A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: THE TRANSFER PORTAL IS STILL OPEN AT UF The transfer portal is a two-way street and nobody knows that better than Dan Mullen and Mike White. Mullen has spent the last three years prepping for a time when the NCAA would allow football players to transfer without having to sit out a season and few basketball coaches have had as much success bringing in productive transfers as White. Mullen, who has brought in four transfers since the end of the 2020 season, 11 total since arriving at UF in December of 2017, has lost eight to the transfer portal this year but only one – linebacker James Houston – figured to compete for a starting job. The outgoing transfers have been offset by adding defensive tackles Antonio Shelton (Penn State) and Daquan Newkirk (Auburn), running back Demarkcus Bowman (Clemson) and placekicker Jace Christmann (Mississippi State). Shelton and Newkirk will be starters in the fall and once healthy, Bowman will be getting his share of snaps in a backfield crowded with talent. Christmann, who kicked for Mullen at Mississippi State back in 2017, will be the replacement kicker for Evan McPherson, who has a chance to be a late round NFL Draft selection. With a rush of transfers expected to hit the portal in the next four weeks and as many as two available scholarships, Mullen is going to be in a pick and choose mode. At the same time, it’s entirely possible one or two more on Florida’s current roster could leave if they perceive a chance to start somewhere else when they see all the movement that’s going to take place nationwide. The portal giveth and the portal taketh away although it’s been weighted far heavier in Florida’s direction over the past three years. For Mike White and Florida basketball, it has been a revolving door of transfers since he arrived in 2015. Counting the four most recent additions via the transfer route, White has brought in 11 from other Division I programs and two from junior colleges while seeing 13 transfer out. The incoming transfers have provided far more production than the kids who left so the departures haven’t had such a negative effect on the program. In the last month, White lost one starter in Noah Locke (to Louisville), one key backup in Omar Payne (to Illinois) and two whose contributions were limited in Ques Glover (to Samford) and Osayi Osifo (to Jacksonville). Their replacements – Brandon McKissic (from Missouri-Kansas City), CJ Felder (from Boston College), Myreon Jones (from Penn State) and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (from Charleston Southern) are substantial upgrades at least from statistical and defensive standpoints. White could have as many as two scholarships available of Keyontae Johnson is unable to get medical clearance to play next season. Expect White to wait as long as possible for an answer on Johnson’s health situation. The most pressing need will be to bring in someone 6-9 or taller to back up Colin Castleton and Jason Jitoboh, both of whom are 6-11. There is also that possibility that White could lose another player or two to the transfer portal but all that will do is create an opportunity to bring in a replacement transfer. THREE CHANGES I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL First and foremost, either bring back the jump ball on a tie-up or else give the basketball to the team that forced the tie-up but eliminate that stupid alternating possession rule. Why reward a team whose player held the ball and got tied up with possession just because some silly arrow is pointing in one direction? Instead, give the ball to the team whose player hustled and created the held ball. Back in the 1970s the rule was changed to eliminate all but a jump ball on the opening tap with the excuses that (a) referees don’t always toss the ball high enough and (b) it takes too much time to line up every time there is a jump ball. You don’t see them eliminating faceoffs in hockey any time a puck gets pinned against the boards, do you? But if we can’t have the jump ball, then at least reward whoever forces the held ball. Secondly, eliminate that stupid Euro-step that allows players to sometimes take as many as four steps after they kill their dribble. Start calling walking once again when players exceed two steps. Eliminate the Euro-step. Players will adapt and the game will be better for it. Third, start calling 3-second violations. I can count on one hand the number of 3-second violations I counted during the NCAA Tournament and I probably watched 25 or 30 games. I’m just tired of watching kids park in the lane without getting whistled for 3-seconds. IF TRINITY THOMAS IS HEALTHY, UF SHOULD WIN THE NCAA TITLE The Gators open up on the uneven bars at 1 p.m. today (ESPN2) in the first semifinal of the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, and if Trinity Thomas, the nation’s leading individual gymnast is healthy, there is every good chance Florida will come home this weekend with the school’s fourth national championship. Thomas was limited to a single event at both the SEC Championships and Athens Regional as head coach Jenny Rowland tried to save her for the nationals. In Athens, Thomas had a perfect 10 on the uneven bars on Friday and a 9.9 in the regional final on Saturday. If she is healthy and able to go in all four events today she should challenge for the all-around title and could score close to a perfect 10 on both the bars and floor exercise. Thomas has scored 10s twice on both events this year. The Gators come into the nationals ranked first on the balance beam and floor exercise, fourth on the vault and fifth on the bars. The Gators are in the same semifinal foursome with Minnesota, Michigan and California. The evening semifinal will feature Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah and LSU. Other UF spring sports: Softball: Coming off a surprising 7-0 loss to UCF Wednesday night, the 4th-ranked Gators (30-5, 10-2 SEC) have their work cut out for them this weekend in Tuscaloosa when they face 3rd-ranked Alabama (32-5, 11-4 SEC) for a 3-game series. The Gators were shut out for the first time this season and held to only four hits. Tonight (7 p.m., SEC Network+) the Gators will be facing Alabama ace Montana Fouts (13-2, 1.62 ERA, 160 strikeouts in 103-2/3 innings) and Saturday it will be Lexi Kilfoyl (11-3, 1.56 ERA, 95 strikeouts in 81 innings). Bama pitchers lead the SEC with 313 strikeouts this season. Florida will counter the Bama aces with Elizabeth Hightower (14-2, 1.40 ERA) tonight with Natalie Lugo (9-1, 1.41 ERA) on Saturday. While the Gators rank near the bottom in the SEC in strikeouts, they have a team ERA of 1.59 and lead the league in fielding, having committed only 17 errors in 35 games. The Gators and Arkansas (33-5, 13-2 SEC) both have only two SEC losses. A sweep this weekend would put five games distance between UF and Alabama with nine SEC games remaining on the schedule. Volleyball: The No. 8 seed Gators (20-3) advanced to the Omaha Region semifinals Thursday with a straight set win over Morehead State behind a combined 36 kills and nine blocks by the foursome of Thayer Hall, Holly Carlton, Lauren Forte and T’ara Ceasar. The Gators will face No. 9 seed Ohio State in Sunday’s regional semis. Lacrosse: The 9th-ranked Gators (9-2, 6-0 AAC) play host to Vanderbilt (11-2, 6-0 AAC) in a two-match battle for the top spot in the American Athletic Conference Standings this weekend. Friday’s match at Donald Dizney Stadium begins at 4 p.m. with the Sunday match slated to begin at 1 p.m. Baseball: Tied for fourth in the SEC East with Kentucky, the 18th-ranked Gators (22-11, 6-6 SEC East) will host Missouri (11-20, 4-8 SEC East) this weekend for a 3-game set that could keep UF within striking distance of division leaders Vanderbilt (26-5, 9-3 SEC) and Tennessee (28-6, 9-3 SEC). If the Gators can get a sweep, they figure to make up valuable ground since 2nd-ranked Vandy and 3rd-ranked Tennessee will be going at it three games in Knoxville. Kevin O’Sullivan is making another change in his weekend rotation, going with Franco Aleman (1-1, 3.58 ERA) in game one tonight (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+) with Tommy Mace (4-0, 3.00 ERA) getting the start for Saturday’s 1 p.m. match. Hunter Barco (4-2, 5.22 ERA) will be the starter Sunday (12 noon). Women’s golf: The Gators dropped into a 9th-place tie with Tennessee, 23 shots behind LSU in the Southeastern Conference Championships in Birmingham. Addie Baggarly (3-under 141) is tied for 22nd in the individual standings. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: Asked about quarterback Bryce Young, Nick Saban said, “Bryce is the quarterback for right now, so he’s going to operate with the first team.” The only way Bryce Young isn’t the No. 1 QB when the season begins in the fall is if he is injured … Jaden Shackleford (6-3, 200, SO) has declared for the NBA Draft but won’t hire an agent so he could return next season. Shackleford averaged 14.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season while hitting 34.2 percent of his 3-pointers. Arkansas: Basketball assistant coach Corey Williams is leaving to join Mark Adams’ staff at Texas Tech. Auburn: Offensive tackle Austin Troxell, who has had three ACL tears since high school, played the entire 2020 season injury-free, starting Auburn’s last four games. He has spent the spring focusing his attention on pass blocking which was his weakness last season. Georgia: Georgia will allow 20,524 socially distanced fans into Sanford Stadium for Saturday’s G-Day game. Kentucky: Kentucky is thought to be a favorite to land transfers Mac McClung (from Texas Tech) and De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma). LSU: Cameron Thomas, who averaged 23 points per game as a true freshman, declared for the NBA and will hire an agent. Mississippi State: Mississippi State got one of the biggest names in the basketball transfer portal when North Carolina’s Garrison Brooks (6-10, 240) committed. Brooks averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists for UNC this past season and more than 1,200 points in his career. Brooks’ dad George is a Mississippi State assistant … Missouri: Torrence Watson, who averaged 1.8 points per game, will be transferring to Elon. Ole Miss: The backup quarterback situation is unsettled this spring. Matt Corral is the unquestioned No. 1 but last year’s backup John Rhys Plumlee, who may end up playing multiple positions in the fall, is playing baseball, leaving the door open for stud freshman Luke Atwell to perhaps become the No. 2 guy. South Carolina: South Carolina will allow 15,000 fans into Williams-Brice Stadium for the annual Garnet and Black Game … Basketball coach Frank Martin accepted full responsibility for the Gamecocks poor season, noting that “I didn’t manage things the right way and then some of the personal stuff I went through made it really, really difficult to do my job.” Tennessee: The Vols will hold their second scrimmage of the spring Saturday. Texas A&M: In addition to breaking in a new quarterback to replace four-year starter Kellen Mond, the Aggies have to replace four starters on the offensive line. The fifth starter, Kenyon Green, is switching from left guard to left tackle. Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt plans to add luxury seating to the north end zone of Vanderbilt Stadium. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: With transfers so much in the headlines, I was thinking about a conversation I had with Dean Smith back in the day when the NCAA allowed 15 basketball scholarships. When discussing the ideal roster, he told me the ideal makeup would be five high school All-Americans, five kids who just missed making a high school All-America team and five all-state kids who were out to prove they were every bit as good or better than the other 10. Dean rarely had a kid transfer out but it’s also true he didn’t have to deal with changing transfer rules that have created a form of free agency, either. I wonder tonight how he would have dealt with modern day roster building or if he would have shaken his head and walked away from a game he loved to coach rather than deal with all these inflated egos.

