FAU transfer Alijah Martin is one more piece to Golden's puzzle

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

Todd Golden added one more piece to the puzzle Sunday when Alijah Martin announced he is transferring to Florida from Florida Atlantic. A 3-year starter for Dusty May at FAU, Martin averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. In 124 games in four years at FAU, Martin scored 1,476 points.

The addition of Martin leaves Golden with two open scholarships. An offer has been extended to Lorenzo Cason (6-3, 195, Lakeland, FL Victory Christian), who signed with Florida Atlantic but got his NLI released when May left FAU to take the Michigan job. Cason played the point at Victory Christian but he also had scoring games of 57 and 45 points. The Gators are listed as one of the six final schools for Villanova transfer TJ Bamba (6-5, 208, SR), a career 38 percent 3-point shooter who averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last season.

The Gators could emerge as a landing spot for Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney (6-3, 180, SO), who Golden recruited very heavily when he was the head coach at San Francisco. An exceptional shooter, Mahaney averaged 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the Gaels last season. A year ago, the Gators were very much in the mix for Vanderbilt shooter Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 210, SR), who was in the portal but elected to return to Vandy. He’s in the portal again and this time expected to transfer.

Big guys (5): Micah Handlogten (7-1, 230, SO); Sam Alexis (6-9, 240, SO/TR); Alex Condon (6-11, 230, FR); Thomas Haugh (6-9, 215, FR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 245, FR/TR)

Guards/wings (6): Alijah Martin (6-2, 185, SR/TR); Will Richard (6-4, 206, JR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, JR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SO); Kaijus Kublickas (6-2, 170, FR); Isaiah Brown (6-5, 190, FR/Signed)

UF SOFTBALL: Gators stage comeback to win game three

Korbe Otis, the hottest hitter in the Southeastern Conference, scored all the way from first base on a 6th-inning single by Jocelyn Erickson to give Florida (37-10, 12-6 SEC) a come-from-behind 7-6 win over South Carolina Sunday afternoon. The win enabled the Gators to win the series from the Gamecocks and remain two games behind SEC leader Tennessee.

It was an uphill battle for the Gators, who fell behind 4-1 in the second, forcing Tim Walton to call on Mackenzie Wooten to come in from the bullpen to put out the fire. The Gators got one run back in the bottom of the second on an Emily Wilkie pinch-hit single and they took the lead at 6-5 in the fourth on a 2-run homer by Ariel Kowalewski, an RBI triple by Kendra Falby and an RBI single by Erickson.

South Carolina tied the score in the fifth, but Otis drew a one-out walk and one out later, Erickson delivered the game-winning hit.

The Gators will be home Wednesday against Florida State and home next weekend against Georgia.

SEC softball standings: 1. Tennessee (33-8, 14-4 SEC); 2. Texas A&M (37-9, 15-6 SEC); 3. FLORIDA (37-10, 12-6 SEC): 4. Arkansas (32-12, 11-7 SEC); 5. Georgia (36-11, 10-8 SEC); 6. LSU (35-10, 11-10 SEC); 7. Mississippi State (29-13, 9-9 SEC); 8. (TIE) Missouri (31-12, 8-10 SEC) and Alabama (31-12, 8-10 SEC); 10. Kentucky (28-15, 6-10 SEC); 11. South Carolina (29-17-1, 6-12 SEC); 12. Auburn (23-14-1, 5-11 SEC); 13. Ole Miss (24-22-1, 3-15 SEC)

UF BASEBALL: No easy games moving forward

The NCAA Tournament is not out of the question for the Gators (20-19, 8-10 SEC) but the margin for error is razor thin. Florida managed only one win in Nashville against Vanderbilt, but by salvaging the series with a 6-2 win Saturday there was a ray of hope.

Tyler Shelnut came through at the plate with a 3-run homer and a clutch 2-run double to salt the win away while Fisher Jameson shut the door on the Commodores (29-11, 10-8 SEC) with 3-1/3 innings of outstanding relief. Jac Caglianone gave the Gators a strong start but when Cade Fisher struggled with his control in the sixth, Kevin O’Sullivan went to the bullpen for Jameson, who delivered the best relief appearance of his career. Jameson gave up a harmless 2-out single in the seventh but otherwise was untouchable with no walks and six strikeouts.

Caglianone’s streak of nine straight games with a home run ended Saturday, but he got a single to increase his hitting streak to 17. Shelnut continued his recent power surge. He has four homers (12 for the season) and 12 RBI in his last six games.

