SEC Tournament Preview: Gator Time In Cat-lanta?

by | Mar 12, 2014 | Gator Basketball, Road to North Texas

If you’d have laughed if someone told you in November that only one SEC basketball program would show up to this week’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta ranked, you’d be forgiven. If you’d have laughed harder if someone also told you that team would be Billy Donovan’s suspension and injury-plagued Florida, and that not only would they be the only ranked team, they’d be unbeaten in league play and number one in the country, you’d simply be sane. After all, this was supposed to be the final stopping point for Kentucky’s heralded-is-far-too-gentle-a-word freshmen class on their way to 40-0: the SEC Tournament in what is usually nicknamed Cat-lanta for five days in March on their way to a second national championship in three seasons under John Calipari. What a difference playing the actual games makes.

Instead, while downtown and the Buckhead watering holes may still resemble a traditional SEC Tournament incarnation of Cat-lanta; the SEC Tournament will be the final SEC run for Florida’s “Tens”, the late-to-the-party but nonetheless immortals who just capped off the first 18 game undefeated regular season in SEC history, and will now seek the SEC Tournament championship that has eluded them since they stepped on campus.  And those 40-0 shirts legions of the UK faithful boldly wore to Midnight Madness? It’s hard to imagine you won’t see a few of them in Atlanta this week, but only as a cruel, sardonic reminder to Big Blue Nation of what was supposed to be. All great tragedy born out of hubris and all that.

And what of the basketball that will be played? Is the SEC really as bad as folks make out- or is the quality in the league somewhere north of miserable, with at least two or three teams peaking at the right time?

Hard to say. What is true is that the SEC is always more interesting when Kentucky is right—and make no mistake- Kentucky is not right. Kentucky fans will travel well because, well, they always travel well, but as a whole they lack any delusions of grandeur in Atlanta, and have accepted this team for what it is—an immensely talented sum of parts that constitute a lacking whole, and are, above all, a reflection of a frustrated coach.

Looking beyond Big Blue Nation, the SEC Tournament has tremendous implications for at least three participants: Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee. Each of these teams has to arrive in Atlanta thinking that they’ll need to win at least one game (Frank Haith’s club probably needs two) to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Two of those teams, the maligned Cuonzo Martin and his Volunteers and Arkansas, enter the conference tournament playing their best basketball (the thinking here being Trevor Relaford and Alabama’s thumping of Arkansas on Senior day in Tuscaloosa being a one-off in a strong Hogs run to March). One, Missouri, has struggled down the stretch but done just enough to hold onto hope that they can find the right side of the bubble if they win a game or two and things elsewhere don’t fall apart.

The plight of these three teams gives the tournament some intrigue despite the struggles of Kentucky, and that’s without analyzing what the tournament means to Florida, who can without question secure the # 1 Overall Seed in the NCAA Tournament by winning three games this week. It comes as no shock that the Gators are prohibitive favorites to capture the tournament title, and their accomplishments on the year have been well-reported and analyzed on this website. But it bears repeating that heavy favorites don’t always win the SEC Tournament  (or other conference tournaments.) In 1996, Kentucky won the national championship but failed to win the conference tournament, falling to Mississippi State in the tournament final. Kentucky’s defeat to the streaking John Jenkins and Vanderbilt in the 2012 SEC Tournament final is another example- and yes, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and company won the national title that season, too. So the “prohibitive favorite” doesn’t always win. And in order for this Florida team to continue to make history, UF would have to, in all likelihood, defeat at least one opponent for the third time  to capture the crown- always a difficult proposition.

Can Florida make (more) history? Will the bubble teams prove their mettle? Is it too late for Kentucky to turn this thing around? The stage is set for a fair amount of drama in Atlanta, and pretty decent basketball too. To further break the tournament down- I’ve reviewed each team in seeding order.

(14) Mississippi State 13-18 (3-15 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 242 (Offense – 294, Defense- 146)

Best Win: January 11 vs. Ole Miss, 76-72.

Worst Loss: Normally, you’d say the loss at Utah State but the winner is March 5th at Georgia, where they didn’t compete and were routed by 21 points.

Best Player: Sophomore guard Craig Sword, who leads the team in scoring despite shooting a woeful 21 percent from three point range.

Path to the Postseason: Win the tournament. The Bulldogs will see sunnier days on both the baseball diamond this spring and the gridiron next fall, with Tebow-lite leading Dan Mullen’s offense, but they can’t even get to the NIT with a good showing in Atlanta. It is win or season over.

Best Case: Quarterfinals. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they could upset Vanderbilt Wednesday night and beat Ole Miss a second time on Thursday evening, but even the most optimistic Bulldog fan has to know that’s about it for a team that has dropped its last thirteen contests and hasn’t recorded consecutive victories since January.

Prediction: One and done. The Bulldogs play hard but fall short against Kevin Stallings’ group Wednesday and fans turn their full-focus to baseball and spring football.

(13) South Carolina 12-19 (5-13 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 135 (Offense- 156, Defense – 119)

Best Win: March 1st vs. Kentucky, 72-67.

Worst Loss: Since we know Steve Spurrier cares about state championships these days, we’ll go with…December 19th to USC Upstate, meaning the Gamecocks, head-to-head, were the third best team in their state (they also lost to Clemson).

Best Player: Kissimmee native Brenton Williams, who can shoot the lights out. Williams enters the tournament having scored 20+ in three of five games, including a 24 point night against Kentucky in the upset victory a week and a half ago.

Path to the Postseason: Win the tournament. Frank Martin will get it turned around in Columbia, that much I’m confident of. But attrition, both via transfer and injury, and, in the odd case of Bruce Ellington, via departure for the NFL, have made progress painstakingly slow in year two.

Best Case: Quarterfinals. Carolina lost both regular season contests against Auburn, who they’ll play in round one, and they simply struggle to score the ball too much to threaten past Friday. Should they slip by Auburn Wednesday in the tournament opener, they could meet a desperate (and therefore tight) Arkansas squad who they were competitive against in Fayetteville earlier in the year. That could mean a nice run to the quarterfinals, where the red-hot Volunteers would await.

Prediction: One and done. Third loss on season to Auburn Wednesday night… but seriously, the Gamecocks are in good hands with Dylan Thompson at the helm, right?

(12) Auburn 14-15 (6-12 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 126 (Offense – 82, Defense – 203)

Best Win: 66-64 over Clemson on December 19th, though their finest game, save sixty seconds, was pushing Florida to the limit in the O’Connell Center last month before self-inflicted wounds cost them the game.

Worst Loss: There’s no excuse, even if only 121 people are watching, for losing by 28 on your home floor on Senior Day, so we’re going 82-54 to Tennessee last week.

Best Player: In this case—players—Junior guard KT Harrell is among the SEC leaders in both scoring and three point percentage, and you can’t really face-guard or run/jump ball guard him either because Senior Chris Denson runs the point effectively and can beat you on the bounce. This is probably one of the best 1-2 guard combinations in the league and they have kept Auburn in nearly every game they’ve played.

