By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:
UF BASKETBALL PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS
They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions of the way Florida first year basketball coach Todd Golden conducts his practices get very high marks. Here are a few observations from a Thursday workout that Golden allowed the media to watch:
Quick, quick, quick: Everything is done at a breakneck pace. There isn’t time for a lot of standing around. Golden steps in, gives a concept, explains it in detail and expects his guys to pick it up and go with it. All the drills are conducted full speed and once one drill is complete, it’s on to the next, which will also be conducted at the same fast pace.
Point guard: Unlike the last two seasons in which the Gators have had a shooting guard in a point guard’s body running the offense, Golden has two pure points in Kyle Lofton and Trey Bonham. Lofton, who transferred in from St. Bonaventure where averaged 13.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists for his career, is a grown man. He plays with elite speed yet he’s fully under control. He is a difference maker at both ends of the floor. Bonham, who averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists last year at VMI is waterbug quick. He has an extra gear that we haven’t seen since Chris Chiozza.
Off guard: Belmont transfer Will Richard is impressive. He’s long and very athletic, deceptively quick. He’s got a very nice stroke. How is it he hit only 32.6 percent on his 3-pointers last year? He handles the ball well and is very intense defensively. Myreon Jones seems to have regained the shooting touch that he had at Penn State but went AWOL last year. When his feet are set and his shoulders are square, his shot looks great from the moment that it leaves his hand.
Wings: Kowacie Reeves has added about 10-15 pounds of muscle. He looks quicker and isn’t so tentative handling the ball. Every shot he takes looks like it’s going in. LSU transfer Alex Fudge is another one who has added some muscle not to mention an inch to his frame. He’s a legit 6-9 now. He is long and explosive. Thunder dunker. He could wind up being a stretch four. Niels Lane is making shots. No, he’s not going to be mistaken for the next great pure shooter, but the ball tracks nicely off his hands. During the defensive drills he’s an absolute stud.
Bigs: Colin Castleton is still rehabbing from surgery to repair his torn labrum. Jason Jitoboh looks to be in the best physical condition he’s been in since arriving on campus. He no longer looks soft and fluffy. He’s listed at 300 pounds on the UF roster, but he looks to be 20 or so pounds lighter than that and he is moving his feet quite well. Shot the ball well. I know it was just practice and not a scrimmage, but this was the best I’ve seen CJ Felder since the season began last year. He was under-utilized last year. He’s 240 now, far more defined physically and has much better lateral quickness.
Coaching: Golden is very hands on in his approach. He’s very vocal and gets maximum work in a short period of time. He emphasizes spacing, quick, accurate passing, ball movement and taking very good shots on offense. Defensively, the concepts are very sound and straight out of the Bruce Pearl handbook. Lots of emphasis on communication and rotation. Assistants Carlin Hartman and Kevin Hovde were very active. I like the way the staff interacts with players. Everybody from the coaches to the players to the managers seems to have fun yet plenty is accomplished.
GOLDEN COMPLETES ROSTER WITH ALEKSANDER SZYMCZYK
The final piece of the 2022-23 roster puzzle has been completed by the addition of Polish born power forward Aleksander Szymczyk (6-11, 240) who was developed at the international basketball academy in Munich and played for the Fraport Skyliners and the TSV Oberhaching Tropics under-19 teams. He’s grown an inch and put on 30 pounds (mostly muscle) in the past year or so. He had ankle surgery that sidelined him for four months midway through 2021.
Szymczyk has the typical European range on his jumper, which means he’s not afraid to launch a 3-ball, important in the Todd Golden offense, but reports out of Europe say he’s not afraid to mix it up underneath and rebound the basketball. He will be a freshman at UF in the fall and will be draft eligible in 2024.
