1 » Steve Wieberg of USA Today wrote a terrific article about Florida Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow that printed Friday. “Already a Florida legend, Gators’ Tebow is aiming higher,” focuses on Tebow’s ability to make selflessness cool, his fire and devotion and potential prospects on the next level in the National Football League. “Football. Athleticism. Leadership. Charity Work. His faith. You name it. I’ve never seen anybody who had all that in one package,” said former Georgia Bulldogs head coach Vince Dooley. “That’s what puts him in a class by himself.”

2 » Saturday is going to be filled with plenty of college football action. Conference championships, rivalry games and career-defining moments will be aplenty, but the day truly belongs to the Southeastern Conference and its championship game. Tommy Hicks of the Mobile Press-Register contends that “it’s the SEC’s world, and all the other leagues and teams are just playing in it.”

3 » Just because four-star running back recruit Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA) committed to the Gators does not mean teams have stopped pursuing him. At the top of that list is the Tennessee Volunteers and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, who visited Brown and tried to persuade him to switch. “He said they would play me as a freshman and that in their offense, the back gets the ball more than the backs in a spread offense. He said in the spread, I’ll be sharing carries with receivers and three or four running backs.” Florida immediately called and spoke to Brown’s father. “I’m committed to Florida, I’m not taking any other visits but Florida,” Brown said.

Three more recruiting BITS and an extra BIT after the jump…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Tebow aims high, SEC reigns supreme

Tags: Billy Donovan, Chaz Green, Christian Green, Ed Orgeron, George Dennison, Georgia Bulldogs, Gregg Troy, Mack Brown, NFL, Rakeem Christmas, SEC, SEC Championship, swimming, Tennessee Volunteers, Tim Tebow, Vince Dooley

Florida Gators swimming & diving got the first crack at the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, topping them 169-131 while being led by seniors Shaune Fraser and Omar Pinzon and junior Conor Dwyer. Basketball’s victory just a few hours later in the same building was more of a beat down, as junior forward Alex Tyus and his teammates routed their rivals 68-52.

Tyus, with a solid 13-point and eight-rebound performance, led the Gators (4-0) to their first win over the Seminoles (3-1) in the last four meetings. Matching Tyus with 13 points were freshman guard Kenny Boynton and sophomore point guard Erving Walker, both of whom were able to contribute in spite of poor shooting performances. Junior F Chandler Parsons followed Tyus’ team-high eight rebounds with seven of his own, also adding three assists, two steals and eight points to the box score. Senior F Dan Werner was on the court a team-high 33 minutes, going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc (his only two shots) to finish with six points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Florida dominated the first half, perhaps their best performance in over a year, pressuring Florida State on defense, standing strong in the paint and hitting the boards hard. The Seminoles turned the ball over 16 times in the first 20 minutes, trailing 39-19 going into the locker rooms. Started the second half on a 19-2 run, they quickly brought the Gators lead down to four. It was not until a charge drawn by Werner roused the crowd and sparked the resurgence of the defense that Florida would overcome the attack, scoring 12 straight points to go back up 55-38. The Gators would maintain a double-digit lead through the rest of the game.

Florida takes on the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans on Friday at 8 p.m. in Atlantic City, NJ, as part of the Legends Classic. The game will air on Sun Sports and marks the highest ranked opponent the Gators have faced since the 2006-07 season. The Gators will look for the three-match sweep of the Seminoles when the football team takes them on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in The Swamp.

Tags: Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons, Conor Dwyer, Dan Werner, diving, Erving Walker, Florida State Seminoles, Kenny Boynton, O'Connell Center, Omar Pinzon, Shaune Fraser, swimming

While No. 1 Florida Gators football prepares to close out its regular season against the in-state rival Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, three other UF teams want to set the stage for a week of Gators domination. It begins Tuesday night at 5 p.m., when the swimming & diving teams square off against FSU in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natorium. The day’s events do not stop there as Florida basketball (3-0) takes on Florida State (3-0) immediately after the swimming & diving match-up at 7 p.m.

The 61st meeting between the two teams, Florida leads the all-time series 38-22 though Florida State has won three straight and four of the last five meetings. FSU won 57-55 last year in Tallahassee, FL with now-senior forward Ryan Reid scoring 13 points. Reid now has a chance to become the first Seminoles basketball player in school history to beat the Gators four straight times. “That would be a good thing,” Reid said. “But it’s just another opportunity to play basketball and also get a good win on the road. I’m not really trying to get caught up in beating them four years in row. We’re just going to try to go hard.”

