When you've seen every Super Bowl, it's tough to pick, but there's one in particular that I will always cherish.

Tommy Haugh scores over A&M's Ruben Dominguez (Photo courtesy of UAA Communications)   They came in droves, filling Reed Arena to the rafters, believing Bucky Ball would slay Goliath. When Jacari Lane drove for a layup with 18:09 left in the half that gave Texas A&M a 2-1 lead, hope sprung eternal among Aggie fans.   It didn’t last very long. It took nearly 10 minutes for the Aggies to see the ball go through the net again and that was a Jamie Vinson free throw with 8:31 to go. And, another 45 seconds before they got a second two-point basket, this one a second-chance layup from Zach Clemence.   By then it was 13-5 and the Florida Gators were turning what Aggie fans had hoped for a monumental upset into nuclear winter. Prior to the Clemence layup, Texas A&M was 1-25 from the field and 0-for-its-first-12 threes. The famed Bucky Ball press was proving to be nothing more than a nuisance. No, the Gators weren't piling on the points, but they really didn’t have to. The Gators were more than content to go about winning ugly.   It was 30-19 at the half, rather pedestrian but for the Gators rather non-threatening. The Gators threw in some finesse, amped up the tempo and left the Aggies gagging in the tall grass on the side of the road in the second half.   “I thought we played well in the first half and we knew that we were going to get their best shot coming out at halftime,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Gators hung 56 on the Aggies in the second half to walk away with an 86-67 win that left UF in sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 2014.   Well, the Aggies best shot resulted in more points and a faster tempo. What it didn’t do was put a dent in the 19 th -ranked Gators (17-6, 8-2 SEC). The Aggies wanted to play fast. The Gators obliged.   Slow pace, fast pace. It really didn’t matter. Either way a Florida feeding frenzy.   “It was the same story as the first half, got to make sure we don't let their 3-point shooters get off,” Golden said. “We've got to make sure we take care of the basketball. The message at halftime was we did a really poor job rebounding in the first half. We were minus-2 overall, and I thought we were not as physical as we needed to be that way. We obviously defended well in the first half. We took care of the ball well enough in the first half, but we really challenged our guys to do a better job rebounding in the second half, and we did that. We were plus-9 on the boards in the second half."   The Gators were plus-everything in the second half. What the Aggies discovered was their bell-to-bell pressure designed to wreak havoc might work well against the rest of the Southeastern Conference, but first and foremost, it doesn’t work well at all against a team that (a) is next to impossible to press because its guards don’t get trapped nor do they turn the ball over; (b) totally dominates the paint; (c) goes eight-deep with plug-and-play athletes who turn brush fires into blazing infernos; and (d) has the SEC’s best player in Tommy Haugh, ready to atone for a 1-point, 1-rebounds first 20 minutes.   The Gators turned the ball over nine times, six in the first half and just three in the second. Starting guards Boogie Fland had nine points, three rebounds, four assists and only two turnovers, and Xaivian Lee scored 10, grabbed three rebounds, handed out three assists and didn’t turn the ball over.   “We had nine turnovers,” Golden said. “A couple early a little fluky. I think we had four turnovers in the first six or seven minutes of the game and then five the rest. Our ability to not only take care of the ball but really advance it and attack in transition led to a lot of runouts and dunks for us in the second half, and I thought our guys did a really good job of playing fast, but not in a hurry."   In the paint, the Gators outscored the Aggies, 48-24. The Gators outrebounded the Aggies 50-43, which was a bit deceiving. The Aggies launched so many threes that the rebounds came out long on the perimeter. A&M was 1-14 on first half threes, 9-34 for the game (26.5 percent).   Rueben Chinyelu (10 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocked shots), Alex Condon (4 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot) and Tommy Haugh (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal) did their usual damage.   Off the bench, Urban Klavzar scored 11 with two rebounds and an assist. Isaiah Brown scored 12 with three rebounds and an assist. Micah Handlogten had six points, seven rebounds and two steals.   Haugh made a statement that he’s the best player in the SEC when he put together 21 points, six rebounds and two assists in the second half. It was 61-40 when Haugh made the Aggies his personal whipping boy. Over the next six minutes he was the Aggie’s’ worst nightmare, scoring 15 of Florida’s 20 points.   To combat what Florida was throwing at them, the Aggies were all but helpless to stop the onslaught. Although they shot the ball better in the second half, their numbers were nothing to write home about. Texas A&M went 22-72 from the field (30.6 percent) and that included missing 16 of 25 layups. They were outscored on the fast break 21-7 and their nine forced turnovers resulted in only three points.   "I thought our guys did an incredible job of being on the scouting report,” Golden said. “Obviously A&M has some lethal shooters and some really aggressive, physical drivers, and our guys did a really good job of understanding that personnel. When they start that way [in the first half], there's a little luck involved in that, also. But I think big-picture-wise, our guys did a really good job of getting them to take the shots that we wanted them to take. And once they missed a few, I thought it snowballed a little bit. Second half, we obviously didn't defend nearly as well, gave up three times as many points as we did in the first, but we got off to a great start that way."   The way the Gators came out of the locker at halftime, the Aggies were completely doomed. Florida went on a 24-5 run that stretched the lead to 52-24 in the first five-and-a-half-minutes. Florida scored on 27 of 37 possessions.   It was supposed to be a showdown and a clash of styles. The only thing it proved to be was just another day at the office for the Florida Gators, who travel to Athens to face Georgia Wednesday.   