UF roster as of July 14, 2022
Bigs (4): Colin Castleton (6-11, 240, GR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 280, SR); CJ Felder (6-7, 240, SR); Aleksander Szymcsyk (6-11, 240, FR)
Wings (4): Niels Lane (6-5, 215, JR); Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 190, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SO); Alex Fudge (6-9, 194, SO)
Guards (5): Myreon Jones (6-3, 177, GR); Kyle Lofton (6-3, 186, GR); Trey Bonham (6-0, 170, JR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 180, FR); Riley Kugel (6-5, 185, FR)
GAME THREE, SOUTH FLORIDA: SCOUTING THE BULLS
Team rankings: Lindy’s 102; Athlon 100
Head coach: Jeff Scott (3 years, 3-18); Offensive coordinator: Travis Trickett; Defensive coordinator: Bob Shoop
Last year vs. Power 5 opponents: 0-2
Last year vs. ranked opponents: 0-5
Last 10 years vs. Power 5 opponents: 7-20
Last 10 years vs. ranked opponents: 0-28
Last year’s offense: 23.2 points; 350.9 yards total offense; 158.5 yards rushing (3.91 per carry); 192.4 passing yards (6.5 per attempt); 25 sacks allowed; 21 turnovers (9 fumbles, 12 interceptions)
Last year’s defense: 34.7 points; 471.4 yards; 207.25 rushing yards (5.8 per carry); 264.2 passing yards (8.3 per attempt); 9 sacks; 17 turnovers forced (7 fumbles, 10 interceptions)
Top returning offensive players: QB Timmy McClain (1,888 passing yards, 7.2 per attempt; 5 TDs, 7 INTs; 238 rushing yards (1.93 per attempt, 4 TDs); RB Jared Mangham (160-671 rushing yards, 4.19 per attempt, 15 TDs); RB Kelley Joiner (78-480 rushing yards, 2 TDs); WR Xavier Weaver (41-715, 17.44 per catch, 2 TDs); Jimmy Horn Jr. (30-408 receiving, 13.6 per catch, 1 TD); LT Donavan Jennings (6-5, 327); LG Demetrius Harris (6-3, 309); C Brad Cecil (6-4, 302)
Top returning defensive players: MLB Antonio Greer (92 tackles, 3 INTs, 2 sacks, 2 fumbles forced); OLB Dwayne Broyles (68 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 fumbles forced); CB Daquan Evans (59 tackles, 3 pass breakups); NB Vincent Davis (69 tackles, 3.5 TFL); SS Matthew Hill (50 tackles, 1 INT); FS Mekhi Lapointe (59 tackles, 2 INTs; 3 pass breakups); CB TJ Robinson (31 tackles, 3 pass breakups)
This is year three for Jeff Scott, who won two games last year but had the Bulls competitive in five others, a serious upgrade from the previous season. Rebuilding the Bulls is not an overnight task but they are expected to at least double their win total from last season and be competitive in most games. Through good recruiting and nice use of the transfer portal, Scott has South Florida perhaps one year away from a winning record.
The Bulls run a spread offense that Scott brought with him from Clemson a couple of years ago. It incorporates a lot of the passing concepts of Chad Morris but it’s a bit more run heavy. Defensively, the Bulls will run out of a 4-2-5 set.
Last year’s anemic offense is expected to be far more productive thanks to an experienced offensive line where all five starters return and transfer quarterback Gerry Bohannon. The left side of the line – LT Donavan Jennings, LG Demetrius Harris, C Brad Cecil – is quite solid. Bohannon was the starter for 11 games at Baylor before he went down with an injury. He threw for 2,194 yards (7.9 per attempt) and 18 TDs (7 picks) while running for 323 yards (4.25 per carry) and nine TDs. He will be throwing to veteran wide receivers in Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. but the guy who turned heads during the spring was Clemson transfer Ajou Ajou, a fast and physical 6-3, 220. The running game is in solid hands with the 1-2 punch of 220-pound power back Jared Mangham, who ran for 15 TDs last year, and speed back Kelley Joiner, who averaged 6.15 yards per carry.
The defense has two serious issues that have to be resolved if the Bulls are to make real progress on that side of the ball: stopping the run and getting to the QB. The Bulls had issues stuffing the run in 2021 when five opponents ran for 250 or more yards. In their loss to Florida, the Gators were good for 363 yards and 8.25 per carry. They’re hoping that North Carolina transfer (former 4-star recruit) Clyde Pinder Jr. (6-0, 300), Missouri transfer Jatorian Hansford and Wake Forest transfer James Ash can bring some toughness and run-stopping ability up front. The Bulls have a decent pair of linebackers in Antonio Greer and Dwayne Broyles. All five starters return in the secondary, which could be good news or bad news. They were bad last year. The hope is that an improved pass rush (only 9 sacks last year) can reduce the number of big plays in the passing game from a year ago.
USF is still a work in progress. The Bulls are at a distinct disadvantage since they have below par facilities and play their home games off campus at Raymond James Stadium. Plans have been approved to build an on campus stadium that will seat 35,000. The school will be open for bids to design and build the new stadium later this summer with the plan to have it ready to go on or before the 2026 season.