“If you don’t like the weather in New England now, just wait five minutes” – Mark Twain You could say something quite similar about basketball in the Southeastern Conference. You don’t like your roster? Wait five minutes. As Bob Dylan might say, the times, they are a changing. As of 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 15, there were 1,376 Division I basketball players with their names in the NCAA transfer portal. For those who find a new place to play basketball, not a one of them will have to sit out an entire season since the NCAA has approved legislation that eliminates the one-year sit out penalty for transfers. If you were of the opinion that things couldn’t get more chaotic with the daily reports of players coming and going not just in the SEC but all over the nation, then think again. The new legislation is only going to increase the number of kids who believe there is a better place to showcase their basketball talents. Since a kid who puts his name in the transfer portal has to be in good academic standing to leave his school and be eligible at the next, things will get wild and wooly in the next few weeks. Once the spring semester ends and everyone knows if he will be academically eligible to find a new place to play, the already bulging transfer portal is going to burst at the seams. Some are already saying the wild, wild west of Dodge City and Tombstone days will seem tame by comparison. Of the 14 teams in the SEC, only Alabama avoided losing a player to transfer. Bama did, however, dip into the transfer portal to bring in two players who will likely start next season. Missouri was hit the hardest with six transferring out to join the three who declared their pro intentions, leaving Cuonzo Martin to fill nine vacancies on his roster. So far he has added three transfers to go with four high school signees. He has two open scholarships and is actively seeking two more from the transfer portal. At Florida, fans have gone from the depths of transfer despair to a stunning roster rebuild in record time. Following Tre Mann’s declaration for the NBA – much expected and a smart move on his part since he will go in the top half of the draft – four transferred out in staccato succession followed by the surprising decision by Scottie Lewis to turn pro and hire an agent after what can only be deemed as a roller coaster season. At that point, with rumors swirling that the screen door might hit others in the butt on the way out, Mike White calmly went to work in the transfer portal and in a matter of two weeks has attracted four players who will – on paper at least – give the Gators a stronger and more competitive roster next season. The most difficult to replace of the outgoing players will be Mann, who made first team All-SEC by averaging 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.1 blocked shots per game. Mann was Florida’s most consistent player all season but he improved dramatically in the final month to go from a late first to early second NBA prospect into one who has a legitimate shot at the lottery. As for the other five departing players, consistency was hard to find. If you add Mann’s productivity to that of the five other players who are leaving – Lewis, Noah Locke, Omar Payne, Ques Glover and Osayi Osifo – and it totals 42.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 4.8 steals and 2.6 blocked shots that have to be replaced. The incoming foursome of Brandon McKissic (from Missouri-Kansas City), Myreon Jones (from Penn State), C.J. Felder (from Boston College) and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (from Charleston Southern) combined to produce 62.3 points, 19.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 5.6 steals and 3.3 blocked shots per game. From a purely statistical standpoint, White has upgraded his roster substantially. McKissic was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Summit League and a finalist for the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 17.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. He shot 50.8 percent overall and 42.9 percent from the 3-point line. Jones was Penn State’s leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. He shot 39.5 percent on his 3-pointers, 77.3 percent on his free throws and turned the ball over only 31 times in 25 games. Felder plays much bigger than his 6-7, 235-pound frame would indicate. At Boston College he was good for 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.2 blocked shots per game. He has three full years of eligibility remaining. The most recent piece in the rebuild is Fleming, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Big South Conference. Last season on a vertically challenged team where he was sometimes the tallest player for CSU, Fleming averaged 20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocked shots. There remain a couple of question marks for White, who may have as many as three open roster spots to fill. Colin Castleton is exploring his NBA Draft status without hiring an agent. He is almost certain to return next season. Keyontae Johnson remains on scholarship but there has been no indication whether or not he will be able to return. It is possible that Johnson will remain on scholarship into the fall while continuing treatment for the medical condition that led to his collapse on the floor in Tallahassee last December. If he is unable to play Johnson could be given a medical hardship which allows him to remain on scholarship without it counting against the NCAA mandated 13 for men’s basketball. Assuming Castleton returns and Johnson is not cleared medically, White could bring in two more players to fill out his roster. He needs to bring in another true point guard and someone 6-9 or better to give added size coming off the bench when Castleton needs to sit. How many of these will he find in the transfer portal and how many will be high school signees? We will have to wait to find out. THE FLORIDA ROSTER AS OF APRIL 15 Back for one more year (5): Tyrie Appleby (6-1, 172, RJR); Anthony Duruji (6-7, 220, RJR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 285, SO); Samson Ruzhentsev (6-7, 192, FR); Neils Lane (6-5, 205, FR) Maybe, maybe not (2): Keyontae Johnson (6-5, 240, JR); Colin Castleton (6-11, 235, JR, Pro but won’t hire an agent) Going, going gone (6): Noah Locke (6-2, 203, JR, Transferred to Louisville); Osayi Osifo (6-7, 225, JR, Tranferred to Jacksonville); Tre Mann (6-5, 190, SO, Pro); Omar Payne (6-10, 230, SO, Transferred to Illinois); Scottie Lewis (6-5, 189, SO, Pro); Ques Glover (5-11, 175, SO, Transferred to Samford) Just dropped in (4): Brandon McKissic (6-3, 195, GR); Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (6-4, 210, GR, Transferred from Charleston Southern); Myreon Jones (6-3, 185, JR, Transferred from Penn State); C.J. Felder (6-7, 235, SO, Transferred from Boston College) Preppies and jucos (1): Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 180) THE REST OF THE SEC AS OF 2 P.M., THURSDAY, APRIL 15 ALABAMA Back for another year (5): James Rojas (6-8, 220, JR); Keon Ellis (6-6, 180, JR; Jahvon Quinerly (6-1, 180, SO); Juwan Gary (6-5, 220, FR); Alex Tchikou (6-11, 230, RFR) Maybe, maybe not (3): Jaden Shackleford (6-3, 190, SO, Pro but won't hire an agent); Jordan Bruner (6-10, 235, SR); Alex Reese (6-9, 245, SR) Going, going gone (2): Herb Jones (6-8, 210, SR, Pro); John Petty (6-5, 200, SR, Pro) Just dropped in (2): Nimari Burnett (6-4, 200, FR, Transfer from Texas Tech); Noah Gurley (6-8, 210, SR, Transfer from Furman) Preppies and jucos (4): Charles Bediako (6-11, 220); Jedarrion Davison (6-3, 180); Jasaun Holt (6-6, 190); Jake Wilson (6-9, 190, JUCO) ARKANSAS Back for one more year (6): Kamani Johnson (6-7, 215, JR); Abayomi Iyiola (6-9, 230, JR); Connor Vanover (7-3, 245, SO); Jaylin Williams (6-10, 245, SO); Davonte Davis (6-4, 180, FR); Khalen Robinson (6-0, 175, FR) Maybe, maybe not (2): Jalen Tate (6-6, 190, SR); Vance Jackson (6-9, 235, SR) Going, going gone (5): Justin Smith (6-7, 230, Pro); Desi Sills (6-1, 202, JR, Transfer); Moses Moody (6-6, 210, FR, Pro); Ethan Henderson (6-8, 210, JR, Transferred to Texas A&M); Emeka Obekwulu (6-8, 235, SR, Transfer) Just dropped in (3): Chris Lykes (5-7, 165, GR, Transferred from Miami); Au’Diese Toney (6-6, 210, JR, Transferred from Pittsburgh); Stanley Umude (6-6, 210, GR, Transfer to South Dakota); Preppies and jucos (2): Chance Moore (6-5, 190); Akol Mawein (6-9, 200, JUCO) AUBURN Back for one more year (7): Allan Flanigan (6-6, 215, SO); Jaylin Williams (6-8, 230, SO); Babatunde Akingbola (6-10, 245, SO); Devan Cambridge (6-6, 215, SO); Chris Moore (6-6, 230, FR); JT Thor (6-10, 205, FR); Dylan Cardwell (6-11, 250, FR) Going, going gone (5) Justin Powell (6-6, 205, FR, Transfer to Tennessee); Sharife Cooper (6-1, 180, FR, Pro); Javon Franklin (6-7, 200, JR, Transferred to South Alabama); Jalen Johnson (6-4, 195, JR, Transferred to UAB); Tyrell Jones (6-1, 170, SO, Transferred to South Alabama) Just dropped in (3): Wendell Green Jr. (5-11, 170, FR, Transfer from Eastern Kentucky); Zep Jasper (6-1, 175, JR, Transferred from Charleston); Walker Kessler (7-1, 245, FR, Transferred from North Carolina) Preppies and jucos (2): Trey Alexander (6-4, 190); Jabari Smith II (6-10, 210) GEORGIA Back for another year (5): Jonathan Ned (6-8, 215, JR); Sahvir Wheeler (5-10, 180, SO); Tyron McMillan (6-9, 220, SO); Josh Taylor (6-9, 215, FR); K.D. Johnson (6-1, 190, FR) Maybe, maybe not (3): P.J. Horne (6-6, 230, SR); Andrew Garcia (6-6, 225, SR); Justin Kier (6-4, 190, SR) Going, going gone: Tye Fagan (6-3, 195, JR, Transfer to Ole Miss); Toumani Camara (6-8, 