SEC in kenpom.com national analytics: 7. FLORIDA 17-6; 14. Vanderbilt 19-5; 18. Tennessee 16-7; 20. Alabama 16-7; 23. Arkansas 17-6; 30. Auburn 14-9; 31. Kentucky 17-7; 33. Texas A&M 17-6; 34. Texas 15-9; 37. Georgia 17-6; 51. LSU 14-9; 52. Missouri 16-7; 61. Oklahoma 12-12; 67. Ole Miss 11-12; 88. Mississippi State 11-12; 96. South Carolina 11-13 Saturday SEC scores Oklahoma (12-12, 2-9 SEC) 92, No. 15 Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC) 91: Vanderbilt trailed by 21 with 4:59 to go but the Commodores rallied and nearly pulled out an impossible win.  Xzayvier Brown hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left to put Oklahoma ahead 92-88, saving the game for the Sooners, who broke a 9-game SEC losing streak. Brown led the Sooners with 20 points. Tyler Tanner, who at one point was 4-16 from the field, hit six of his last seven shots to lead the comeback, finishing the game with 37 points, three rebounds, nine assists, five steals and two blocked shots.    No. 21 Arkansas (17-6, 7-3 SEC) 88, Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7 SEC) 68: Arkansas clamped down on Mississippi State’s 3-point shooters, holding them to a combined 3-15 including 0-4 by leading scorer Josh Hubbard. Darius Acuff Jr. led Arkansas with 24 points, eight assists and just one turnover. The Razorbacks, who were down two starters, had 24 assists on 36 made baskets. Hubbard scored 16 for the Bulldogs, who lost their seventh game in the last eight.   Kentucky (17-7, 7-3 SEC) 74, No. 25 Tennessee (16-7, 6-4 SEC) 71: The Volunteers blew a 14-point halftime lead. Kentucky took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Collin Chandler with 32 seconds to go and then held on, surviving a buzzer beater scare when Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s 50 foot shot at the buzzer clanged off the iron. Otega Oweh had 21 points to lead Kentucky while Denzel Aberdeen scored 16 including a pair of clutch free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining. Nate Ament of Tennessee led all scorers with 29.   Alabama (16-7, 6-4 SEC) 96, Auburn (14-9, 5-5 SEC) 92: The difference was at the 3-point line where Alabama connected on 12-23 while Auburn was just 9-28. Auburn had several chances to tie or go ahead late game but couldn’t hit crucial shots when it needed them most. For Alabama, Labaron Philon Jr. had 25 points, five rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Tahaad Pettiford with 25 and Keyshawn Hall with 24 led Auburn.   Georgia (17-6, 5-5 SEC) 83, LSU (14-9, 2-8) 71: The Bulldogs broke a 3-game losing streak in SEC play by taking down LSU behind 23 points from Kanon Catchings. Georgia shot 51 percent overall and 10-25 (40 percent) from the 3-point line. LSU managed only 5-23 from three. Max Mackinnon led LSU with 26.   Missouri (16-7, 6-4 SEC) 78, South Carolina (11-13, 2-9 SEC) 59: The Gamecocks went down in flames for the fifth straight game as Missouri held them to 17-59 shooting from the floor overall and 3-22 from the 3-point line. Mizzou was led by Mark Mitchell, who had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Jayden Stone, who scored 22. South Carolina got 13 points from Meechie Johnson.   Texas (15-9, 6-5 SEC) 79, Ole Miss (11-12, 3-7 SEC) 68: Ole Miss rallied from an 18-point first half deficit to take the lead in the second half, but the Rebels were outscored 14-0 in the final four minutes. Matas Vokietatis led Texas with 27 points and seven rebounds. Eduardo Klafke led Ole Miss with 14.   Tuesday’s games No. 15 Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC) at Auburn (14-9, 5-5 SEC) No. 21 Arkansas (17-6, 7-3 SEC) at LSU (14-9, 2-8 SEC)   Wednesday’s games No. 17 FLORIDA (17-6, 8-2 SEC) at Georgia (17-6, 5-5 SEC)) Missouri (16-7, 6-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-5, 7-3 SEC) Alabama (16-7, 6-4 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-12, 3-7 SEC) No. 25 Tennessee (16-7, 6-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (11-13, 2-9 SEC): The Gamecocks are always hustling, but they don’t have any size, they lack shooters and they turn the ball over way too much. Situation grim. Very grim.   15. Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7 SEC): Chris Jans won’t lose his job this year, but he’ll be on the hot seat next. They’ve lost five in a row and the next two (at Alabama, at Florida) are going to edge the Bulldogs closer to a losing season.   14. Oklahoma (12-12, 2-9 SEC): Porter Moser got an SEC win, surprisingly on the road at Vanderbilt. Can he get to six SEC wins? That might save his job.   13. LSU (14-9, 2-8 SEC): If Matt McMahon survives and is the coach next year, he should send expensive Christmas presents to Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin. The cost of firing Kelly and hiring Kiffin may make firing McMahon prohibitive.   12. Ole Miss (11-12, 3-7 SEC): The NIT is starting to seem like a pipe dream. Right now avoiding a losing season is first and foremost the goal.   11. Missouri (16-7, 6-4 SEC): The next five games are brutal for a Mizzou team that finds itself squarely on the NCAA bubble.   10. Texas (15-9, 6-5 SEC): The Longhorns have to get to 10 SEC wins to make the NCAA Tournament.   9. Georgia (17-6, 5-5 SEC): Georgia may have regained its lost mojo in Baton Rouge when the Bulldogs came from 15 down in the first half to win by 12. They struggle defensively, but they can win a lot of track meet style games.   8. Auburn (14-9, 5-5 SEC): The Tigers are getting killed on the boards. If they can’t rebound better they may find themselves on the NCAA bubble. 7. Tennessee (16-7, 6-4 SEC): Two of the four SEC losses are to Kentucky. In both games the Vols blew double-digit leads. They desperately miss Zakai Ziegler.   6. Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC): The longer Duke Miles and Frankie Collins are out with injuries, the more susceptible the Commodores will be to losing. Tyler Tanner needs help in the worst way.   5. Texas A&M (17-5, 7-3 SEC): Bucky Ball is very difficult to prepare for. When the Aggies force opponents into helter-skelter, up-and-down games they can overcome the fact they have the shortest and least talented roster in the SEC.   4. Alabama (16-7, 6-4 SEC): The Crimson Tide and defense are two ships passing in the night. Way, way apart. When they can’t make threes they’re toast. Concede the three to them and they’ll burn you.   3. Kentucky (17-7, 8-3 SEC): The Wildcats can’t rebound and they’re not very good shooting threes, but they’ve won eight of their last nine SEC games. Go figure.   2. Arkansas (17-6, 7-3 SEC): The Razorbacks better hope the injuries to Karter Knox (knee) and DJ Wagner (ankle) heal up in a hurry. When at full strength, the Hogs can beat everyone in the league but Florida.   1. FLORIDA (17-6, 8-2 SEC): The Gator Boyz are heating up again and looking very formidable. Easily the best team in the SEC.