The question is will Jeff Scott be around to coach the Bulls in their new digs? Although he’s just 3-18 through his first two seasons, he seems to have more than adequate support from the administration which is determined to get the football program on sound footing. The Bulls will be better this year, but seven or eight losses seem to be inevitable.
STERLIN THOMPSON SHOULD GO FIRST ROUND SUNDAY
In their latest mock Major League Baseball draft, ESPN has Florida outfielder/second baseman going to the Toronto Blue Jays with the 23rd overall pick in the first round. Prospects Live has him at No. 25 to the New York Yankees, while MLB.com sends him to the Milwaukee Brewers at No. 27. The Athletic has Thompson at No. 29 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Thompson is listed No. 34 to the Arizona Diamond Backs which means he would be in the competitive balance portion of the first round.
Prospects Live has UF righthander Brandon Sproat going No. 50 overall (second round) to the Colorado Rockies with center fielder Jud Fabian going No. 67 to the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball America has UF lefty Hunter Barco going No. 53 to the San Diego Padres.
The first two rounds plus competitive balance and compensation selections will be Sunday evening with round 3-10 on Monday and the final 10 rounds on Tuesday.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: When it comes to Big 12 Media Days, which got a head start on everybody else this week, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy wonders out loud why Texas and Oklahoma are even allowed to participate much less attend meetings in which business is discussed. That’s rather odd since Texas and Oklahoma are not only leaving for the SEC within a year or two, but as Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South writes, “Multiple sources told SDS in May that Texas and Oklahoma have been part of SEC business meetings since their admittance to the conference.”
You can’t blame Texas and Oklahoma on this one. Blame it on the Big 12, which should have bit the bullet months ago to negotiate a ransom payment for Texas and OU to leave the league. Texas and Oklahoma don’t lack for money. Neither do the SEC and ESPN, which both could have been in the room negotiating the exit. The Big 12 could have picked up $100 million or so in cash while shrewdly getting ESPN to dial up a media rights deal for its newly reshaped league.
Had the Big 12 been smart, it could have used its media days to announce that Texas and Oklahoma shouldn’t let the screen door hit them in the backside on the way out while announcing a partnership with ESPN for television broadcasts starting in 2023. Instead, all folks can talk about is the SEC, which is exactly what you are talking about these days when you discuss Texas and Oklahoma.
A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:
UF BASKETBALL PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS
They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions of the way Florida first year basketball coach Todd Golden conducts his practices get very high marks. Here are a few observations from a Thursday workout that Golden allowed the media to watch:
Quick, quick, quick: Everything is done at a breakneck pace. There isn’t time for a lot of standing around. Golden steps in, gives a concept, explains it in detail and expects his guys to pick it up and go with it. All the drills are conducted full speed and once one drill is complete, it’s on to the next, which will also be conducted at the same fast pace.
Point guard: Unlike the last two seasons in which the Gators have had a shooting guard in a point guard’s body running the offense, Golden has two pure points in Kyle Lofton and Trey Bonham. Lofton, who transferred in from St. Bonaventure where averaged 13.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists for his career, is a grown man. He plays with elite speed yet he’s fully under control. He is a difference maker at both ends of the floor. Bonham, who averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists last year at VMI is waterbug quick. He has an extra gear that we haven’t seen since Chris Chiozza.
Off guard: Belmont transfer Will Richard is impressive. He’s long and very athletic, deceptively quick. He’s got a very nice stroke. How is it he hit only 32.6 percent on his 3-pointers last year? He handles the ball well and is very intense defensively. Myreon Jones seems to have regained the shooting touch that he had at Penn State but went AWOL last year. When his feet are set and his shoulders are square, his shot looks great from the moment that it leaves his hand.
Wings: Kowacie Reeves has added about 10-15 pounds of muscle. He looks quicker and isn’t so tentative handling the ball. Every shot he takes looks like it’s going in. LSU transfer Alex Fudge is another one who has added some muscle not to mention an inch to his frame. He’s a legit 6-9 now. He is long and explosive. Thunder dunker. He could wind up being a stretch four. Niels Lane is making shots. No, he’s not going to be mistaken for the next great pure shooter, but the ball tracks nicely off his hands. During the defensive drills he’s an absolute stud.
Bigs: Colin Castleton is still rehabbing from surgery to repair his torn labrum. Jason Jitoboh looks to be in the best physical condition he’s been in since arriving on campus. He no longer looks soft and fluffy. He’s listed at 300 pounds on the UF roster, but he looks to be 20 or so pounds lighter than that and he is moving his feet quite well. Shot the ball well. I know it was just practice and not a scrimmage, but this was the best I’ve seen CJ Felder since the season began last year. He was under-utilized last year. He’s 240 now, far more defined physically and has much better lateral quickness.