230, SO, Transferred to Dayton); Christian Brown (6-6, 205, SO, Transferred to Tennessee State); Mikal Starks (6-0, 160, JR, Transfer); Jaykwon Walton (6-7, 205, SO, Transferred to Shelby State Community College) Just dropped in (4): Jailyn Ingram (6-7, 215, SR, Transferred from Florida Atlantic); Braeylin Bridges (6-9, 225, Transferred from Illinois-Chicago); Noah Baumann (6-6, 217, SR, Transferred from Southern Cal); Jabi Abdur-Rahim (6-7, 210, SO, Transferred from Virginia) Preppies and jucos (2): Camron McDowell (6-5, 170); Tyrone Baker (6-10; 190) KENTUCKY Back for another year (4): Keon Brooks (6-7, 205, SO); Jacob Toppin (6-7, 194, SO); Lance Ware (6-9, 223, FR); Dontaie Allen (6-6, 198, RFR) Maybe, maybe not (2): Isiah Jackson (6-10, 206, FR, Pro but won’t hire an agent); Davion Mintz (6-3, 191, GR); Olivier Sarr (7-0, 250, SR) Going, going gone (3): BJ Boston (6-7, 185, FR, Pro); Cam’Ron Fletcher (6-6, 180, FR, Transfer); Devin Askew (6-3, 195, FR, Transferred to Texas) Just dropped in (2): Oscar Tschiebwe (6-9, 260, SO), Transferred from West Virginia); Kellan Grady (6-5, 205, GR, Transferred from Davidson) Preppies and jucos (3): Nolan Hickman (6-2, 181); Bryce Hopkins (6-7, 210); Daimion Collins (6-9, 210) LSU Back for another year (5): Josh LeBlanc (6-7, 230, JR); Shareef O’Neal (6-10, 226, SO); Eric Gaines, 6-2, 155, FR); Josh Gray (6-11, 255, FR); Mwani Wilkinson (6-5, 215, FR) Maybe, maybe not (1): Darius Days (6-7, 245, JR) Going, going gone (5): Trendon Watford (6-9, 240, SO, Pro); Javonte Smart (6-4, 205, JR, Pro); Cameron Thomas (6-4, 210, FR, Pro); Aundre Hyatt (6-6, 225, RSO, Transfer); Jalen Cook (6-0, 205, FR, Transfer) Just dropped in (2): Seneca Knight (6-7, 215, JR, Transferred from San Jose State); Xavier Pinson (6-2, 170, JR, Transferred from Missouri) Preppies and jucos (4): Brandon Murray (6-5, 225); Jerrell Colbert (6-10, 196); Bradley Ezewiro (6-8, 225); Alex Fudge (6-6, 180) MISSISSIPPI STATE Back for another year (8): Iverson Molinar (6-3, 190, SO); D.J. Stewart (6-6, 205, SO); Tolu Smith (6-10; 245, SO); Quinten Post (7-0, 240, SO); Javian Davis (6-9, 240, SO); Andersson Garcia (6-7, 205, FR); Cameron Matthews (6-7, 220, FR); Derek Fountain (6-9, 210, FR); Reggie Morris (6-1, 160, FR) Maybe, maybe not (1): Abdul Ado (6-11, 255, SR) Going, going gone (3): Jalen Johnson (6-6, 210, SR); Deivon Smith (6-1, 165, FR, Transferred to Georgia Tech); Keondre Montgomery (6-7, 200, FR, Transfer) Just dropped in (1): Garrison Brooks (6-10, 240, SR, Transferred from North Carolina) Preppies and jucos (3): Camryn Carter (6-2, 175); Alden Applewhite (6-6, 230); Keshawn Murphy (6-10, 230) MISSOURI Back for another year (4): Javon Pickett (6-5, 220, JR); Kobe Brown (6-7, 240, SO); Jordan Wilmore (7-3, 245, FR); Sean Durugordon (6-7, 215, FR) Going, going gone (9): Jeremiah Tilmon (6-10, 260, SR, Pro); Dru Smith (6-3, 203, SR, Pro); Mitchell Smith (6-10, 221, SR, Pro); Mark Smith (6-5, 220, SR, Transferred to Kansas State); Xavier Pinson (6-2, 170, JR, Transfer); Drew Buggs (6-3, 195, SR, Transfer); Torrence Watson (6-5, 205, JR, Transferred to Elon); Parker Braun (6-8, 217, SO, Transfer); Ed Chang (6-8, 220, JR, Transfer) Just dropped in (3): DaJuan Gordon (6-4, 190, SO, Transferred from Kansas State); Jarron Coleman (6-5, 205, SO, Transferred from Ball State); Amari Davis (6-3, 170, SO, Transferred from Green Bay) Preppies and jucos (4): YaYa Keita (6-9, 230); Trevon Brazil (6-7, 180); Anton Brookshire (6-0, 160); Kaleb Brown (6-6, 218) OLE MISS Back for another year (5): Robert Allen (6-8, 230, JR), Luis Rodriguez (6-6, 210, SO); Sammy Hunter (6-9, 230, SO); Austin Crowley (6-5, 190, SO); Matt Murrell (6-4, 195, FR) Going, going gone (7): Devontae Shuler (6-2, 190, SR, Pro); Romello White (6-8, 235, SR, Pro); KJ Buffen (6-7, 235, JR, Transfer); Khadim Sy (6-10, 238, SR, Transfer); Dimencio Vaughn (6-5, 215, SR, Transferred to Rider); Antavian Collum (6-7, 224, SO, Transferre to Cal-Bakersfield); Shon Robinson (6-11, 212, FR, Transfer) Just dropped in (2): Tye Fagan (6-3, 195, JR, Transferred from Georgia); Nysier Brooks (6-11, 245, GR, Transferred from Miami) Preppies and jucos (4): Daeshun Ruffin (5-9, 160); James White (6-5, 170); Grant Slatten (6-6, 190); Eric Van der Heijden (6-9, 200) SOUTH CAROLINA Back for another year (5): AJ Lawson (6-6, 178, JR); Alanzo Frink (6-7, 260, JR); Wildens Leveque (6-11, 230, SO); Ja’Von Benson (6-7, 251, FR); Tre-Vaughn Minott (6-9, 280, FR) Maybe, maybe not (3): Keyshawn Bryant (6-5, 197, JR, Pro will not hire agent); Jermaine Couisnard (6-4, 211, SO, Pro will not hire agent); Seventh Woods (6-2, 189, SR) Going, going gone (6): Justin Minaya (6-6, 215, JR, Pro or Transfer); Trae Hannibal (6-3, 217, SO, Transferred to Murray State); T.J. Moss (6-4, 195, SO, Transferred to McNeese State); Jalyn McCreary (6-7, 225, SO, Transfer); Tre Anderson (6-6, 203, SO, Transferred), Patrick Iriell (6-10, 248, FR, Transfer) Just dropped in (4): Chico Carter (6-2, 190, SO, Transferred from Murray State); A.J. Wilson (6-7, 230, SR, Transferred from George Mason); Erik Stevenson (6-3, 198, JR, Transferred from Washington); James Reese (6-4, 170, SR, Transferred from North Texas) Preppies and jucos (4): Jacobi Wright (6-2, 170); Devin Carter (6-3, 173); Carlous Williams (6-5, 230); Taquan Woodley (6-7, 230) TENNESSEE Back for another year (6): John Fulkerson (6-10, 220, SR); Victor Bailey Jr. (6-4, 175, JR); Josiah-Jordan James (6-6, 208, SO); Santiago Vescovi (6-3, 188, SO); Olivier Nkamhoua (6-8, 223, SO); Uros Plavsic (7-0, 262, SO) Going, going gone (7): Keon Johnson (6-5, 188, FR, Pro); Jaden Springer (6-4, 204, FR, Pro); Yves Pons (6-6, 215, SR, Pro); E.J. Anoskie (6-7, 245, SR, Transfer); Corey Walker (6-8, 219, FR, Transfer); Davonte Gaines (6-7, 181, Transfer to George Mason); Drew Pember (6-10, 200, Transfer to UNC-Asheville) Just dropped in (1): Justin Powell (6-6, 205, FR, Transfer from Auburn) Preppies and jucos (5): Kennedy Chandler (6-1, 160); Quentin Diboundje Eyobo (6-6, 185); Jamahl Mashack (6-4, 180); Jonas Aidoo (7-0, 220); Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-8, 200) TEXAS A&M Back for another year (5): Andre Gordon (6-2, 188, SO); Hassan Diara (6-2, 197, FR); Jaxson Robinson (6-7, 193, FR); LaDamien Bradford (6-4, 223, FR); Hayden Hefner (6-6, 182, FR) Maybe, maybe not: Going, going gone (6): Savion Flagg (6-7, 220, SR, Transferred to Sam Houston State); Kevin Marfo (6-8, 245, GR, Transfer); JayJay Chandler (6-4, 180, JR, Transferred to South Alabama); Jonathan Aku (6-9, 263, SO, Transfer); Cashius McNeilly (6-4, 191, SO, Transfer); Emanuel Miller (6-7, 208, SO, Transfer); Just dropped in (2): Javonte Brown, 6-11, 243, SO, Transferred from UConn); Ethan Henderson (6-8, 210, JR, Transferred from Arkansas) Preppies and jucos (2): Wade Taylor (6-1, 170); Manny Obaseki (6-3, 175) VANDERBILT Back for one more year (6): Jordan Wright (6-5, 226, SO); Dylan Disu (6-9, 220, SO); Quentin Millora-Brown (6-10, 226, JR); Akeem Odusipe (6-9, 230, FR); Myles Stute (6-7, 220, FR); Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 190, FR); Trey Thomas (5-11, 165, FR) Maybe, maybe not (1): Scotty Pippen Jr. (6-1, 170,YR SO, Pro no agent) Going, going gone (5): Isaac McBride (6-1, 190, SO, Transfer); D.J. Harvey (6-6, 230, SR, Transferred to Detroit); Maxwell Evans (6-2, 190, SR, Transfer); Ejike Obinna (6-10, 243, SR, Transfer); Clevon Brown (6-8, 232, SR, Transfer) Just dropped in (1): Liam Robbins (7-0, 235, JR, Transferred from Minnesota) Preppies and jucos (2): Peyton Daniels (6-2, 175); Gabe Dorsey (6-6, 205)

There might have been one or two other athletes who can brag about it, but who else do you know who has lived, worked and played their entire adult lives in a 90-mile radius? Forest Wildcats. Florida Gators. Tampa Bay Bucs. Once Scot Brantley arrived in Ocala with his brother John from Greenville, S.C., they began building an entire branch of football royalty -- a remarkable legacy that will live forever around here. That occurred to me this week as I watched the convergence of those forces at Trinity Catholic while Jake Slaughter was becoming the third recipient of the Scot Brantley Trophy. There has never been a football player from around these parts better than Scot Brantley. Old timers saw him destroy ball-carriers for Brent Hall’s two-time state champions Forest Wildcats, where he was a two-time Parade All-American and reputed to have made “every tackle” (darn near) in a big game against Leesburg. Then it was on to Florida to play for Doug Dickey and Charley Pell, a choice he made over Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes, plus almost every major college coach in the mid-70s, as he became a fierce All-SEC linebacker. Meanwhile his brother John III became Steve Spurrier’s first starting quarterback and begat Scot’s nephew John IV who started for Urban Meyer. Good vibes bubbled over at Trinity this week, where John III and Scot once coached together and John has recently returned to revive the Celtics state championship hopes. Here was an award named after Scot, presented by the Ocala Quarterback Club, to a player on his brother’s team who is a member of the Gators’ incoming freshman class. It was a veritable Brantley lovefest. Surely, the fix must have been in. According to Todd Duffy, head of the Ocala QB Club committee, “Coach Brantley had nothing to do with his winning it – he was just one of 18 coaches in the six-county area asked to nominate players. We had four finalists. Jake just checked all the boxes.” Those “boxes” are not all about football and say a lot about the character of Scot, who was asked what attributes he would like to see required for these honorees. He