Xaivian Lee's defense will be critical tonight against the Aggies (Photo by Chris Spears)   Nobody in the Southeastern Conference plays with a bigger chip on their shoulder than the Texas A&M Aggies (17-5, 7-2 SEC). First-year coach Bucky McMillan has sold the Aggies on an us against the world mentality and it’s working quite well. The Aggies are the most vertically challenged team in the SEC and from a pure talent perspective, they probably rank among the bottom feeders.   Yet, McMillan, a high school coaching legend in Alabama who took Mountain Brook to five state championships and followed that up with 99 wins in five years as the head coach at Samford, has gotten the Aggies to adapt well to what has become known as “Bucky Ball.” That’s bell-to-bell full court pressure with the intent of turning every game into a track meet where everybody has the green light to bomb away from the 3-point line.   It is working well enough that the Aggies are tied with 17 th -ranked Florida (16-6, 7-2 SEC) for the conference lead. Texas A&M is second in the SEC in scoring (92 points per game) and leads the league in 3-point percentage (37.6). Alabama and Georgia both play at a very fast pace, but nobody presses and forces tempo quite like the Aggies.   That is the challenge for the Gators tonight (8:30 p.m., SEC Network) when the Gators take on the Aggies at sold out Reed Arena in College Station. Todd Golden loves it when the Gators play at a fast pace, but taking care of the basketball is essential. Early season losses to Arizona, TCU, UConn and Duke had plenty to do with turnovers (59 combined in those four games). In their last seven games, the Gators (6-1) have turned it over only 61 times.   The two teams that have tried to beat the Gators with consistent full court pressure were Vanderbilt and Alabama. Florida turned the ball over 10 times against Vandy but rarely against the press. Against Alabama, the Gators turned it over only twice the entire game, both times in the second half.   Teams that press the Gators rarely force a bad inbounds pass. If Tommy Haugh and Xaivian Lee are covered up, Alex Condon is the release guy in the middle, who either pitches it back immediately to Boogie Fland, a one-man wrecking crew against the press, or puts the ball on the deck and breaks the press himself.   Against Alabama, the Gators broke the press easily and turned it into fast break advantages at the other end. Condon had a brilliant game as both a scorer (25 points) and ball handler (six assists). Fland, who scored 15, had eight steals and eight assists as well.   Florida has a huge size advantage over the Aggies, but so does nearly every team A&M plays. The Gators have to value the basketball, dominate the rebounding to force the Aggies into a lot of one-and-done trips down the court, and they have to force the Aggies off the 3-point line. Alabama tried to lure the Gators into a 3-point shooting contest, but instead of trying to match Bama shot-for-shot, the Gators took only 13 threes (made three). The Gators didn’t have to take threes. They moved the ball so efficiently (24 assists) that they got the shots they wanted on the inside.   Figure the Aggies will try to tempt the Gators into taking a lot of threes by clogging up the lane. South Carolina and Alabama have tried that the last two games and the Gators have responded with great passing for dominant inside play.   At some point this season, the hope is that the 3-point shots will fall somewhere between 30-35 percent of the time, but until they do, they have to impose their will on opponents. The last two games have been a blueprint on how to win without killing it from deep.   The same formula should work again tonight.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 17 FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR)   Texas A&M (17-5, 7-2 SEC): Rashaun Agee (6-8, 231, SR); Ruben Dominguez (6-6, 213, SO); Rylan Griffin (6-5, 181, SR); Marcus Hill (6-3, 192, SR); Jacari Lane (6-0, 178, SR)   SEC teams in kenpom.com national analytics: 7. FLORIDA 16-6; 13. Vanderbilt 19-3; 17. Tennessee 16-6; 21. Alabama 15-7; 25. Arkansas 16-6; 27. Auburn 14-8; 29. Texas A&M 17-5; 31. Kentucky 16-7; 33. Texas 14-9; 41. Georgia 16-6; 48. LSU 14-8; 56. Missouri 15-7; 66. Ole Miss 11-11; 71. Oklahoma 11-12; 84. Mississippi State 11-11; 88. South Carolina 11-12   SEC teams in barttorvik.com analytics: 8. FLORIDA 16-6; 10. Vanderbilt 19-3; 14. Tennessee 16-6; 20. Alabama 15-7; 23. Texas A&M 17-5; 29. Arkansas 16-6; 32. Auburn 14-8; 40. Texas 14-9; 41. Georgia 16-6; 42. Kentucky 16-7; 56. LSU 14-8; 58. Missouri 15-7; 75. Oklahoma 11-12; 79. Mississippi 11-11; 83. Mississippi State 11-11; 94. South Carolina 11-12   SEC in NCAA NET rankings: 11. FLORIDA; 14. Vanderbilt; 20. Tennessee; 23. Alabama; 26. Arkansas; 28. Kentucky; 