"What do you think he will be someday?" It was Monday, February 25, 1974 and the sunshine dappled like diamonds on Tampa Bay. He came into the world at about 8.6 pounds, the first Martin male of his generation, so there was cause for joy and celebration upon the news that it was a boy. His paternal grandmother screamed out for joy over the phone at the news of a boy to go with two beautiful girls. Every man’s dream is to have a son, and now I had mine. As my father and I left the Bayfront Hospital that afternoon he turned and asked me, “What do you think he’ll be someday?“ I paused for a moment and said, “I don’t know maybe a lawyer?” “Naah, probably not,” said his forward-thinking grandfather. “By then most of that will probably be done by computer.” It was pre-ordained that his profession would have something to do with the media and maybe even sports journalism. And something to do with computers. After his birth, I would turn in my sports editor’s card for a 9-to-6 job with free weekends to clear some bandwidth for a few years as a dad. First, though, he needed a name to go with that Bob Griese jersey hanging in his hospital room. (Thanks to his Aunt Shirley.) I swear I did my very best to avoid making him over into my own image, even to the point of not saddling him with the ancestral link of “Wilton Francis Martin III” and the nickname “Tripp.” My goal was to “Give him an everyday name he can use.” After first grade nobody had called me “Wilton.” Upon birth by Caesarian, the St. Pete doctor held him up and proudly announced “There he is — Pepper Martin!” I liked that. Except nobody but me would have gotten the Gashouse Gang baseball reference — especially his mother Joni. For days I pondered a first name until I found one that was lyrically pleasing with no family ties: Brenden. E and not A. I’d never heard of but two people named Brenden — an Irish poet and a New Jersey governor. Then I threw in the show biz name of his maternal step-grandfather, a legit standup comedian, and we had Brenden Sharp Martin, the heir to my fortune someday. It would turn out to be a priceless fortune — even if it could not be cashed in at the bank. Who else got to watch their boy grow into a handsome 6-4 lad who would become his best friend with whom he was privileged to work alongside in challenging media projects, chasing big dreams? When he was 9, he tried out for baseball and once he found his way to right field was a decent player — especially at 14 after he was blessed to have the brilliant Walt Tomoka as his coach in Colorado. At 12 he took up football and made it at a high level at Ponte Vedra High (later Tim Tebow’s team) before moving back to Denver and losing interest. At 15 he took a trip to New York and when he walked on to the CBS set of The NFL Today his eyes lit up as he declared, “THIS is what I want to do!” I loaned him out to Colorado’s Altitude Sports for a few years until I called him up from the bullpen as a producer at Florida Sportstalk radio, then to head up GatorCountry TV and finally as a partner in GatorBait. Over the years, he has taught me a few things about myself and continues to amaze me with an eternal quest for knowledge that has qualified him as a virtual self-made genius in the specialized field of broadcasting online through audience procurement and development. I’ve had friends tell me he’s as good as there is. Meanwhile, we continue to chase our rainbows and our dreams together — convinced that they will one day arrive perhaps simultaneously. Naturally as in any family business, we’ve had differences and unpleasant exchanges at close quarters but mostly as two strong-minded creatives trying to arrive at the same place through different portals. I must admit he’s usually right. Dang it Among the things I admire the most about Brenden Sharp Martin is his commitment to his daughter Stella and fatherhood. Although I could never be a better father, I can assure him that however much he loves Stella is how much I love him — and more if possible. Here on his 50th birthday (Sunday, Feb. 25), speaking for his late mother Joni and I, we want to thank God for blessing us with the greatest son we could ever have. We could not be prouder of you.