said he preferred somebody who was a senior and played primarily for one school, exceled at academics, embraced his faith and showed leadership in the community. The football qualification runneth over for Slaughter. He was pushed in competition from his own teammates with two other Division I offensive linemen – Caleb Johnson (Notre Dame) and Garner Langlo (Auburn) -- making 39 pancake blocks and allowing zero sacks. Scot was thrilled at his selection. “This may be one of the few offensive linemen to win it,” said Scot. “He’s a special young man with wonderful parents. Six-foot-seven. Three hundred pounds. And going to play for the Gators! He’s got a great life ahead.” Take it from a man who’s been there, done that. Even through Scot stays around home mostly since life has presented him with a number of challenges as a result of football, he has been blessed with wonderful wife and teammate. Mary Brantley is a successful business owner and helps runs Renstar Medical Research with her longtime friend and partner Joe Sorrentino, all the while looking in on Scot’s medical needs. Scot is convinced Mary Brantley flew down straight from heaven. Together, they have just taken residence in their new homestead, “The Brantley Farm,” a 15-acre tract north of Ocala, where animals are multiplying as the Brantleys drink in the sunsets which are framed by a 1,000-acre piece of land that will never be developed. He won’t lie – some days are harder than others when fog sets in and he has difficulty pulling up small details. The medications don’t help the memory channel. Sometimes he get confused and frustrated, but for the most part he’s happy. This year he got to root home his Super Bowl Champion Bucs and revel, just a little, in his old team’s glory. Think about it: All of Scot Brantley’s teams eventually went on to win their ultimate championship. Out on Brantley’s farm – “it’s not really a farm, but we have a sign that says that” – the glory of nature regales a man who grew up adoring the great outdoors of Florida. He’s thrilled when he sees hummingbirds, or cardinals, or hawks traversing his property. Sometimes a deer, or other wild animals. Not so much lately. Scot fears his domesticated pets have run some of them off. “We have these new dogs, white, long-haired Pyrenees, BeBe and CeCe, who are always stalking animals,” he said. “We can see a hawk land in the tree and all of a sudden they’re barking at them. How do they even know?” BeBe and CeCe joined the menagerie that includes a 25-year-old cat Jake, another longtime housedog Kuku and now a new cat named Henry who was recently gifted to them by Mary’s nephew because he was allergic to him. Happy campers all, but not without having paid a price. We can’t make light of the struggles Scot has had after football, both mental and physical. A long time before concussion protocols were established Scot was already suffering the after-effects of all those tackles. He played a couple of decades of football and admits that he was sometimes able to disguise his head injuries. Had he known about it, would he have quit football? No, he said. “I have no regrets,” he said. “And I would do it again.” Perhaps there is one more category that should be added to those Scot Brantley Trophy qualifications : Courage.

Florida softball was embarrassed Wednesday night. The last time the Gators played the then No. 24-ranked, now No. 23-ranked UCF Knights they lost in heartbreaking, walk-off fashion. Wednesday? Not so much. The Knights jumped on Florida early. Fifth-year Gainesville native Katie Chronister got the starting nod in the circle for the Gators. But her outing didn’t last long. Looking at the box score, you’d assume Chronister never saw the field. Her stat line reads that she pitched 0.0 innings in the loss. Florida head coach Tim Walton yanked her out of the game before she recorded a single out in the top of the first inning, but not before she gave up four hits and four earned runs. The Knights strung together three hits with small ball, one of which was sent reeling back to Chronister in the circle, hitting her en route to plating UCF’s first run. Hanging tough, Chronister dug her heels into the clay of Katie Seashole Presley Stadium and looked to get out of the jam with runners on the corners. But UCF’s Shannon Doherty had other plans. The sophomore Knight ripped a 2-1 offering from Chronister over the left field wall and into the Gainesville evening atmosphere. Chronister finished her outing with four hits, four earned runs, no strikeouts and not one forced out when she was relieved by sophomore Rylee Trlicek, who was tasked with getting out of the four-run inning. And while Trlicek stopped the bleeding in the first, UCF continued to drive the dagger into the chest of the Gators in the second and third innings, adding three more runs to take a 7-0 advantage. Meanwhile, Florida’s lineup was fruitless. The Gators’ lineup, which has been hitting as well as any in the country, struggled mightily to find the answers to Breanna Vasquez. Florida, which averages 7.62 hits per game, managed to string together just three hits on Wednesday. Leadoff hitter Hannah Adams, who leads the Gators’ batting efforts, is hitting .431 on the year. The senior went 1-for-3 on Wednesday. Kendyl Lindaman and Avery Goelz each recorded hits of their own in the loss. Batters like Charla Echols (.374) and Cheyenne Lindsey (.356) each went hitless in the loss. UCF delivered Wednesday night’s gut punch just three weeks after the Knights welcomed the Gators to Orlando and gifted them their third loss of the season. Now Tim Walton and Co. are 30-5. But there could be good to come out of it. Midweek games are never to be overlooked. They’re just as important as any weekend series. However, if history is any indication, Walton has a way of getting his team to respond to losses. And the Gators are facing their toughest task this weekend as they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 3-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Last time the Knights beat the Gators, Florida hosted the LSU Tigers for a top 15 series and swept the Tigers, solidifying the Gators spot in national conversation. Walton challenged his team following the initial loss to the Knights. And they responded. And to realistically stay in the conversation of being a legitimate contender in the Women’s College World Series in June, they’ll need to respond again. But Alabama won’t make it easy. Crimson Tide ace Montana Fouts has been on a tear. Fouts is not only coming off of a week in which she earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, but she is also coming off of a big series win over No. 8 Arkansas. En route to securing the series against the Razorbacks, Fouts hurled two 10-strikeout games, her seventh and eighth of the season. Florida’s staff of pitchers has recorded just one 10-strikeout game all season. From the batter’s box, the Crimson Tide average .314 with Alexis Mack leading the way at .429. In addition to Mack’s consistency, Bailey Hemphill has sent eight balls into orbit and beyond the fence. Considering she didn’t make an appearance on Wednesday, Elizabeth Hightower is expected to start Friday night’s game against the Crimson Tide for the Gators. Hightower has emerged into the ace position in 2021 after limited appearances in 2019 and 2020. Hightower and the Florida defense will have to stay ahead in the game. Wednesday proved how hard, and sometimes impossible, it is to claw back into ball games after early deficits. “If they are looking forward to anything, it’s Alabama kicking their butts if they played like they did tonight,” Walton said following Wednesday’s loss. The Gators will have an opportunity to rebound from the UCF loss on Friday night when they kick off another weekend of SEC action at 7 p.m. from Tuscaloosa.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: WE AWAIT THE STARTER’S GUN FOR THE CHAOS TO BEGIN OFFICIALLY The NCAA Division I Council, in its infinite wisdom, voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a rules change that will allow an athlete in any sport to transfer once without having to sit out a year. The new rules are expected to become official today when voted on by the entire Division I body. The moment the new rules are signed into place, it will be like the starter’s gun at a track meet as what is expected to be a record number of athletes sprint for the transfer portal. From a purely ethical standpoint, the new transfer legislation is a good idea. After all, a coach who makes millions of dollars can change jobs without having to sit out a season while players who get a scholarship and, if they’re at a school that can afford it, some cost of attendance stipend money. The optics aren’t very good, however, and the NCAA knows it, which is one of the reasons there will be rubber stamp approval of the new transfer rule. Ethics aside, however, the results of the change are going to be chaotic for at least a couple of years, perhaps longer. It will take awhile for coaches to figure out how to deal with the outflow and to make adjustments in the way they recruit to accommodate experienced transfers who can offer immediate help. Not every kid who wants out at one school will find a soft landing spot somewhere else, however. Just as a large percentage of kids who declare for the NFL and NBA drafts give up their eligibility only to be disappointed when no pro team selects them, it will be the same with the transfer portals. Some kids will get their fresh start at a place where they will fit in immediately. There are others who just want out of their current circumstance no matter what the future may