30. Auburn; 35. Georgia; 36. Texas A&M; 38. Texas; 56. LSU; 68. Missouri; 83. Ole Miss 11-11; 85. Oklahoma 11-12; 95. Mississippi State 11-11; 105. South Carolina 11-12   SEC teams in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology West: 1. Arizona; 2. Nebraska; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Virginia (SEC teams: 5. Alabama; 7. Kentucky)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Houston; 3. Purdue; 4. Vanderbilt (Other SEC teams: 6. Arkansas; 8. Texas A&M)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Texas Tech (Other SEC teams: 8. Auburn)   East: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Kansas; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Georgia; 11. Texas)   SEC teams in CBS Sports bracketology West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Virginia (Other SEC teams: 5. Tennessee; 6. Arkansas; 7. Auburn)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. BYU (SEC teams: 11. Missouri)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Michigan State; 4. FLORIDA (Other SEC teams: 9. Texas A&M)   East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Gonzaga (SEC teams: 5. Alabama; 6. Kentucky; 9. Georgia; 10. Texas)   SEC BASKETBALL Saturday’s games No. 17 FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-5, 7-2 SEC) Oklahoma (11-12, 1-9 SEC) at No. 15 Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC) No. 21 Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC) No. 25 Tennessee (16-6, 6-3 SEC) at Kentucky (16-7, 7-3 SEC) Alabama (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC) Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-11, 3-6 SEC) at Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC) Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at South Carolina (11-12, 2-8 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. Oklahoma (11-12, 1-9 SEC): Nine straight losses have Sooner faithful begging the admin to start searching diligently for a coach to replace Porter Moser.   15. South Carolina (11-12, 2-8 SEC): The faithful are questioning the admin, which gave Lamont Paris a 6-year contract extension that runs through 2030. The Gamecocks are all but certain to post a third losing season in the last four.   14. Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC): To avoid a losing season, the Bulldogs need six wins in their last nine games. That would take a miracle of changing water into wine proportions.   13. LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC): Three more wins and the Tigers will have a winning season. To have any chance at all at the postseason, the Tigers have to find four wins in the last nine.   12. Ole Miss (11-11, 3-6 SEC): Chris Beard’s team puts up a good fight against everyone, but the talent just isn’t there.   11. Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC): Some nights the Tigers can play with anybody. Others they play like bottom feeders. You never know which team is going to show up.   10. Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC): The Longhorns are starting to play like a team that could make the NCAA Tournament. The next four games are very winnable.   9. Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC): The Bulldogs have lost three in a row and they have the look of a team ready to punch its ticket to the NIT. Mike White’s team can score but they can’t stop anyone.   8. Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC): The Tigers had a week to get their collective act together. They get Bama at home Saturday. If they’re going to make a run at the NCAA that would be a good place to start.   7. Alabama (15-7, 5-4 SEC): The Tide can’t play a lick of defense. Charles Bediako hasn’t really helped and there is a genuine lack of teamwork.   6. Kentucky (16-7, 7-3 SEC): The Wildcats can play great (see Arkansas in Fayette Nam) and they can also stink it up (see Vanderbilt in Nashville). You never know which team is going to show up.   5. Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC): The Hogs have a get well game at Mississippi State. If they don’t get on a roll soon, this is a team that could easily go in the tank.   4. Tennessee (16-6, 6-3 SEC): The Vols take the momentum of four straight wins to Lexington where Felix Okpara will have to have a big game for UT to keep the streak alive.   3. Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC): Oklahoma comes to Nashville this weekend so the Commodores are likely to become the first 20-game winner in the SEC.   2. Texas A&M (17-5, 7-2 SEC): The Aggies almost sprung the upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Can they take down the Gators Saturday night?   1. FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC): Nine games left, five on the road, four at home. The Gators are favored to win all of them.

