Florida Gators thread

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Gators Head Coach Urban Meyer released a statement through UF assistant athletic director Steve McClain confirming an ESPN report that UF DE Derrick Harvey has decided to enter the NFL Draft.

"Derrick has informed the coaching staff of his decision to enter the NFL draft. We appreciate his effort and dedication to the Gator program and we wish him the best of luck. "
Meyer also said in a text message Thursday that WR/TE Cornelius Ingram has not yet chosen whether to return for his senior year or join Harvey, his roommate, in the draft.
Harvey leaves after four years with the Gators, highlighted by his selection as the Defensive Most Valuable Player of last season's Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game. He finished this past season with a team-best 8.5 sacks, including two in Tuesday's Capital One Bowl versus Michigan.
Harvey told espn.com he is projected as a first round selection.

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UF's Ingram holds off making decision

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
Florida junior tight end Cornelius Ingram has not made a decision yet whether to return for his senior season or enter the NFL draft, his brother said Friday night.
"He's kind of torn," said Greg Bowie, Ingram's brother and the basketball coach at Hawthorne High School. "He's looking at all the options. He's going to take his time and then make his decision."
Yahoo.com reported Friday morning that Ingram had already made up his mind and was going to forego his senior season to enter the draft. The Web site even quoted Ingram, saying he felt it was just time to move on. But Bowie said Ingram had not talked to any media outlets and that he is still considering remaining at UF, where he is only seven credit hours short of his degree.
Bowie said Ingram recently received paperwork back from the NFL draft advisory board that projected Ingram would go in the second or third round of the upcoming draft.
"His paperwork didn't come back bad," Bowie said. "He's right around the second or third round. He's going to take his time and figure this thing out."
When Ingram put paperwork into the NFL in December, he said he would not return for his senior year if he was projected to go somewhere in the first three rounds.
Apparently that has changed.
At 6-4, 230 pounds, he is considered undersized for an NFL tight end and likely would project as an H-back (combination wide receiver-tight end), a position similar to the one he plays at UF.
Ingram was a multi-sport (football, basketball and track) star at Hawthorne High School who signed with Florida in 2004 with the intention of playing both football and basketball.
Ingram, a quarterback, redshirted his first year in football and saw very limited playing time in 19 games for the UF basketball team.
In 2005, Ingram decided to give up basketball to concentrate on football. After seeing the field in only one game during the 2005 season, Ingram came close to transferring to South Florida.
The coaches moved Ingram to tight end during UF's bowl preparation and he saw playing time at his new position in the Gators' Outback Bowl victory over Iowa.
The following season (2006), Ingram became a vital part of the offense (30 receptions for 380 yards and one touchdown) in helping the Gators win the SEC and national titles.
This season, Ingram caught 33 passes for 491 yards and seven touchdowns and was a second-team All-SEC selection.

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Harvey decides to go pro

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
Junior defensive end Derrick Harvey is foregoing his senior season at Florida to enter this spring's NFL draft.
"Derrick has informed the coaching staff of his decision to enter the NFL draft," UF coach Urban Meyer said in a statement released by UF on Thursday. "We appreciate his effort and dedication to the Gator program and we wish him the best of luck."
Harvey's roommate, junior tight end Cornelius Ingram, also is considering an early jump to the NFL. Meyer met with Ingram on Thursday, but Ingram still has not made his decision.
Some draft analysts are predicting Harvey could be a first-round pick in the draft.
As a redshirt sophomore last season, Harvey was named the defensive MVP of the BCS national championship game after recording a career-high three sacks and recovering a fumble in UF's 41-14 victory over Ohio State. As a third-year player, Harvey could have entered the draft after the title game, but elected to return for his junior season.
This season, Harvey became a full-time starter and recorded 6.5 sacks and 34 tackles. He finishes his career with 18.5 sacks and 76 tackles. As a sophomore, the 6-4, 262-pound Harvey recorded 11 sacks and 35 tackles despite starting only four games.
With so much inexperience on this year's defensive front, especially at the tackle positions, opposing offensive fronts focused on Harvey and often double-teamed him.