The Florida Gators are set to make a pivotal addition to their strength and conditioning staff with the hiring of Jesse Ackerman. Ackerman's extensive experience spans various significant roles in the field of strength and conditioning, including working as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for both the DC Defenders and the St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL from 2022-2023. During his tenure in the XFL, Ackerman led strength training programs that contributed to successful seasons, including a championship game appearance. Ackerman's impressive career also includes a significant stint in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons from 2016-2020. His tenure with the Falcons was marked by an integrative approach to strength and conditioning, combining activation methods, biomechanical analysis, speed development, and sport-specific movement refinement. Notably, under his leadership, the Falcons were recognized as the least injured team in the NFL over a span of three years. Before his time in the NFL, Ackerman served as a Performance Coach with the 75th Ranger Regiment 1st Battalion, focusing on bridging physical therapy to performance for soldiers returning from injury. His earlier experience includes positions at several NCAA Division I Power 5 schools, including a previous stint at the University of Florida from 2012-2015, where he developed comprehensive in-season and off-season programs for football student-athletes. Ackerman's approach to strength and conditioning goes beyond traditional methods, incorporating a holistic perspective that utilizes analytics alongside foundational strength and conditioning practices. His educational background includes a Master of Science in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University. The addition of Jesse Ackerman to the Florida Gators' staff comes amidst changes in the team's strength and conditioning program. Mark Hocke, the previous Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, is transitioning to a new role within the organization, with Head Coach Billy Napier emphasizing a different leadership and approach for the strength and conditioning department. Ackerman's innovative approach to strength and conditioning is expected to be a key for the Florida Gators as they continue to hope to enhance their athletic programs.

Flifth-ranked Florida cracked 198 in an exciting, come-from-behind win over #2 LSU 198.150 to 197.950 in front of another sold out O'Connell center crowd of 8,800 plus. What has become must-see television, LSU and UF was not the top dual meet of the weekend for the sixth consecutive year. LSU is led by the number one gymnast in the country Haley Bryant with the nation's best 39.733 in the all-around average. Bryant had three perfect 10s this season entering the meet l(bars, beam, floor), along with teammates Aleah Finnegan (floor), Kiya Johnson (floor) and Konner McClain (bars and beam). Florida's only 10, so far, was Wong with a ten on bars against Arkansas. Florida was going to need a special night to have a chance. Six gymnasts competed with the UF having the home rotation of vault, uneven bars, beam and floor. The five highest scores counting. On to the recap: Vault: (Last week: 49.35, Average: 49.342, 5th in the nation) -Skylar Draser: Yurchenko 1 ½ landing not far from the table and a hop-9.775 (The dropped score) -Sloane Blakely: Yurchenko 1 ½ Nice Vault!-9.90 -Victoria Nguyen: Yurchenko 1 ½ Great landing-9.90 -Anya Pilgrim: Yurchenko 1 ½ Stuck landing, great distance-9.95 -Danie Ferris: Yurchenko 1 ½ Slight hop-9.90 -Leanne Wong: Front Pike Vault-9.95 Score: 49.60 Florida leads by .325 after one rotation and a season high on Vault Uneven Bars: (Last week: 49.425, Average: 49.346, 7th in the nation) -Sloane Blakely: Slightly off on high beam, stuck landing-9.875 -Victoria Nguyen: Low bar almost falls. Hop on landing-9.775 (The dropped score) -Gabby Disidore: Short on 1st handstand. Shuffle on landing-9.80 -Ellie Lazzari: Springboard to high bar. Missed a handstand on low bar. Sticks landing-9.90 -Anya Pilgrim: Seemed rushed this week. Hop—9.80 -Leanne Wong: Legs stuck together. Stuck landing. 10??-9.95 Score: 49.225 Florida and LSU are tied at 98.825 after two rotations. Balance Beam: (Last week: 49.550, Average: 49.425, 2nd in the nation) -Skylar Draser: Double back handspring. Hop-9.875 -Sloane Blakely: Front to back flip. Twist, balance check. Shuffle on landing-9.850 -Anya Pilgrim: Great 180° leaps. Back flip side landing- 9.975 -Ellie Lazzari: Triple back flip. Almost fell. Stuck landing-9.725 (The dropped score) -Victoria Nguyen: Front flip to back flip. Back twist landing. Stuck!