Ruben Chinyelu has turned into a defensive force as well as an offensive force beyond the rim. By Carlton Reese GatorBait Media Gator fans hoping for history to repeat itself should all be paying close attention to the upcoming stretch run which could be a harbinger of Florida’s fate.   During last season’s championship run, Florida faced several critical stretches in which it passed with flying colors, the most notable series of games taking place at about this same time of the year. Following a blowout loss at Tennessee, the Gators returned home to face a mediocre Vanderbilt before road games at No.1 Auburn and No.22 Mississippi State. They had dropped to 5-3 in conference and despite a No.6 ranking there were still lingering doubts if this Florida team was ready for a title run. Failing on the road against two ranked opponents would set Florida up in the middle of the SEC, as a national contender afterthought and, most importantly, with a psychological inferiority complex ill-conducive to long postseason runs.   After handling Vanderbilt in the most modest of ways, Florida rolled the top-ranked Tigers on their own floor then repeated the feat in Starkville. Those three games positioned Florida for a title run not just in the standings or in seed assurances, but also in cementing that psychological edge of confidence where the Gators knew they could take on any team at any place and at any time, and that if they played to expectations no one could beat them.   Before that stretch in Florida’s schedule, the Gators were a great team coming into its own and thrusting itself into the national conversation. After that stretch, the Gators were the favorite to win it all.   Here we are in 2026 and though the record and ranking are not at the same level as a year ago, the feeling of sitting on that cusp of national favorite rings excitingly similar.   Florida’s backcourt is not as good as last season’s and none will ever be, but it is greatly improved to the point where it is more than just a solid unit – it is one that can hold its own defensively and win the turnover wars while occasionally sinking the critical shot. The frontcourt, last season the best in the country, is even better this time around and by a fairly wide margin.   The exploits of Thomas Haugh have been well-documented as he is poised for the SEC Player of the Year crown. Alex Condon, at one point in his career the bulwark of the unit, has shown recently that he can still dominate teams at both ends of the court. Then there’s Rueben Chinyelu, who may be the most all-around improved player on the team, if not the conference. His defensive exhibition against Alabama was a clinic that should be a must-study for any future big man, and his shooting from mid-range and the foul line are actually reliable, making him a threat beyond close range.   This is what the Gators take to College Station Saturday: a team that is scaring the hell out of everybody in the conference. Successful navigation at Texas A&M, at Georgia, then at home against Kentucky will get those national pundits noting Florida again as a real possibility to repeat as national champion. This only if the Gators make it through this current stretch unscathed.   The Aggies present the biggest hurdle despite their loss in Tuscaloosa Wednesday night, and after what happened last year in Athens, the Gators have no excuse for not being focused against the Bulldogs this time around. As for Kentucky, no one knows more than coach Golden that if you’re not properly prepared for Big Blue when it comes rolling into town, you’re going down.   Texas A&M brings a style of play few have been able to master this season: smothering defense baseline to baseline, high speed transition offense, and loads of three-point gunning. It’s the closest thing these days to Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell.” Thankfully, the Gators have been able to adapt to just about any style of play and either match it or squelch it. Six weeks ago, when Florida was allowing open three-point shots with genteel civility, the Gators would have had no answers for the Aggies. Recently, though, Florida looks quite adept at challenging those long jumpers and forcing errant attempts which should work in the Gators’ favor Saturday. If they go to sleep on the perimeter, it could be a long night where Florida will need to match that perimeter shooting, which it can’t.   If this game becomes a track meet the way A&M would like, Florida can play that style and win – just not easily. If Florida defends the perimeter and makes this a half-court game, the Gators will rout the Aggies. In such a case, Florida is set up to make that run through a critical stretch where no one is left wondering anymore the ceiling of this team. Though A&M is not ranked No.1 the way Auburn was last year, the stakes are still the same. The Aggies have been riding atop the SEC all year and the winner can legitimately lay claim to the best in conference no matter what the standings say.   The Gators have played this entire season with the target on their back, just as every defending national champion must – they receive their opponent’s best shot every time they take the court and the next three games will be testimony. Get through them and just like last year, you will start to hear Jay Bilas and all the other national pundits giving in to the notion that once again Florida is the team to beat. Falter and Golden will get the opportunity to once again break out that disrespect card that has served him so well in the past.

By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Host of The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Laila Reynolds (UAA photo) The Gator Women’s Basketball team has been grinding towards success the entire season. Despite one of the youngest rosters in the SEC the Gators have given some of the top teams in the country everything they wanted. Never deterred the Gators have picked themselves up off the mat in tough losses and conducted themselves with class and humility after wins. Despite some setbacks there have been successes. Point guard Liv McGill became just the second sophomore in school history to reach 1,000 points and the third fastest to reach the milestone. In addition, McGill was also named one of the ten candidates for the Nacy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award and award previously won by Caitlin Clark, Skyler Diggins, and Hall of Famer Sue Bird. While the attention on McGill has been well deserved the team has been led by the quiet presence of its most experienced and steady veteran wing player Laila Reynolds. The junior from Prince Georges County, Maryland was thrown into the fire early as a freshman and has continued to be the glue for Coach Finley and this Gators squad. A presence on both ends of the floor, Reynolds is third on the team in scoring, and second in both assists and blocks while defending at a high level with close to two steals per game. What doesn’t show up in the box score is Reynolds lead by example attitude that is rare in today’s “I gotta get mine” landscape of college athletics. A quiet presence, Reynolds work ethic and commitment to her teammates is ever present in their respect for a teammate who has seen the ups and downs of the rugged SEC. Thursday night in a rematch against the Auburn Tigers, Reynolds was the catalyst for a hard fought 61-53 win that put the Gators back in the win column after a stretch of games against some of the nation’s best programs. Reynolds led the Gators with 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while doing all the little things that don’t show up in the stat sheet but definitely effect winning. Her play motivated teammate Me’Arah O’Neal to contribute her 7th double-double and admiration for her vet. “Laila’s a dog, I love playing with her”. “I’m constantly learning stuff from LaiRae (Laila), how she plays and how disciplined she is.” In talking about Reynolds, Coach Finley simply stated, “It’s a testament to her work ethic.” “Laila was tired of losing.” The ability to continue to work, and motivate by doing is the calling card of the Gators most versatile player who’s aspires to hear her name called in the 2027 WNBA draft. Reynolds exhibits all the traits of a professional and if her play is any indication that goal is well within reach. The Gators will return to the O-Dome Sunday afternoon to welcome the Arkansa Razorbacks at 12:00pm.