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Meyer's resolution: Better defense

by ROBERT DeANGELO, Sports Editor
Florida’s Kyle Jackson (3) blocks Michigan’s Ernest Shazor on a kickoff during Tuesday’s Capital One Bowl. Jackson, a former Fletcher High star, was playing in his final game as a Florida Gator. The senior began the season as Florida’s starting free safety. (photo by Rob DeAngelo) ORLANDO — For the Florida Gators to become “the New England Patriots of college football,” — head coach Urban Meyer’s goal — they’ll have to improve radically on defense after the performance turned in Tuesday against Michigan.

An eye-opening stat: In last year’s national championship game against Ohio State, Florida’s defense yielded just 82 total yards. Michigan marched 93 yards for a touchdown on its opening drive of the Capital One Bowl.

The Wolverines earned a 41-35 victory in front of nearly 70,000 fans at the Citrus Bowl, and it could have been a much more lopsided margin had Michigan quarterback Chad Henne not thrown two interceptions and Mike Hart not fumbled twice near the end zone.

Tim Tebow and the Gators’ offense struggled a bit against Michigan’s blitzes but still found enough rhythm to put 35 points on the board and take a fourth-quarter lead when Percy Harvin scored on a 10-yard reverse with 5:49 to play.

The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback said losing the bowl game was a bad way to end the season.

“We’ll just use this as motivation to work harder and get better,” Tebow said. “[The loss] definitely takes some of the positives out of the season.”

It was an inexperienced defense that let Florida down, however. That unit gave up 524 yards to Wolverines, allowing Michigan to score on seven of 13 possessions including the winning 18-yard TD pass from Henne to Adrian Arrington with 4:12 to go.

The Gators couldn’t stop the run (Hart rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns) or the pass (Henne had 373 yards in the air and three scores) nor could they cover Arrington (nine catches, 153 yards, two TDs) or speedster Mario Manningham (five receptions for 78 yards and a score).

“We expect more out of our corner play than that,” Meyer said. “That’s one of the areas where we’re going to have to improve greatly. And also, maybe change up coverages and do some things to give those guys a chance to develop.

“That’s an area that’s sub-par right now and we’ve got to get it fixed quickly. The good news is they’re all young and they’re coming back and they’re all going to be developed as we get going. That development has to start immediately.”

Meyer also indicated he wasn’t pleased with his team’s preparation for Michigan. “I don’t think we coached very well in certain areas,” he said, hinting staff changes might be coming. “I just want to watch and evaluate and make sure we’re doing the right things.”

It was apparent during the preseason that defense was going to be a primary concern for Meyer and staff. The Gators lost nine starters from the championship team and an inexperienced secondary was supposed to count on seniors Tony Joiner and Kyle Jackson, the latter of whom regained his starting position at free safety when Reggie Nelson opted for the NFL.

Jackson, who starred for the Fletcher High Senators before heading to Florida, lost the position to freshman Major Wright in September, but regained it when Wright broke his thumb in October. Wright reclaimed his starting role in the Gators’ final three games as well as Tuesday’s bowl contest.

Next season, Florida expects to return nine defensive starters and a host of backups. Joiner and defensive tackle Clint McMillan will graduate while junior defensive end Derrick Harvey is exploring the possibility of entering the NFL draft.

“We thought we had some answers early on,” Meyer said of this year’s defense. “It took us awhile to figure out we don’t and some young guys that we were counting on to play were not living up to the standards we expect.

“I’m hoping that changes. If it does, our goal is to be the New England Patriots of college football.”

Amid the disappointment following the bowl game loss, one member of the maligned defense has already begun to assume a leadership role for next season. “Throughout this whole offseason, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do,” said Gators sophomore linebacker Brandon Spikes. “It’s disappointing because I thought we had made some strides. People need to grow up and man up and get ready to make plays.”

Perhaps Florida fans were hoping for some late-game heroics from Tebow after the Gators fell behind, but the sophomore QB failed to move the team on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter.

While he finished 17-of-33 for 154 yards and three TDs passing, and 57 yards and another score on the ground, the former Nease High star vowed to work harder on finishing games.

“Obviously, my goal is to get a lot better,” said Tebow, whose last-gasp pass fell incomplete on a fourth-and-long with 22 seconds left. “And on the last drive, to be able to drive down and have a game-winning touchdown.”

