Coming off three consecutive losses, the Florida Gators were looking to strengthen their case for a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament Thursday night against the Auburn Tigers in the opening round of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.

Junior forward Alex Tyus helped them do just that, scoring a team-high 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting to propel the Gators (21-11, 9-7 SEC) to a 78-69 win over the Tigers (15-17, 6-10 SEC) and a berth in the tournament’s quarterfinals.

Florida, looking to avenge a loss to Auburn in the quarterfinals of the 2009 SEC Tournament, was carried by Tyus, junior F Chandler Parsons and redshirt junior center Vernon Macklin in the first half. The trio combined to go 13-for-19 from the field while scoring 33 of the Gators’ 40 first-half points. Tyus continued his excellent play in the second half and was joined by freshman guard Kenny Boynton, who nailed three consecutive three-pointers and finished with nine points.

Read the rest of OGGOA’s Florida vs. Auburn SEC Tournament game story…
Continue Reading » Gators strengthen NCAA bid with win over Tigers

Tags: Alex Tyus, Auburn Tigers, Billy Donovan, Bridgestone Arena, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, DeWayne Reed, Erving Walker, Frankie Sullivan, Kenny Boynton, Lucas Hargrove, NCAA Tournament, SEC, SEC Tournament, Tay Walker, Vernon Macklin

Location: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN [Capacity: 19,395]
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)

TV: SEC Network
Online Video: ESPN360.com
Live Updates: OGGOA on Twitter

Odds: Florida -5.5; O/U 143.5

KEEP AN EYE ON…
» Junior forward Chandler Parsons…who has scored in double figures in seven of his last nine games and has two double-doubles in those contests. He has also helped run the point and scored 17 points with six rebounds and four assists in Florida’s first meeting with Auburn.
» Double-digit scoring by Vernon Macklin…the Gators are 13-4 when the redshirt junior transfer center finishes in double figures. Macklin has achieved this mark in five of the last seven games.
» Bench production by freshman F Erik Murphy and sophomore guard Ray Shipman…who combined for 18 points in limited time against No. 3 Kentucky.
» Auburn F Lucas Hargrove…who leads his team with 6.9 rebounds per game while also averaging 12.9 points.
» Tigers’ guards DeWayne Reed and Tay Walker…who combine for 30 of the team’s 75.9 points each game. Walker also shoots 42 percent from downtown.

STREAKS:
» Auburn leads the all-time series against Florida 87-69; however, the Gators have won 11 of the last 12 meetings including a 78-70 victory last month in Gainesville.
» The Tigers’ only win in that stretch was a 61-58 win in the 2009 SEC Tournament quarterfinals, which knocked UF out of contention for the NCAA Tournament.
» Florida went 6-0 against the SEC West this season.
» The Gators have won three prior SEC Tournament titles (2005-2007). They won the 2006 title at the site of this year’s tourney and are 5-2 all-time in Bridgestone Arena.
» Though they lost their last two games to the SEC’s top two teams, Florida out-rebounded both opponents and remain 13-4 when out-rebounding the opposition.
» Parsons needs only six points to reach 1,000 for his career.
» The Gators have made a three-pointer in a school-record 609 consecutive games beginning Jan. 11, 1992.
» Florida is 233-40 when forcing more turnovers than its opponents under Donovan.
» The Gators are 241-34 under Donovan when holding opponents to 70 points or less.
» Opponents are shooting just 32.2 percent from three-point range against Florida.
» Auburn is 2-9 away from home this season.
» The Tigers score 4.4 points more than the Gators on average but also give up 9.0 more points per game than Florida.
» Auburn has faced only three ranked opponents all season and have lost those games by an average of 13.7 points.

Tags: Auburn Tigers, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, DeWayne Reed, Erik Murphy, Jeff Lebo, Lucas Hargrove, Ray Shipman, SEC, SEC Tournament, Tay Walker, Vernon Macklin

1 » Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow scored a 22 on his Wonderlic exam at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, according to Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post. By comparison, the average for a NFL QB is 24. Former Miami Dolphins QB and Hall of Famer Dan Marino posted a 13; Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a 48. OGGOA sees no need to expand further on this revelation.

2 » ESPN NFL Draft analysts and talking head Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay released their latest mock drafts Wednesday, and two former Gators continue to appear as potential first-round selections. McShay believes cornerback Joe Haden will be selected No. 7 overall by the Cleveland Browns, while Kiper counters that he will go No. 13 to the San Francisco 49ers. However, Kiper has center Maurkice Pouncey being taken at No. 24 by the Philadelphia Eagles, while McShay has him lasting until the end of the first round – going No. 31 to the Indianapolis Colts.

3 » Florida freshman guard Kenny Boynton and sophomore point guard Erving Walker were both recognized by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday for their contributions on the court this season. However, junior forward Chandler Parsons was snubbed by the conference – not that he cares. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me,” Parsons told The Florida Times-Union. “I haven’t even seen them, didn’t even know. As long as my team keeps winning and we get to where we want to, no individual accolades are needed for me. I didn’t get many in high school. I don’t expect any here.”

4 » Updating an item reported late Wednesday, five-star basketball recruit Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has decided to remove Miami (FL) from his top five and replace them with Syracuse. Knight is also considering Florida, Kentucky, Kansas and Connecticut and will likely decide in just over a month’s time.