University of Florida football coach Jon Sumrall (Photo by Chris Spears) It all seemed so manageable back when Jon Sumrall was starting out, the freshly appointed head coach at Troy. Two years and two championships later, he whisked off to Tulane. Bigger job, bigger conference, more people to manage.   Two years and two appearances in the American Conference championship game at Tulane, one of which resulted in a championship and playing Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and Jon Sumrall finds himself in a constant state of adjustment at the University of Florida.   At Troy he had 18 coaches and staff at his disposal when he held his first serious meeting in which roles and responsibilities were defined. Double that when he went to Tulane. Obviously, four championship games, three conference championships and an American Conference first slot in the playoff more than adequately tell the story of a coach who adapts well to his surroundings, knows how to assemble a coaching and support staff, and assign responsibilities to everyone under his command. It was pretty easy to do at Troy, a little more difficult but quite manageable at Tulane. And then along came Florida where it seems few expenses have been spared, whether it’s the $85 million Heavener Center that comes complete with its own football-only weight room, a stadium that would require another 30,000 fans to fill it up if sellout crowds from Troy and Tulane were ticketed, or private jets that whisk him all over Florida to recruit. In a sense, it’s been a bit overwhelming. “Then I walked in here and I'm like, there are a million people,” Sumrall said at a Wednesday press conference. “That doesn't really work with me. I don't need it to be small, but it was a little bit maybe too robust for my liking because I think when you get too big, are you doing enough work? Are you bored? I want to stay busy. “I don't want people around the building twiddling their thumbs trying to figure out, what do I do now. Well, if you have to think about what to do now, you probably don't have enough on your plate because I don't have any time to go, what should I do right now. I want our guys to – everyone in the building to be busy and occupied and working.” Now, fortunately, all those people – many of them remnants from the “army” that Billy Napier assembled – were around to navigate Sumrall and what was then a skeleton of a staff through the December signing day. At the time, Sumrall was wearing two hats – Tulane to get the Green Wave through their conference championship game and preparation for the playoff, and the head coach of the University of Florida.   When the early signing period kicked off, Florida had more than 20 high school commitments. There were only two defections. “I oversaw a signing class at Tulane and simultaneously tried to help be involved with overseeing a signing class at Florida at the same time,” Sumrall said. “Now, if it wasn't for Katie Doeker, previously Katie Turner around here, we would not have signed anybody. If it wasn't for Savannah Bailey and our GatorMade program because I asked all the parents and recruits, what made you choose Florida – that’s probably the coolest thing about this signing day press conference, if you will, is we lost two commitments, okay, two, with the coaching change. That has nothing to do with me. That has everything to do with Florida and the other people that were involved in those young men choosing Florida.  “The University of Florida is a special place in every way possible. I think you compound that with the Katies and the Savannahs and the people that were a part of the recruiting process. When I Zoomed and talked on the phone with all the committed families and prospects, they all were like, ‘man, GatorMade is awesome. Katie has been awesome. Academic support here in our Hawkins Center, like, big time.’ They all voiced why did you choose Florida, then their last question was, ‘Hey, what's football going to look like? I'm like, we're going to win.” National signing day to the transfer portal was like a whirlwind of activity with hardly time to soak in and assess who decided to stick it out with the new coach or decide the time is now to find a greener pasture. There were the highly publicized retentions of running back Jadan Baugh and EDGE rusher Jayden Woods. There was also the decision of last year’s starting quarterback DJ Lagway gto leave for Baylor. That was just the starting point. By the time the transfer window was shut, Florida had a completely revamped roster that included 50 newbies counting the 20 high school kids signed earlier. And so Sumrall is just now starting to figure out who’s who while establishing a firm chain of command among his newly formed coaching staff. In recent days, much emphasis has been placed on establishing a chain of command among assistants, analysts and staffers. He wants busy people, each of them with a defined role, each one working toward the common goal of producing a winning football team. No stepping on each other’s toes or trying to carve out space. “We spent the last couple of days really being detailed and strategic about making sure there's alignment, an understanding of the standards,” Sumrall said. “I'm huge on your role and your job description and responsibility being very clear. I hate ambiguity. So each person has things they're responsible for, but we're all responsible for being great teammates first, so we all have to be bought in. “Now, that doesn't mean just blindly trust whatever I say. I ask them all the time, like, challenge me. If you've got great ideas or feedback, bring it up. I haven't arrived. Nobody has.” In short order, Sumrall wants an organization that has all the bases covered. He wants busy people who work together. “I think cohesion is so important,” Sumrall said. “There’s a quote by GK Chesterton, "A true soldier doesn't fight for what's across from him but he fights for what's behind him." I want us to be connected and care about each other and fight for each other and bring it every day and have each other's back. We're going to be in the foxhole at times. It ain't always going to be good. “I hate to break it to you, I'm undefeated right now, we might lose a game here. But when it goes sideways, do you flinch? Are you so outcome driven that you don't weather that storm? We're going to weather storms here, and we're going to do it because we're aligned and we've got each other's back.”