Path to the Postseason: Win the Tournament. It is true that theoretically the Tigers could land a NIT bid with two wins here, but they are unlikely to receive such an invitation with a .333 conference record. Tony Barbee needs to win this tournament to save his job, and it is the only way his Auburn team keeps playing after Atlanta.

Best Case: Second Round. One of the only games Auburn wasn’t competitive in this year was a 19 point loss to Arkansas. It’s an atrocious matchup for a team that lacks size and doesn’t defend well. Hard to see a way to the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Second Round. Tony Barbee’s club rides their guards to the second round, then falls to a desperate Razorbacks team. Barbee is fired the following day, and the Bruce Pearl and Rick Stansbury (a better fit, IMO) overtures begin in earnest.

(11) Vanderbilt 15-15 (7-11 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 104 (Offense- 212, Defense- 47)

Best Win: The season opening victory over Georgia State may look impressive come next week, when the Panthers play in the Big Dance and scare somebody silly. The real answer, however, is the win at Georgia on January 29th, part of a four game winning streak that saw Kevin Stallings’ undermanned team perform at their highest level of the year.

Worst Loss: There really isn’t anything particularly egregious—Kevin Stallings’ teams historically beat who they should beat, but the loss at South Carolina in an empty gym the day after the first of the two big southern snowstorms is one Stallings’ team would love to have back.

Best Player: The Kevin Stallings “School of Mismatches” usually features a stretch four that is devastating when he’s hitting jump shots and this year is no different. Senior Forward Rod Odom has shot a career best 38.5 percent from the arc, and when Vanderbilt has pushed better teams, he’s had a hand in things. A closer look at the splits, however, shows Odom slumping down the stretch, shooting around 30 percent. Vanderbilt is suffering for it, having lost 5 of 6 since mid-February.

Path to the Postseason: Win the Tournament. It should be noted, however, that if Vanderbilt can win two games here, the ‘Dores are an attractive NIT team because of their perennially strong crowd support, but even that is a long shot because at 17-16 they’d be unlikely to host a game, and they aren’t a big television ratings draw.

 

Best Case: Semifinals. The Commodores aren’t built to play consecutive games, and at some point, the fact that Stallings’ team only has seven scholarship players will cost them. BUT… Kevin Stallings is a fairly successful coach in the SEC tournament, and his team has already beaten Georgia, a potential quarterfinal opponent, in Athens. Ole Miss will have to win a third consecutive game against Vandy to knock them out in the second round, should the ‘Dores defeat Mississippi State tomorrow night.

Prediction: Second Round. Marshall Henderson’d a third time in the second round, capping a .500 season where you could argue Stallings’ club overachieved, given the injuries and attrition that crushed the season before it began.

(10) Alabama 13-18 (7-11 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 90 (Offense- 134, Defense- 69)

Best Win: The Tide played the nation’s toughest schedule per Ken Pom and 2nd best per RPI. The brutal out-of-conference slate torpedoed what was billed as a promising campaign, as they Tide dropped close game after close game. The last game they played, March 8th against Arkansas, was easily their best win, as they dumped the bubble-riding Hogs by 25.

Worst Loss: 85-83 in triple overtime to Drexel. When you play Duke, Wichita State, Xavier and UCLA in the non-conference, you simply cannot lose a home game to Drexel.

Best Player: Trevor Relaford, by some distance. Alabama would not have ten wins without Relaford, who is the heartbeat, and realistically, only offensive weapon, the Tide have.

Path to the Postseason: Win the tournament. Plain and simple.

Best Case:  Alabama wins the tournament. Sure, it took a tornado, but Georgia won a SEC Tournament it entered with a losing record in 2008. That crazy weekend was the subject of an ESPN documentary, but the main reason UGA won? Great guard play. Relaford is indeed that good, and if he gets hot- look out. The win over Arkansas last week has to give the Tide some confidence too. Plus- the Tide used to own the SEC Tournament—no really—as this nice feature on Wimp Sanderson winning five rings in a decade by Kevin Scarbinsky at Al.com points out. Point? This is a proud program and an embattled coach with a great senior leader playing his last games. They’ll be a tough out.

Prediction: Quarterfinals. Alabama upsets LSU Thursday night and scares Kentucky and its blue legion of fans to death Friday evening, but falls just short. Anthony Grant is given one more year to fix it in Tuscaloosa.

(9) Texas A & M 17-14 (8-10 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 129 (Offense- 261, Defense, 46)

Best Win: Two wins over Tennessee, the first in Knoxville in January and the second three weeks ago at home in overtime. They also hammered Arkansas in College Station to open conference play.

Worst Loss: A twenty point—not a misprint- loss to a BAD North Texas team that finished 11th in Conference USA on New Year’s Eve. Maybe the players were more focused on the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and Duke…

Best Player: Lengthy mismatch off-guard Jamal Jones is really the only way a woeful offensive team scores points, especially after the midseason dismissal of guard J-Mychal Reese for team rules violations. When Jones plays well, the Aggies are almost competent enough offensively to be decent. The bad news? Jones is ill and may miss the opener Thursday against Missouri.

Path to the Postseason: Outside shot at NIT bid regardless. Only path to NCAA bid is to win conference tournament. In truth, it would be surprising if A & M were rewarded for feeding on cupcakes in the non-conference with a bid to the NIT, especially with the list of deserving mid-majors who failed to win their conference tournaments growing—see, Belmont, Iona, Vermont, etc.

Best Case: Quarterfinals. Alex Caruso nearly led a Jamal Jones-less Aggies club past Missouri a week and a half ago in Columbia, which has to give Billy Kennedy hope they can survive Thursday afternoon. The problem, of course, is the Florida Gators await in the quarterfinals, and even if you do what Billy Donovan would want his players to do, and forget about Florida’s thirty point win February 1st in Gainesville—this is just not an Aggies team built to beat Florida. To beat Florida, you have to hit shots. The Aggies can’t.

Prediction: Second Round. Without Jamal Jones, it is tough to see Frank Haith and Missouri dropping a must-win game against A & M, especially after the Aggies scared them to death less than two weeks ago.

(8) Missouri 21-10 (9-9 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 71 (Offense- 30, Defense- 153)

Best Win: Handling uber-talented UCLA at home on December 7th. In conference, they beat Tennessee (also at home), in February, but probably most critically for their tournament resume, they went to Fayetteville and beat the Hogs 75-71. Arkansas loses at home about as often as Alabama football, and the committee loves road wins, so that’s probably the best one.

Worst Loss: The home loss to Georgia on January 8th stings, but the last game they played, a 27 point loss at Tennessee, has to be the winner because of how much was on the line.

Best Player: Junior guard Jabari Brown, and again, it isn’t all that close. Yes, Brown’s classmate Jordan Clarkson can also score the ball and is probably a higher-end NBA prospect, but Brown has more polish now. He’s a more than capable driver and passer in addition to being a fine three point shooter, and it’s no coincidence he’s scored well into double figures in every critical game Missouri has won. Shut him down, and you’ll shut the Tigers down.

Path to the Postseason: NIT berth is comfortable. Win a game and go dancing? This depends on which Bracketologist you consult. Sports Illustrated thinks one win will get them in- logic presumably being that they are 3-1 against fellow SEC bubble teams Arkansas and Tennessee, and beat the Hogs away from home.) Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm (ESPN and CBS) aren’t buying that—they think the committee is more interested in how you’re trending recently- and the Tigers have clearly been the worst of those three squads lately. One thing is certain: if Missouri upsets Florida in the quarterfinals, they’re in.