Coaching: Golden is very hands on in his approach. He’s very vocal and gets maximum work in a short period of time. He emphasizes spacing, quick, accurate passing, ball movement and taking very good shots on offense. Defensively, the concepts are very sound and straight out of the Bruce Pearl handbook. Lots of emphasis on communication and rotation. Assistants Carlin Hartman and Kevin Hovde were very active. I like the way the staff interacts with players. Everybody from the coaches to the players to the managers seems to have fun yet plenty is accomplished.
GOLDEN COMPLETES ROSTER WITH ALEKSANDER SZYMCZYK
The final piece of the 2022-23 roster puzzle has been completed by the addition of Polish born power forward Aleksander Szymczyk (6-11, 240) who was developed at the international basketball academy in Munich and played for the Fraport Skyliners and the TSV Oberhaching Tropics under-19 teams. He’s grown an inch and put on 30 pounds (mostly muscle) in the past year or so. He had ankle surgery that sidelined him for four months midway through 2021.
Szymczyk has the typical European range on his jumper, which means he’s not afraid to launch a 3-ball, important in the Todd Golden offense, but reports out of Europe say he’s not afraid to mix it up underneath and rebound the basketball. He will be a freshman at UF in the fall and will be draft eligible in 2024.
UF roster as of July 14, 2022
Bigs (4): Colin Castleton (6-11, 240, GR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 280, SR); CJ Felder (6-7, 240, SR); Aleksander Szymcsyk (6-11, 240, FR)
Wings (4): Niels Lane (6-5, 215, JR); Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 190, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SO); Alex Fudge (6-9, 194, SO)
Guards (5): Myreon Jones (6-3, 177, GR); Kyle Lofton (6-3, 186, GR); Trey Bonham (6-0, 170, JR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 180, FR); Riley Kugel (6-5, 185, FR)
GAME THREE, SOUTH FLORIDA: SCOUTING THE BULLS
Team rankings: Lindy’s 102; Athlon 100
Head coach: Jeff Scott (3 years, 3-18); Offensive coordinator: Travis Trickett; Defensive coordinator: Bob Shoop
Last year vs. Power 5 opponents: 0-2
Last year vs. ranked opponents: 0-5
Last 10 years vs. Power 5 opponents: 7-20
Last 10 years vs. ranked opponents: 0-28
Last year’s offense: 23.2 points; 350.9 yards total offense; 158.5 yards rushing (3.91 per carry); 192.4 passing yards (6.5 per attempt); 25 sacks allowed; 21 turnovers (9 fumbles, 12 interceptions)
Last year’s defense: 34.7 points; 471.4 yards; 207.25 rushing yards (5.8 per carry); 264.2 passing yards (8.3 per attempt); 9 sacks; 17 turnovers forced (7 fumbles, 10 interceptions)
Top returning offensive players: QB Timmy McClain (1,888 passing yards, 7.2 per attempt; 5 TDs, 7 INTs; 238 rushing yards (1.93 per attempt, 4 TDs); RB Jared Mangham (160-671 rushing yards, 4.19 per attempt, 15 TDs); RB Kelley Joiner (78-480 rushing yards, 2 TDs); WR Xavier Weaver (41-715, 17.44 per catch, 2 TDs); Jimmy Horn Jr. (30-408 receiving, 13.6 per catch, 1 TD); LT Donavan Jennings (6-5, 327); LG Demetrius Harris (6-3, 309); C Brad Cecil (6-4, 302)
Top returning defensive players: MLB Antonio Greer (92 tackles, 3 INTs, 2 sacks, 2 fumbles forced); OLB Dwayne Broyles (68 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 fumbles forced); CB Daquan Evans (59 tackles, 3 pass breakups); NB Vincent Davis (69 tackles, 3.5 TFL); SS Matthew Hill (50 tackles, 1 INT); FS Mekhi Lapointe (59 tackles, 2 INTs; 3 pass breakups); CB TJ Robinson (31 tackles, 3 pass breakups)
This is year three for Jeff Scott, who won two games last year but had the Bulls competitive in five others, a serious upgrade from the previous season. Rebuilding the Bulls is not an overnight task but they are expected to at least double their win total from last season and be competitive in most games. Through good recruiting and nice use of the transfer portal, Scott has South Florida perhaps one year away from a winning record.