TIM WALTON Back for 20th (UAA)

Charles Bediako (14) can only watch as Alex Condon dunks (Photo courtesy of UAA Communications) “G-League dropout! G-League dropout!”   The Rowdy Reptiles chanted that every time Charles Bediako touched the basketball Sunday at the O-Dome. The 7-footer, who spent the previous two years toiling in the G-League on an NBA 2-way contract, is going to hear something similar every time he steps on the court until some judge rules he has no eligibility. Fat chance that will happen any time soon. Even with the judge who issued the temporary restraining order (TRO) that has allowed Bediako to play being replaced, this is still going to court in Tuscaloosa. At the very least, expect the new judge to extend the TRO for a full 60 days, which would conveniently expire AFTER “One Shining Moment” is played in Indianapolis on April 6.   We really shouldn’t blame Bediako for this. He has merely seized an opportunity that shouldn’t even exist because the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, has figured out a way to screw things up. Again.   And, since Bediako has found a friendly judge all too willing to exploit loopholes that are of the NCAA’s own doing, former NBA player Amari Bailey is seeking to have his eligibility reinstated. Bailey played his freshman year at UCLA in the 2022-23 season, was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and then traded to the Brooklyn Nets after his rookie year. On a 2-way contract with the G-League, Bailey was called up for 10 days with the Hornets.   Like Bediako, he’s been a bust at the G-League level so now he’s petitioning to play another year of college basketball. It shouldn’t be this way, but it’s what we expect from the NCAA, whose solution is to run to the United States Congress for answers. If there is one organization in America more inept than the NCAA it is our congress, which can’t agree on something simple, like spending less money than the country takes in.   It’s not just basketball that will be affected by the Bediako and Bailey rulings. It will be every sport under NCAA jurisdiction. For that we can thank the NCAA which lacks the guts to enforce its own rules and NIL, which is way out of control. Just wait until some practice squad QB in the NFL realizes he can make more money playing college football. For example, Miami paid Carson Beck $4 million last year, which is quite a bit more than the average practice squad QB makes. And what about that pitcher who can dominate AAA but can’t crack the Major League roster? The average salary in AAA is $57,500. A nice NIL deal, college baseball, one start a week … you don’t think this won’t happen?   Now there are solutions, but solutions require common sense. When it comes to common sense, the NCAA looks like one of those horrific photos out of a refugee camp that shows some kid with scurvy holding an empty bowl. But, here are common sense ideas.   1. John Calipari’s idea is you get five years to play four in your sport from the day you graduate high school. You get one free transfer during that time. If you wish to transfer a second time you sit a year. If you are injured three years of the five, doesn’t matter. If you stay in school four years and graduate, you get a fifth year of eligibility.   2. To add some teeth to Cal’s idea: If you don’t have a 2.5 GPA when you transfer, you sit a year. If you are taking remedial courses, you sit a year.   Those two suggestions alone would clear up about 70-75 percent of today’s problems, but here are a couple other solutions.   1. Abolish the NCAA completely and start a brand new organizations with its own set of rules and a commissioner who enforces the rules with an iron fist.   2. Membership is VOLUNTARY and each member who joins agrees to play by the rules or else the death penalty comes into play.   3. A salary cap for each sport with the money paid by the athletic department. Eliminate outside money except to donate to the athletic department salary fund. Try to cheat or circumvent the rules, and your program is subject to the death penalty.   4. All athletes are under contract.   5. No appeals to the commissioner’s rulings.   Take a moment and consider the NFL or Major League Baseball. When the commissioner suspends a player without pay for 60 days, 90 days or maybe a year, the players don’t take it to court. Why? Because what they can and can’t do is written in the contract.   I’m not a big fan of the NFL. I much prefer college football, but I credit the NFL with being the ideal model for how a sports organization has to be run. The late, great Pete Rozelle set the standard and the NFL has been run that way ever since.   So, why isn’t the NCAA abolished? For one thing the NCAA Basketball Tournament, which rakes in $2 billion a year and is under contract with CBS and Turner until 2032. The tournament doles out lots of cash to member schools and it has plenty enough left over to fund all the other championships it sponsors as well as its bloated bureaucracy. Brace yourself for this one: The NCAA paid Mark Emmert $4.3 million his final year on the throne.   The time has come to do something radical, which should include seceding from the NCAA. If we intend for college sports to be recognizable in the near future, something has to be done soon or else the games we love will be gone forever, replaced by something they were never intended to be.   GRIZZLIES TRADE FOR WALTER CLAYTON JR. Gator All-American Walter Clayton Jr. was one of the key pieces in a multi-player trade between the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday. In a deal that involved four players from each team and future draft picks, Clayton, Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang and three future No. 1 draft picks were traded by Utah in exchange for Jaren Jackson Jr., Jon Konchar, Vince Williams and Jock Landale.   Jackson (19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds) is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and Landale will provide instant depth at center for the Jazz. The Grizzlies get a young power forward in Hendricks, who, when healthy, is better than GG Jackson, and Clayton (6.8 points, 3.6 assists in 18 minutes per game) is comfortable at both the point and the wing. Anderson can play three positions. Niang is somewhat of a wildcard since he hasn’t played this year, but when he’s healthy he is a very productive backup. Then you throw in three future No. 1s and the Grizzlies, one of the worst teams in the NBA currently, have a foundation for a much stronger team in the future.   