Best Case: Semifinals. All you need to know about Missouri is that the way they can score the basketball, they can absolutely upset Florida in the quarterfinals and secure an at-large NCAA tournament bid. What they can’t do—or at least haven’t to date—is defeat two quality basketball teams in succession away from home. No reason to think that starts in Atlanta.

Prediction: Quarterfinals, then wait and hope. Florida likely defends too well and has too many advantages inside to lose to Missouri in the quarterfinals. This means a long Selection Sunday for Frank Haith and his club.

(7) LSU Tigers 18-12 (9-9 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 69 (Offense- 92, Defense – 68)

Best Win: January 28th over Kentucky at home, 87-82, a game the Tigers led wire-to-wire. They followed that up with a decisive win over Arkansas. The only notable non-conference win was a victory over NCAA Tournament hopeful St. Joseph’s, but that was all the way back in November.

Worst Loss: Hands down a 74-70 loss to Atlantic Ten cellar-dweller Rhode Island, at home, just prior to conference play. That’s the loss that has them well off the bubble.

Best Player: Freshmen forward Jordan Mickey, an All-SEC defensive team selection and the runner-up for SEC freshmen of the year is why LSU has improved dramatically on the defensive end in year two under Johnny Jones. Mickey is also shooting above 53 percent on offense, and is less prone to constant foul trouble than his teammate and fellow McDonald’s All-American, Johnny O’Bryant III.

Path to the Postseason: NIT Bound unless they win the conference tournament. Kentucky is at least partly to blame for this—if it was not a slumping UK—LSU could potentially play their way back onto the bubble and into the tournament with a couple wins. Unfortunately, a UK win right now isn’t great currency, and an Ole Miss or Georgia win, also possible on their side of the bracket, won’t help much either. That means they’d have to get to the final, where of course it’s win and in.

Best Case: Championship Game. From a talent standpoint, this is probably the third best team in the league. The Tigers have proven, in two exciting games, they can play with Kentucky, so if they survive a tough game with Alabama Thursday, there will be drama Friday night. Should they reach a semifinal, they’d see either Georgia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt or Mississippi State—and they’d have more than a puncher’s chance in any of those matchups. The biggest problem for LSU has been consistency: they haven’t won three games in a row in conference play all year—and that’s unlikely to begin in Atlanta.

Prediction: Second Round. Trevor Relaford is a senior, and I’m expecting a competitor to grind out one last big win over a team doubtlessly needs it more. A short trip to Atlanta for LSU.

(6) Ole Miss Rebels 18-13 (9-9 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 95 (Offense- 80, Defense- 97)

Best Win: Two home wins: January 15th in overtime over LSU and February 8th over Missouri, are all there really is to see here. People made fun of Ole Miss and it’s out of conference slate before conference play started- but a closer look reveals multiple opportunities to be in the bubble discussion right now: Kansas State, Oregon and Dayton were all resume-builders. The Rebels lost all of them close.

Worst Loss: The conference opener, a 76-72 loss at Miss State, was and remains absolutely devastating.

Best Player: Jarvis Summers, and this is both the Rebels problem and solution. Marshall Henderson gets all the publicity but he’s a mediocre (at best) defender and a volume shooter. That’s fine on a team like last year’s SEC Tournament champion, where you have skilled bigs who command double teams and can pass the ball. It’s a disaster on this team, where you have unskilled bigs who don’t command help defense and can’t pass. That means Summers has to be involved for the Rebels to win games. Summers has a complete game and is a tenacious on-ball defender, but he’s too often lost in the Marshall show and disappears out of deference too often in games. This will cost Ole Miss in Atlanta because it has all season.

Path to the Postseason: Win the Tournament for the Big Dance, host a NIT first round game otherwise. There is just no resume to speak of for the Rebels to think they’re a serious at-large contender, even with three wins in Atlanta.

Best Case: Semifinals. Marshall hits shots and the Rebels handle both their second round opponent and Georgia in the quarterfinals before bowing out to Kentucky in the semis because they just aren’t physically gifted enough near the basket to handle Kentucky on the glass.

Prediction: Quarterfinals. Henderson and company are good enough to defeat Vanderbilt and its limited bench on short rest in the second round, but not nearly good enough to beat a well-coached, defensively stout Georgia in the quarterfinals.

(5) Arkansas 21-10 (10-8 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 55 (Offense—81, Defense—58)

Best Win: February 27th at Rupp in overtime, completing a season sweep of the Wildcats.

Worst Loss: Last game they played, a 25 point blowout defeat at Alabama.

Best Player: There’s an argument for three players but we lean towards Freshmen McDonald’s All-American Bobby Portis. Portis has been instrumental in both victories over Kentucky and leads the team in rebounding and field-goal percentage, while standing second in scoring. When he’s effective, he opens things up for guards Rashad Madden and small forward Coty Clarke, who can light it up on the perimeter.

Path to the Postseason: Win two games and go dancing for certain. Otherwise, sweat it out on Sunday. Again, a mixed set of reviews depending on the Bracketologist. Jerry Palm and Joe Lunardi have the Hogs in, headed to Dayton for the First Four. Sports Illustrated is among the publications that have them in the dreaded “first four out” category. The resume is good enough in this regard: Arkansas has a win over fellow bubble team in Minnesota, and three wins over locks: Kentucky (2), SMU. What they lack is a win over fellow SEC candidates Missouri and Tennessee (0-3. How much that hurts them is hard to say, but they can make it easy on themselves by handling business in Atlanta. A NIT berth is assured—but the Hogs aren’t likely to care about that much.

Best Case:Win the Tournament. Arkansas has already beaten Kentucky twice and Georgia, the higher seeds on the other side of the bracket. That means they need to handle the second round game and then beat Tennessee and (likely) Florida in the semis for a play-in game in the finals. They have the depth, and to some extent, the talent, to pull that off.

Prediction: Quarterfinals. The Hogs should handle business against Auburn or South Carolina in the second round but will find the sledding much more difficult in the quarterfinals, where a red-hot Tennessee awaits.

(4) Tennessee 20-11 (11-7 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 13 (Offense—17, Defense—28 and climbing)

Best Win: On December 30th they manhandled the eventual ACC Champion Virginia Cavaliers 87-52, then went all Sasquatch for a couple of months. That win is their “Get of Jail Free Card” with the Selection committee, or so they hope.

Worst Loss: Two losses to Texas A & M, and a 78-70 loss to a decent UTEP team that isn’t even on the bubble. The UTEP loss could sting Sunday if Atlanta goes poorly.

Best Player: The Volunteers are an extremely talented group, but the reason they’ve passed any NCAA “eyeball test” the last month has been Jarnell Stokes. Stokes has three double-doubles in his last five games, and in one of the games he didn’t get a double-double, he did his best Joakim Noah “point center” impression with 20, 7 and 7 at Auburn. ESPN SEC analyst Jimmy Dykes says he’s the best “offensive rebounder in college basketball”, and that’s scary, considering senior Jeronne Maymon is also in the top five in the SEC in rebounds.

