Florida Gators basketball’s 2012 recruiting class doubled in size Wednesday as four-star point guard Braxton Ogbueze (Charlotte, NC) committed to head coach Billy Donovan.

Joining four-star shooting guard Michael Frazier (Tampa, FL), Ogbueze is Donovan’s second backcourt commitment for the 2012 cycle and the University of Florida’s highest-ranked point guard recruit since former five-star Nick Calathes. He is listed as the No. 7 player at his position by Scout and the No. 9 point guard in his class by Rivals.

“When I arrived on campus I was impressed with all the coaches, players and the beautiful campus,” Ogbueze told ESPN about his decision. “I want to learn my position from Coach Donovan, who has had great success with perimeter players and is a proven winner. Winning back-to-back national championships means a lot.”

Always holding the school in high acclaim, Ogbueze decided to attend Florida over offers from Oklahoma, Baylor, Tennessee, Wake Forest and South Carolina. Assistant coach Rob Lanier was heavily involved in his recruitment.

“Braxton Ogbueze approaches everything with excellence in mind,” his high school head coach Sean Wiseman told ESPN. “From the court to the classroom as well as his character, he tries to be the best at what he does. That’s what makes him special.”

The Gators already have five-star SG Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) and three-star forward Walter Pitchford (East Lansing, MI) on board as members of their 2011 signing class.

Scout.com first reported Ogbueze’s decision.

Photo Credit: NY2LA

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brad Beal, Braxton Ogbueze, Michael Frazier, Nick Calathes, Rob Lanier, University of Florida, Walter Pitchford

1 » Participating in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center-hosted Gator Holiday Classic, Florida Gators women’s basketball (10-3) defeated the Alabama State Hornets (2-7) and Robert Morris Colonials (4-6) in consecutive days to capture the tournament title. Florida’s freshman guard Brittany Shine was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Performer after accounting for 47 points and 10 assists in a two-game span. Also honored after the event was freshman G Jattera Bonds, who scored 16 points and notched 12 assists to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. The Gators dominated the Hornets 95-38 on Monday and took it to the Colonials 70-50 on Tuesday.

3 » With Florida basketball struggling already this season, there is plenty of anticipation from fans to see 2011 five-star shooting guard Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) burst on the scene next season. While Beal is expected to be the next great player to step foot in the O’Connell Center, 2012 four-star SG Michael Frazier (Tampa, FL) – also a Gators commitment – is making a name for himself during his junior season. Frazier posted 45 points in the Bright House Networks Tournament Championship game on Tuesday, leading his team to a 71-69 victory while earning MVP honors. He scored 110 total points in three games in the tournament including 40 in the semifinal game.

Extra BIT » Former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, currently in his first season as head coach of the Louisville Cardinals, led his team to victory in the 2010 Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, FL. Strong’s Cardinals defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and head coach Larry Fedora, a former offensive coordinator of the Gators. Louisville’s victory marked the team’s seventh bowl game win since it started playing football in 1912 and capped an inaugural season in which Strong posted a 7-6 record. The Cardinals finished 4-8 in 2009.

Tags: Alabama State Hornets, All-Tournament Team, Beef O' Brady's Bowl, Brad Beal, Brittany Shine, Charlie Strong, Gator Holiday Classic, Jattera Bonds, Larry Fedora, Louisville Cardinals, Michael Frazier, MVP, O'Connell Center, Robert Morris Colonials, Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Offered a scholarship to the University of Florida by Florida Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan just over a month ago, four-star 2012 shooting guard Michael Frazier (Tampa, FL) decided to commit to the team even though he is two years out from heading up to Gainesville, FL.

“I chose Florida because of Coach Donovan and the outstanding staff,” Frazier told ESPN. “Coach Donovan has a proven history of winning national championships and excels in player development. UF is an excellent academic school as well. It’s always been one of my favorite schools.”

Frazier, who boasted offers from 20 other schools ranging from Michigan to Harvard at the time his conversation with Donovan, has a 4.0 GPA and is considered to be both a bright student and extraordinary shooter.

“He’s the best shooter ever to come out of our program,” Florida Elite AAU coach Conrad Foss told The Gainesville Sun. “And with those perimeter skills he’s become much better at putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. He’s becoming a complete player.”

Here is what ESPN has to say about Frazier’s abilities:

Frazier’s ability to shoot the ball makes him special because he has two of the greatest qualities a shooter can have: great self-confidence in his stroke and a short memory to focus on the next shot. He rarely misses open shots when his feet are set. He shoots over smaller defenders with ease and is a willing passer when he draws an extra defender. Frazier is also smart at moving without the ball and creating clean looks at the basket. Opponents must find him immediately in transition because he will spot up on the break and knock it down from beyond the arc. While he can knock it down from 3, his midrange game (15- to 18-foot jumpers) is most efficient. Defensively, he needs to be more committed and engaged as an on-ball defender, but Frazier and his coaches — H.B. Plant coach Mike Phillips and his Florida Elite U-17 USSSA coach, Conrad Foss — are committed to getting him ready for his first day of practice at Florida.

Tags: AAU, Billy Donovan, Conrad Foss, Florida Elite, Michael Frazier, University of Florida

1 » Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan has given a verbal scholarship offer to four-star 2012 shooting guard Michael Frazier (Tampa, FL), according to the St. Petersburg Times. Frazier, who currently boasts offers from 13 other schools ranging from Michigan to Harvard, has a 4.0 GPA and is “open to everybody right now.”

2 » Taking a look at Florida basketball on Thursday, Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports believes the Gators are in position to do something they have not done 2007 – make some serious noise in the NCAA Tournament. “Florida may not be what it was a few years back when the Gators won back-to-back national titles, but they are now in a position to make a deep tournament run over the next few years,” he writes. “In two years, the perimeter down in Gainesville will feature [Erving] Walker, [Kenny] Boynton, [Brad] Beal and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario with a backcourt of [Patric] Young, [Erik] Murphy, [Cody] Larson and [Will] Yeguete.”

3 » To help promote the release of EA Sports’ NCAA Football 11 video game, the company teamed up with Nike to release a signature Nike Trainer for the occasion. Blue with orange and white accents, the sneaker features reminders of former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow’s “Promise” speech on Sept. 27, 2008, a company logo and mention of the video game. One picture can be seen here, but the rest can be found at SoleCollector.com. The site reports that the shoe will be released in “extremely limited quantities in the very near future.” In other words…if you have the ability to buy them…pick up an extra size 11-11.5 for OGGOA…or we’re not friends anymore.

4 » Answering readers’ questions about the New England Patriots’ youth movement, Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe touched on how some former Florida players are progressing. About linebacker Brandon Spikes specifically, Young says he “was already being asked to call signals in the huddle with the second unit during spring camps and could well challenge incumbent Gary Guyton” for the job. The coaching staff also values the versatility that tight end Aaron Hernandez brings to the table; he will mostly be used as a receiver and H-back and could end up being a starter.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Billy Donovan, Brad Beal, Brandon Spikes, Cody Larson, Erik Murphy, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Michael Frazier, Mike Rosario, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, New England Patriots, NFL, Patric Young, Will Yeguete