bring. If there is a chance to play again, they’ll be happy. If not, they understood the consequences of their actions both good and bad when they put their name in the portal. Then there are others who are about to get the shock of their lives when there is no scholarship awaiting. For them, there will be the shock and realization that they’ve just made a colossal mistake by opting out of their scholarships. The NCAA transfer portals are currently in overflow capacity, but they will be bulging at the seams in another 4-6 weeks when the academic year and spring football have concluded. One stipulation of the new rule will be that an athlete has to be in good academic standing so quite a few kids sweating bullets in the classroom will be jumping on the transfer train the moment their final grades are posted. At the end of spring football, kids who didn’t make any kind of move up the depth chart will be looking for a new place to play. The men’s basketball portal is already strained to their limits with more than 1,300 on their way to new locales as of Wednesday at 10 p.m. In an interview on ESPN radio recently, Florida football coach Dan Mullen, who has had great success adding productive transfers to his roster, sounded the alarm of what’s to come. “I can tell you this, I think three to four to five years from now, college football will be very, very different than it is today,” Mullen said. “I don’t know if it’ll be better or it’ll be worse and I don’t know how it’s going to be different, but I would feel extremely confident saying it will be very different than it is today. And it’s going to be a wild ride over the next couple of years as we all try to figure this out.” GLOVER TO SAMFORD Ques Glover (5-11, 182) has found a new home at Samford University. With Glover’s announcement, all four UF transfers – Noah Locke (Louisville), Omar Payne (Illinois) and Osayi Osifo (Jacksonville) are the others – have found a new place to play basketball next season. In two seasons at Florida, Glover scored 185 points and averaged 3.6 per game. He had six games in which he scored double figures. OTHER UF SPRING SPORTS Gymnastics: The Gators, who are the overall No. 1 seed for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, will participate in the 1 p.m. semifinals session Friday with Minnesota, Michigan and California. The Gators will begin on the uneven bars ... Trinity Thomas earned All-America honors on vault, bars, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around. Others earning All-America were Megan Skaggs, Alyssa Baumann, Leah Clapper, Ellie Lazarri, Nya Reed and Savannah Schoenherr. Softball: It was a bad night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Wednesday as 23rd-ranked UCF (30-9) scored four runs in the top of the first and cruised to a 7-0 win over 4th-ranked Florida (30-5). The Gators were held to three hits by UCF’s Breanna Vasquez. It was the first non-exhibition game in which the Gators have been shut out this season. Florida hosts 3rd-ranked Alabama for a three-game set this weekend. Swimming: When Florida women’s coach Jeff Poppell became the head coach for men’s and women’s swimming at South Carolina, UF athletic director Scott Stricklin elevated Anthony Nesty to head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams … Nesty was named SEC Coach of the Year for the third straight year. Volleyball: The 8th-seeded Gators (19-3) will face Morehead State in the second round of the NCAA Omaha Regional today at 3:30 p.m … Named to the AVCA All-Southeastern Regional team from UF were Thayer Hall, Holly Carlton, T’ara Caesar and Lauren Forte. Women’s golf: The Gators are in a four-way for fourth after one day at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Birmingham. LSU and South Carolina share the lead at -16, while Mississippi State (-13) is in second. The Gators, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Auburn are tied for fourth at -9. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: In accepting the national Coach of the Year Award, Nick Saban said the Crimson Tide “overcame tremendous adversity.” Adversity? Your football team went 13-0 and in the only game won by fewer than 10 points (Florida), you had a three-touchdown lead in the second half. If you had been forced to come from three touchdowns down in the second half, Nick, then you could talk adversity. Arkansas: According to the ESPN Power Index, Arkansas will have the toughest football schedule in the country next year. In addition to the usual suspects from the SEC West, Arkansas will play Georgia and Missouri from the SEC East and non-conference games against Rice, Texas and Georgia Southern … Basketball coach Eric Musselman signed a new 5-year contract that will pay him $4 million per year. Auburn: In discussing third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix, HBC Bryan Harsin said, “Always at that position, to me, the quarterback position is about decision-making.” In two seasons at Auburn, Nix has thrown 28 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He has yet to complete 60 percent of his passes, so decision-making is indeed a problem. Georgia: Georgia running back Kendal Milton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “This is Georgia. This is RBU.” Georgia sure has put out its share of talented running backs over the years but the only one who has a national championship ring is Herschel Walker and that was 40 years ago. Kentucky: David Cobb of CBS Sports rated Kellan Grady (6-5, 205) and Oscar Tschiebwe (6-9, 260) and the numbers 15 and 19 college basketball transfers so far. Grady transferred in from Davidson while Tschiebwe transferred in from West Virginia. LSU: Ed Orgeron says the competition for the starting QB job between Max Johnson, Myles Brennan and TJ Finley is ongoing and that there is no starting QB at this point of spring practice … Small forward/wing guard Aundre Hyatt (6-6, 225, RSO) placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Hyatt averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing in 15.9 minutes per game. Mississippi State: Michigan football recruiting coordinator Matt Dudek is leaving Ann Arbor to become the new director of football recuiting at Mississippi State … Point guard Deivon Smith (6-1, 160, FR) is transferring to Georgia Tech. Smith averaged 5.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game of action last season. Missouri: When Jeremiah Tilmon (6-10, 260, SR), Dru Smith (6-3, 203, SR) and Mitchell Smith (6-10, 221, SR) announced they are turning pro rather than come back for one more season at Mizzou, it brought to nine the number of players who won’t be back for the 2021-22 season – three pros and six transfers … Linebacker Z’Core Brooks, who didn’t record a single stat last season, has put his name in the transfer portal. Ole Miss: Former transfers Jake Springer (Navy), Otis Reese (Georgia) and Mark Robinson (Alabama A&M) have had great springs and are reasons for optimism that the Rebels will have a much-improved defense in 2021. South Carolina: North Texas wing guard James Reese (6-4, 170), who averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Mean Green, is the fourth transfer to commit to South Carolina. Tennessee: Quentin Diboundje (6-6, 185, Montpelier, France/Montverde, FL Montverde Academy) signed his LOI to play at Tennessee Wednesday. Texas A&M: The Aggies will play only two games outside of Texas in 2021. Their schedule is rated the 23rdtoughest nationally by the ESPN Power Index. Vanderbilt: Shea Ralph, one of the greats in UConn women’s basketball history, is the new women’s head coach at Vandy. One of her first official duties was to hire her husband as an assistant. He’s Tom Garrick, who played at Vandy and spent four years in the NBA. COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACHING STUFF: Arizona went outside the “family” to hire longtime Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd to replace the dismissed Sean Miller. Considered for the job were Pacific head coach Damon Stoudamire, Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner and Los Angeles Lakes assistant Miles Simon, all three former Arizona players … Cincinnati moved quickly to replace John Brannan, hiring UNC-Greensboro head coach Wes Miller, who has won three Southern Conference championships in the last five years. Miller was given a six-year contract … Brette Tanner is the new head coach at Abilene Christian, succeeding Joe Golding, who left to become the new head coach at UTEP. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In taking inventory of my golf clubs in an attempt to decide whether to continue hitting the Wilsons that I’m particularly fond of or moving on to some clubs that promise to be more forgiving (Forgive me Father for I have sinned and hit the ball in that gully at Cariari where my caddie promises the 11-foot bushmaster that was there yesterday is now feeding a family of eight for the next week), I am reminded that the late, great Dan Jenkins once wrote: “Always keep in mind that if God didn't want a man to have mulligans, golf balls wouldn't come three to a sleeve.” Dan also gave us rules for recreational golf that go something like this: Hit ‘til your happy on one and 10; at least one mulligan every three holes; hit from the ladies tees at least once every six holes; free throws out of sand traps; no hitting from behind trees or bushes so move the ball to open space to ensure you don’t disturb some creature living in the tree or in the bush; any putt within 18 inches is good; if the hole is too damn far to reach in three shots, then hit from the ladies tees.” This isn’t, after all, the PGA Tour!