-9.950 -Leanne Wong: Back flip series. Double twist landing. Stuck!-9.975 Where was the deduction? Score:49.625 Florida trails 148.600 to 148.450. Down .150 despite a season high on Beam. Floor Exercise: (Last week: 49.60, Average: 49.404, 12th in the nation) -Victoria Nguyen: 1st pass: (The long runs from corner to corner) Front double twist. 2nd pass: 1 ½ flip. Sticks landing-9.925 Great start for UF! -Anya Pilgrim: 1st pass: Front flip to double tuck. 2nd pass: Double pike, great leaps-9.925 -Kaylee Bluffstone: 1st pass: Tuck twist. 2nd pass: Front to front flip, stumble-9.875 Only Kaylee’s second time in the line up -Sloane Blakely: 1st pass: Front flip to double tuck. 2nd pass: 1 ½ front flip. Big leaps.- 9.975 Sloane seems to be settling down for the season. Putting up great routines! -Payton Richards- 1st pass: Double layout but injured her ankle or perhaps an Achilles tear. After a stellar 9.925 last week. The arena was totally silent.-2.0 (The dropped score) -Leanne Wong: 1st pass: Double layout. Perfect! 2nd pass: Backflip combination twist. Florida needs a 9.825 to win the meet as LSU struggles on Beam- 10.0! Leanne’s first 10 on the floor. Score: 49.70 Florida wins a shootout with another season high score. What a roller coaster of a meet! After losing a large lead from a season high vault score. (Both UF and LSU struggled on even bars). LSU put on one heck of a floor routine with a monster 49.775. Dropping a low score of 9.9. It was down to the two weakest events for both teams. LSU's worse event is Beam and Florida’s is Floor. However Florida turned it around last week in Missouri on floor and continued that improvement with another season high score of 49.70 on Floor. Leanne Wong’s perfect 10 on floor not only secured the big win but gave Leanne her Gym Slam (Scoring a perfect 10 on every event in her career) She also put up the new high score for all-around score in the nation with a 39.875. All this after Peyton Richards goes down with an apparent serious injury on the 2nd to last floor routine. This team has something special. All the youth is coming together late in the season. Perhaps they are taking a page out of the basketball team and peeking at the right time. I can definitely see them making the final four in Fort Worth this April. Next step is in Lexington with only three meets left until postseason.

What started out as just another day in the life of Leanne Wong turned into just another year in the life of Florida gymnastics.

“What we have now is not college football – not college football as we know it. You hear the word ‘student-athlete.’ That doesn’t exist.” – Nick Saban

A few thoughts to jump start your day.

Call it The Wrath of Cag or Return of the Big Bopper. You won’t get an argument from the North Florida Ospreys who had to deal with Jac Caglianone Tuesday night in Jacksonville. Caglianone, who led the country with 33 home runs in 2023, hit his first home run of the 2024 season, a prodigious 407-foot, 2-run blast in the top of the first as 4th-ranked Florida run-ruled the Ospreys, 10-0, in a game called after seven innings. Later in the game, Caglianone drove in two more with a rocket of a double down the right field line. The Ospreys still have another night to figure out how to handle Caglianone. The Gators (1-1) and Ospreys (1-2) play again tonight at Condron Family Ballpark (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+). Caglianone wasted no time making his presence felt. Moved up to second in the batting order by Kevin O’Sullivan, Caglianone followed Cade Kurland’s leadoff infield single by driving a 1-2 pitch deep over the right field fence for a 2-0 Florida lead. That was all the runs the Gators would need because pitchers Liam Peterson (3 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts), Fisher Jameson (2 innings, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts), Jake Clemente (1 inning, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts) and Blake Purnell (1 inning, 1 hit, 1 strikeout) were practically untouchable. Peterson, who will be starter Saturday night against Columbia, picked up his first collegiate win. "The goal was to get him for two innings and keep his pitch count under 40 because he's going to come back on Saturday, but he went three innings and gave up the one hit, the infield hit, and struck out seven with one walk on 37 pitches,” O’Sullivan said. “I thought his stuff was electric