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Offensive tackle Patchan picks Gators

By JOHN PATTON
Sun high school sports editor
11:49 pm, January 5, 2008
Florida football coach Urban Meyer didn't receive any of his desired commitments during Saturday's two high school All American games, but the Gators did get a big offensive lineman with a Miami pedigree.
Seffner Armwood's 6-foot-7, 265-pound offensive tackle Matt Patchan, whose father (also named Matt) was a Hurricane standout from 1984-87, committed to UF over UM. And if the younger Patchan's athletic ability is near that of his father, who still owns one of the fastest 40-yard dash times ever recorded for a Miami offensive lineman, the Gators picked up a player with a potentially bright future.
Listed as a five-star prospect, Patchan is rivals.com's No. 11 overall player nationally and its No. 3 offensive lineman. He also is listed on that site as having been clocked at 4.6 in the 40.
Originally scheduled to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Patchan pulled out in late December after coming down with mononucleosis. He made his college announcement Saturday from the Club Tampa Palms.
Patchan was Florida's 16th commitment and second on the offensive line.
The news wasn't all good for UF on Saturday, as Pompano Beach Ely cornerback Patrick Johnson and Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish tight end Tyler Edwards selected LSU, Ellenwood (Ga.) receiver Josh Jarboe picked Oklahoma (after teasing Florida was his pick), Chandler (Az.) athlete Gerell Robinson selected Arizona State, New Brunswick (NJ) athlete Brandon Smith chose Michigan and Louisville (Ga.) Jefferson County offensive guard A.J. Harmon decommitted to Clemson and picked Georgia. All six athletes listed UF among the schools they were considering.
All commitments are nonbinding. National signing day is Feb. 6.
In other news, Gainesville High School defensive end Earl Okine, a Gator commitment, was named defensive MVP of Friday night's Offense-Defense All-American Bowl from Miami. No longer a member of the Hurricanes' basketball team, Okine has said he will be enrolling at UF for the upcoming spring semester.

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Gator men's hoops set for SEC play

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
Florida sophomore forward Jonathan Mitchell remembered watching Southeastern Conference play for the first time from the bench last season.
"You could just see the competition, the physicalness was totally different," Mitchell said. "Last year, we got a little taste of it. It was a different animal. I don't even know if I was completely ready for it."
When Florida plays at Alabama tonight in a nationally televised game, the biggest challenge for a team of five new starters may come in how quickly they adapt to that level of intensity.
Florida finished 13-2 against a strength of schedule that ranks 340 out of 341 Division I teams according to the computerized Sagarin Ratings, which measures combined winning percentages of opposing teams.
Though Florida coach Billy Donovan was pleased with how his team handled the non-conference schedule, he understands the physical limitations his team faces in a league that's as athletically gifted as any in the country. The Gators lack of size and muscle across the frontline was exposed in an early loss to Florida State.
"Our team is what it is physically," Donovan said. "We're going to put ourselves in the best position to win just from effort and hard work and hustle and a will to win and battling mentality.
"We don't necessarily have the margin for error when you're dealing with the lack of experience and also the lack of size or physical strength, so we have to take what we can control and do a good job with those things."
Chief among those concerns will be containing Alabama junior forward Richard Hendrix. At 6-foot-8, 260 pounds, Hendrix was a difficult matchup for Florida even before its recent NBA frontcourt purge. Hendrix is second in the SEC in scoring (19.1 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.1 rpg).
"We've got our hands full with him," Donovan said. "I don't know if film does him justice on his strength and how physical he is. He's a terrific offensive rebounder and he does it before shots are taken up by getting great position."
It will present an immediate challenge for Florida sophomore center Marreese Speights, who has played more physical of late but will need to sustain that energy while avoiding fatigue and foul trouble.
"Certainly we can't expect a guy like Marreese to play the whole entire game against him one-on-one," Donovan said. "We've got to be able to provide some different help in different areas of the floor and try to slow him down some."
That could mean some added support from Mitchell and sophomore forward Dan Werner.
"He's a big, physical player, but he's not Michael Jordan," Mitchell said. "There are things that we can to do to try to stop him."
It also will serve as the first SEC game for Florida's top-ranked freshman class. Nick Calathes is leading the league in assists at 5.7 per game.
"We just have to go out there and play," Calathes said. "We have to be the toughest team out there. We have to want it more than anyone else. We've got to push it all of the time."
Florida will play five of its first eight league games on the road, before finishing with a flurry of home games in February. There's also a bye the week of Feb. 23, later than in previous recent seasons.

