By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:
16 GATORS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PRO DAY
Florida has had at least one first round NFL Draft pick in 13 of the last 15 years but unless Kaiir Elam can wow the scouts at Pro Day today, it’s unlikely UF will have a first rounder this year. Elam is one of only four Gators who realistically have a chance to get drafted this year although there will be 16 who will be trying to catch the eye of the scouts today.
Elam was once projected as one of the top three or four corners for the 2022 draft but he’s slipped out of the top five on Mel Kiper’s board although he’s still listed at No. 5 by Todd McShay. Most of the draft speculation is that Elam will go second round.
The others who are realistic draft picks are running back Dameon Pierce, defensive tackle Zachary Carter and linebacker Jeremiah Moon. Pierce has picked up a lot of interest since a strong Senior Bowl and a solid NFL Combine. He could be taken as high as the late second round but third round seems more realistic. Carter seems to have a third round appeal since he can also play defensive end in a 3-4 alignment. Moon should be a third day guy who will make a roster as a backup and special teams guy.
Expected participants: LB Lacedrick Brunson, DT Kyree Campbell (2020), DT Zachary Carter, PK Jace Christmann, RB Malik Davis, OT Jean Delance, OG Stewart Reese, CB Kaiir Elam, LB Jeremiah Moon, DT Daquan Newkirk, RB Dameon Pierce, DT Tyrone Truesell, DT Antonio Valentino, WR Rick Wells, DB Brett Sutton and LS Brett DioGuardi (2020).
REPORTS: GOLDEN HIRES KOREY MCCRAY FROM MISSISSIPPI STATE
There are multiple reports that Todd Golden has filled a second position on his basketball staff by hiring former Mississippi State assistant Korey McCray. The son of Karl McCray, who founded the Atlanta Celtics AAU program along with Wallace Prather, McCray has strong recruiting connections in the south, particularly in Metro Atlanta.
He played collegiately at Mercer and worked as a grad assistant at FSU under Leonard Hamilton. He worked as an assistant at UCLA and LSU prior to joining Ben Howland’s staff at Mississippi State.
GATORS FINISH THIRD IN NCAA SWIMMING
Olympic gold medalist Bobby Fincke won his second straight 1650 freestyle championship on Saturday as the Gators finished third in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta. California won the title with 487.5 points while Texas finished second (436.5) followed by the Gators with 374. The Gators have finished ninth or better in every NCAA Championship since 2000 (9th). The last time they finished outside the top 10 was in 1999.
Fincke was Florida’s only individual champion but the Gator did win the 200 individual medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.
UF BASEBALL: GOOD START, LOUSY FINISH TO THE WEEKEND
Beyond Hunter Barco (5-1, 1.41 ERA) you have to wonder where the 8th-ranked Gators (17-7, 3-3 SEC) are going to get the pitching. Barco pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight Friday night as the Gators took a 7-2 series opening win over LSU (17-7, 3-3 SEC) but in the final two innings Friday night and in games two and three pitching was in short supply. The Gators were bombed by LSU 16-4 Saturday and 11-2 on Sunday.
The Gators backed Barco with homers from Colby Halter, Wyatt Langford and BT Riopelle Friday night. Sterlin Thompson and Dedric Fabian left the yard Saturday but the Gators were already down 9-0 when that happened. It was 11-0 in the sixth before the Gators put a couple of runs across the plate.
Barco is Florida’s only experienced starting pitcher who isn’t coming off an injury, so the pitching could be a bit dicey for awhile. There are a lot of big arms that throw heat at Kevin O’Sullivan’s disposal, but they’re young and still learning that you can’t just overpower people like they did in their high school days.
The Gators play Florida State Tuesday in Jacksonville and travel to Georgia (18-6, 3-3 SEC) next weekend.