In order to pull out a much needed victory against FSU, Florida must play physical. The Seminoles bring one of the biggest frontcourts in the nation into the O’Dome, led by center Solomon Patton (7’1” 251 lbs.). “They are probably going to be one of the biggest and longest teams we will have played against,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “We have some guys who can hopefully match up. We don’t have anybody the size of those guys or the length of those guys, but neither do most teams in the country so it’s not like we’re drastically undersized playing against them.”

For Florida State, the key will be scoring on the gators defense, which has carried it to three straight wins so far this season. Florida is holding its opponents to just 51.0 points per game and held its first two opponents under 50 points for the first time since the 1949-50 season. The Gators finished 18-2 at home last season and are 72-8 in the House of Horrors over the past five years. This is good for second in the nation behind the Memphis Tigers (77 wins).

The Seminoles return three starters from last year’s team that advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton was named ACC Coach of the Year and has a chance to improve his team to 4-0 on the 2009 season.

Junior forwards Alex Tyus (sprained ankle) and Chandler Parsons (hip flexor) are expected to play Tuesday night, though Donovan said Parsons does have a chance of being held out on a game-time decision. Parsons has been the spark the Gators needed off the bench this season, averaging 14.3 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds.

Tags: ACC, Alex Tyus, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, diving, Florida State Seminoles, NCAA, O'Connell Center, Ryan Reid, Solomon Patton, swimming

Two-time Olympian Ryan Lochte was named Male Athlete of the Year during the 2009 USA Swimming Foundation Golden Goggle Awards on Sunday. Lochte, a former Florida Gators swimmer, had a dominant summer in the pool, setting two world records (200m IM and 800m free relay) while taking home a total of five medals – four gold and one bronze. He was also the National Champion in the 200m and 400m IM.

Lochte’s mantle added another piece later in the evening, as he picked up his second award for his performance on the men’s 400m free relay team with teammates Michael Phelps, Matt Grevers and Nathan Adrian. This team won the gold medal by just 0.31 seconds over Russia and 0.68 seconds over France.

Tags: Matt Grevers, Michael Phelps, Nathan Adrian, Olympics, Ryan Lochte, swimming, USA Swimming Foundation Golden Goggle Awards

1 » Florida Gators basketball (2-0) looks to keep on rolling as they take on the Troy Trojans (2-0) Friday at 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Shooting a combined 3-for-29 (10.3%) from behind the arc, the Gators are bucking a trend head coach Billy Donovan set upon his arrival to Gainesville, FL. Florida has traditionally been among the best in the Southeastern Conference in three-point shooting percentage as Donovan has made it a priority both in his recruiting and game plans. “I think for guys like Kenny [Boynton] and Erving [Walker], it is probably somewhat uncharacteristic,” Donovan said. “They have been shooting the ball well in practice. Chandler [Parsons] and Dan [Werner] are guys that maybe have been a little more up and down in their careers.”

2 » There’s plenty of other Gators sports action on the docket for the weekend. Men’s and women’s swimming & diving begin their participation in all-day weekend tournaments Friday. Women’s basketball (1-1) faces the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0) in Pittsburgh, PA, on Friday, and No. 13/13 volleyball (20-4, 14-3 SEC) heads to Knoxville, TN, to serve against the Tennessee Volunteers (20-7, 13-4 SEC) – both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. Volleyball will then travel to Lexington, KY, to take on the Kentucky Wildcats (26-2, 16-1 SEC) on Sunday at 2 p.m.

3 » Senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes has been named as one of the five finalists for the 25th annual Butkus Award honoring the nation’s top linebacker. Other finalists include Rolando McClain of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Sergia Kindle of the Texas Longhorns, Sean Weatherspoon of the Missouri Tigers and Eric Norwood of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

4 » Redshirt juniors running back Emmanuel Moody (sprained ankle) and defensive tackle Terron Sanders (rib/back) have been ruled out for the Florida International Golden Panthers game on Saturday. According to head coach Urban Meyer, senior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham is “50-50” for the game with an unspecified injury. This is a good week to rest any banged up players prior to the regular season finale against the Florida State Seminoles next weekend.