By then, Florida should have a better idea where it stands in the league.
"That's nice, but it's so far down the road," Donovan said. "Part of the challenge of our team will be our ability to live in the present moment and worry about what's going on today."
FREE THROWS: Donovan said he expects freshman forward Chandler Parsons (illness) to travel to Alabama despite missing practice Monday, "I don't know what he has right now but I know he's not in school," Donovan said. "Our trainers are going to take a look at him (Monday) afternoon. I anticipate him playing and traveling with us, but I'm pretty sure he will not practice."

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Gators finish 13th in final AP poll

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
As expected, the Florida Gators tumbled out of the top 10 in the season's final Associated Press poll following their Capital One Bowl loss to Michigan on Jan. 1.
The Gators, who ended the season 9-4, are ranked 13th in the poll, which was released Tuesday morning, only a few hours after LSU beat Ohio State to win the national championship in New Orleans.
LSU, of course, finished No. 1, followed by 11-2 Georgia at No. 2. It is the first time two teams from the same conference held the top two spots in the final poll since Nebraska and Oklahoma (Big 8) did it at the end of the 1971 season.
The Tigers collected 60 of the 65 first-place votes, with three going to the Bulldogs and one each to Southern Cal and Kansas.
The SEC enhanced its reputation as the nation's best conference, placing five teams in the final 15. Tennessee finished 12th and Auburn 15th.
After closing the regular season on a four-game winning streak, Florida had hoped for a top 10 finish in Urban Meyer's third season. But the 41-35 loss to the Wolverines in Lloyd Carr's last game ended that possibility.
In the next AP poll, the preseason poll that will come out next August, the Gators figure to be in the top 10, with Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow and the bulk of the starters returning.
The Gators have already started working on the 2008 season, and a big part of it has been recruiting. Seven members of the 2008 recruiting class are already enrolled (or about to be enrolled) in classes at UF and will participate in spring practice.
The early enrollees include Gainesville High standout defensive end Earl Okine, Seffner Armwood offensive lineman Matt Patchan, Pahokee cornerback Janoris Jenkins, Bethlehem, Pa., linebacker Brendan Beal, St. Augustine kicker Caleb Sturgis and two junior college transfers — wide receiver Carl Moore and defensive tackle Troy Epps. There's also a good chance Orlando Boone cornerback Jeremy Brown will be enrolled by the end of the week.
The Gators had nine early enrollees a year ago, including three who ended up being starters this past season — offensive guard Maurkice Pouncey, cornerback Joe Haden and punter Chas Henry.
Meyer has already said that Moore and Epps should have an immediate impact on the 2008 team.

