2 » Also from ESPN, bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has released his latest edition, and Florida remains a part of the projection. Lunardi has the Gators even after a close home loss to the No. 13/19 Vanderbilt Commodores Tuesday. He lists Florida as a No. 11 seed squaring off against the No. 6-seed Baylor Bears in first-round action in Buffalo, NY.

3 » Competing in 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament first-round action Thursday, the No. 7-seed Gators women’s basketball team (14-16) fell 74-61 to the No. 10-seed Auburn Tigers (15-15). Senior guard Steffi Sorensen led the team with 14 points (12 in the first half), while senior forward Sharielle Smith contributed 11 points.

4 » Three members of Florida’s women’s track and field team were awarded end-of-season honors from the SEC Thursday. Head coach Mike Holloway was named Women’s Coach of the Year, senior jumper Shara Proctor won Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and sprinter Lanie Whittaker shared Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year. The ladies won the 2010 SEC Indoor Championship on Feb. 28.

Bubble Watch » Richmond (23-7), which beat the Gators 56-53 on Dec. 19, took down Dayton (19-10) 60-56. Dayton was on bubble and is now considered out of the running.

1 » No. 3 Florida Gators women’s track and field won the 2010 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championship Sunday, its first since the 2004 season. Scoring 110 total points, the team was led by junior Charlotte Browning and senior Shara Proctor, who were named co-winners of the Cliff Harper Trophy for the SEC’s high-points scorer. The men’s team finished second at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, AR, as the home team Arkansas Razorbacks beat them out for the men’s crown 123-119. Both the women’s and men’s teams also captured numerous individual SEC titles over the weekend.

2 » No. 3/11 Gators softball (12-1) swept the Northwestern State Lady Demons (8-5) 15-0, 5-0 and 10-1 over the weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Sophomore outfielder Michelle Moultrie powered Florida’s offense by going 5-8 (.625) with a double, triple, home run and six RBI, while junior OF Kelsey Bruder joined her with similar 5-8 performance for four runs, two homers, six RBI and 11 total bases. Junior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher (10-1) won each game of the series, striking out a combined 13 and only allowing three walks.

Read four more BITS on gymnastics, lacrosse, men’s tennis and Senior Day…

3 » Also posting a win this weekend was No. 4 Florida gymnastics (6-2, 5-1 SEC), which took down the No. 16 Auburn Tigers (2-5, 2-4 SEC) 196.80-195.70 on the road at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The Gators swept the event titles as freshman Ashanée Dickerson won her fifth all-around title of 2010.

4 » Though the Gators’ inaugural lacrosse season has been nearly flawless thus far, perfection had to come to an end sometime. Sunday, the ladies fell 18-5 to the No. 4-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on the road. Freshman Brittany Dashiell led Florida with two goals, but North Carolina’s 19 additional shots on goal doomed UF.

5 » Also in action Sunday was the No. 6 men’s tennis team, which found success against the No. 13 Illinois Illini. Taking their competitors down 5-2 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, the Gators (8-2) now look ahead to conference play beginning this week. The No. 10-ranked doubles pairing of redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau and junior Alexandre Lacroix fell, and Benneteau lost in singles competition for the first time this season. No. 17 Lacroix won his singles match 6-4, 6-4.

6 » On Senior Day, forward Sharielle Smith and guards Steffi Sorensen, Lonnika Thompson, Jennifer Mossor and Susan Yenser played their hearts out, but the Florida women’s basketball team (14-15, 7-9 SEC) would eventually fall 66-61 to the Alabama Crimson Tide (12-17, 4-13 SEC). Freshman F Jennifer George recorded her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the contest.

2 » No. 7 men’s tennis (7-2) continued its terrific play this season, taking down the South Florida Bulls (3-5) 6-1 on Sunday at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The No. 10-ranked doubles duo of redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau and junior Alexandre Lacroix won its 20th match of 2009-10 with an 8-2 victory. Lacroix, ranked No. 17 as a singles competitor, took down No. 91 Jamal Adderley, 6-2, 6-4 for his 11th win against a ranked opponent this season.

3 » Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is one of the most famous Gators fans in professional sports. From attending games to razzing teammates who are fans of opposing teams, Pierzynski is not shy about his Florida pride. That includes wearing orange and blue shoes around MLB camp last week, according to the Chicago Tribune.