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: THE ROSTER REBUILD CONTINUES Just two days ago, Phlandrous Fleming Jr. was thought to be a mortal lock to commit to play his final year of college basketball for Tony Bennett at Virginia. Bennett already had East Carolina’s stud big man Jayden Gardner lined up and ready to commit. Adding Fleming was thought to be exactly what Bennett needed to keep the Cavaliers on top of the Atlantic Coast Conference heap. Well, a funny thing happened on the way to landing Fleming. Somehow, much to the surprise of nearly every basketball recruiting expert, Mike White and the Florida Gators sneaked in under the radar. Monday, Fleming committed to the Gators, the fourth high profile transfer White has recruited to rebuild a roster that seemed all but depleted two weeks ago. Fleming, a muscular, 6-4, 210-pound off guard who can defend all three perimeter positions, averaged 20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game for Charleston Southern. He is a 2-time Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Fleming joins UMKC’s Brandon McKissic (6-3, 195), Penn State’s Myreon Jones (6-3, 185) and Boston College’s C.J. Felder (6-7, 235) in White’s transfer class. From a purely statistical standpoint, Mike White’s new kids on the block represent a substantial improvement over the four outgoing transfers (Noah Locke, Omar Payne, Ques Glover and Osayi Osifo). The newbies transferring in combined to average 62.3 points, 19.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 5.3 steals and 3.3 blocked shots per game last year. The four transferring out averaged a combined 18.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocked shots per game. The four incoming transfers also represent an overall defensive improvement as well. McKissic was Defensive Player of the Year in the Summit League and was a finalist for the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year. Jones is an excellent defender and Felder, who plays much taller than his 6-7 would indicate, is an intimidating shot blocker. IF YOU THINK THE TRANSFER PORTALS ARE CRAZY NOW … In a few days, perhaps as early as Friday, the NCAA will announce that it is going to move ahead with legislation that will give a no holds barred one-time transfer to athletes who participate in revenue sports – football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and hockey. Rather than sit out a year, the new rules will allow a one-time transfer during the 5-year eligibility window without penalty, ending a rule that has been in place since 1964. Athletes in fall sports will have until July 1 to tell their school they are leaving. Athletes have to be in good academic standing without disciplinary issues. Athletes who have already transferred and those currently in the portal will be immediately eligible for the 2021-22 academic year. Already both the football and basketball portals have in excess of 1,000 athletes each. Those numbers are all but guaranteed to explode between mid-May and mid-June when the spring semesters come to an end. As of Monday night, 50 Southeastern Conference basketball players had put their names in the transfer portal and 33 had committed to transfer to SEC programs. You can almost double the number of SEC football players whose names are in the portal and once spring football is complete at all 14 schools in the league, the number of kids transferring in will be mind boggling. On ESPN radio last week, Florida football coach Dan Mullen talked about how the transfer portal and the one-time sit out waiver will change the way he recruits. “I think it’ll change a lot of how recruiting works,” Mullen said. “Because instead of signing all the high school guys now, coaches are going to sit there and kind of hold some spots for transfers instead of high school guys. And you only have so many guys that you can sign in each class, and you’re going to sit hold some of those.” Mullen has successfully used transfers to his advantage since he took over the Florida program in 2017 by adding wide receivers Van Jefferson, Trevon Grimes, Justin Shorter and Jordan Pouncey; defensive linemen Antonio Shelton and Daquan Newkirk; edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Brenton Cox Jr.; offensive lineman Stewart Reese; kicker Jace Christmann and running backs Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman. Shorter, Cox, Lingard and Reese were all 5-star recruits coming out of high school. In that same ESPN interview, Mullen sounded almost fearful about the direction wholesale transfers will take college football: “I can tell you this, I think three to four to five years from now, college football will be very, very different than it is today. I don’t know if it’ll be better or it’ll be worse. And I don’t know how it’s going to be different, but I would feel extremely confident saying it will be very different than it is today. And it’s going to be a wild ride over the next couple of years as we all try to figure this out.” GATORS FALL OUT OF TOP 10 IN ALL FOUR BASEBALL POLLS For the first time this season, there isn’t a single college baseball poll that has the Florida Gators (21-11, 6-6 SEC) ranked in the top ten. The Gators started the season a unanimous No. 1, but in the most recent polls, Collegiate Baseball had UF ranked 14th, their highest ranking of the four major polls. Baseball America has the Gators at 19th, the lowest ranking. The Gators will be home tonight to face Florida State (15-12) at the Florida Ballpark (7 p.m., ESPN) with Garrett Milchin (2-1, 6.32 ERA) expected to get the start. The Gators will return to SEC action Friday when Missouri (11-19, 4-8 SEC) comes to town for a three-game set. Collegiate Baseball poll: 1. Arkansas 26-5; 2. Vanderbilt 25-5; 3. Texas 25-8; 4. Tennessee 27-6; 5. South Carolina 21-9; 6. TCU 22-9; 7. Louisville 20-10; 8. Ole Miss 24-8; 9. Texas Tech 22-7; 10. Oklahoma State 21-7-1; 11. Mississippi State 24-7; 12. East Carolina 26-5; 13. Arizona 21-9; 14. FLORIDA 21-11; 15. Stanford 19-6; 16. Notre Dame 15-6; 17. Oregon 19-7; 18. Michigan 15-7; 19. Arizona State 18-9; 20. Georgia 20-11; 21. Pittsburgh 17-10; 22. Louisiana Tech 24-7; 23. UCLA 17-11; 24. Sacramento State 21-7; 25. UC-Irvine 19-10; 26. UC-Santa Barbara 21-9; 27. Ball State 19-9; 28. Wichita State 19-9; 29. Nebraska 15-6; 30. Old Dominion 24-6. USA Today Coaches poll: 1. Arkansas 26-5; 2. Vanderbilt 25-5; 3. Tennessee 27-6; 4. Mississippi State 24-7; 5. Texas 25-8; 6. Ole Miss 24-8; 7. Texas Tech 22-7; 8. East Carolina 26-5; 9. Louisville 20-10; 10. TCU 22-9; 11. South Carolina 21-9; 12. (TIE) Oklahoma State 21-7-1 and Notre Dame 15-6; 14. Oregon 19-7; 15. (TIE) FLORIDA 21-11 and Louisiana Tech 24-7; 17. Arizona 21-9; 18. Stanford 19-6; 19. Virginia Tech 19-9; 20. Pittsburgh 17-10; 21. Georgia Tech 15-12; 22. Old Dominion 24-6; 23. Oregon State 21-10; 24. Michigan 15-7; 25. UCLA 17-11. D1Baseball.com poll: 1. Arkansas 26-5; 2. Vanderbilt 25-5; 3. Texas 25-8; 4. Mississippi State 24-7; 5. Tennessee 27-6; 6. Ole Miss 24-8; 7. Louisville 20-10; 8. Texas Tech 22-7; 9. East Carolina 26-5; 10. Notre Dame 15-6; 11. South Carolina 21-9; 12. TCU 22-9; 13. Oklahoma State 21-7-1; 14. Louisiana Tech 24-7; 15. Oregon 19-7; 16. Arizona 21-9; 17. Virginia Tech 19-9; 18. FLORIDA 21-11; 19. Pittsburgh 17-10; 20. Stanford 19-6; 21. Charlotte 22-9; 22. Old Dominion 24-6; 23. Indiana State 16-8; 24. Florida State 16-12; 25. Michigan 15-7. Baseball America poll: 1. Arkansas 26-5; 2. Louisville 20-10; 3. Mississippi State 24-7; 4. Texas 25-8; 5. Tennessee 27-6; 6. Vanderbilt 25-5; 7. Notre Dame 15-6; 8. East Carolina 26-5; 9. Ole Miss 24-8; 10. South Carolina 21-9; 11. Texas Tech 22-7; 12. Virginia Tech 19-9; 13. Arizona 21-9; 14. Oregon 19-7; 15. TCU 22-9; 16. Louisiana Tech 24-7; 17. Pittsburgh 17-10; 18. Florida State 16-12; 19. FLORIDA 21-11; 20. Oklahoma State 21-7-1; 21. Georgia Tech 15-12; 22. Stanford 19-6; 23. Oregon State 21-10; 24. Michigan 15-7; 25. Indiana State 16-8. UF SOFTBALL MOVES UP TO FOURTH In the latest D1Softball.com poll, the Gators moved up one spot to fourth. The Gators (30-4, 10-2 SEC) will tune up for their weekend showdown with 3rd-ranked Alabama (31-5, 11-4 SEC) Wednesday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium against 23rd-ranked UCF (29-9). D1Softball.com poll: 1. Oklahoma 30-0; 2. UCLA 22-2; 3. Alabama 31-5; 4. FLORIDA 30-4; 5. Oregon 27-5; 6. Florida State 27-6; 7. Washington 31-5; 8. Arizona 24-5; 9. Arkansas 33-5; 10. Oklahoma State 32-5; 11. Texas 31-3; 12. Kentucky 28-7; 13. LSU 24-13; 14. Virginia Tech 25-6; 15. Louisiana 31-6; 16. Arizona State 25-10; 17. Missouri 29-9; 17. Tennessee 28-6; 19. Clemson 26-4; 20. Wichita State 28-5; 21. Minnesota 19-5; 22. Duke 27-9; 23. UCF 29-9; 24. Georgia 25-8; 25. Texas State 25-6. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: Langston Wilson (6-9, 215), ranked the No. 2 junior college prospect in the country, has asked out of his national LOI. Wilson, who didn’t play high school basketball, averaged 9.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Arkansas: Arkansas will play a 4-quarter spring game Saturday using a running clock that only stops on scoring plays, changes of possession, penalties and the last four minutes of each half. Auburn: Auburn landed one of the three most highly sought basketball transfers when former North Carolina big man Walker Kessler (7-1, 245) committed on Monday. Kessler averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Georgia: Former 4-star recruit and small forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim (6-7, 205) is transferring in from Virginia where he averaged 0.9 points and 0.3 rebounds per game … Noah Baumann (6-6, 217) is transferring to Georgia from Southern Cal where he averaged 3.6 points in 11 minutes per game … Jaykwon Walton (6-7, 205), who averaged 1.0 points and 3.0 rebounds is transferring to Shelby State Community College … Christian Brown (6-6, 205), who averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds is transferring to Tennessee State. Kentucky: Having missed out on North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler, Kentucky is expected to put the full court press on UMass transfer Tre Mitchell (6-9, 230), who has averaged 18 points and 7.1 rebounds in 44 college basketball games. LSU: Point guard Xavier Pinson (6-2, 170) made it official Monday that he will be transferring from Missouri to LSU. Pinson averaged 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season. Mississippi State: Former walk-on center Andrew Junkin (6-11, 240) announced he will transfer. Missouri: Linebacker Jamal Brooks will depart Mizzou as a grad transfer. He started two games and played in 40 during his Mizzou career. Ole Miss: Wing guard Dimencio Vaughn (6-5, 215) is transferring to Rider for his senior season. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game for the Rebels. South Carolina: Small forward Tre Anderson (6-6, 205) put his name in the transfer portal. He averaged 2.5 points in 7.2 minutes per game … Reserve power forward Patrick Iriel (6-10, 248) is transferring out. Tennessee: Former Marquette associate head coach Justin Gainey is joining the Tennessee basketball staff. Texas A&M: Sophomore forward Jonathan Aku (6-10, 260) is transferring. He averaged 1.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt basketball got a significant transfer Monday when former Minnesota big man Liam Robbins (7-0, 235) announced he’s heading to Nashville to play for Jerry Stackhouse. Robbins averaged 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: My grandmother, the often brilliant Ivey Van Sickle, used to say, “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes.” She could have been talking about the NCAA, which seems almost certain to put eliminate the rather stupid Nick Saban Rule in the next few days. Under the Saban Rule, college head coaches were forbidden to recruit off campus during the month of May. Although they weren’t allowed to speak to recruits they were allowed to have conversations with the recruit’s teachers, guidance counselors and coaches. The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, said that coaches – they were talking about Saban – could use these on campus visits to bump into recruits, what was deemed “coincidental contract.” So, all off campus recruiting was eliminated by head coaches dating all the way back to 2008. It’s been a dumb rule because it kept head coaches from getting a better handle on a kid’s character, work ethic, etc. Coaches are held accountable for the off-the-field and off-campus actions of kids in their football programs, but things like the Saban Rule make it more difficult for coaches to determine if they are recruiting a kid who will fit in well in their programs. Eliminating the Saban Rule is a step in the right direction for the NCAA, which didn’t invent stupidity but turned it into an art form.