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UF hoops survives the Tide

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As the final seconds ticked away, Florida freshman Jai Lucas clinched the ball and pumped his fist.
Then, with the final two free throws, Lucas punctuated an improbable and impressive Southeastern Conference road win for the Gators.
Florida rallied from as many as 10 in the first half and seven at halftime to beat Alabama 90-83 Tuesday night at Coleman Coliseum.
"I told our guys after the game, there are going to be 15 more just like this," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.
Florida's freshmen took center stage in their Southeastern Conference debuts. Guard Nick Calathes finished with 21 points with nine assists and Lucas added 19 points and three assists in front of his dad, former NBA coach and point guard John Lucas, who sat behind the Florida bench.
"Any time you have family there, it's nice, it's extra support," Lucas said. "It was just a big win for us. We needed to get started right in the SEC."
"It's a big win for us, but we can't dwell on it too much," Calathes said. "We have to get back to practice, work hard and stay humble."
West Palm Beach native Alonzo Gee led Alabama (11-5, 0-1 SEC) with 32 points, with forward Richard Hendrix adding 24 points and 16 rebounds.
Tied at 71, Florida (14-2, 1-0 SEC) appeared to take control of the game with an 11-0 run, taking an 82-71 lead on a pair of Walter Hodge free throws.
But Alabama stormed back, cutting the Florida lead to 82-79 when Hendrix made one of two free throws.
That's when Calathes threaded his final assist, a back-door, bounce pass between two Alabama defenders that Hodge caught and converted for an open layup to extend Florida's lead back to 84-79 with 1:21 remaining.
"It was a little risky," Calathes said. "I kind of had my eye on Walter and when I first threw it I was a little concerned. But I trusted that Walter was going to make the catch and make the play."
"I still felt like we needed to be aggressive," Donovan said. "They were coming at us, and the worst thing we could do in that situation was be passive and play laterally."
From there, Florida made six of its last 10 free throws to close the game out, with Dan Werner coming up with a big offensive rebound off a missed Calathes free throw. Had Werner not come up with the rebound, Alabama would have had the ball down 86-83 with 22.4 seconds remaining.
Werner was immediately fouled and made both free throws to close out the game.
Florida made 11-of-22 3-pointers, including seven-of-11 for the second half, and had 19 assists to off-set 17 turnovers. Hodge finished with a career-high 17 points and Werner had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Lucas cut the Alabama lead to 48-46 with a 3-pointer early in the second half, but the Tide responded with six straight points and appeared ready to run away at home with a 56-48 lead.
That's when Florida went to work. Calathes hit a 3-pointer and Lucas made two free throws to cut the Alabama lead to 56-53. After Alabama scored three straight points, Florida kept coming.
Calathes made two more free throws, then Hodge and Lucas hit back-to-back 3-pointers, giving Florida its first lead, 61-59, with 13:19 left.
Florida tried to stay with Alabama during an up-tempo first half. Alabama scored 12 first-half points off 10 Florida turnovers.
Hendrix made his presence immediately known, parking his 260-pound body in the line for an offensive rebound and putback of a missed free-throw to put Alabama up 4-0.
Florida had no answers to stop Gee, who scored on a variety of 3-point shots and baseline drives to the basket. After Florida freshman Alex Tyus tied the score at 15 in the first half, Gee led Alabama on a 7-0 run, scoring all seven points on a 3-pointer, layup in transition and driving layup to the basket.
Gee put Alabama ahead 38-28 with his third 3-pointer of the half, but Florida fought back, cutting the Alabama lead to 41-37 with 1:58 remaining on a pair of Jonathan Mitchell free throws.
All that work unraveled quickly. Alabama scored six straight points, extending the lead back to 47-37 on a Hendrix layup with 6.5 seconds remaining.
But Lucas worked the ball down the court in time to drill a 3-pointer at the buzzer, cutting the Alabama lead to 47-40 at halftime.

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Ingram staying for senior season

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
Florida wide receiver Cornelius Ingram has decided to return for his senior season. The former Hawthorne star reached a decision Wednesday, according to his brother, Greg Bowie.
"I think it's the best decision for him and I'm happy for what he wants to do," said Bowie, the basketball coach at Hawthorne High. "I think he just wants to work on a few more things and he wants that degree."
Bowie said Ingram is only seven hours shy of graduating.
Last Friday, Yahoo.com reported that Ingram had decided to forego his senior season to enter the NFL draft, even quoting Ingram. But Bowie said his brother had not made up his mind yet and was "sort of torn" on what to do.
Ingram did not return phone calls Wednesday night.
Ingram made the decision to stay at Florida after talks with his family and the UF coaching staff over the past few days, Bowie said.
"I think he's going to be a little more involved in the offense," Bowie said. "He's going to work on some things and put on a couple of more pounds. Whether he catches 40 or 50 passes next season, he's going to have to go to the NFL Combine and perform."
The NFL Draft Advisory Committee had projected that Ingram likely would have been a third-round draft pick if he entered the draft this spring.
Ingram initially said he would leave if he was projected to go in the top three rounds, but now he's decided to stay.
At 6-4, 230 pounds, Ingram is considered undersized for a tight end in the NFL and probably not quick enough to be an every-down wide receiver.
Bowie said Ingram plans to work on his strength and speed over the next year, which could give him a boost heading into next year's NFL Combine.
Ingram, who made the move from quarterback to wide receiver after the 2005 season, caught 33 passes for 401 yards and seven touchdowns this season. As a sophomore in 2006, he had 30 receptions for 380 yards and one touchdown in helping lead the Gators to the national title.
With Ingram returning, the Gators will have to replace only one player (wide receiver Andre Caldwell) at the offensive skill positions.

