Xaivian Lee scores on a first half layup (Photo by Chris Spears) NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The three-ring circus that doubled as Florida’s 71-63 win over Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals was put into philosophical perspective by SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Rueben Chinyelu.   Asking and answering his own questions, Chinyelu said, “Was it ugly? Yes, of course. Was it beautiful? Winning is always beautiful even when it’s ugly.”   When the Gators

Alex Condon flushes one during Florida's 71-63 quarterfinal victory over Kentucky. Photo by Chris Spears. By Carlton Reese GatorBaitMedia.com   NASHVILLE—What are we to make of Friday’s quarterfinal 71-63 Gator victory over the Kentucky Wildcats? What was likely Florida’s poorest all-around performance in over six weeks is, at the same time, both disconcerting and encouraging. Any time a team shoots 38 percent from the field and just 3-for-20 from 3-point range while committi

The Gators swept the feisty Missouri team in Gainesville to start their SEC schedule. Taylor Shumaker took over the lead for the Gators in batting average now sitting at an even .500.

Rueben Chinyelu leads the nation in rebounding (Photo by Chris Spears) “Bad things, Man!” – Dennis Hopper in a 1980s Nike commercial   NASHVILLE, Tennessee – That’s what happens to opponents when the Florida Gators arrive at the arena in the mood to put a world class hurting on an opponent. Bad things, Man.   In laying waste to the rest of the Southeastern Conference to win the regular season championship, the 4 th -ranked and top-seeded Gators (25-6) won 13 of their 16 leagu

Is another NCAA title run in the works for the Gators? (Photo by Chris Spears) NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Road tripping to the Southeastern Conference Basketball Tournament. Half the fun is getting here.   It was about 7:45 when I left the continental United States. The once-thriving outlet mall at Lake Park, Georgia is 95 percent empty. I know it’s empty because there used to be a Polo store there and my car didn’t automatically take a right turn to get off I-75. South Georgia s

Then again, football problems are the easy ones. The real challenge sometimes comes at home.

"Money don't matter 2 night It sure didn't matter yesterday Just when u think u've got more than enough That's when it all up and flies..

(UAA Photo) “Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television. ” – Walt Kelly   Back on January 4, the day after the Gators lost their Southeastern Conference opener to Missouri, you didn’t have to look far or wide to find an expert ready to write off Florida’s chances to repeat as national champions. The Gators were 9-5 at the time and all five losses seemed to follow the same script – too many missed 3-point

  A lot of teams never really come back from that. But somewhere between getting humbled and getting angry, Florida found itself.

When he walked into Gainesville four years ago a 36-year-old kid from San Francisco with a résumé built entirely outside the Power 5 the

Bad News, Good News: The Gators lived on the wrong side of .500 in league play more often than not. But the men’s program scored big honors as the league named Todd Golden SEC Coach of The Year. After five roller‑coaster seasons, Florida has decided to part ways with women’s basketball coach Kelly Rae Finley. It’s not the ending anyone hoped for when Finley gave the program a jolt of life back in 2022, but in the unforgiving grind of SEC basketball, momentum can be fleeting.

Selena Harris-Miranda, Bridget Sloan, former NCAA champion and SEC gymnastics analyst eMjae Frazier (Chris Spears Photo) When LSU’s pixies marched into the O-Dome Sunday night, they had the look of a team every bit as good as the one that won the 2024 NCAA title. Maybe the best word to describe the difference in the gymnastics team that seemed to be making a living out of close call losses and the one that got a flip-for-flip, stuck landing-for-stuck landing win over 2 nd -ra