With four SEC weekend series remaining along with two non-conference games, the Gators are on thin ice when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament. The magic number is 30, which may take a win or two at the SEC Tournament in Hoover to achieve.

“Obviously, everything is in front of us and every game matters,” O’Sullivan said. “I just talked about it again. Tuesday night is another big game for us. Every game seems like a playoff game and we're going to have to continue to play well, that's for sure.”

The Gators host Stetson Tuesday night in a non-conference game, then travel next weekend to Arkansas.

SEC baseball standings

East: 1. Kentucky (32-6, 15-2 SEC); 2. Tennessee (32-7, 11-6 SEC); 3. Vanderbilt (29-11, 10-8 SEC); 4. (TIE) Georgia (29-10, 9-9 SEC) and South Carolina (27-13, 9-9 SEC); 6. FLORIDA (20-19, 8-10 SEC); 7. Missouri (18-23, 6-12 SEC)

West: 1. Arkansas (34-6, 14-4 SEC); 2. Texas A&M (35-5, 13-5 SEC); 3. Mississippi State (26-14, 10-8 SEC); 4. Alabama (25-15, 7-11 SEC); 5. Ole Miss (21-18, 6-12 SEC); 6. LSU (25-16, 5-13 SEC); 7. Auburn (19-20, 2-16 SEC)

SEC BASKETBALL: A very active portal

Alabama

Outgoing: SF Kris Parker (6-8, 195, RFR); SG Rylan Griffen (6-5, 185, SO); SG Davin Cosby (6-5, 205, FR); Sam Walters (6-10, 198, FR)

Incoming: PG Houston Mallette (6-5, 180, JR) from Pepperdine; SG Chris Youngblood (6-4, 212, SR) from South Florida; PG Aden Holloway (6-1, 178, FR) from Auburn

Arkansas

Outgoing: PG Keon Menifield (6-1, 150, SO); F Denijay Harris (6-7, 200, SR); WG Joseph Pinion (6-6, 195, SO) to Arkansas State; C Baye Fall (6-10, 200, FR); SG Tramon Mark (6-5, 180, JR) to Texas

Incoming: C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 234, FR) from Kentucky; PF Jordan Burks (6-9, 220, FR) from Kentucky

Auburn

Outgoing: CG KD Johnson (6-0, 190, SR) to George Mason; PG Tre Donaldson (6-2, 190, SO) to Michigan; PG Aden Holloway (6-1, 178, FR) to Alabama

INCOMING: PG JP Pegues (6-1, 165, JR) from Furman

FLORIDA

Outgoing: SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 206, SO) to Kansas; PF Aleks Szymczyk (6-10, 250, RFR)

Incoming: PF Sam Alexis (6-9, 240, SO) from Chattanooga; C Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 245, SO) from Washington State; SG Alijah Martin (6-2, 185, SR) from Florida Atlantic

Georgia

Outgoing: SF Matthew-Alexander Moncrief (6-7, 220, SR); PG Justin Hill (6-0, 185, SR); C Jalen Deloach (6-9, 215, JR); SG Mari Jordan (6-8, 185, RFR); WF Jabri Abdur-Rahim (6-7, 214, SR) to Providence

Incoming: DeShayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO) from Mount St. Mary’s

Kentucky

Outgoing: SG Adou Thiero (6-6, 200, SO); SG Joey Hart (6-5, 203, FR) to Ball State; C Aaron Bradshaw (7-0, 220, FR) to Ohio State; C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 234, FR) to Arkansas;  PG DJ Wagner (6-3, 175, FR);  PF Jordan Burks (6-9, 220, FR) to Arkansas

Incoming: PF Amari Williams (6-10, 227, SR) from Drexel

LSU

Outgoing: SF Mwani Wilkerson (6-5, 205, SO); SG Carlos Stewart (6-1, 185, JR) to Santa Clara

Incoming: PG Cam Carter (6-3, 195, JR) from Kansas State; PG Jordan Sears (5-11, 175, JR) from UT-Martin

Mississippi State

Outgoing: PG Andrew Taylor (6-3, 190, SR); SG Trey Fort III (6-4, 195, JR); PF Jaquan Scott (6-8, 230, JR); SG Shakeel Moore (6-1, 180, SR)

Incoming: PG Kanye Clary (5-11, 192, SO) from Penn State; SG Claudell Harris Jr. (6-3, 190, JR) from Boston College; C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, FR) from Miami

