This, That, & More on a Monday (10/14)
Clayton, Condon Named Preseason All-SEC
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. and sophomore forward/center Alex Condon earned preseason All-Southeastern Conference honors in the league's media vote, the SEC announced on Monday. Clayton earned first-team recognition while Condon garnered third-team.
Clayton returns for his senior season after garnering second-team All-SEC honors last season while leading the Gators with 17.6 points per game. His 633 points scored in 2023-24 marked the fifth-highest in a single season in program history.
Condon earned SEC All-Freshman honors last season, averaging 7.7 points and 6.4 rebounds off the bench. His rebounding average and his 45 blocked shots led all SEC freshmen in 2023-24. Condon made his first career start in the Gators' NCAA Tournament game vs. Colorado, becoming the first player in team history whose first start came in the NCAA Tournament.
As a team, the Gators were predicted to finish sixth in the league. UF finished sixth in 2023-24 with an 11-7 SEC record, then made a run to the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time in 10 years. Earlier today, Florida also received a No. 21 national ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
UF's season tips off on Nov. 4 in Jacksonville, where the Gators will face South Florida at 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
First Team All-SEC
Mark Sears - Alabama
Johni Broome - Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr. - Florida
Zakai Zeigler - Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV - Texas A&M
Second Team All-SEC
Grant Nelson - Alabama
Jonas Aidoo - Arkansas
Johnell Davis - Arkansas
Matthew Murrell - Ole Miss
Josh Hubbard - Mississippi State
Third Team All-SEC
Chad Baker-Mazara - Auburn
Alex Condon - Florida
Jaxson Robinson - Kentucky
Collin Murray-Boyles - South Carolina
Tramon Mark - Texas
SEC Player of the Year
Mark Sears - Alabama
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Tennessee
4. Arkansas
5. Texas A&M
6. Florida
7. Texas
8. Kentucky
9. Ole Miss
10. Mississippi State
11. South Carolina
12. Georgia
13. Missouri
14. LSU
15. Oklahoma
16. Vanderbilt
Gators Ranked 21st in Preseason AP Top 25
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida men's basketball ranks No. 21 in the preseason Associated Press top 25, announced on Monday. The Gators enter their third season under head coach Todd Golden coming off a 24-win campaign, an NCAA Tournament berth and the team's first appearance in the SEC Tournament title game in a decade.
Florida returns starters Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard along with significant contributors Denzel Aberdeen, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh. The Gators added a talented trio from the portal, including veteran guard Alijah Martin and the frontcourt pair of Sam Alexis and Rueben Chinyelu.
The Gators will face nine teams ranked in the preseason top 25 plus three others that received votes.
This marks UF's first preseason appearance in the AP top 25 since 2019. The Gators were most recently ranked in the AP poll in February when the team was at No. 24 for consecutive weeks.
UF's season tips off on Nov. 4 in Jacksonville, where the Gators will face South Florida, and the home opener is set for Nov. 7 vs. Jacksonville at 8 p.m.
AP Preseason Top 25
1. Kansas
2. Alabama*
3. UConn
4. Houston
5. Iowa State
6. Gonzaga
7. Duke
8. Baylor
9. North Carolina*
10. Arizona
11. Auburn*
12. Tennessee*
13. Texas A&M*
14. Purdue
15. Creighton
16. Arkansas*
17. Indiana
18. Marquette
19. Texas*
20. Cincinnati
21. Florida
22. UCLA
23. Kentucky*
24. Ole Miss*
25. Rutgers
*2024-25 Florida opponent
Media Tabs Gators at No. 9 in SEC Order of Finish. The 2024-25 Preseason Media Poll unveils Florida at No. 9 in the SEC's order of finish.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -The Southeastern Conference announces the 2024 Preseason Media Poll results. The media was asked to predict the SEC Order of Finish, select a Preseason Player of the Year, and determine a Preseason All-SEC First and Second Team. Voting comes from a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
Coach Kelly Rae Finleyand the Gators were selected to finish ninth in the league, moving up one spot from the 2023-24 preseason poll. Florida's ranking comes after a successful run to the 2024 SEC Tournament quarterfinals and its third consecutive post-season appearance under Coach Finley.
Florida also opens the 2024-25 season with the nation's No. 10 recruiting class for 2024 (ESPN). The freshmen class includes two McDonald's All-Americans, and Florida's highest-ranked recruit in program history, No. 7 Liv McGill
UF's season tips off on Nov. 4 with a home opener against Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.