UF SOFTBALL: GATORS AVOID GETTING SWEPT BY VOLS
Natalie Lugo (6-2, 1.66 ERA) pitched 2-2/3 innings of hitless relief and Reagan Walsh delivered the go-ahead RBI in the fifth inning as the 6th-ranked Gators (27-5, 5-4 SEC) took a 4-1 win over 15th-ranked Tennessee (22-9, 5-3 SEC) Sunday afternoon. The win salvaged an otherwise dismal weekend for the Gators, who lost the first two games of the series, 6-0 and 7-2.
When Lugo came on to relieve Elizabeth Hightower in the top of the fifth, it was a 1-1 game and the Vols had runners on first and second, the result of a walk and a hit batter. Lugo got a double play to escape without any damage, then in the bottom of the inning Skylar Wallace singled, stole second and scored on Walsh’s single to center field. In the sixth, the Gators added two insurance runs on an Avery Goelz home run, a walk to Walsh and a run-scoring double by Charla Echols.
The Gators host UCF Wednesday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium (6 p.m.). Next weekend they travel to Auburn (27-4, 6-3 SEC).
UF MEN’S TENNIS: HO HUM! ANOTHER BLOWOUT WIN FOR NO. 1 GATORS
The No. 1 Gators (15-2, 7-0 SEC) stretched their winning streak to 10 matches. Friday with a 6-1 win over Arkansas (10-9, 1-5 SEC) in Fayette Nam. The Gators won the doubles point by taking all three matches while Ben Shelton, Sam Riffice and Andy Andrade won their matches in straight sets. Next up for the Gators are home matches next weekend against LSU (12-5, 3-3 SEC) on Friday and Vanderbilt (13-6, 1-5 SEC) on Sunday.
UF WOMEN’S TENNIS: GATORS STRETCH WINNING STREAK TO SIX MATCHES
Carly Briggs scored a 6-0, 7-6 win over Alexandra Mikhailuk for the clinching point Sunday afternoon as the 16th-ranked Gators (14-4, 6-2 SEC) squeaked out a 4-3 win over Mississippi State, stretching their winning streak to six matches. On Friday, the Gators took a 7-0 win over Ole Miss (8-7, 2-5 SEC). The Gators hit the road next weekend to face Kentucky (12-8, 0-7 SEC) on Friday and Vanderbilt (10-6, 2-5 SEC) on Sunday.
Other UF sports: At the Texas Relays, Florida’s 4X100 relay team of Dedrick Vanover, Tyler Davis, PJ Austin and Joseph Fahnbulleh ran a 38.47, the fastest time in the NCAA and the world this year. Florida’s 4X200 relay team of Vanover, Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie and Jacob Miley ran a 1:21.02, the second fastest time in UF history. Jasmine Moore, the NCAA women’s indoor champ, had a 22-1.75, the second best jump in UF history. Long jumpers Caleb Foster (26-3) and Malcolm Clemons (26-2.75) had the third and fourth best men’s marks this outdoor season … The 11th-ranked Gators (6-4) grabbed a 14-4 halftime lead then cruised to a 21-10 win over Arizona State (5-4) in Tempe Sunday. Danielle Pavinelli led the Gators with seven goals while Ashley Gonzalez had four goals and an assist. Next up for the Gators is a midweek match with Mercer in Macon. American Athletic Conference play begins next Sunday at Cincinnati … The women’s golf team finished fourth at the Clemson Invitational, five shots behind tournament winner LSU in the final regular season tournament of the season. Annabell Fulller finished runner up, 1-over par at 217 for the 3-day event. Next up for the Gators is the SEC Tournament in Birmingham starting on April 13.
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Auburn: Running back Jaquez Hunter is out for the remainder of the spring after having a procedure on his leg … Devan Cambridge, one of the most important players off Bruce Pearl’s bench, is in the transfer portal. The 6-6 small forward is one of the most prolific dunkers in the open court.
Georgia: Freshman linebacker C.J. Washington will miss the rest of spring football with an undisclosed injury.