and pitched to both sides of the plate with his fastball. It was everything we had hoped for. It's his first college start, so there's always some nerves, but it was on the road and it was a long top half of the first with their starter going 43 pitches to record two outs. His routine got a little bit changed up a little bit because he did have to run back down to the pen and get loose again before he went out there in the bottom of the first." The Gators pounded out 14 hits on the night, led by Kurland who went 4-5 with three singles and a double. Luke Heyman (2 singles, 2 RBI) and Tyler Shelnut (single, double, RBI) also had multi-hit games. Florida stretched the lead to 3-0 in the second when Heyman singled after a double by Kurland and an intentional walk to Caglianone. The Gators loaded the bases in the fourth and made it 4-0 when Kurland scored on a wild pitch. Caglianone’s 2-run double highlighted a 3-run fifth. A double by Dale Thomas, a single by Ty Evans and a single by Michael Robertson made it 5-0. One out later, Caglianone delivered to score Evans and Robertson. O’Sullivan indicated postgame that moving Caglianone to the No. 2 spot in the lineup could be a sign of things to come. "Luke [Heyman]'s been swinging the bat good,” O’Sullivan said. “It's not going to be easy for other teams to just go ahead and walk Jac, because if Luke keeps swinging the bat like he has been, they're still going to have to respect Luke and Colby [Shelton]. He's going to get it going, too. “The reason for moving Jac to the two-hole tonight, we played from behind for nine-straight innings on Friday night and it was hard. I just wanted to hopefully get out to an early lead and hopefully our guys would relax a little bit, which they did. A lot of teams now are taking their best hitter and moving him to the two-hole. You look around our league and some of the better hitters are hitting two-hole. It got us out to an early lead, like I said, and I think the guys relaxed a little bit more." The Gators scored one in the sixth on a fielding error and closed out their scoring with two in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Heyman that drove in Kurland and a double by Shelnut that scored Heyman. UF SWIMMING: Men and women second at SEC Championships On the first full day of swimming events at the SEC Championships at Auburn, both the Florida men and women are in second place. Florida’s nationally 4th-ranked men are the heavy favorite to win their 12th straight championship while the 3rd-ranked UF women are going for a second straight SEC title. Men’s scores: 1. Texas A&M 199; 2. FLORIDA 180; 3. Tennessee 155; 4. Georgia 150; 5. Auburn 127; 6. Alabama 116; 7. Missouri 111; 8. LSU 106; 9. Kentucky 101; 10. South Carolina 93 Women’s scores: 1. Auburn 167; 2. FLORIDA 160; 3. Tennessee 147; 4. LSU 146; 5. Georgia 134; 6. Texas A&M 129; 7. Alabama 127; 8. Missouri 107; 9. South Carolina 99; 10. Kentucky 98; 11. Vanderbilt 62. 12 Arkansas 56 UF GOLF: Maisie Filler wins Moon Golf, Gators finish tied for fifth Maisie Fuller shot a 3-day, 9-under 207 to win the individual championship at the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne. The 9th-ranked Florida women’s team finished the tournament tied for fifth with Texas A&M, 23 shots off the pace of LSU. WCGA women’s top 25: 1. Wake Forest; 2. Stanford; 3. Southern California; 4. Arkansas; 5. South Carolina; 6. UCLA; 7. Texas; 8. Oregon; 9. FLORIDA; 10. LSU; 11. Texas A&M; 12. Ole Miss; 13. UCF; 14. Northwestern; 15. Auburn; 16. Duke; 17. Clemson; 18. San Jose State; 19. California; 20. (TIE) Florida State and Arizona; 22. Arizona State; 23. North Carolina; 25. Virginia Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches men’s top 25: 1. North Carolina; 2. Auburn; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Arizona State; 5. Washington; 6. Tennessee; 7. Arkansas; 8. Ole Miss; 9. Georgia Tech; 10. Arizona; 11. Virginia; 12. Florida State; 13. East Tennessee State; 14. Alabama; 15. Oklahoma; 16. Illinois; 17. Mississippi State; 18. New Mexico; 19. FLORIDA; 20. Oregon; 21. Texas; 22. California; 23. Texas Tech; 24. (TIE) North Florida and Duke UF LACROSSE: Gators fall to No. 16 IWLCA top 25: 1. Boston College 3-0; 2. Notre Dame 4-0; 3. James Madison 3-0; 4. Northwestern 2-1; 5. Maryland 2-0; 6. Michigan 3-0; 7. Syracuse 1-2; 8. North Carolina 2-1; 9. Loyola 2-0; 10. Denver 1-1; 11. Stony Brook 1-0; 12. Johns Hopkins 3-0; 13. Southern California 3-0; 14. Penn 1-0; 15. Virginia 3-0; 16. FLORIDA 0-2; 17. Navy 2-0; 18. Richmond 2-0; 19. Clemson 3-0; 