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Donovan turns focus to Auburn

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
Florida proved Tuesday night it could survive being down on the road in the Southeastern Conference.
But Florida coach Billy Donovan does not want that to translate into a false sense of bravado heading into Saturday's SEC home opener against Auburn.
"I'm scared to death of this," Donovan said. "I've been around too many young teams who embrace it or think it's easy and don't handle it the right way. In this league, you've got to be able to take success and keep on an even keel."
Florida did some things well, some things not so well in its 90-83 SEC-opening win Tuesday at Alabama. The Gators rallied from down 10 points in the first half and seven points at halftime, but defensive and turnover problems could have buried Florida early.
Sophomore center Marreese Speights had issues matching up with Alabama junior forward Richard Hendrix. Speights was held to six points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes before fouling out with 1:45 remaining.
Hendrix finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds and it could have been worse. Hendrix missed nine free throws and finished 12-for-21 from the line.
"I told our team if we don’t block out, Hendrix is going to set a free throw record for the SEC," Donovan said. "It seemed like he was at the free throw line the whole game."
Alabama swing-man Alonzo Gee presented problems on the perimeter, scoring 32 points by going 4-for-9 from 3-point range and 10-for-16 from two-point range.
"He probably needs to ice his arm down, getting all of those shots up," Donovan said. "We really didn't have an answer for them."
Somehow, Florida hung around, cutting the Alabama lead to 47-40 when freshman Jai Lucas hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer.
"That was a big shot," freshman guard Nick Calathes said. "It definitely gave us some momentum going into halftime. Bringing it to a seven-point game helped us a lot."
In the second half, Florida tightened on defense. The Gators held the Tide to 2-of-13 shooting from 3-point range in the second half after Alabama made six of its first 13 3-point attempts.
Florida's press forced turnovers in spots and kept the game up-tempo. With Donovan shuttling in nine players throughout the game, Florida seemed to wear Alabama down late, helping spark a game-deciding 11-0 run.
"We wanted to make the game an up-and-down game," Calathes said. "Our pressure wasn't really working in the first half. In the second half, we tightened up our pressure."
The Gators showed poise down the stretch, picking up a big basket late when Calathes found junior Walter Hodge for an open layup on a back-door cut. Florida made its free-throws late, finishing 21-of-26 from the line, compared to 15-for-26 for Alabama.
Overall, Florida passed its first SEC test in front of a hostile crowd. Young players like Calathes and Lucas matured quickly.
"It was everything I expected," Lucas said. "There was a packed house, we were on the road and we overcame adversity. It was big."

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UF hoops defense presses issue

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
After struggling to generate offense in the halfcourt against Auburn's swarming defense, Florida coach Billy Donovan turned to an old standby.
The full-court press jump-started Florida in the second half of its 72-56 win against Auburn on Saturday.
Florida forced six turnovers in the first seven minutes of the second half, with the press forcing several Auburn miscues. The Gators forced two quick turnovers with the press during a 7-0 run that extended the lead to 40-32, then followed it up by forcing a 35-second violation on a possession that began with full-court pressure.
"I thought our press was effective today," Donovan said. "We were very disruptive. We seem to have matured after the Alabama game. We've embraced it and are beginning to figure it out."
For the game, Florida forced 19 turnovers. Freshman guard Jai Lucas came up with a big steal off the press in the first half, leaping toward the sideline to intercept an Auburn in-bounds pass.
The press also allowed Florida to pick up the tempo and wear Auburn down late.
"I think it helps our team go up-and-down, tires the opponent," Florida freshman guard Nick Calathes said. "That's the way we want to play."
Mitchell starts
A foot injury to sophomore forward Dan Werner led to the first change in the Florida starting lineup this season.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Mitchell replaced Werner for his first career start.
Mitchell had a rough initiation to starting when Auburn forward Quan Prowell drove past him on a three-point play for the first basket of the game. But the 6-foot-7 Mitchell settled down, finishing with four points, two rebounds and a blocked shot in 16 minutes.
Werner, who suffered a strained ligament above his right foot earlier in the week, still played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
"It first bothered me the morning after the Alabama game," Werner said. "I couldn't practice, but I rode the bike. It didn't really bother me much during the game."
Donovan said he was surprised with Werner's production.
"I really didn't know what to expect," said Donovan, who later joked. "I hope he doesn't think the rest of the season is miss practice, ride the bike and play in the games."
Etc.
Florida posted its first sellout of the season, drawing 12,012 fans to the O'Connell Center on Saturday afternoon. ... The Gators won their seventh straight Southeastern Conference home opener. ... Sophomore center Marreese Speights extended his consecutive free-throws made streak to 16 with a two-for-two afternoon Saturday.