The Bulls run a spread offense that Scott brought with him from Clemson a couple of years ago. It incorporates a lot of the passing concepts of Chad Morris but it’s a bit more run heavy. Defensively, the Bulls will run out of a 4-2-5 set.
Last year’s anemic offense is expected to be far more productive thanks to an experienced offensive line where all five starters return and transfer quarterback Gerry Bohannon. The left side of the line – LT Donavan Jennings, LG Demetrius Harris, C Brad Cecil – is quite solid. Bohannon was the starter for 11 games at Baylor before he went down with an injury. He threw for 2,194 yards (7.9 per attempt) and 18 TDs (7 picks) while running for 323 yards (4.25 per carry) and nine TDs. He will be throwing to veteran wide receivers in Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. but the guy who turned heads during the spring was Clemson transfer Ajou Ajou, a fast and physical 6-3, 220. The running game is in solid hands with the 1-2 punch of 220-pound power back Jared Mangham, who ran for 15 TDs last year, and speed back Kelley Joiner, who averaged 6.15 yards per carry.
The defense has two serious issues that have to be resolved if the Bulls are to make real progress on that side of the ball: stopping the run and getting to the QB. The Bulls had issues stuffing the run in 2021 when five opponents ran for 250 or more yards. In their loss to Florida, the Gators were good for 363 yards and 8.25 per carry. They’re hoping that North Carolina transfer (former 4-star recruit) Clyde Pinder Jr. (6-0, 300), Missouri transfer Jatorian Hansford and Wake Forest transfer James Ash can bring some toughness and run-stopping ability up front. The Bulls have a decent pair of linebackers in Antonio Greer and Dwayne Broyles. All five starters return in the secondary, which could be good news or bad news. They were bad last year. The hope is that an improved pass rush (only 9 sacks last year) can reduce the number of big plays in the passing game from a year ago.
USF is still a work in progress. The Bulls are at a distinct disadvantage since they have below par facilities and play their home games off campus at Raymond James Stadium. Plans have been approved to build an on campus stadium that will seat 35,000. The school will be open for bids to design and build the new stadium later this summer with the plan to have it ready to go on or before the 2026 season.
The question is will Jeff Scott be around to coach the Bulls in their new digs? Although he’s just 3-18 through his first two seasons, he seems to have more than adequate support from the administration which is determined to get the football program on sound footing. The Bulls will be better this year, but seven or eight losses seem to be inevitable.
STERLIN THOMPSON SHOULD GO FIRST ROUND SUNDAY
In their latest mock Major League Baseball draft, ESPN has Florida outfielder/second baseman going to the Toronto Blue Jays with the 23rd overall pick in the first round. Prospects Live has him at No. 25 to the New York Yankees, while MLB.com sends him to the Milwaukee Brewers at No. 27. The Athletic has Thompson at No. 29 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Thompson is listed No. 34 to the Arizona Diamond Backs which means he would be in the competitive balance portion of the first round.
Prospects Live has UF righthander Brandon Sproat going No. 50 overall (second round) to the Colorado Rockies with center fielder Jud Fabian going No. 67 to the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball America has UF lefty Hunter Barco going No. 53 to the San Diego Padres.
The first two rounds plus competitive balance and compensation selections will be Sunday evening with round 3-10 on Monday and the final 10 rounds on Tuesday.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: When it comes to Big 12 Media Days, which got a head start on everybody else this week, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy wonders out loud why Texas and Oklahoma are even allowed to participate much less attend meetings in which business is discussed. That’s rather odd since Texas and Oklahoma are not only leaving for the SEC within a year or two, but as Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South writes, “Multiple sources told SDS in May that Texas and Oklahoma have been part of SEC business meetings since their admittance to the conference.”
You can’t blame Texas and Oklahoma on this one. Blame it on the Big 12, which should have bit the bullet months ago to negotiate a ransom payment for Texas and OU to leave the league. Texas and Oklahoma don’t lack for money. Neither do the SEC and ESPN, which both could have been in the room negotiating the exit. The Big 12 could have picked up $100 million or so in cash while shrewdly getting ESPN to dial up a media rights deal for its newly reshaped league.
Had the Big 12 been smart, it could have used its media days to announce that Texas and Oklahoma shouldn’t let the screen door hit them in the backside on the way out while announcing a partnership with ESPN for television broadcasts starting in 2023. Instead, all folks can talk about is the SEC, which is exactly what you are talking about these days when you discuss Texas and Oklahoma.
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