SEC BASKETBALL SEC in Joe Lunardi (ESPN) bracketology WEST: 1. Arizona; 2. Gonzaga; 3. Michigan State; 4. Vanderbilt (Other SEC: 7. Auburn; 11. Texas) SOUTH: 1. UConn; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. BYU (SEC: 5. Alabama; 6. Arkansas) EAST: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Texas Tech (Other SEC: 5. Tennessee) MIDWEST: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Purdue; 4. Kansas (SEC: 7. Kentucky; 9. Georgia)   SEC teams in Bart Torvik analytics: 6. FLORIDA 16-6; 10. Vanderbilt 19-3; 15. Tennessee 16-6; 18. Alabama 14-7; 26. Texas A&M 17-4; 28. Arkansas 16-6; 38. Texas 14-9; 42. Georgia 16-6; 43. Kentucky 15-7; 55. LSU 14-8; 61. Missouri 15-7; 71. Oklahoma 11-11; 81. Ole Miss 11-11; 82. Mississippi State 11-11; 98. South Carolina 11-12   Tuesday’s scores No. 25 Tennessee (16-6, 6-3 SEC) 84, Ole Miss (11-11, 3-6 SEC) 66: Freshman Nate Ament scored 28 points and Ja’Kobi Gillespie poured in 20 as Tennessee won its fourth straight game. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Ole Miss, which was led by AJ Storr and Patton Pinkins, who each scored 15. Ole Miss coach Chris Beard was ejected with 6:15 left in the game.   Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC) 84, South Carolina (11-12, 2-8 SEC) 75: Dailyn Swain had 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals as Texas improved to .500 in SEC play. Meechie Johnson scored 35 points and had six assists for the Gamecocks, who lost their fourth straight game.   Wednesday’s games Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) at Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC)

Rueben Chinyelu was Naismith National Player of the Week The rest of the SEC may rue the day Auburn came to Gainesville to knock off the Florida Gators. In that 76-67 loss, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu combined for 11 points, 16 rebounds, one assist and five blocked shots, hardly what was needed or expected.   In the two games since – a 95-48 destruction of South Carolina in Columbia and a 100-77 humiliation of Alabama in Gainesville – Condon and Chinyelu have been on a search and destroy mission. Against South Carolina, Condon had 10 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots. Chinyelu had 14 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots.   Then came Alabama. Condon went off for 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and two steals while Chinyelu was good for 14 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and a steal.   The college basketball world took notice.   Monday, Condon was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week while Chinyelu was named Naismith National Player of the Week.   Here are the up to date season stats for Condon and Chinyelu: Condon: 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.8 steals per game. Condon is third in the SEC in rebounding, 13 th in assists and sixth in blocked shots. Chinyelu: 12.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game. Chinyelu leads the SEC in rebounding and ranks fourth nationally.   GATORS MOVE UP IN BOTH POLLS The Gators moved up two spots to No. 17 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll. In the Coaches poll, the Gators moved up five spots to No. 16.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Arizona 22-0; 2. Michigan 20-1; 3. UConn 21-1; 4. Duke 20-1; 5. Illinois 19-3; 6. Gonzaga 22-1; 7. Iowa State 20-2; 8. Houston 19-2; 9. Nebraska 20-2; 10. Michigan State 19-3; 11. Kansas 16-5; 12. Purdue 18-4; 13. Texas Tech 16-5; 14. North Carolina 17-4; 15. Vanderbilt 19-3; 16. BYU 17-4; 17. FLORIDA 16-6; 18. Virginia 18-3; 19. Saint Louis 21-1; 20. Clemson 18-4; 21. Arkansas 16-6; 22. St. John’s 16-5; 23. Miami (OH) 22-0; 24. Louisville 17-4; 25. Tennessee 15-6   Coaches top 25: 1. Arizona 22-0; 2. Michigan 20-1; 3. UConn 21-1; 4. Duke 20-1; 5. Gonzaga; 22-1; 6. Illinois 19-3; 7. Iowa State 20-2; 8. Houston 19-2; 9. Nebraska 20-2; 10. Michigan State 19-3; 11. Kansas 16-5; 12. Purdue 18-4; 13. Texas Tech 16-5; 14. BYU 17-4; 15. Vanderbilt 19-3; 16. FLORIDA 16-6; 17. Virginia 18-3; 18. North Carolina 17-4; 19. Clemson 18-4; 20. Saint Louis 21-1; 21. Arkansas 16-6; 22. St. John’s 16-5; 23. Louisville 15-6; 24. Miami (OH) 22-0; 25. Texas A&M 17-4   THE REMAINDER OF FLORIDA’S REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE Feb. 7: at Texas A&M Feb. 11: at Georgia Feb. 14: Kentucky Feb. 17: South Carolina Feb. 21: at Ole Miss Feb. 25: at Texas Feb. 28: No. 21 Arkansas Mar. 3: Mississippi State Mar. 7: at Kentucky   SEC This Week Tuesday Ole Miss (11-10, 3-5 SEC) at Tennessee (15-6, 5-3 SEC) South Carolina (11-11, 3-6 SEC) at Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC)   Wednesday Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) at No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC)   Saturday No. 19 FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) No. 15 Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at No. 18 Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC) No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) at Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC) Tennessee (15-6, 5-3 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC) Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC) Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-10, 2-7 SEC) at Texas (13-9, ,4-5 SEC)   SEC schools in kenpom.com national rankings: 7. FLORIDA 16-6; 13. Vanderbilt 19-3; 18. Tennessee 15-6; 21. Alabama 14-7; 24. Arkansas 16-6; 26. Auburn 14-8; 27. Texas A&M 17-4; 30. Kentucky 15-7; 34. Texas 13-9; 40. Georgia 16-6; 47. LSU 14-8; 60. Missouri 15-7; 64. Ole Miss 11-10; 66. Oklahoma 11-11; 81. Mississippi State 11-11; 87. South Carolina 11-11   SEC schools in NCAA NET rankings: 12. FLORIDA; 13. Vanderbilt; 21. Tennessee; 22. Alabama; 23. Arkansas; 28. Kentucky; 29. Auburn; 35. Texas A&M; 36. Georgia; 39. Texas; 57. LSU; 70. Missouri 15-779. Ole Miss; 80. Oklahoma; 94. Mississippi State; 105. South Carolina     SEC schools in latest CBS Sports bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Nebraska; 3. Kansas; 4. FLORIDA (Other SEC teams: 5. Tennessee; 6. Arkansas) South: 1. Iowa State; 2. Illinois; 3. Michigan State; 4. Louisville (SEC teams: 6. Kentucky; 7. Auburn) West: 1. Arizona; 2. UConn; 3. Purdue; 4. Virginia (SEC teams: 6. Alabama) Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Gonzaga (Other SEC teams: 7. Texas A&M).   SEC This Week Tuesday Ole Miss (11-10, 3-6 SEC) at Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC) South Carolina (11-11, 3-6 SEC) at Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC)   Wednesday Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) at No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC)   Saturday No. 19 FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) No. 15 Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at No. 18 Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC) No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) at Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC) Tennessee (15-6, 5-3 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC) Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC) Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-10, 2-7 SEC) at Texas (13-9, ,4-5 SEC)