FOUR BITS: Schintzius, Demps, Walker, Addazio

By Adam Silverstein
February 17, 2010

1 » Former Florida Gators All-American center and NBA first-round draft pick Dwayne Schintzius is in the middle of an extensive battle with leukemia. Schintzius, 41, is the Gators’ fifth all-time leading scorer (1,624 points); the team’s career blocks leader; the only player in SEC history with more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 blocks; and a nine-year NBA veteran who was drafted No. 24 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 1990. He received a bone marrow transplant on Jan. 12 from his brother Travis, and his family prays each day that his condition will improve. You can read more about his past career and present condition here and here.

2 » Florida sophomore running back Jeff Demps, a freshman as a track and field sprinter, was awarded his second SEC Male Freshman of the Week award by the conference on Tuesday. Demps, who won the men’s 60-meter dash at the Tyson Invitational last week, set a NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 6.59, tying teammate Terrell Wilks for the school record. His time in the 60 is the fastest in the nation so far this season and ranks 15th in the world.

Two more BITS on Erving Walker and Steve Addazio after the jump!

3 » Anyone who has been watching Gators basketball lately can certainly tell that the team (especially sophomore point guard Erving Walker) appears to have lost steam down the stretch. Playing the most minutes per game at any level of basketball in his life, Walker claims fatigue is no reason for his sudden struggles. “I’m fine,” Walker told The Gainesville Sun’s Kevin Brockway. “I’m a kid. I’ve just got to play. We just have to play and be ready to go. [Playing so much] is new to me, but so far, it’s going pretty good. We’ve stumbled the last two games. We just have to pick it back up.” After a terrific January, Walker has been the prime target for opposing defenses who have stifled him with tough pressure defense.

4 » As OGGOA wrote about yesterday, interim head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio had quite an impression on recruits who visited for Florida’s first Junior Day of the 2011 recruiting cycle. Quarterback Jeff Driskel (Oviedo, FL), considered to be near the top of the Gators’ board, was just one of almost 50 student-athletes who caught a glimpse of the coaching staff sans head coach Urban Meyer. “Coach Addazio was real impressive,” Driskel told Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel. “I spoke with him and heard him speak at the junior day and he’s a big motivator. He’s handled the Coach Meyer situation very well. Even at first, when Coach Meyer was out sick and all of that, they still got the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and that’s a lot on Coach Addazio.”

Photo Credit: Jim Burgess

3 Comments

  1. Mr2Bits says:

    Godspeed and prayers to Dwayne Schintzius. Leukemia is a nasty nasty disease. Actually doing a fund raiser to help fight this in children over the next month. If anyone wants to donate, all donations are tax deductible and go straight to a good cause. I wont post the link unless Adam ok’s it but anything helps.

  2. Go ahead. It just doesn’t hyperlink in the comments section, so people will have to copy/paste.

  3. Mr2Bits says:

    Thanks Adam.

    Here is the page, if you wish to donate please cope and paste the link below and click the Donate button. Follow the on screen instructions and save the receipt for your deduction. You can also browse what St. Baldricks does every year.

    https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/361107

    Like I said, as little as $5 help. If you live in the Tampa area and want to join the actual head shaving even, please do as the more the merrier.

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