Path to the Postseason: Win one game and go to the NCAA Tournament. Lose immediately and go to the NIT. Trend continues with the Vols on the SEC Bubble teams—it depends on who you ask. SI thinks the Vols are currently on the outside looking in, but Jerry Palm has them in the field. Joe Lunardi has them in Dayton, but in the field. The funny thing? The Vols earned the bye—but should they face Arkansas and lose—they’d probably be in more significant trouble—especially if things start breaking oddly in other conference tournaments (inevitable) and teams steal bids. To get in, I think Tennessee must win its quarterfinal game. And yes, I think Cuonzo Matin’s job depends on it, even if the Bruce Pearl petition is about as likely to happen as #JT2UF was….

Best Case: Win the Tournament. Tennessee is dismantling teams right now, and March is when you want to do that. Cuonzo Martin says that’s because the Vols have “bought in defensively” and because “Antonio Barton is playing at a high level.” Mostly, it is the latter because the Vols lost grinders when they defended well early in the year—the big difference now is they are super-efficient offensively, and that’s just the type of team you need to be to defeat Florida, who would likely await in the semifinals.

Prediction: SEC Tournament Champions. Yes, I know what this means. The comments, as always, are yours.

(3) Georgia Bulldogs 18-12 (12-6 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 72 (Offense—110, Defense – 60)

Best Win: Clobbered Missouri 71-56 in Athens in a game that wasn’t that close. Won in Baton Rouge last Saturday 69-61.

Worst Loss: There’s a neutral site loss to Davidson in here and a home loss to Georgia Tech and if you remove those games, this is probably a bubble team. The midseason loss at Auburn stings too, if only because that’s the only conference game UGA lost they probably should not have. Mark Fox did a tremendous job with this team.

Best Player: For the season, it has been sophomore guard Charles Mann, an oversized guard who can rebound, get to the rim and draws a ton of fouls. He’s been a matchup problem for most everyone UGA has played. Of late, however, the best player has been guard Kenny Gaines, who has scored more than 20 points three times in the last five games and is finally giving UGA an offensive threat that keeps defenses just honest enough on Mann and pick and pop four Nemanja Djurisic, who would lead the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (.478%) were he eligible (67 attempts).

Path to the Postseason: Win the SEC Tournament for the Big Dance. The NIT (and a relatively high seed, I’d think) await if the Bulldogs don’t make noise in Atlanta. Georgia will likely be happy regardless, as Mark Fox and his players deserve to keep playing basketball after this weekend.

Best Case: Final. It is difficult to see UGA winning three games in a row if only because two will likely be against vastly superior talent. That’s a tall order, even for a team that overachieved all year. Georgia defends well enough to play with anyone in the field—but they tend to struggle scoring the ball for at least one extended dry spell a game—a flaw that can spell doom on short rest.

Prediction: Semifinals. Georgia defeats Ole Miss in the quarterfinals before bowing out to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.

(2) Kentucky Wildcats

Ken Pom Ranking: 24 (Offense—28, Defense—43)

Best Win: December 28th over defending national champion Louisville at home; February 1st at Missouri.

Worst Loss: March 1st at South Carolina, prompting this rather Bianchi-esque article from Pat Forde at Yahoo Sports…

Best Player: SEC Freshmen of the Year Julius Randle, who is the biggest talent on the floor in every game he has played this year and the best player on the floor in most games he has played this year. Here’s the rub: Randle hasn’t developed the jump shot to stretch defenses he hoped to develop when he got to Lexington, and that’s been a big issue, because it means Kentucky is left with two dribble-drive guards in the Harrison twins, a post-only/preferred scorer in Julius Randle, and one legitimate threat from the outside in James Young,  who at .336% outside doesn’t particularly frighten you. This makes Kentucky predictable on offense—so, if you can stop the dribble-drive stuff and make them take jump shots (still a reasonably large “if”)—you can defeat Kentucky.

Path to the Postseason: Kentucky is in the NCAA Tournament. The SEC Tournament is about where geographically they play and where they are seeded. For that reason, and for confidence, it is critical.

Best Case: Win the Tournament. It is very unlikely this will happen but the team has seven to eight NBA players. It’s foolish journalism to suggest they can’t win the thing, especially with the traditional Cat-lanta advantage.

Prediction: Final. Tennessee is playing the best basketball of anyone in the SEC outside of Gainesville right now. The Cats will be relieved not to see Florida again but won’t hit enough jump shots on a neutral floor to beat the Vols a second time in the tournament final.

# 1 FLORIDA 29-2 (18-0 SEC)

Ken Pom Ranking: 3 (Offense—9, Defense—9)

Best Win: There are so many…Kansas, December 10th. Why Kansas, you ask? Well- think about this when people ask you “How good are the Gators, really?” in the next week or so. Florida went on a 21-0 run against Kansas. The same Kansas that is likely to earn a 1 or 2 seed. The same Kansas that won the Big XII for the leventy-billionth year in a row. That’s how good Florida is. See also, wins over: Kentucky (at Rupp, home); Missouri, at Arkansas, Tennessee (at Thompson-Bolling, home), Memphis, etc.

Worst Loss: Uhm… Connecticut, I guess, because they lost on a “fluky” buzzer-beater by a probable All-American without the best perimeter defender in college basketball on the floor due to an ankle injury and with his backup hurt.

Best Player: Scottie Wilbekin, who is more “most important” player than “best player.”. Without Wilbekin, best case: Kasey Hill is an improving starting point guard for a team that may or may not get a 4 seed and be geographically protected in Orlando and could possibly get a three with a nice SEC tournament. With Wilbekin, best case: Florida wins its third national championship in eight years.

Path to Postseason: Florida is a # 1 Seed regardless of what happens in Atlanta. They are likely the overall # 1 seed so long as they advance to the semifinal.

Best Case: Champion. Florida caps off an undefeated regular season in the SEC with the fourth SEC Tournament championship in school history.

Prediction: Semifinals. Florida is upset by streaking Tennessee in the semifinals. If you hate that prediction, consider this: the SEC has won five national basketball championships since 1994. Three of those national champions failed to win the SEC Tournament: Arkansas 1994, Kentucky 2012, Kentucky 1996. You can figure out which SEC national champion did not fail to win the conference tournament… Take from that what you will.

Comments welcome.

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Florida Gators hire Billy Napier as head football coach

Florida Gators hire Billy Napier as head football coach

(Photo credit: Chuck Cook, AP) The Florida Gators have a new head football coach, and his name is Billy Napier. Multiple sources say that Florida fired Dan Mullen with direct and specific intentions of hiring Billy Napier. Florida did have backup options in place, but...

It’s over: Dan Mullen is out as Florida’s head coach

It’s over: Dan Mullen is out as Florida’s head coach

Eighteen hours after an overtime loss to Missouri, the Dan Mullen era at Florida is officially over, according to multiple sources and corroborated by numerous additional reports. The firing is effective immediately. Greg Knox will serve as the interim head coach for...