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL Florida 72, Auburn 56

Gators growing up, one game at a time

Jai Lucas leads Florida's 11-point run to close out another conference victory.

Dave Curtis
Sentinel Staff Writer
January 13, 2008
GAINESVILLE

Most days, these Baby Gators drive Billy Donovan nuts. Their youth makes them as inconsistent as any team he has coached here -- Thursday, he joked that some practices get so zany, he feels like he's on Mars.

But then there are the games, especially the close games, when Florida spends the stretch run looking quite veteran.

It happened in Tuesday's Southeastern Conference opener at Alabama and repeated itself against Auburn on Saturday, when UF closed out a 72-56 victory with an 11-point spurt.

"Maybe it wasn't always pretty," forward Dan Werner said. "But we got it done."

The pretty part came over the game's final 4:29, after two Quantez Robertson free throws pulled Auburn within 61-56. UF, which struggled on offense throughout the day, would score on its next five possessions. And Auburn wouldn't score the rest of the afternoon.

Point guard Jai Lucas scored seven of the run's 11 points and finished with 16 points. Backcourt mate Nick Calathes matched that total and helped Lucas carry Florida (15-2) to a second straight conference victory.

The duo also led the Gators down the stretch Tuesday night, when they used an 11-0 run to break a 71-71 tie and grab a 90-83 victory. The results are promising, especially for a young team never before placed in such situations.

"I don't know if it's as much somebody taking over the game," Lucas said. "We just kept playing together, and we made some really big shots."

The late run was necessary after a sluggish start to a game that tipped off a few minutes after noon. With Jonathan Mitchell in the starting lineup for Werner (sprained foot), UF watched undersized, undermanned Auburn take a 7-0 lead in the opening 77 seconds.

Florida's offensive struggles continued throughout the half against a mix of switching man-to-man, 2-3, and 1-3-1 defenses. During one stretch of 12 possessions, UF had three turnovers and two points.

Auburn (9-5, 0-2) outhustled the Gators as well, grabbing eight of the game's first nine rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds in the first half alone. Despite fatigue from playing Thursday night, and with just seven healthy scholarship players (and none taller than 6-8), the Tigers outrebounded UF 35-29.

"We just didn't box out like we were supposed to," Calathes said. "Didn't do what the coaches told us about rebounding."

They excelled in other areas -- a zone press forced 19 Auburn turnovers, and the Gators' perimeter defense held AU to 6-of-23 shooting from 3-point range. And down the stretch, for the second straight game, Florida made every key play and grabbed another victory.

"We seem to have matured after the Alabama game," Donovan said. "We embraced it, and we're beginning to figure it out."


Dave Curtis can be reached at dcurtis@orlandosentinel.com.

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Gators rising with new commitments