4 » The Gators want three-star tight end Michael McFarland (Tampa, FL) to gain weight. His high school basketball team? Not so much. “They want me to put 10 to 15 pounds of solid muscle on before I get there,” McFarland told the St. Petersburg Times. “I want to start [working out] so bad.” McFarland, at 6’6” 240 lbs., is his team’s starting center and has two weeks to go before he can begin Florida’s workout routines.

Extra BIT » High school junior Lindsey Cooper, the younger sister of former Gators wide receiver Riley Cooper, recently made unofficial visits to Florida and Florida State as she decides where to attend college on a soccer scholarship. A standout at Clearwater Central Catholic High School, Cooper hopes to sprint for a university’s track and field team as well.

2 » While most of the country was focused on the Super Bowl, the Florida women’s basketball team (13-10, 6-4 SEC) was in Gainesville, FL, hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs (15-9, 6-5 SEC) at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators kept it close all game, eventually pulling out a hard-earned 80-78 double-overtime victory. Senior guard Lonnika Thompson scored all of her 11 points in overtime while classmates G Steffi Sorensen and forward Sharielle Smith each recorded double-doubles. Redshirt sophomore G Jordon Jones was responsible for the game-winning free throws with only 2.7 seconds left to lift Florida for the win.

3 » Following in the footsteps of their male counterparts, the No. 7 Gators women’s tennis team (5-0) completed a sweep at home over the weekend. The Florida women took on and defeated the Troy Trojans 7-0 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. No. 13-ranked freshman Allie Will and No. 81-ranked senior Marrit Boonstra each won their singles matches and combined as the No. 26 doubles duo to take the event’s first doubles match 8-1.

4 » The Florida club cycling team took home the annual Swamp Classic in Gainesville, FL, on Sunday. Called “one of the most dominant teams in the nation,” by The Gainesville Sun, the Gators group seemingly dominated the event from start-to-finish. For more, read Ray FItzGerald’s report here.

Five more BITS including Tim Tebow’s new organization, Emmitt Smith’s upcoming honor, the women’s basketball team’s loss and much more after the jump!

2 » In a topic OGGOA skipped over because of most important topics the last few days, former quarterback Tim Tebow has begun his own charitable organization – the Tim Tebow Foundation. The vision, according to its Web site, is “to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.” It goes on to say that TTF “will utilize the public platform that God has given to Tim Tebow—through media, publishing, speaking engagements, special events and mission trips—to inspire friends and supporters to work with the Foundation as a team in helping to make a difference.”

3 » By Saturday afternoon, former Gators running back Emmitt Smith, an All-American at Florida and the NFL’s all-time leading rusher who spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, will likely be announced as the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith holds NFL career records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and 100+ yard rushing games. He is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, four-time All-Pro first-team choice, three-time Super Bowl champion, 1993 NFL most valuable player, Super Bowl XXVII most valuable player and member of the Ring of Honor for both the Gators and Cowboys.

4 » Sophomore cornerback Janoris Jenkins and five-star early enrollee safety Matt Elam have both been tabbed as “Athlete of the Year” finalists for the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Awards, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. Jenkins is up for the award as a successful amateur athlete while Elam has been nominated as a high school athlete for his contributions to Dwyer High School football.

5 » Though Florida made a run at the end of the game, the Gators women’s basketball team (12-10, 5-4 SEC) fell to the No. 22 Vanderbilt Commodores (17-6, 6-4 SEC) 66-58 at home Thursday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida scored 15 points in the final three minutes and were led by senior forward Sharielle Smith who scored seven of them. Smith and sophomore center Azania Stewart both finished with a team-high 13 points on the evening. The Gators will host the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday as part of WBCA Pink Zone, which raises awareness for breast cancer.

6 » Erick Montoya, a four-year standout cross country athlete from Estero High School, has decided to sign with Florida. Last fall, he won individual titles within his conference, district and region before finishing second in the 2A state championships for the second consecutive year.

2 » Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith told The Florida Times-Union that his team’s experiment with the 3-4 defense is over. Part of the reason for the change is a belief of Smith in former Gators defensive end Derrick Harvey, who only had two sacks in 2009. “The third year is usually a defining year for what you’re going to become,” Smith said as he indicated that Harvey will begin camp as the starting left end. Former Florida safety Reggie Nelson, who had an outstanding rookie campaign but has since floundered with the Jaguars, may be cut if he does not show significant improvement throughout training camp.