20. Colorado 3-0; 21. Yale 1-0; 22. Penn State 1-1; 23. Brown 1-0; 24. Rutgers 2-0; 25. UConn 0-2 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: 5-7 Format approved for 2024-2025 For the next two years, at least, the expanded College Football Playoff will operate under a 5-7 format which means the champions of the four remaining power conferences and the highest ranked Group of Five conference champ will get automatic bids with seven at-large teams. Things will be changing in a couple of years. For one thing, the current television contract with ESPN will expire and the alleged 6-year, $1.3 billion a year deal with ESPN is not on the table per multiple sources. Whoever comes up with the money for the playoff starting in 2026 will have plenty to say about continuing at 12 teams or possibly expanding. There is also the matter of the Pac-12, which will officially dwindle to two teams at the end of this athletic year. Washington State and Oregon State will maintain the Pac-12 name and rights. Under NCAA contract, the Pac-12 will remain a power conference but as a 2-team league it can’t have a championship or a league schedule. Washington State and Oregon State will each get their $6 million share of the money each power conference school gets under the current CFP contract. Washington State and Oregon State have two years to form a new league, most likely a merger with the Mountain West. Would that new league be granted power conference standing starting in 2026? There are reports that the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten want more revenue from the playoff distribution, more power when it comes to deciding the future and format of the playoff and more automatic qualifiers. Those are demands that are likely to be met with resistance, both from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12, not to mention the Group of Five. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The University of Arizona has a $177 million budget deficit. Of the school’s 81 colleges and divisions, 61 are under water financially. The athletic department, which borrowed $86 million to stay afloat a few years ago, spent $23 million more than it took in during the 2023 fiscal year. Clearly, since COVID 19, the entire Arizona academic and athletic structure has come up short financially, which could lead to personnel layoffs and deep cuts in programs. Since the athletic department has needed loans from the university’s general fund to stay in business, it’s entirely possible Arizona could be cutting sports just as it’s about to officially leave the Pac-12 Conference for the Big 12. Think of this as a shot across the bow of college athletics. Arizona isn’t the only school in the country facing large budget shortfalls for its academic programs. Very few of the nation’s athletic departments operate at a surplus or even break even. It was reported in 2019 that only 25 Division I football schools operated their entire athletic programs in the black. In the aftermath of COVID, we’ve seen dramatic changes in collegiate athletics. A bulk of the Division I schools still haven’t recovered the lost revenue from the COVID year.  Conference realignment has destroyed the Pac-12 and forced some rather ridiculous mergers such as Oregon and Washington joining Southern Cal and UCLA in the Big Ten and California, Stanford and SMU joining the ACC. In the aftermath of the 9-0 Alston v. NCAA Supreme Court verdict, it’s pay for play in college football and basketball. Charlie Baker, the resident moron in charge of the NCAA, has proposed that every athlete in Division I is under contract for $30,000 a year. Good ole Charlie is a typical politician. He's clueless when it comes to answering the only question that matters: Where will the money come from? It’s easy to say television, but ESPN balked at the SEC expanding to a 9-game schedule and it needs a tourniquet to stop bleeding subscribers. The heralded Big Ten deal that includes Fox, CBS and NBC has its share of issues. And we haven’t even begun talking about the ACC or the Big 12 or the Group of Five. It would be nice if someone born with common sense stepped in to announce a plan that will save college sports, but common sense is in short supply these days. Maybe the only thing that will grab the people in charge by the lapels and shake them until they find answers is for more than one college athletic department to go bankrupt. That’s a scary thought. It’s not being overly dramatic. We really aren’t that far off from several athletic departments going belly up.