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brandon Spikes, Butkus Award, Chandler Parsons, Dan Werner, diving, Emmanuel Moody, Erving Walker, Florida International Golden Panthers, Florida State Seminoles, Jermaine Cunningham, Kenny Boynton, Kentucky Wildcats, O'Connell Center, Pittsburgh Panthers, SEC, swimming, Tennessee Volunteers, Terron Sanders, Troy Trojans, Urban Meyer, volleyball, women's basketball

1 » Florida Gators student-athletes get plenty of respect but not much is ever written about their parents who, in some cases, are truly amazing people in their own right. Sure, some are ex-football or basketball stars, but there are others like right tackle redshirt junior Marcus Gilbert’s father Jeff who is a Secret Service agent for President Barack Obama. One of these such parents is freshman left tackle Xavier Nixon’s mother Fotini, a United States soldier in training to acquire the rank of E-9. After learning her son was earning his first start in the Orange and Blue, Fotini cried. But it was Xavier who had reason to be emotional just a few weeks prior when he heard about the shootings at Fort Hood, where his mother is stationed as she trains in the Sergeant Major Academy. “Thank God she was safe,” he said.

2 » Redshirt sophomore Rebecca Lowe was named South Regional Female Athlete of the Year while head coach Todd Morgan was named South Regional Women’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association on Wednesday. Lowe, a standout for the No. 5 Gators, won the 2009 NCAA South Region Championship and 2009 Southeastern Conference individual title this season, leading the third-ranked Florida team to their third regional title in the program’s history. She was also named the 2009 SEC Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year last week. She will try to continue her hot streak as the Gators compete in the NCAA Championships on Monday, Nov. 23, in Terre Haute, IN.

News on Reggie Nelson, baseball, softball, swimming and diving after the jump…
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Nixon’s mom at Fort Hood, Lowe & Morgan honored, Nelson struggling, new commits

Tags: Alana Pezevic, Alicia Mathieu, All-Rookie Team, Barack Obama, baseball, cross country, diving, Elizabeth Beisel, Hannah Rodgers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacob Tillotson, Julia Treible, Kaitlin Frehling, Marcus Gilbert, NCAA Championships, NFL, Rebecca Lowe, Reggie Nelson, SEC, softball, Stephen Lichtner, swimming, Todd Morgan, track & field, Trish Regan, Xavier Nixon

Now 17, Elizabeth Beisel has already competed in one Olympic Games – 2008 in Beijing, China. She finished in fourth in the 200-meter individual medley and fifth in the 200-meter backstroke. While she trains hard and attempts to earn her way back to the 2012 Games in London, England, Beisel has decided to attend the University of Florida in the fall.

A native of Rhode Island, Beisel informed Florida Gators swimming and diving coach Gregg Troy last Saturday that she would be wearing the Orange & Blue in the coming school year. Most recently, she won two individual titles at the U.S. National Swimming Championships in June and a bronze medal in the 200-yard backstroke in August at the World Championships in Rome, Italy.

In other Gators swimming news… All-American Shaune Fraser was named the National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week for the second time so far this season. Fraser helped Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) win its third dual meet of the 2009-10 season (defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 139-104), earning first place individually in both the 200 fly and 200 IM, while contributing to the UF 400-yard medley relay with his butterfly stroke.

Tags: Elizabeth Beisel, Georgia Bulldogs, Olympics, Shaune Fraser, swimming, University of Florida

1 » Volleyball (16-3, 10-2 SEC) continues to roll through the SEC as the No. 10/11 Florida Gators swept the Ole Miss Rebels (8-14, 2-10 SEC) in straight sets (25-18, 25-13, 25-16) on Sunday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy continues her stellar play and recorded a match-high 14 kills. Florida goes on the road to Tuscaloosa, AL, to square off against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m.

2 » The No. 12 Florida soccer team (13-4-2, 7-1-2 SEC) defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-6-4, 2-6-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon on the road at Razorback Field by a 1-0 margin. The victory puts Florida in first place in the conference heading into its final match of the regular season Friday, Oct. 30 against No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks.

3 » The Gators women’s swimming and diving team won the 2009 SMU Classic in Dallas, TX, on Saturday, finishing in first-place with 353 points ahead of the Louisville Cardinals, Wisconsin Badgers, Southern Methodist Perunas, Florida State Seminoles and Rice Owls. The rest of the team that did not compete in that event were also victorious on the weekend, taking down both Arkansas and the Kansas Jayhawks in double-dual on the road in Fayetteville, AK.

Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Soccer rolls; Volleyball wins; Swimming dominates; Tennis in finals

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Arkansas Razorbacks, Connor Smith, diving, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, Kansas Jayhawks, Kelly Murphy, Laura Vallverdu, Lauren McCreless, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, O'Connell Center, Ole Miss Rebels, Rice Owls, SEC, SMU Classic, soccer, South Carolina Gamecocks, Southern Methodist, swimming, tennis, University of Florida, Vahid Mirzadeh, volleyball, Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championship, Wisconsin Badgers, Yale University