Women’s basketball, lacrosse and men’s & women’s tennis after the jump!

3 » Though the men lost in the waning seconds of their contest, the Gators women’s basketball team (12-9, 4-3 SEC) pulled out a close 67-64 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels (14-7, 5-3 SEC) at C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum in Oxford, MS on Sunday. Senior guard Steffi Sorensen scored a team-high 18 points by going 6-for-7 from downtown. Seniors forward Sharielle Smith and G Lonnika Thompson each posted 11 points; Smith added five rebounds while Thompson contributed five assists and three steals. Florida returns to Gainseville, FL, for a three-game homestand that begins with a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

4 » Florida lacrosse played its first game in team history, albeit an exhibition, against the U.S. National Developmental team on Saturday at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL. The Gators fell 17-8 against their more experienced opponent and let a close 7-4 score to get out of reach by allowing the U.S. team to score five straight goals early in the second half. Florida starts its first regular season against the Jacksonville Dolphins on Feb. 20 but must first face the Princeton Tigers on the road in a final exhibition game on Feb. 14.

5 » The No. 11 Florida men’s tennis team (2-1) advanced to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships after finishing ITA Kick-Off Weekend with a 7-0 shutout victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau and junior Alexandre Lacroix, the No. 10-ranked doubles pair in the country, once again pulled out an impressive victory. The team’s final match of the season, before competing in the indoor championships, is against the Florida Atlantic Owls on Feb. 6

6 » While the men are on their way to the championships, the No. 8 Gators women’s team (4-0) has already advanced to the round of 16 after sweeping the Florida International Golden Panthers 4-0 in second-round action in Gainesville, FL, on Sunday. Florida will next compete in the tournament’s third round from Feb. 12-15 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, WS.

»» Rivals is also reporting that the Gators and 2010 three-star tight end commitment Michael McFarland (Tampa, FL) have agreed to have him grayshirt the 2010 season and enroll with the 2011 recruiting class. McFarland was reluctant at first, out of pride, but realized that this move would benefit him in the long run. Grayshirts usually wait until the second semester to enroll in school instead of in the fall. This move would open up an additional scholarship for Florida to fill before National Signing Day on Feb. 3.

2 » Florida women’s basketball and No. 8 tennis were in action on Sunday, both taking home victories. Basketball (11-9, 4-3 SEC) defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks (10-9, 3-4 SEC) 59-56 while tennis swept the North Texas Mean Green 7-0. Senior forward Sharielle Smith led the Gators with 11 points while freshman F Jennifer George grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Photo Credit: Mike Orazzi

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.
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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

2 » Three-star athlete Marcus Smith (Columbus, GA) had an outstanding scholarship offer from Florida and was prepared to take it…that is until Louisville Cardinals head coach Charlie Strong came calling. “If Louisville would have never been in the mix, I would have probably went to Florida,” Smith told the Courier-Journal. “But I’m glad Louisville came into the mix. I like coach Strong a lot, and I really wanted to play for coach Strong. Louisville is a great program. He wants me to play quarterback, he established that during our talk this morning. To tell you the truth, I just want to play, so I am good wherever he wants me.” Upon taking his position with the Cardinals, Strong said he would not poach recruits the Gators were interested in unless they initiated contact.

3 » The Gators hosted their biggest remaining recruiting weekend the past few days and a number of both committed and undecided prospects came away impressed. Four-star running back Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA), who at one point was wavering after head coach Urban Meyer announced his leave of absence, solidified his recruitment after getting extensive time with new running backs coach Stan Drayton. Brown also told Adam Gorney of Rivals that Meyer may return as soon as March. “He looked pretty fine to me,” Brown said. “He looked healthy. I know he wants to coach, so I know he’s going to be there. He’s going to take a couple weeks off in February, but he’ll be back.” Fellow four-star recruits offensive tackle Chaz Green (Tampa, FL) and wide receiver Christian Green (Tampa, FL) raved to numerous sources about their respective experiences.

4 » Coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers with just two seconds remaining in the game, the Florida women’s basketball team gained a bit of revenge by taking down the Mississippi State Bulldogs 55-52 on the road on Sunday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum. Sophomore guard Trumae Lucas scored seven points off of the bench in the waning minutes while senior forward Sharielle Smith led the Gators with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting while also grabbing seven boards.

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.