Gators Have to Keep Alabama from Hitting 3- Pointers There is no big secret to Nate Oats’ offensive philosophy. It’s all about 3-pointers and layups, emphasis especially on the 3-pointers. It works well enough that Bama leads the country in scoring at 90.7 points per game and is second in the country in 3-pointers per game (11.8). Twice this season Alabama has knocked down 19 threes in a game, one of which was in a 92-86 loss to Purdue when the Boilermakers were ranked fourth in the country. Alabama’s ability to spread the floor and surround the 3-point line with shooters is the defensive dilemma 24th-ranked Florida (18-7, 8-4 SEC) must solve tonight when the Gators take on the 13th-ranked Crimson Tide (18-7, 10-2 SEC) at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa (7 p.m., ESPN2). Alabama shoots the 3-ball well no matter the arena (38.54 percent), but at home the Tide is formidable, hitting 42.3 percent (172-406). Alabama is only 6-6 on the road this year, 4-2 away from home in SEC play, but at home the Tide is 12-1 overall, 6-0 in SEC play. “They’re No. 1 offensively in the nation for a reason and a big part of that is because they’re super-talented on the offensive side of the ball,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Tuesday prior to the Gators leaving for Tuscaloosa. “It’s not just the 3-point shooting. Obviously, they’re efficient from two as well, and they play multiple guys who can dribble, pass and shoot it. It’s going to be a really, really tough cover, for sure.” Alabama coach Nate Oats ignores conventional wisdom when it comes to matchups. He is willing to play small a good portion of games, forcing opponents to adjust to quick perimeter shooters. Alabama starts 6-11 Grant Nelson at center but the power forward is 6-6 Rylan Griffin, who shoots like a guard but is forced to defend bigger opponents. Can the Gators defend on the perimeter with their typical big lineup and can they force Alabama to go big to handle the likes of 6-10 Tyrese Samuel and 7-1 Micah Handlogten with 6-11 Alex Condon and 6-9 Thomas Haugh coming off the bench? Rather than go small, Golden will try to force Bama to adjust. “I think it will be pretty consistent and try to take advantage of our size and physicality against them and live with it where it lands,” Golden said. “Again, it's been good for us all year and we've tried to stay away from playing small. But if it calls for it, it does. I'm not saying we won't do it, but we'll see if we can take advantage of our size for sure inside." A year ago the Gators were vertically challenged even with 6-11 Colin Castleton in the lineup, but when he went down with a season-ending injury the Gators had to go small the rest of the way. That led to Golden loading up on size, landing Samuel and Handlogten through the transfer portal while signing Condon and Haugh out of high school. The Gators typically have the advantage in size both with the starters and off the bench, but unlike last year when UF had problems putting the ball in the basket on a consistent basis, this year the Gators have the guards who can light it up from the perimeter, particularly Zyon Pullin has scored in double figures all 22 games in which he’s played and Walter Clayton Jr. has scored 20 or more three of the last four. The Gators are a capable scoring team. Even on their bad shooting games, they’ve been putting up 80 or more, largely because they get extra possessions on the offensive backboards. If they can chase Alabama off the 3-point line or force bad threes, then Florida has an opportunity to do something no other SEC team has done this year, which is to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Winning on the road in the SEC is always difficult. Winning in Tuscaloosa the way Alabama has been playing is incredibly difficult, but it is do-able. “Gotta have toughness,” Golden said. “You know, gotta be mentally tough and have a great understanding of what our game plan is going in. And just understanding that on their home floor that's the game that they want to play, but at the same time, we gotta stay aggressive, too. You know, we're a top 10 offensive team. We played really well in transition and we're really efficient that way too. So again, we've said this a lot, but it's the balance of running when you have opportunities but also not being stubborn. And I think the situations that get you in trouble in this game is when you are too aggressive in disadvantaged situations. You might be playing 2-on-3 and you try to make a play and it gets blocked and now they're going the other way. Like, you gotta avoid those swing play situations and that'll be crucial on Wednesday night.” Anticipated starting lineups No. 24 FLORIDA (18-7, 8-4 SEC): 6-10 Tyrese Samuel (12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds); 7-1 Micah Handlogten (6.5 points, 7.3 rebounds); 6-4 Will Richard (11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds); 6-2 Walter Clayton Jr. (16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds); 6-4 Zyon Pullin (15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists) No. 13 Alabama (18-7, 10-2 SEC): 6-11 Grant Nelson (11.9 points, 5.5 rebounds); 6-1 Mark Sears (20.6 points, 4.3 rebounds); 6-6 Rylan Griffin (11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds); 6-3 Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds); 6-3 Aaron Estrada (12.8, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists) SEC basketball Tuesday’s scores: No. 5 Tennessee (20-6, 10-3 SEC) 72, Missouri (8-18, 0-13 SEC) 67; Arkansas (13-13, 4-9 SEC) 78, Texas A&M (15-11, 6-7 SEC) 71 Wednesday’s games: No. 24 FLORIDA (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at No. 13 Alabama (18-7, 10-2 SEC); No. 17 Kentucky (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 5-7 SEC); Ole Miss (19-6, 6-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (17-8, 6-6 SEC); Georgia (14-11, 4-8 SEC) at Vanderbilt (7-18, 2-10 SEC) SEC in KenPom analytics: 5. Auburn; 6. Alabama; 7. Tennessee; 21. Kentucky; 27. FLORIDA; 35. Mississippi State; 53. Texas A&M; 55. South Carolina; 69. Ole Miss; 77. LSU; 86. Georgia; 118. Arkansas; 142. Missouri; 203. Vanderbilt

Perceptions have changed since the basketball season tipped off back in November. The Florida Gators have gone from a team perceived as middle of the Southeastern Conference pack when the season began – picked eighth by the SEC media, seventh by Lindy’s – to one nobody in his right looks forward to playing. If 25 games have proven anything it is that the Gators can not only play with anyone in the country, but they're perfectly capable of winning, too.