Tags: Brandon Knight, Chandler Parsons, combine, Draft, Erving Walker, Joe Haden, Kenny Boynton, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, SEC, Tim Tebow, Wonderlic

1 » Now that his brother has set a course for greener pastures in the NFL, Florida Gators junior guard/center Mike Pouncey will play without him next to him for the first time in years. Rather than feel a sense of longing, Pouncey sees this as an opportunity to take on a leadership role. “I’ve got to lead this team,” he told The Gainesville Sun. “I’ve got the most starts on the team – just gotta go out there and prove everybody day-by-day that we’re going to be a good team this year. […] It’s going to be weird [not having Maurkice there], but I’ve been with these guys on the offensive line for three or four years. I feel ike they’re all my brothers, so they’ll be there for me.”

2 » Though acquiring a tougher schedule was somewhat of a mandate by the Southeastern Conference, the Gators’ willingness to do so may very well be what separates their 2009-10 campaign from that of the last two seasons. “I don’t know if there’s any exact science, but certainly we’re really, really loaded up on our schedule competitively,” head coach Billy Donovan told The Sun. “What kind of dividends that pays for us remains to be seen.” While the opponents may have been tougher, Donovan believes his team is better than it has been since the Oh-Fours departed. ‘Probably a couple of years ago, we weren’t even in position to beat a Michigan State or a Florida State or go on the road and win some of the games that we’ve won,” he said. “This team has certainly played a much, much more difficult schedule and probably as difficult a schedule as we’ve played in quite some time.”

Two more BITS on recruit Brandon Knight and the Horfords…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Pouncey, schedule, Knight, Horford

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Billy Donovan, Brandon Knight, Jon Horford, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Oh-Fours, SEC

Florida Gators freshman guard Kenny Boynton, sophomore point guard Erving Walker and sophomore guard/forward Ray Shipman each took home separate 2009-10 Southeastern Conference season honors on Tuesday.

Boynton, named to the SEC All-Freshman team, averaged 13.3 points in conference play. Walker, earning second-team All-SEC honors, averaged 14.1 points in league action. Shipman was given recognition as the SEC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year due to his excellent work in the classroom.

The Kentucky Wildcats raked in honors with John Wall being named Player of the Year and DeMarcus Cousins listed as Freshman of the Year. Three Wildcats (Wall, Cousins and Patrick Patterson) were placed on the All-SEC first team. Also on the first team are Trey Thompkins (Georgia), Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State), Devan Downey (South Carolina), Wayne Chism (Tennessee) and Jermaine Beal (Vanderbilt).

Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings won Coach of the Year honors, and Varnado was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Tags: All-Freshman, All-SEC, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Ray Shipman, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, SEC

1 » 2011 linebacker recruit Lateek Townsend recently told his hometown newspaper, The State, that he is strongly considering leaving home and playing for the Florida Gators after his senior season of high school. “I’m thinking Florida highly,” he said. “That’s a winning program, so things must be done right. I’m going down there soon for an unofficial visit. I’ve not seen the campus yet. I put them up there with Clemson [his leader] and South Carolina.”

2 » Mark Wheeler of Rivals is reporting that Gators redshirt senior safety Dorian Munroe was denied a sixth year of eligibility and a medical redshirt by the NCAA last week. Munroe, who has suffered with injuries throughout his college career, was hoping to get a redshirt exception after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament for the second time. Munroe has appeared in 28 games in his Florida career, collecting 43 total tackles while playing a role on defense and special teams. He had a career-high six tackles in the SEC Championship against the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2006. He will appeal the ruling.

3 » University of Florida alumnus Tom Thurston is competing in the Iditarod this year, and The Gainesville Sun put together a nice profile piece on the former student. Thurston hopes for a top-30 finish in the annual event.

4 » Gators senior outfielder Francesca Enea was the recipient of SEC Player of the Week honors Monday. Smacking four home runs (three grand slams) this week, Enea is now second all-time in the SEC record book with 51 homers. Also honored this week is Florida freshman lacrosse player Ashley Bruns, who brought home the American Lacrosse Conference’s Rookie of the Week for scoring five goals in one half of competition. It is the second-straight week a Gators lacrosse player has won the honor. Last but not least, the 2009 SEC Champion UF women’s cross country team was named the USTFCAAA All-Academic Team of the year with a combined 3.56 GPA.

Bubble Watch » The unranked Saint Mary’s Gaels (26-5, 11-3 WCC) defeated the No. 14 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-6, 12-2 WCC) 81-62 Monday to earn the WCC Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Two teams are now guaranteed to represent the WCC instead of one (Gonzaga), taking away an at-large bid.

Tags: All-Academic Team, American Lacrosse Conference, Ashley Bruns, cross country, Dorian Munroe, Francesca Enea, Iditarod, lacrosse, Lateek Townsend, NCAA, Player of the Week, Rookie of the Week, SEC, SEC Champions, softball, Tom Thurston, University of Florida, USTFCAAA

The Florida Gators needed to win one of their final three games to all but ensure themselves a spot in the 2010 NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons. Instead, a tough road losses to unranked Georgia and No. 3/3 Kentucky as well as a home defeat by No. 13/19 Vanderbilt have left the Gators losers of their last three and back on the proverbial bubble.

Let’s take a look at the resume the NCAA Selection Committee will be reviewing:
Continue Reading » Florida Gators’ 2010 NCAA Tournament resume

Tags: NCAA Tournament, SEC, SEC Tournament, selection committee