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: FIVE PLAYERS WHO WILL HAVE A BREAKOUT 2021 FOOTBALL SEASON Jacob Copeland, WR: I know, it’s about time, right? Some guys don’t mature as fast as others. This is Copeland’s fourth year in the system and he’s got a chance to be the featured receiver. This is a very receiver-friendly system and with a running quarterback who can change the dynamics in the secondary, Copeland is going to have his shot to be the star he was predicted to be coming out of high school. He has 45 catches for 724 yards (16.1 per catch) and five TDs in his UF career. Expect him to put up better numbers than those in a single season in 2021 when he becomes Florida’s consistent deep threat. Josh Braun, OG/OT: He is an absolute beast who played in 11 games as a true freshman, almost exclusively at guard as he earned more and more playing time as the season progressed. He worked at right guard all spring and that’s where he will begin fall camp but if right tackle Jean Delance doesn’t show much-needed improvement as a pass blocker, don’t be surprised to see Braun move over to right tackle with Stewart Reese moving from center to right guard and Kingsley Eguakon moving in at center. Whether it’s at right guard or right tackle, however, Braun is going to contribute in a big, big way. Nick Elksnis, TE: He will be wearing Kyle Pitts’ old 84 jersey in the fall but that’s where the comparison has to end. We may never see another tight end at Florida or anywhere else as good as Kyle Pitts, but that’s not to say Elksnis isn’t the real deal. He is. He was listed 6-6 and 237 as an early enrollee freshman in the spring. Expect him to be somewhere near 250 in the fall. He’s a tall, rangy long strider who has exceptional hands and a good feel for finding open space in the middle of the field. He’s going to be on the field from day one when the season opens and he’s going to catch a lot of passes. Gervon Dexter, DT/DE: Throw out the tape on 2020. Dexter is a much better football player than we saw last year. He was a lost ball in the tall grass for much of the season as a true freshman last year and there wasn’t a lot of mentoring from older players to guide him through the difficult times. He’s got too much talent to waste another season and now he has a couple of mature guys in transfers Antonio Shelton and Daquan Newkirk to help him blossom into the dominator he’s capable of being. Donovan McMillan, S: Here is everything you need to know about McMillan in a nutshell. This guy will flat out tattoo any receiver who dares to tread across the middle. He was a high school wrestler of some repute in a state (Pennsylvania) that goes bonkers over the sport. What that tells you is he’s (a) strong, (b) agile and (c) loves getting physical. He reportedly has a real nose for the football and knows how to make plays on the ball, something UF’s safeties have been lacking the last couple of years. He will be on the field from day one. ARMSTRONG SAVES UF FROM A SWEEP Just when it seemed the 10th-ranked Gators (21-11, 6-6 SEC) were going to go down in flames a third straight time in Knoxville to 6th-ranked Tennessee (9-3, 27-6 SEC), the bottom of the order came to the rescue. Trailing the Vols, 6-4, in the eighth, Josh Rivera singled and freshman Colby Halter followed with a double to right center field. Kevin O’Sullivan send Kris Armstrong to pinch hit and the big sophomore launched an 0-1 fast ball over the right field fence for his fourth home run of the season to give the Gators a 7-6 lead. Christian Scott, who was ineffective in relief in the Friday night loss, shut the door on the Vols in the eighth and ninth to earn his first win of the season. Scott came on with one out in the fifth and shut the Vols out on one hit in the final 4-2/3 innings, giving up one hit while walking one and striking out six. The Gators got two hits each from Jacob Young, Sterlin Thompson, Jordan Butler, Rivera and Halter. The Gators will home Tuesday night to face 17th-ranked Florida State (16-12) at the Florida Ballpark. The Gators return to SEC action Friday when Missouri (11-19, 4-8 SEC) comes to Gainesville. SEC baseball notes: No. 1 ranked Vanderbilt (25-5, 9-3 SEC East) lost two out of three to Georgia (20-11, 5-7 SEC East) over the weekend … No. 2 Arkansas (26-5, 9-3 SEC West) will probably take over the No. 1 ranking nationally after taking two out of three from Ole Miss (24-8, 8-4 SEC West). Other UF spring sports: Men’s tennis: The Gators (18-1, 12-0 SEC) completed a perfect SEC schedule Friday with a 4-3 win over South Carolina. Next up is the SEC Tournament in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 19. Gymnastics: The Gators are the No. 1 national seed on Friday at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth. If Trinity Thomas is healthy and able to participate in the all-around the Gators have a realistic chance to bring home their fourth national championship in school history. Softball: The 5th-ranked Gators (30-4, 10-2 SEC) tuned up for next weekend’s SEC showdown with 4th-ranked Alabama (31-5, 11-4 SEC) with a 5-2 non-conference win over Western Kentucky. The Gators lost a 5-2 exhibition game to the Canadian national team. UF will face 23rd-ranked UCF Wednesday in a non-conference game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Lacrosse: The 10th-ranked Gators (9-2, 6-0 AAC) are idle Vanderbilt comes to Gainesville for two American Athletic Conference matches starting Friday. Women’s tennis: The 15th-ranked Gators (11-6, 9-3 SEC) earned a 4-2 win over 19th-ranked Vanderbilt (13-8, 5-8 SEC) in Nashville Saturday. It was the sixth straight win for the Gators. Next up is a Tuesday match with South Carolina (10-9, 7-5 SEC) in Columbia. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: Noah Gurley (6-8, 210), who averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while earning All-Southern Conference honors at Furman, chose Alabama over Florida … At Saturday’s football scrimmage, quarterback Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes. Arkansas: Not that anyone was surprised by the decision but SEC Freshman of the Year Moses Moody (6-6, 205) has declared for the NBA and will hire an agent … The Hogs are the transfer destination for 3-time All-Summit League selection Stanley Umede (6-6, 210), who averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists last year at South Dakota. Auburn: Wendell Green Jr. (5-11, 175), who averaged 15.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a true freshman at Eastern Kentucky, is transferring in … J.J. Pegues (6-3, 308) has been moved from tight end to the defensive line. Georgia: Small forward Jailyn Ingram (6-7, 219), who averaged 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists at Florida Atlantic, is transferring to Georgia … Right tackle Warren McClendon is the one player on the offensive line who has nailed down a starting job. Kentucky: Kentucky is trying to land North Carolina power forward transfer Garrison Brooks (6-10, 240). Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State and Arizona State are the other schools involved. Brooks father is an assistant coach at Mississippi State. LSU: The LSU offense is expected to be more wide open in the fall under new coordinator Jake Peetz. Quarterback Max Johnson says the newly designed offense is about “putting our players in the best position to make plays.” Johnson is one of three quarterbacks (Myles Brennan and TJ Finley are the other two) with starting experience. Mississippi State: Last year’s starting QB Will Rogers was 16-27 passing for 164 yards and a TD but threw two interceptions at Saturday’s scrimmage. Southern Miss transfer Jack Abraham was 11-13 for 121 yards and two TDs. Missouri: Connor Bazelak is the starting quarterback but turning heads in spring practice are Keke Chism, a Division II transfer from San Angelo State, and Ohio State transfer Mookie Cooper. Ole Miss: Injured players who didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage were center Ben Brown, running backs Jerrion Ealy, Henry Parrish and Isaiah Woullard; wide receivers Jonathan Mingo, Braylon Sanders, Brandon Buckhaulter and Dontario Drummond; right guard Eli Acker; tight ends Hudson Wolfe and Casey Kelly; defensive backs Marc Britt, Jaylon Jones and Deane Leonard; defensive linemen Tariqious Tisdale, Ledarrius Cox, Clayton Ladd and Sincere David; linebacker Daylen Gill; and offensive lineman Carter Colquit and Luke Shouse ... Luke Knox has been moved from linebacker to tight end. South Carolina: Luke Doty remains atop the quarterback depth chart ahead of Jason Brown, Colton Gauthier and Connor Jordan after the Gamecocks’ first scrimmage of the spring … South Carolina got a basketball transfer from Erik Stevenson (6-3, 217), who averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds at Washington. Tennessee: Forward Corey Walker (6-8, 219), who didn’t play as a freshman last year, has put his name in the NCAA transfer portal … HBC Josh Heupel continues to rotate three quarterbacks – Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker, Harrison Bailey and Brian Maurer – with the first unit offense. Texas A&M: Offensive guard Chris Morris is not practicing with the team this spring. Morris was arrested for reckless driving and evading arrest with a motor vehicle. HBC Jimbo Fisher says Morris will be evaluated at the end of the semester … Former Arkansas power forward Ethan Henderson (6-8, 235) has transferred to Texas A&M. Vanderbilt: Scotty Pippen Jr. has announced he will test the NBA Draft waters but will not hire an agent. Pippen was first team All-SEC last season when he averaged 20.8 points and 4.9 assists per game. MATSUYAMA WENT INTO MASTERS COMA SATURDAY Hideki Matsuyama did his dead level best to make the Masters interesting on the back nine Sunday when he flirted with going in the tank. He finished even par Sunday to win by a single shot, surrendering four shots of what seemed to be an insurmountable lead on the back nine. When Matsuyama actually won his first green jacket was Saturday when he went into a Masters Coma after a rain delay. When play resumed Matsuyama went unconscious and played the final eight holes 6-under including a stretch of eagle, birdie, birdie on 15, 16 and 17. He was 14-under Sunday with a 5-shot lead when he regained consciousness, bogeyed three of the final holes and was bailed out by a disastrous triple bogey-6 by Xander Schauffle on 16 and missed birdie opportunities on 16 and 18 by runner-up Will Zalatoris, who finished -10 and earned more money ($1.242 million) than he had in the entire 2021 PGA season ($878,248). ONE MORE PITHY THOUGHT: ESPN’s Bill Connelly came up with a series of college football lists that included the five Division I quarterbacks who throw the best deep ball. In order, Connelly ranks them (1) Sam Howell (North Carolina), (2) Layne Hatcher (Arkansas State), (3) Matt Corrall (Ole Miss), (4) Kaleb Eleby (Western Michigan) and (5) Dustin Crum (Kent State). Conspicuous in his absence is JT Daniels of Georgia. Corral does throw the best deep ball in the SEC and I would rate him the best returning starting QB in the league even though you can bet the farm when the preseason football mags come out in about six or seven weeks Daniels will be an almost unanimous first team All-SEC. They’ll also list him as a top five Heisman candidate. I think the best five quarterbacks in the country – maybe not the five top Heisman candidates – are Howell, Corral, Southern Cal’s Kedon Slovis, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Libert’s Malik Willis.