An Open Letter To Dan Mullen: This Is Your Last Shot

An Open Letter To Dan Mullen: This Is Your Last Shot

Dear Dan Mullen, It's crazy how fast time can fly and how quickly things can change. You were the guy who called the offensive plays for two of the three national championships the Gator football team has ever won. You were the guy who developed Tim Tebow into a...

It’s time for the Florida Gators to fire Dan Mullen

It’s time for the Florida Gators to fire Dan Mullen

UPDATE: Florida has now parted ways with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy. This goes against over a decade of data that suggested that Dan Mullen would never do so. Does it change things? Kind of, but not really; Mullen still...

Dear Dan Mullen: Show Me

Dear Dan Mullen: Show Me

The Florida Gators are set to do battle with archrival Georgia once again, but the script to this year's Cocktail Party seems eerily familiar. And the onus is on Dan Mullen to deviate from that script. Remember? Four years ago, speculation was swirling about the job...

Four star WR Jayden Gibson commits to Florida

Four star WR Jayden Gibson commits to Florida

Dan Mullen and the Gators have just picked up a commitment from wide receiver Jayden Gibson, a consensus four star wide receiver from West Orange, FL. And thus, the Gators' 2022 recruiting class is really starting to come along. Gibson announced his decision on CBS...

Gameday Tidbits: Florida Gators vs. Vanderbilt

Gameday Tidbits: Florida Gators vs. Vanderbilt

The Florida Gators, who are coming off a heartbreaking 13-20 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats need to bounce back this weekend in the Swamp.  Quite frankly, it should be very difficult for Florida to not bounce back against a very bad Vanderbilt football team. To put...

2022 DT Jamari Lyons commits to Florida

2022 DT Jamari Lyons commits to Florida

Florida's 2022 recruiting class got off to a fairly slow start, but has picked up some steam tonight with the addition of four star defensive tackle Jamari Lyons. Lyons, out of Melbourne and Viera High School, chose the Gators over South Carolina, Indiana, and...

Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

Tonight, the Florida Gators face the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. This will be Florida’s first true road test of the season in what should be an incredibly hostile environment.  The Gators look to continue to roll through the SEC East as they take on division foe,...

Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

  We are now just a few days from Emory Jones’ first true road test as a starting quarterback. And though the concept is fairly obvious to some, it's not to others, so it's worth diving into in more depth: he deserves respect for how far he’s come from the...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Tonight, the Florida Gators face the Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime showdown in the Swamp. This time, the Gators look to bounce back from a narrow defeat by the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Though Tennessee is not the Tennessee of Old, we still expect this to be an...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Finally, the day has come! Today the #11 Florida Gators will battle the #1 Alabama Crimson tide in a matchup of epic proportions. Florida fans circled this game in anticipation since the announcement came that Alabama would once again return to the Swamp. This is a...

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

Florida's defense took a hit last Saturday when linebacker Ventrell Miller suffered an unknown injury in the Gators' 42-20 win over South Florida. That injury was subsequently deemed to be an elbow injury, but the exact nature- and the exact severity- of the injury...

Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Gameday is once again upon us! This time, the Florida Gators will face the South Florida Bulls in a quasi-road game where the stands promise to feature as much orange and blue as green and gold- if not more. Amidst what some people deem to be a quarterback controversy...

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

The Florida Gators knocked off FAU 35-14 to begin the 2021 season, but left much to be desired. So: what stuck out along the way? (Aside: I'll be keeping these "five takeaways" pieces short and sweet throughout the season in order to get more stuff written each week.)...

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

Photo credit: USA Today Flash back to almost four years ago, December 20, 2017. It's the day that Emory Jones signed with the Florida Gators, which planted a seed for a career that has, for the most part, remained dormant- until now. Not too long before a letter of...

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Photo credit: Evan Lepak, UAA Communications Florida linebacker/defensive end Andrew Chatfield has decided to enter the transfer portal. In doing so, he becomes the third Gators defender who has logged reps at linebacker to do so this offseason after James Houston IV...

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Happy Chart Day! Yep, it's that time of year again. The annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition of "The Florida FSU chart" is back in 2021. For those who are not familiar with "The Chart," every year since 2014, I have been laying out all the dizzying array of ways...

OT David Conner commits to Florida

OT David Conner commits to Florida

Photo via David Conner Florida’s offensive line play has been suspect at best these past few years, and the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class has been somewhat stuck in reverse so far. Both of those things got a nice boost today with the commitment of offensive tackle...

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

Photo credit: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports Linebacker EJ Lightsey (Fitzgerald, GA/Fitzgerald) has just become the newest member of the Gators' 2022 recruiting class. He announced the decision on twitter this morning. Though Florida's fan base does have a propensity to...

Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

Photo credit: John Raoux, AP A big part of the small amount of depth the Florida Gators had in its secondary is now gone for the season, as cornerback Jaydon Hill has torn his ACL. Hill suffered the injury in practice on Sunday. Rumblings that Hill would miss the...

Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

Photo via Terrance Gibbs The Gators have finally landed a top running back out of high school as opposed to the portal, as Terrance Gibbs (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park HS) has committed to Florida. Though Gibbs is only rated as a four star by both Rivals and 247Sports,...

2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

Photo via Mac Markway Tim Brewster has landed another one for the Florida Gators, raiding the Show Me State for a Mac Markway, tight end that schools across the country wanted. Markway, a consensus four star target from St. Louis, chose Florida over Ohio State and...

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

After laying dormant for quite some time, the Gators' 2022 recruiting class is picking up some steam at last. A mere four days after Florida added a pair of commitments from linebacker Shemar James and wide receiver Chandler Smith, athlete Jamarrien Burt has joined...

Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Photo credit: Scott Donaldson, preps@al.com Florida's 2022 recruiting class just gained perhaps its most highly touted piece yet, as consensus four star linebacker Shemar James announced his commitment this afternoon. James- out of Mobile, AL/Faith Academy- was...

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

Photo via TexAgs Not even three months after poaching QB Nick Evers from the Lone Star State, Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators rode west to Texas once again and pulled out another stud in Julian Humphrey, a consensus four star prospect from the Houston metropolitan...

Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

Photo via Isaiah Bond After a lull the past couple months, the Gators are making moves with their 2022 recruiting class again, this time adding wide receiver Isaiah Bond. https://twitter.com/isaiahbond_/status/1391513186566819845?s=20 247Sports credits Billy Gonzales...

Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

Photo credit: Kim Klement, USA Today Happy NFL Draft Day, Florida Gators fans! Today is the day where 32 former college football stars take the first step towards making their lifelong dreams of playing in the NFL a reality. That, of course, will include former Gators...

(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

Photo credit: Florida Gators Due to the cancellation of the Gators' spring football game, the Florida Gators Pro Day was the closest thing to live football we're going to get this offseason. Luckily for the fans- and much more importantly, themselves- several...

Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

Photo credit: John E. Moore, Getty Images A year ago, after Mike White's coaching malpractice pushed me over the edge for good, I wrote about all the laundry list of candidates I would love to see Florida replace Mike White with. After his horrifying late game...

TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

Image via 247Sports The Gators got off to a slow start with their 2022 recruiting class. But with the addition of CJ Hawkins, it's officially picking up steam. Hawkins, a tight end out of Tampa, FL/Berkeley Prep, committed to Florida over South Carolina. The Gators...

Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

Image via BuckeyePlanet.com Florida picked up a major boost for its 2022 recruiting class with the addition of Tony Livingston. Livingston, a consensus four star offensive tackle from Tampa, FL/Carrolwood Day announced his decision on twitter this evening. He also had...

2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

Image via TexAgs.com Coaches will tell you that in every recruiting class, signing a quarterback is a need. For the Gators' 2022 class, Dan Mullen just filled that need in the name of Nick Evers, who just committed with an announcement on twitter. Evers is a consensus...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

Photo credit: Florida Gators/@GatorsFB The Gators held Day 6 of spring practice today, and as has been the case for several of the prior practices, the program decided to open it up (virtually) to the public, and streamed most of the reps live on the team's Instagram...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Day five of full pads. (Image via Florida Gators.) For the third time this week, the Florida Gators football team held a virtual open practice, streaming most of the day's work on Instagram live for all to see. Here are all the videos I managed to capture from Friday...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

Jason Marshall vs. Xzavier Henderson: something we'll be seeing a lot of in practice for a very, very long time. (Photo credit: Florida Gators) For the second time this week, the Gator football program virtually opened its practice to the public on its Instagram page,...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/22 practice

Screenshot from Florida's practice today (via Florida Gators) Dan Mullen and the Florida Gator football team hit the field for practice today as usual. One thing that made today's practice different from a lot of the Gators' other practices, though, was that today's...

Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

Image via Adam Mihalek The Florida Gators snuck in one last addition to their 2021 recruiting class at the last second: kicker Adam Mihalek. Mihalek, a local from Tampa, has announced his intentions to stay close to home and attend the University of Florida as a...

Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

With the Gators' 2021 recruiting class all wrapped up, Dan Mullen and his staff have gone to work setting up their 2022 class. https://twitter.com/99_nolton/status/1357739221822418945?s=20 Francois Nolton, a 6'4, 225 lb. four star defensive end from Miami, has...

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Dan Mullen remains undefeated in the NCAA transfer portal with the addition of Arik Gilbert. And now, a year after Florida lost unanimous All-American tight end Kyle Pitts to the NFL, the Gators may not miss a beat at that position. Gilbert, a former five star tight...

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

When the SEC first pieced together a twelve year football schedule rotation in 2014 that dictated which teams would play who from the other division, the Florida Gators knew that they'd be hosting Alabama as their cross-division opponent in 2021. But now, following...

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

UPDATE: Florida has officially announced Jules Montinar as the newest member of the Gator football staff. https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1353802427313618945?s=20 (Initial story begins below.) With linebackers coach Christian Robinson presumably staying at...

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

DaQuan Newkirk is coming home. Daquan Newkirk has decided to return home (or close to it) for his final year of eligibility. And thus, Florida's shaky offseason took a step in the right direction. https://twitter.com/holdthat_2/status/1349757297782829056?s=20 Once a...

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Best of luck to James Houston as he searches for a new home. James Houston IV, a junior linebacker from Fort Lauderdale, has told me that he will be entering the transfer portal. Houston was known for making a few of the bigger defensive plays of the last couple of...

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson has been placed into a medically induced coma, according to the USA Today, who spoke with Johnson's grandfather. His grandfather, Larry DeJarnett said in a phone interview that his grandson was transported to Gainesville earlier today after receiving...

Florida vs Tennessee: Film Review – Defense

Florida’s 2020 season has overall been a successful one by most measures. The Gators are 8-1, ranked in the top ten in every major poll and are four wins away from securing the program’s fourth national title. But in order to obtain that national title, there’s a lot...

Several Gators listed as national award semifinalists

Florida's efforts on the field have been rewarded in the sense that the Gators now control their own destiny to SEC and national championships. But for several players, their efforts are being rewarded in more individual manners, too. Four Gators have been listed as...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 31-19 win over Tennessee

Florida didn't play especially well, but did more than enough to beat Tennessee and wrap up the SEC East for the first time since 2016. What were the major takeaways from the game? Florida simply does not have a running game Tennessee came into the game with a five...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

As we anticipate tomorrow's road matchup with Tennessee,  let’s take one more look back at last week’s game against Kentucky. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday, and got some great photos of...

Florida RB Iverson Clement will transfer

Florida's deep stable of running backs has just gotten a little thinner. Iverson Clement, a junior tailback from Mount Holly, NJ, has decided to transfer. He departs from Florida having carried the ball twelve times for 94 yards. He nearly scored a touchdown against...

Gators make belated Thanksgiving feast out of Wildcats

Florida was missing key pieces on both sides of the ball a week ago in a sluggish 38-17 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators got them both back today, and the result was fairly similar: Florida struggled for a half against a historically inferior divisional opponent,...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

It took awhile for Florida to get itself going, but they eventually did do exactly that and rolled away from Kentucky. What stood out in the victory? A tale of two halves Florida's offense was stuck in reverse for most of the first half, mustering a grand total of...

No. 6 Gators overcome sluggish start to run past Vandy

Florida arrived at Vanderbilt’s small stadium a mere hour and two minutes before kickoff, determined to avoid the cramped quarters in the visitors’ locker room at all costs and intent on spending as little time on the premises as they had to. Then the Gators took the...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 38-17 win over Vanderbilt

It wasn’t pretty, but Florida fought off a tough challenge from Vanderbilt and got out of Nashville with a 38-17 win. What stuck out in the victory? The defense is still a problem. Yes, Florida played better on defense after a miserable first quarter, and sure,...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Before we look ahead to Vanderbilt tomorrow, let's take one more look back at last week's game against Arkansas. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday night, and got some great photos of various...

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Feleipe Franks’ dramatic return to the Swamp was the story of the day when his Arkansas Razorbacks faced off against #6 Florida in the Swamp. But it was his long-time understudy, Kyle Trask, who dominated the night. Trask continued his push for a Heisman Trophy by...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Florida earned its most lopsided win of the season over Arkansas, and former quarterback Feleipe Franks, 63-35. What stood out most along the way? Kyle Trask is now the Heisman frontrunner After several years of hyping up various quarterbacks as Heisman Trophy...

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

Hello again, Feleipe Franks. It's been about fourteen months since your Gator career ended in a particularly gruesome fashion. Tomorrow, we meet again. Only this time, your job will be to ruin Florida's season, not enhance it, and our job will be to make you...

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Throughout Dan Mullen’s short tenure at Florida, Kirby Smart has had Mullen’s number.  And three minutes into their third meeting in Jacksonville, it looked like that would continue. But then Florida flipped the script and turned the game— and the rivalry— on its...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

WE DID IT!!! Yes, at long last, Florida has gotten the Georgia monkey off its back and toppled the Bulldogs to take control of the SEC East. What did we learn along the way? Kyle Trask is officially a Heisman Trophy frontrunner He may not win the award, but he has to...