2024-25 SEC Preseason Media Poll Results:
Order of Finish
1. South Carolina
2. Texas
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma
5. Ole Miss
6. Alabama
7. Tennessee
8. Kentucky
9. Florida
10. Vanderbilt
11. Mississippi State
12. Auburn
13. Texas A&M
14. Georgia
15. Missouri
16. Arkansas
Preseason Players of the Year
Flau'Jae Johnson, LSU
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Madison Booker, Texas
Preseason All-SEC First-Team
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Flau'Jae Johnson, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas
Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Skylar Vann, Oklahoma
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
Florida Soccer and RV Georgia Soccer Tie 0-0
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -Florida and Georgia soccer played to a scoreless tie Sunday evening in front of 1,054 at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
These two teams also played to a 0-0 tie in the 2023 meeting in Athens, Ga. It was the third scoreless tie between these league rivals, as the first-ever meeting in 1995 was a 0-0 double overtime tie.
Sunday's Action:
Georgia is Florida's most frequent opponent in the program's 30 seasons. There have been many tight meetings, as tonight's match was the 19th in the 40 all-time meetings that ended in a tie (5) or was decided by a single goal (14).
Florida best chances of its 14 shots included a right-footed shot by Njeri Butts with 18:30 remaining that was tipped over the crossbar by Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown for a Gator corner kick. Then just two minutes later, freshman Vera Blom picked up the deflection off her left-footed shot in the box to use her right foot for a shot that kicked off the far post. Lena Bailey tracked down the ball in the corner and sent it to Madison Jones. The centering ball sent by Jones was headed by sophomore Amelia Malkin, but was wide.
"We emptied our tank and created some really good chances," Florida Head Coach Samantha Bohon said. "Credit to Georgia's keeper, because she was outstanding. I thought we had two chances that we normally would have scored, and she was just world class today. So really a credit to her."
Florida made several plays - whether an Alexa Goldberg save off a deflection or the backline or midfield winning the ball when Georgia was looking dangerous - that helped keep the Bulldogs from scoring for just the third time this season and the first of league play.
The energy of Florida's Senior Day fueled the Gators Sunday.
"Our history against Georgia - those games have really been brutal," said senior defender Madison Young. "This game, we had control, we had so much energy, so much effort. Even when we were on our heels, there's was so much grit, so much blue collar. I thought we did really well."
Records:
Florida: 4-4-6, 1-3-2 SEC
Georgia: 6-4-5, 2-2-3 SEC. The Bulldogs are receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll
Series Record:
Florida leads 30-5-4
Next Up:
Florida continues this SEC homestand Friday when Vanderbilt (6-2-6, 1-2-4 SEC) comes to Dizney Stadium. This evening, Vanderbilt and Kentucky tied 1-1 in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt (6-2-6, 1-2-4 SEC)
Date: Friday, Oct. 18
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Site: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,500)
TV: SEC Network +with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM/850 AM with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Admission: Free
Promotions: Welcome back familiar faces to The Diz for Gators Alumni Weekend. Arrive early, as Gators will honor UF's first soccer coach, Becky Burleigh, in a special pre-match ceremony as she gets inducted into UF Athletics Hall of Fame later that evening.
RV Georgia (6-4-5, 2-2-3 SEC) vs Florida (4-4-6, 1-3-2 SEC)
Stadium: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,054)
Weather: 74 degrees, winds NW at 5 mph
Goals by Period
1
2
Total
Georgia
0
0
0
Florida
0
0
0
Scoring Summary:
No.
Time
Team
Goal Scorer
Assist
No goals
Shots: Georgia 9, Florida 14
Saves: Georgia 6 (Jordan Brown 6), Florida 5 (Alexa Goldberg 5)
Offsides: UGA 3, UF 0
Cautions: none
Florida Volleyball Falls in Three to South Carolina. The No. 19 Gators attacking was led by Kennedy Martin's 17 kills.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The No. 19 Florida volleyball team concluded their four-match homestand with a 0-3 loss (23-25, 14-25, 18-25) to South Carolina on Sunday inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The Gators now sit 11-5 overall and 2-3 in SEC play.
Sophomore All-American Kennedy Martin registered 17 kills to lead Florida's offense, while redshirt senior Isabel Martin finished with seven. Freshman Alec Rothe and redshirt sophomore Alexis Stucky had four kills apiece, while freshman Jaela Auguste (3), junior Amaya Thomas (2) and fifth year AC Fitzpatrick (3) combined for eight of the Gators 40 kills.
Stucky dished out 30 assists on Sunday, as the All-American setter finished just shy of her second double-double after having eight digs.
On the defense end, the Gators out blocked South Carolina's 7.0 team blocks, with Rothe posting two solo blocks and three block assists. Stucky finished with one solo block of her own and four block assists, while Auguste tallied two and Fitzpatrick added one to Florida's 8.0 total team blocks.
