jeff Quinn, Kenny Boynton, Kenny Kadji, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, O'Connell Center, Richmond Spiders, Sharielle Smith, Southern Jaguars, Sugar Bowl, Tony Pike, Vernon Macklin, women's basketball

1 » The University of Florida is considered one of the best football traveling schools in the country. However, you would never know that if you looked at the ticket sales for the upcoming 2010 Sugar Bowl against the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats. Out of the No. 5 Florida Gators’ 17,500 allotted tickets, the team still has almost 5,000 remaining. In fact, the University Athletic Association usually only allows boosters and students to order tickets, but they opened it up to alumni and regular fans via Ticketmaster almost two weeks ago. Should fans wish to attend, they can choose to sit in the Gators section.

2 » Getting ready for a trip to Sunrise, FL, for the 2009 Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, the No. 13/13 Florida basketball team (8-1) is dealing with a rash of injuries. Junior forward Chandler Parsons (torn leg muscle), sophomore F/C Kenny Kadji (back spasms) and freshman F Erik Murphy (shoulder) are all missing practice while sophomore guard Ray Shipman (foot) just recently returned to action. “We’re about at a point where we’re playing 3-on-3 in practice,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “You’ve got 10 guys and you’re down to six right now, so that makes it challenging, especially with exams going on.”

3 » The Gators football team keeps racking up honors as six players were named to the Sporting News All-SEC Team on Thursday. On offense, senior quarterback Tim Tebow, junior tight end Aaron Hernandez and junior center Maurkice Pouncey all received the nominations; senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, junior cornerback Joe Haden and junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap represented the defense. Haden was also named the 2009 Defensive MVP by the publication.

4 » Speaking of honors, soccer’s Erika Tymrak was named to the 2009 Soccer America All-Freshman team as a second team selection. She has already been listed on the NSCAA All-South Region second team and SEC All-Freshman team.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, All-SEC, Billy Donovan, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chandler Parsons, Cincinnati Bearcats, Erik Murphy, Erika Tymrak, Joe Haden, Kenny Kadji, Maurkice Pouncey, Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Ray Shipman, soccer, Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow, UAA, University of Florida

1 » Louisville Cardinals athletic director Tom Jurich spoke with the Louisville Courier-Journal on Monday about his continuing talks with Florida Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong to become his school’s next head football coach. Jurich he is “further along today than I was yesterday, so that’s good,” but that he would have another conversation with Strong on Tuesday. “I don’t really have a status update, it’s on-going,” Jurich said. “I tell you what though, he’s very impressive, a very impressive guy, he’d be great for our community.” An official contract offer has not yet been made, and the Gators are expected to make Strong a counter offer to stay on board.

2 » Two days after their heartbreaking loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2009 SEC Championship, Florida players put the blame on themselves for not playing like they practiced throughout the week. “We thought we would have won the game with the way we practiced,” senior linebacker Ryan Stamper said. “It was just like any other practice — probably one of our better practices. We had juice in the locker room; we had juice when we went out on the field. We just couldn’t get the job done.”

3 » Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan told reporters on Monday that the team may be without sophomores guard/forward Ray Shipman (mid-foot sprain) and sophomore center Kenny Kadji (lower back) for Thursday’s game against the No. 7 Syracuse Orange (8-0) in the SEC/Big East Invitational from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL. Both players received MRIs and are considered questionable for the game. “We’re down to eight right now,” Donovan said. Speaking of Florida basketball, the team moved up to No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in this week’s AP Top 25 and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ polls. Beginning the season unranked, the Gators are an undefeated 8-0 including a win over the then-No. 2 Michigan State Spartans.

4 » Shortstop recruit Casey Turgeon (Dunedin, FL), one of the best players in the state, committed to the Florida baseball program before his junior high school season.

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, baseball, Casey Turgeon, Charlie Strong, Kenny Kadji, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, Ray Shipman, Ryan Stamper, SEC Championship, SEC/Big East Invitational, St. Pete Times Forum, Syracuse Orange, Tom Jurich

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 Baksetball Classic, Ray Shipman, Rod Tishman, SEC/Big East Invitational, Vernon Macklin

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