Monday, January 14, 2008 By NEAL McCREADY
Sports Reporter
When he wasn't on the air as part of ESPN's broadcast this past Monday night, Urban Meyer watched LSU beat Ohio State for the BCS national championship from the floor of the Louisiana Superdome, his cell phone constantly on his ear.
Some of that chatting appears to be paying off in the form of yet another top recruiting class.
Florida added two more commitments to its list of future Gators this weekend when Lake Gibson, Fla., offensive lineman Ricky Barnum and Buford, Ga., linebacker T.J. Pridemore chose Florida.
Verbal commitments are non-binding. National signing day is Feb. 6.
As of Sunday -- and prior to the most recent commitments -- Florida was ranked No. 7 by Rivals.com and No. 16 by Scout.com.
Barnum (6-foot-2, 275 pounds), who is likely destined for a college career as a center, saw his stock skyrocket earlier this month at the Under Armour All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla. He is ranked by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 4 center. He chose Florida over South Florida and West Virginia.
Pridemore will get looks at H-back and linebacker when he arrives in Gainesville, Fla., later this year.
"Coach Meyer, you can tell he has a lot of control and a lot of respect from his players and his other coaches," Pridemore told Rivals.com. "What (Meyer) brings to the field and the type of offense he runs down there as far as being a leader is what impressed me. He understands what's going on."
Pridemore (6-1, 228) had 115 tackles last season while leading his team to an unbeaten campaign and a state title. Pridemore had had originally committed to Georgia Tech but re-opened his recruiting when the Yellow Jackets fired coach Chad Gailey in November. He chose Florida over South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Ole Miss.
Pridemore's commitment could help Florida's pursuit of his high school teammate, defensive lineman Omar Hunter. Hunter (6-1, 295) is ranked No. 74 on the Press-Register's Super Southeast 120. He committed to Notre Dame this past summer but recently reneged on that commitment and is likely to sign with Florida or Georgia.
Pridemore's father, Tom, played at West Virginia and then spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons.
Rebels pick up two more Houston Nutt entertained his first group of official visitors as Ole Miss' coach over the weekend and the recruiting effort paid immediate dividends.
Nutt and the Rebels landed commitments from Southaven, Miss., fullback H.R. Greer and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College quarterback/athlete Jared Foster.
Greer rushed for 1,850 yards and 31 touchdowns last season as a tailback. He also had more than 40 tackles during part-time duties as a linebacker.
"Coach Nutt told me that they have other fullbacks and running backs, but they are mainly just runners and blockers," Greer told Rivals.com. "He said they really wanted me and that meant so much to me.
"It's easy to see that the staff is really special," Greer said. "It's a family atmosphere and definitely something I want to be a part of."
Greer chose Ole Miss over Duke, Memphis and Mississippi State.
Foster, a 6-4, 220-pounder from Madison, Miss., will enroll in classes at Ole Miss this semester. He'll likely go through spring drills at quarterback, though he could move to tight end or another position in the fall.
"I just wanted to be on the team," Foster told Scout.com. "(Nutt) told me that I was too talented to redshirt, but if I needed to, that would be an option. I do not care. I just want to be on the team."
Ole Miss likely positioned itself to eventually land the services of San Antonio, Texas, running back Devin Thomas. The U.S. Army All-American committed to Arkansas earlier in the process, but he told Scout.com that Ole Miss was "at the top; that is the best way for me to put it," following an official visit to Oxford over the weekend.
Thomas will visit Arkansas and Arizona State later this month before making a final decision. Despite playing just six games as a senior due to an injury, Thomas rushed for 1,477 yards and 17 touchdowns on 177 carries.
Byrd ready to be a Gamecock Hogansville, Ga., defensive end Ronald Byrd committed to South Carolina Sunday after leaving the Columbia, S.C., campus following an official visit over the weekend.
"It just felt right," Byrd told Rivals.com. "I liked everything I saw and everyone I met, so it just felt like the right thing to do."
Byrd, a 6-7, 260-pounder, chose the Gamecocks over offers from Louisville, Arkansas, Purdue and others.
Vanderbilt adds Jones Memphis outside linebacker DeAndre Jones committed to Vanderbilt Sunday, choosing the Commodores over Kentucky, Michigan State and Stanford.
The 6-foot, 223-pounder runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and could compete for early playing time next season in Nashville. Rivals.com ranked Jones, who prepped at Memphis University School, as the No. 10 prospect in Tennessee.
Sanders' UGA commitment rejected Clayton, Ohio, offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders called Georgia to commit this past weekend.
Georgia, however, had no room in its signing class for the 6-7, 270-pounder. Neither did Florida, which had just accepted a commitment from Barnum and had no available slots for offensive linemen.
"It was a disappointing situation for him," Sanders' father, Vincent Sanders, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He had told that school to hold a spot for him when he went on a visit there.
"And Zebrie had already called all the other coaches and told them he appreciated the experience, but he wanted to go elsewhere. Needless to say, now he feels like he has egg on his face."
Sanders is likely to sign with UCLA or Florida State.