Libero Elli McKissock picked up a match-high 17 digs, as six other Gators contributed in the backcourt: Stucky (8), K. Martin (5), Isi. Martin (3), junior Emily Canaan (3), Fitzpatrick (2) and freshman Taylor Parks (1).
Stucky and Fitzpatrick were the only Florida players to register an ace in the three setter.
Records
No. 19 Florida (11-5, 2-3 SEC)
South Carolina (10-5, 1-3 SEC)
How It Happened
Set 1
* After trailing 4-1 in the opening set, a kill from K. Martin ended a 3-0 Gamecock scoring run. Gator serving errors and back-to-back South Carolina blocks forced Florida to use their first timeout after falling to a 7-11 deficit. Out of the huddle, the Gators continued to trail by four until Auguste put two down and tag teamed with Stucky at the net for a block to inch within one and force a South Carolina timeout. Another block from Auguste and Stucky tied it at 14, but the Gamecocks quickly regained a two-point lead. A slide from Rothe tied it back up at 17, and the Gators grabbed the next two points thanks to a solo Stucky block and an Isi Martin kill to take a 19-17 lead. Out of a South Carolina timeout, the Gamecocks climbed back to tied it up at 23 and take set one from the Gators after securing a 25-23 victory.
* Set 1 Team Stats | .316 Hitting % |18 Kills | 17 Assists | 17 Digs | 4.0 Team Blocks | 1 Ace
Set 2
* A block from Fitzpatrick and Rothe, followed by a kill from the fifth year gave the Gators a 4-2 lead at the start of the second. South Carolina went on a 4-0 scoring run and forced Florida to call a timeout after trailing 5-9. Out of the huddle, the Gators couldn't find a rhythm and called another timeout after trailing 10-19. Two kills from Thomas and a dump from Stucky kept Florida alive, but it was not enough to make a comeback and fell 14-25.
* Set 2 Team Stats | .100 Hitting % | 10 Kills | 10 Assists | 7 Digs | 1 Ace | 1.0 Team Block
Set 3
* After an 0-3 start, K. Martin recorded her tenth kill of the match to put Florida on the board, but serving errors allowed the Gamecocks to hold a 11-6 advantage. Following a Gator timeout, Stucky dumped one over to side out, but South Carolina continued to push the points for a 14-8 lead. A solo block from Rothe and an attack from K. Martin inched the Gators within four, but aggressive serving from the Gamecocks extended their lead to 21-13. Points from Auguste, Stucky, Rothe and K. Martin gave Florida some momentum, but South Carolina held on for a 25-18 win.
* Set 3 Team Stats | .212 Hitting % | 15 Digs | 12 Kills | 10 Assists | 3.0 Team Blocks | 0| Aces
Notables
* Florida moves to 64-5 (56-5 under Wise) in the all-time series against South Carolina
* The Gators are now 47-3 in three-set matches against the Gamecocks
* The Gators are now 3-3 when playing on Sunday
* UF is now 1-2 in October matches
* Kennedy Martin's 17 Kills continues her streak of recording double-digit kills in every match she has played wearing the Orange and Blue
* Elli McKissock ranks 2nd for career digs (1884), 10th for career aces (128) and 21st for career assists (495) in Program history
* Alexis Stucky ranks 14th for career assists in Program history with 1,734
Up Next
* The Gators play their next two matches on the road, traveling to College Station, Texas on Friday and Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday. Friday's matchup against Texas A&M is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be watched on the SEC Network. Sunday's 1 p.m. ET matchup versus LSU will be streamed on ESPN2. Additionally, fans now in attendance can follow @GatorsVB on socials for match updates or via live stats.
* Fans can purchase single-game tickets for the remaining matches. For more information on football tickets, call the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683<tel:3523754683>.
Scouting Report
No. 19 Florida vs. Texas A&M
Friday, Oct. 18 | 7 p.m. ET
Florida 10-5, 2-2 SEC | Texas A&M 12-2, 3-1 SEC
Reed Arena - College Station, Tx
Series Information
* Series Record 22-2 (21-2 under Wise)
* 3-set: 8-0, 4-set: 9-0; 5-set: 5-2
* Home: 10-1; Away: 11-1; Neutral: 1-0
* Last time out | W, 3-1 | A | 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-12
No. 19 Florida vs. LSU
Sunday, Oct. 20 | 1 p.m. ET
Florida 10-5, 2-2 SEC | LSU 10-6, 2-3 SEC
Maravich Center - Baton Rouge, La.
ESPN2
Series Information
* Series Record 52-14 (49-6 under Wise)
* 3-set: 30-7; 4-set: 17-7; 5-set: 5-0
* Home: 26-5; Away: 21-7; Neutral: 3-2
* Last time out | W, 3-0 | H | 25-17, 25-23, 25-16
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