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

A day before the Gators take on Georgia in the Cocktail Party, Yousef Mugharbil kicked off their weekend the right way. Mugharbil, a consensus four star offensive lineman from Murphy, NC/Murphy HS, has committed to Florida. He also had offers from Penn State, Virginia...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Florida bounced back from a rough loss to Texas A&M three weeks ago with a statement win against Missouri. What stood out in the process? The defense isn't great, but it's getting better. Even without three starters in the secondary (and without Zachary Carter in...

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

Three weeks ago, Florida completed its preseason portion of the 2020 schedule with a good deal of promise, but well aware of what it had to work on. One ugly COVID outbreak and three weeks later, and the Gators begin the meat of their schedule- a seven game stretch...

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

Just as things are getting back into full swing for the Gator football team, things are heating up on the recruiting trail, too. Florida has nabbed a commitment from 2022 athlete Sam McCall, a consensus five star recruit from Lakeland, FL/Lake Gibson HS. He chose...

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

Defensive end Jeremiah Williams, a consensus four star prospect out of Birmingham, AL/Ramsay HS, has committed to Florida, giving the Gators yet another dynamic piece for their 2021 recruiting class. Signs were pointing towards Gainesville for the highly touted edge...

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

According to multiple sources close to the team, the Florida-Missouri game scheduled to take place on October 24th will now be pushed back one week, to Halloween on October 31st. In All Kinds of Weather first reported yesterday that the game was extremely likely to be...

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Florida-LSU game scheduled for this Saturday is going to be postponed. An announcement could come as early as Wednesday afternoon. The news comes less than 24 hours after an outbreak of COVID-19 within the Gators' football...

COVID-19 outbreak places Florida-LSU game in jeopardy

After just three games, the novel coronavirus that has wreaked havoc on pretty much everything in 2020 appears to have found its way into the Gator football program. And predictably, the COVID-19 outbreak has thrown up a blockade in front of the season. A few days...

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Throughout the game on Saturday in College Station, Florida seemed to be one step ahead of Texas A&M. Until they weren't. And then it was too late to do anything about it as the Florida program trudged off the field following a familiar fate- a loss to Jimbo...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Florida suffered its first loss of the season against Texas A&M today, an ugly 41-38 setback that’s far more irritating than damaging— but one that exposed a great deal of Gator shortcomings. What stood out in particular? (Spoiler alert: a lot of them are...

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

The various struggles the Florida Gators have endured on defense didn’t matter too much in their first two games against Mississippi and South Carolina. They might in their next game. And they almost certainly will later in the season. Kyle Trask tossed four touchdown...

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

The Lakeland-to-Gainesville pipeline has continued, albeit via a detour. Demarkcus Bowman has chosen to transfer to Florida. Mere days after announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal, Bowman told Gators Territory of his decision. Bowman, a former five star...

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Dan Mullen returned to the place he once called “The School Up North” in his new set of colors for the first time. And he provided that school up north with a first class education in just how lethal his new offense is. Kyle Trask went wild, completing 30 of his 42...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

The Gators opened their 2020 season with a somewhat convincing 51-35 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford. In doing so, Florida knotted the all time series score against the Rebels at twelve wins apiece. Here are my five initial takeaways from the game: Kyle Trask is...

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

Our position previews of the 2020 Gator football team conclude today with a look at the defensive backfield. Can the unit colloquially known as "DBU" move forward without CJ Henderson? Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends |...

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

The penultimate piece of our position preview segment takes us to the Florida linebackers- a unit that was very good in 2019, but will look a bit different in 2020. Let's get right into it. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight...

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

Having completed our offensive position previews, today we move to the defensive side of the ball. And as is the case everywhere in the SEC, it starts up front. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends | offensive line The...

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

Fresh off our preview of Florida's tight ends, our 2020 Gator football position preview rolls on with a look at perhaps the key to the entire team: the offensive line. Last year, was so-so a year ago in pass protection, but really let the team down in the ground game....

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

With kickoff just around the corner, our position by position previews of the 2020 Gator football team are about to start hitting the presses rapid-fire. Having already published our previews on Florida's quarterback, running back and wide receiver rooms, the first of...

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

Having previously broken down Florida's quarterbacks and running backs, our position preview segment moves along today with a look at Florida's receivers. It's a unit that lost four of its top playmakers from 2019 (Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond and Tyrie...

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

After a bit longer of a gap between position breakdowns than I intended, the series rolls on today with a look at Florida's running backs. What do the Gators have in stock in their RB room this year? The leader: Dameon Pierce The leading returning rusher from 2019 has...

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to present to you, the 2020 Florida-FSU chart. Many of you already know what I'm referring too. For those who don't, "The Chart" is an annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition that compares the Florida Gators...

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

With kickoff at long last in sight, it's time to break down the 2020 Gator football roster, position by position. Who's back, who's going to start, how good are they, and so on. Man, it's great to finally be talking about that again. So with that said, let's start...

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Three of Florida's first four games of the 2020 season carry the potential to be broilers. The Gators' season opener against Mississippi in Oxford on September 26th will kick off at noon, and air on ESPN. The following week, Florida will return home and again play in...

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

Having announced the tentative plans for the schedule of the remainder of the #GreatestGatorEver fan voting tournament (update; the tournament resumes tomorrow on twitter and Instagram stories), it's time to refresh our memories regarding the final sixteen contestants...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

For those who have been keeping track of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament, the excitement level has reached yet another all time high, as it does with the completion of each round. For those who haven't, it's not too late to be introduced to the event. Here's (a very...

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

At long last, the Florida Gators 2020 football schedule has been released. Here it is, in full. Florida Gators 2020 football schedule Week Date Opponent 1 9/26 @ Mississippi 2 10/3 S CAROLINA 3 10/10 @ Texas A&M 4 10/17 LSU 5 10/24 MISSOURI 6 --- BYE 7 11/7...

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

For the time being, it looks as though the SEC is going to give its college football season a go in 2020. But at least for today's inaugural practice, the Florida Gators football team launched its fall season down four critical pieces. As first reported by Sports...

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

Florida had been suffering through a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail earlier this month, a period that was low lighted by Clinton Burton flipping his commitment from Florida to Boston College. But if the past couple of weeks didn't vault Florida out of that rut,...

Gators flip OL recruit Jake Slaughter from FSU

After a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail, Florida has suddenly picked it up over the course of the last week. Last Saturday, safety Donovan McMillon committed; less than 48 hours later, receiver Marcus Burke followed suit to rev the engine a little bit on a 2021...

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

The Gators' 2021 recruiting class got a boost Saturday with the addition of Donovan McMillon. Today, Dan Mullen & Co. built on that momentum with the addition of receiver Marcus Burke. https://twitter.com/CERTIFIED_MB4/status/1285296008747003904?s=20 Burke, a...

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Clinton Burton out, Donovan McMillon in. McMillon, a borderline three/four star safety from McMurray, PA/Peters Township High School, has committed to the Gators. The move provides Florida fans with a bit of relief following the decommitment of fellow defensive back...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

Welcome to the part of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament where things really start to get interesting. For those who are just catching wind of the tournament, a quick explanation of how it works. Created with the goal of deciding the greatest Florida Gator athlete of...

Gators announce six new positive COVID tests within football program

UF confirms 11 positive COVID-19 cases since April

The University of Florida has acknowledged that eleven different positive tests for COVID-19 have taken place since April. The news comes a week and a half after the announcement that no returning Gator football player had tested positive. From Florida senior...