Kentucky: Dontaie Allen, a 6-6 small forward who averaged playing 6.4 minutes per game, is in the portal. He has three years eligibility remaining.
LSU: All-SEC forward Tari Eason, the SEC sixth man of the year, has declared for the NBA … New basketball coach Matt McMahon has hired Cody Toppert off Penny Hardaway’s Memphis staff.
Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin threw out the first pitch before Friday night’s Ole Miss-Tennessee baseball game. Rather than a baseball, Lane threw a golf ball, a reminder that UT fans threw golf balls at him when they basically started rioting in the stands at Neyland Stadium when Ole Miss beat the Vols last fall.
South Carolina: Starter Wildens Leveque put his name in the transfer portal, making the fourth player to exit South Carolina since Frank Martin was fired. Also gone are Erik Stevenson, Jermaine Cousinard and Tra’Quan Woodley.
Tennessee: Santiago Vescovi will enter the NBA draft but won’t hire an agent, giving him the option to return to UT if he chooses prior to June 13.
Texas A&M: The Aggies (26-12) are the last SEC basketball team standing. They face Washington State (22-14) in the semifinals of the NIT in New York on Tuesday.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores have gained a transfer D-lineman from the portal in Myles Cecil from D1AA Cal Poly.
NCAA TOURNAMENT AND OTHER HOOPS STUFF
East Regional: North Carolina (28-9) ended the Cinderella story for Saint Peter’s (22-12), the first 15th-seeded team to every make it to the Elite Eight. UNC is 16-3 since taking back-to-back losses by more than 20 points to Miami and Wake Forest back in January. The Tar Heels get Duke in the Final Four. They beat Coach K in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Will they also beat him to end his coaching career on a loss to the ultimate arch-rival?
South Regional: Villanova (30-7) is back to the Final Four for the fourth time in the last six years after a grind it out win over Houston (32-6), but the Wildcats will be without Justin Moore the rest of the way. Moore tore his Achilles with only 35 seconds left Saturday. Moore was Villanova’s second leading scorer.
Midwest Regional: The bubble burst for Miami (26-11) in the second half against Kansas (32-6), which held the Hurricanes to 15 second half points. Kansas is the only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four.
West Regional: Duke (32-6) is in the Final Four after shooting 54.7 percent from the field against an Arkansas team that made it to the Elite Eight game by playing brilliant defense. It’s the 13th Final Four trip for Coach K, which is an NCAA record.
SMU: Former Billy Donovan assistant Rob Lanier is the new head coach at SMU. Good move for SMU as Lanier was Rick Barnes top recruiter when the two of them were at Texas together. Lanier was 53-30 at Georgia State.
Seton Hall: Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway is expected to be formally named the head coach at Seton Hall today.
Memphis: You can probably kiss Penny Hardaway’s college coaching career good-bye. Documents obtained by several outlets show that Hardaway and Memphis have been hit with four Level 1 and two Level 2 violations. Memphis is likely to get hit with a lengthy probation, lack of institutional control, and Hardaway show cause. In the case of Hardaway, he earned it.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The clock struck midnight and the carriage that took Saint Peter’s to the Elite Eight matchup with North Carolina turned into a pumpkin Sunday afternoon. It sure was fun while it lasted, though, wasn’t it? I enjoyed every second of watching the Peacocks do the unthinkable by knocking off Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to get to the game with the Tar Heels and quite frankly, I would have celebrated if they had scored a win Sunday even if I fully expected UNC to win handily, which it did.
What Saint Peter’s run to glory proved is that it’s beyond past time for the College Football Playoff to expand. As long as it stays at four teams, it will be next to impossible for there to be a Cinderella story but add eight teams to the mix and the possibility exists for an upset of epic proportions. We may still wind up with the usual suspects making the semifinals of the playoff, but the sport needs the injection of excitement that only a double-digit underdog winning could produce. Odds aren’t with a Group of Five team winning four straight games to win the national championship but the idea that one could maybe win one or two games is very, very appealing.
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