Missouri

Outgoing: SG Curt Lewis (6-5, 215, JR); PF Jesus Carralero (6-8, 210, SR); SG John Tonje (6-5, 222, SR); C Jordan Butler (7-0, 230, FR) to South Carolina  

Incoming: PF Jacob Crews (6-8, 210, JR) from UT-Martin; SG Tony Perkins (6-4, 210, SR) from Iowa; PF Mark Mitchell (6-8, 220, SO) from Duke; PG Marques Warrick (6-2, 170, SR) from Northern Kentucky

Oklahoma

Outgoing: CG Otega Oweh (6-5, 210, SO) to Oregon; PF John Hugley (6-9, 240, JR) to Xavier; PG Javian McCollum (6-1, 170, JR) to Georgia Tech; PG Milos Uzan (6-4, 183, SO) to Houston

Ole Miss

Outgoing: PF Rashaud Marshall (6-9, 220, FR) to Arkansas State; C Malique Ewin (6-10, 240); Jacob Gazzo (6-8, 215, FR); PF Cameron Barnes (6-9, 195, FR); C Moussa Cisse (6-10, 220, SR)

Incoming: PF Mikeal Brown-Jones (6-8, 210, SR) from UNC-Greensboro; C Malik Dia (6-9, 240, SO) from Belmont; Davon Barnes (6-5, 212, JR) from Sam Houston State; SG Drew Davis (6-5, 220, SR) from Seton Hall

South Carolina

Outgoing: PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 184, JR) to Ohio State; CG Ebrima Dibba (6-5, 214, SR); C Josh Gray (6-11, 255, SR)

Incoming: C Jordan Butler (7-0, 230, FR) from Missouri

Tennessee

Outgoing: SG Freddie Dilione (6-5, 185, FR); SG D.J. Jefferson (6-5, 2-7, FR); PF Tobe Awaka (6-8, 250, SO); C Jonas Aidoo (6-11, 230, JR)

Incoming: SG Darlinstone Dubar (6-6, 207, SR) from Hofstra

Texas

Outgoing: SF Alex Anamekwe (6-6, 200, SO); PG Chris Johnson (6-5, 180, FR); PF Dillon Mitchell (6-8, 205, SO); PG Tyrese Hunter (6-0, 170, JR)

Incoming: SG Tramon Mark (6-5, 180, JR) from Arkansas; PF Jayson Kent (6-8, 205, SR) from Indiana State; PG Julian Larry (6-3, 185, SR) from Indiana State

Vanderbilt

Outgoing: PG Paul Lewis (6-2, 170, SO); C Lee Dort (6-10, 245, SO) to California; SG Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 200, SR); PF Colin Smith (6-8, 220); SG Jason Rivera-Torres (6-6, 180, FR); PF Carter Lang (6-9, 235, FR); WG Isaiah West (6-2, 190, FR)

Incoming: PF Jaylen Carey (6-8, 245, FR) from James Madison; SF Tyler Nickel (6-7, 200, SO) from Virginia Tech; SG Grant Huffman (6-3, 185, SR) from Davidson; SG Jason Edwards (6-1, 170, FR) from North Texas

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: At some point, probably in the very near future, Jenny Rowland won’t be knocking on the NCAA championship door. Instead, she will be kicking it down. It is a matter of when not if the Gators will be winning another national championship.

Florida finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth Saturday after an unfortunately slow start on vault and some uncharacteristic low scores on balance beam. That the Gators even made it to the final four is remarkable considering how heavily Rowland had to rely on three freshmen Additionally, last year’s best SEC freshman and All-American Kayla DiCello took her sophomore year off to prep for the Olympics while 5-star signee Sky Blakely delayed her enrollment until after the Paris Olympics. Those two will be with the Gators next year, as will Leanne Wong, who won the bars and floor Saturday with 9.950 scores; Sloane Blakely; former US National team member Riley McCusker, who missed the 2024 season with an injury; and this year’s outstanding freshmen Anya Pilgrim, Skylar Draser and Danie Ferris. The UF roster will also include 5-star recruit Lily Bruce and 4-star recruit Taylor Clark.

Rowland has kept Florida gymnastics as one of the two best programs in the country since taking the program over from Rhonda Faehn. Florida finished fourth in 2021, second in both 2022 and 2023 and fourth again this year. The Gators won the SEC regular season championship – the only one that really counts, not the one-day event in New Orleans that LSU celebrated – for the sixth straight year.