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

It may be one of the slowest times for sports in recent memory, but the inverse has been the case in the world of Gator football recruiting. 2021 cornerback Jordan Young (Tampa, FL/Gaither) has committed to Florida. A consensus three star prospect with offers from...

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson is back on the Gators' commitment list- and he says this time, it's for good. https://twitter.com/KamarWilcoxson4/status/1274100941369806850?s=20 I think at this point, most Gator fans are familiar with who he is, and if you're not, I'll explain why I...

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

It probably got lost in the news of yesterday’s news that the Florida band will stop cueing up the “Gator bait” chant due to the term’s racist history, but while Florida football lost a ritual, it gained a commit. Safety Dakota Mitchell (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park)...

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Tommy Mace has just pulled perhaps the biggest offseason surprise in the world of Florida Gator athletics. Mace, the ace of the Gator baseball pitching staff, has decided to return to Gainesville for another season after going undrafted in the MLB Draft. Per...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

The sixteenth and final Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament gets underway later tonight. Thus, our Regional previews conclude with a look at the 15 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1)...

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Happy birthday, Lorenzo Lingard. Florida's newest running back addition has announced on twitter that his waiver to be able to play in 2020 has been granted: https://twitter.com/d1champ99/status/1266464118950723584?s=20 Florida's running back room wasn't bad to begin...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 2

The penultimate Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is just about set to get underway. As is customary by now, let's acquaint ourselves with the sixteen player field a little more first. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

Round one of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is drawing to a close. Today, we take a look at the third-to-last of the sixteen Regional brackets to be played: the 10 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

We are officially three quarters of the way through of the first round of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Tomorrow morning, we begin the first round of the fourth quarter of the bracket- the 7 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order...

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Charles Montgomery will be suiting up in orange and blue on Saturdays. On an instagram live feed, Montgomery announced that he was choosing Florida over Maryland. A consensus four star prospect out of Seffner, FL/Armwood, Montgomery also had offers from Alabama,...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

Time to complete the upper right hand corner of the #GreatestGatorEver bracket with the 14 Regional. Y'all know the drill by now; let's get to it. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Kelly Barnhill (softball,...

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Photo credit: University of Florida COVID-19 has pretty much shut down college athletics since it made its way over to the United States a couple of months ago. Now, the first steps are being taken to see their resumption. Earlier today, SEC school presidents have...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

Up next in our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is the 3 Regional. Before voting gets underway, let's take a closer look at the field. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Al Horford (basketball, C/F-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

Eight Regionals down, one underway, and seven more to go in Round One of our #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Next up is the 11 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Jack Youngblood (football, DE/DT/K-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

We're halfway through the opening round of our summer long #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Now, we shift to the right side of the bracket, and start at the top with the 6 Regional, which gets underway tomorrow morning. The bracket Regional participants (Players are...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

The eighth and final Regional on the left half of the 256 player #GreatestGatorEver tournament is set to get started tonight. Another way of putting that: after tonight's 12 Regional voting, we will officially be halfway done with the opening round of this summer long...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament rolls on today with Round one of the 5 Regional. As was the case for the previous Regionals and will be for all ensuing Regionals, let's take this opportunity to refresh our memories regarding what, exactly, the sixteen players in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

With the 4 Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament currently winding down, it's time to preview the Regional it's paired with in the Sweet 16: Regional #13. The 13 Regional bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue tomorrow with the opening round of the 4 Regional. Let's get to know that 4 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Emmitt Smith (football, RB-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue later today with the opening round of the 9 Regional. With voting in the 8 Regional closing soon, let's familiarize ourselves with said 9 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is off and running. Voting for the opening round of the 1 Regional has been completed; the 16 Regional is underway and will wrap up this afternoon. Shortly after its conclusion, the 8 Regional will get underway. So, let's get to know...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

Yesterday, voting began in our #GreatestGatorEver bracket in the 1 Regional. Today, voting will continue with the 16 Regional, but before the polls open, let's preview the field and refresh our memories on the players' accomplishments. The bracket Regional...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

Voting for the #GreatestGatorEver bracket begins this afternoon. In the name of eliminating potential recentism in the voting, I thought I'd set the stage by previewing each Regional before the voting gets underway. Today, we'll take a look at Regional 1, which of...

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

Mike White's 2021 recruiting class is off to a great start. Kowacie Reeves (Macon, GA) has committed to Florida. Reeves, a highly sought after four star, also earned offers from North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Seton Hall, among others. This commitment might...

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Part of what has helped fans make it through a long, frustrating quarantine is the abundance of fan polls on social media. In particular, 64-team, March Madness themed brackets that allow fans to vote on the winner of each matchup in each round have captured a lot of...

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Colin Castleton is coming home, and Florida is adding some more frontcourt depth for the future- potentially even next season. Castleton, who spent the last two seasons at Michigan, will be transferring closer to home and joining Mike White's Gator basketball squad....

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft has just concluded, and once again, the Florida Gators were very well represented. Below is a list of all the selections from Florida. Click on the player names for further analysis on what they bring to their new teams. Florida Gators in the 2020...

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

What was a fractured program less than 30 months ago needed a hero to put it back together. In Dan Mullen, Florida found that hero. This is the story of the toxic culture he walked into, how he went to work taking it apart, and how he's replaced that toxic culture...

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Three members of the Florida Gators' 2008 football team- universally regarded as one of the best in college football history- are finally getting the ultimate recognition they deserve- spots in the UF Hall of Fame. Explosive kick/return man Brandon James posted a...

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Florida’s basketball team got a sort-of-but-not-really-surprising boost today, as shooting guard Scottie Lewis announced that he will be coming back for his sophomore season. Lewis, a ridiculously athletic kid from southern New Jersey, arrived in Gainesville last fall...

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The "Kyle Trask Emory Jones" debate is in full swing. Yes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that has, among other things, lengthened college sports fans' offseason, the fanbase-wide argument regarding who should be the starter at the most important position of...

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images UPDATE 5:10pm: although it feels wholly logical to assume that college baseball and softball are over for 2020, the language in the two released statements- from the SEC and NCAA, and which you can read below- left one pair of...

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

Tight end Nick Elksnis (Jacksonville, FL/Episcopal) has announced his decision to be a Gator, thus netting Florida its first commitment of its Junior Day weekend. In doing so, Elksnis effectively flips from Penn State, from which he decommitted last week....

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

The Gators' second Junior Day event in Gainesville is upon us, and it's important to keep an eye on because more often than not, Florida uses it to add members to its list of commits. This time around, the chances of the Gators doing so are increased appreciably-...

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Congratulations to Gage Wilcox. You, sir, have just become the first commit for Tim Brewster. Wilcox, a four star tight end from Tampa's Jefferson High School in the Class of 2021, committed on an Instagram Live video, as captured by twitter user @CurtisK421....

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Photo credit: Florida Gators Maybe this is another mirage, the latest peak in a dizzying array of sine waves for Mike White’s Gator basketball team. Or maybe, after we all erroneously thought this team had turned the corner several times before, this is the game that...