The University of Florida has elevated Tyler Miles to the role of Director of Football Performance for the Florida Gators. Miles, previously serving as the Director of Player Athletic Development, takes over from Craig Fitzgerald, who departed to join Boston College after a brief tenure with the Gators. Since joining the team in 2023, Miles has made significant contributions, particularly in aiding players' recovery from injuries and facilitating their return to peak performance. His rapport with the players, who have been vocal supporters of his promotion, has been a notable aspect of his tenure. Miles' journey in sports performance is marked by diverse experiences across college and professional football. In 2022, he was part of the Duke football program as an Assistant Director of Sports Performance. Prior to Duke, in 2021, he was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Miami. His career also includes a significant stint as Head Strength Coach at Tennessee State University, where his expertise extended to football, volleyball, and track and field. Additionally, his tenure at Boost Performance in Nashville, Tennessee, saw him preparing athletes for the NFL Scouting Combine and professional days. His career also spans roles at Northwestern State University, Tennessee, South Carolina, and with the New York Jets. In his new position, Miles will oversee the Gators' revamped strength and conditioning department. This overhaul, led by Head Coach Billy Napier following a disappointing 5-7 season in 2023, underscores the program's renewed focus on physical development and nutrition. Miles' role will be crucial in actualizing Napier's vision for the team. His collaboration with Napier and the coaching staff aims to elevate the Gators' on-field performance and position them as contenders for championships.

It took 25 games, but Todd Golden and his team have finally cracked the AP Top 25. Florida enters the poll at No. 24 after winning seven of its last eight games. The Gators have long been hoping to enter the rankings this season especially after a very impressive stretch over the last couple weeks. During Florida's eight-game stretch, the Gators have picked up wins against No. 12 Auburn and No. 10 Kentucky. It is the first time Florida has been ranked in the top-25 since Todd Golden took over the program. The Gators have not been ranked since Dec. 6, 2021. The ranking is also just the second time the Orange & Blue have cracked the top-25 during conference play over the last five seasons. Florida faces a tough test on Wednesday, travelling to Tuscaloosa to take on the SEC-leading Alabama Crimson Tide. Looking at Florida's tournament resume, entering the top-25 makes it clear that Todd Golden and company should be well on their way to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. As it stands, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has the Gators listed as a No. 8 seed, however that will change depending on Wednesday's result. Florida's resume is strong, with three Quad I wins: Auburn (NET No. 7), Kentucky (NET No. 22) and Pittsburgh (NET No. 47). However, the Gators have dropped seven Quad I games. Fortunately for the Orange & Blue, they have handled business outside the top quadrant. The Gators boast a 15-0 record against teams in Quad II - Quad IV. Combine that with the three quality wins and Florida is almost a lock to be dancing in March. Down the road, Florida will have multiple opportunities to boost its resume. Including Wednesday's tilt with Alabama, the Gators still have three Quad I games looming on the schedule. If Todd Golden's unit can pick up the "give me" games against Vanderbilt (twice) and Missouri, Florida should have a spot in the tournament locked up before the SEC Tournament begins. Latest AP Top 25 rankings (Released February 19) UConn (1550 Points) Houston (1473) Purdue (1414) Arizona (1373) Tennessee (1230) Iowa State (1160) Marquette (1144) Duke (1116) Kansas (1065) North Carolina (1044) Baylor (959) Illinois (853) Alabama (803) Auburn (690) Creighton (612) Dayton (584) Kentucky (540) Saint Mary's (486) San Diego State (374) South Carolina (346) Washington State (215) Colorado State (171) Texas Tech (135) Florida (124) BYU (123) Other Receiving Votes: Virginia, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Michigan St., TCU, South Florida, New Mexico, FAU, Utah St., Grand Canyon, Nevada, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Appalachian St., McNeese St., Drake