He looks good in the uniform. Home whites and all that. No number on the shirt, but clearly it’s the HBC dressed as the HCC – Head Ball Coach becomes Head Coach Chef. He’s already got a field named after him and, as the only Heisman Trophy winner ever to coach a national championship team, Steve Spurrier comes with a lot of hardware. And now he’s even got a museum to house all those trophies which fans can peruse while waiting to be seated at Steve Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. Grab a burger, take a selfie with a Heisman! What can a football coach and former player know about the restaurant business you ask? Fair question. Soon, you’ll be able to judge for yourself. Despite the hiccup-delay caused by the Pandemic, SSGG is hoping to open for business in mid-June at Gainesville’s Celebration Pointe location as one of Florida’s largest brick-and-mortar operations. Knowing that this column is in danger of beginning to sound like pure hype, I will dial it back a bit, but not without confessing that I am rooting for Spurrier, his team and his new establishment. Having watched this plan being hatched and implemented by Managing General Partner Freddie Wehbe from the beginning, I feel as though I’ve had a ringside seat to the building and dreaming of a possible masterpiece. If teamwork, good teammates, excellent planning, superb research, doing it the right way and smart operators will factor in the success of Steve Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille, I’ll just go ahead and predict that this new concept in celebrity restaurants will be successful -- especially this one. One reason is that the guy with his name on the building is lending more than just his name and has, in fact, helped make choices for the menu items, concept and promotion. OK, he’s not really a chef and we won’t see him in the kitchen slinging hash while singing “We Are the Boys,” but just play along with me here. The HBC has picked his favorite cocktail, tasted and voted on the best coffee, suggested a few personal items like “Jerri’s Cookies” and now has donned this new chef’s outfit. A little birdie told me something about a signature drink called “The Kick“ with a souvenir glass commemorating his famous field goal and perhaps spiked with a bit more joy juice. He’s not an absentee I’m also told he will be hanging out every week at the new business. Just for the sake of accuracy, Steve Spurrier is not giving up his day job as ambassador/consultant for the University of Florida. If anything he’s digging a deeper root. Now moved into their newly constructed Gainesville residence, Steve and Jerri recently listed their Crescent Beach residence with a realtor and plan to move their beach home a few miles south to property they own in Flagler County. Home base, though, remains Gainesville. Feeling blessed to be in good health and celebrating life, he said he’s “getting ready to hit 76 Trombones” on the 20th of April. It’s been a couple of years since his last coaching gig with the Orlando Apollos but he leaves that future up in the air -- never saying he won’t coach again, but not saying he will. Most likely waiting to see what the restaurant gig offers in the way of longevity. As Bogart said about Paris to Berman in Casablanca, at least he’ll always have The Swamp, which was nothing much more than a drainage ditch last season. But when he coached there he named it and helped develop it into a hot mess of insane, screaming fans who were a big part of the success. Given that his baptismal of Florida Field in the ‘90s as The Swamp created the explosion of Gator football popularity and led to the championship era -- and that fans played such a huge role in the six SEC championships and national title -- I asked him if he could have imagined the difficulty of coaching in his style during the Pandemic. He didn’t back off. “Yeah, it would have been different, but you would have to adjust,” Spurrier said at the idea of coaching in 2020. “It would be smaller crowds, just sort of like having a scrimmage.” Like the rest of us, Steve Spurrier is a fan of Gator football. And like us, he really admired the contributions of Kyle Trask these last two seasons. “I think all the Gators really appreciate Kyle Trask’s attitude, perseverance, etc.,” said Spurrier. “He came to Florida really happy to have a scholarship. He was a backup to D’Eriq King in high school. He came here, not a big name, and a lot of people think he started as a walk-on, but he actually did have a scholarship. Jim McElwain and those guys saw him at a football camp and really liked him. And that’s the way it works sometimes. He didn’t really have a lot of schools calling him and saying ‘Hey, come transfer, and we're going to let you play.’ He just made up his mind he was going to be the very best he could be when his number was called. And sure enough Feleipe broke his ankle up in Kentucky. And Kyle was the quarterback.” Ironically, Trask was the second most famous Gator to wear No. 11. And, in fact, Spurrier wonders whether Trask even knew the significance of wearing his old number when he got it. At first, the Texan asked for No. 7 and was told that was taken. Then No. 14 – same thing. “I think the equipment manager said, ‘we’ve got No. 11 available if you want it,’ and Kyle said OK,” Spurrier said with a laugh. After his first start, Spurrier went down and told Trask that he “did No. 11 proud.” Did he ever -- as the ultimate next-man-up. Now he’s awaiting the draft to see where he’ll land in the NFL. “And now he’s going to be an NFL pick somewhere and he’ll certainly make the team and he’ll be a backup for two or three years. I sort of hope he goes to Tampa Bay and studies under Tom Brady.” All of which got me to thinking about the “understudy” concept for the Head Coach Chef. Do you think maybe Steve Spurrier should go spend a season holding a clipboard for Emeril Lagasse?

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: SOUNDING OFF ON A FRIDAY 1. Tre Mann’s NBA Draft stock is rising: Ever since February when he began proving himself head-to-head against the best players in the Southeastern Conference, Tre Mann has risen from a late first round projection to a solid first rounder with a fringe lottery chance. ESPN ranks Mann as the 15th best NBA prospect. In his latest mock draft, Kyle Boone of CBSSports.com has Mann going with the 13th pick (that’s lottery) to the Golden State Warriors. The reason Mann’s stock is moving onward and upward is his ability to get his own shot. There is always room in the NBA for a gifted scorer with serious 3-point range (Mann’s pretty darn solid to 30 feet out) who can get to the rim off the bounce. Mann scored 185 points in Florida’s last 10 games and had a four-game stretch when he averaged 23.5. He finished the year as Florida’s leading scorer (16.0 per game) and was second on the team in rebounds (5.6) and assists (3.3). In two NCAA Tournament games, Mann hit 13-25 shots from the field and 6-14 from the 3-point line. If Mann were picked 13th in the draft he would get a 4-year contract in the $17-18 million range. There are worse ways to start life on your own as an adult. 2. Bring back the BCS?: That’s what Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com is calling for. He argues that college football was better with the BCS than it has been with the 4-team playoff. Fornelli writes, “While there might be 130 FBS teams, there usually aren't more than two great teams in any given season. The BCS did a pretty good job of figuring out who they were without requiring us to watch a round of blowouts (the average margin of 14 CFP semis has been 20.93 points per game) first.” So, here we are with the Group of Five schools all but excluded from getting a foot in the playoff door and we should go back to a system whose only real benefit is to save the bacon of bowl games that have lost their appeal and are so irrelevant that the best players from teams that don’t make the playoffs are opting out? Yeah, right. I would argue the following: (a) The best way to save the bowls from extinction is to find a way to include them in the playoff system; (b) expand the playoffs to either eight or 16 teams to include every conference champion including those from the Group of Five along with six wild cards; and (c) allow those that don’t make the playoff to participate in minor bowl games, sort of college football’s answer to the NIT. An expanded playoff could easily rival the NCAA Basketball Tournament for our attention. As one double digit seed after another won and advanced in the NCAA Tournament and Gonzaga from the West Coast Conference made it to the championship game, we saw why March Madness is so appealing. Typically the underdog from conferences who specialize in directional, private and religious-affiliated schools are all gone by the first weekend, but this year saw an unusual number of small schools advance and team from a small conference make the final. It is not going to happen every year, but the idea that Cinderella has a chance makes it that much more exciting. It certainly made this year’s tournament one of the most fun to watch in years. If the football playoff expanded, there is a real chance the teams from the Group of Five conferences would be stomped by their big brothers from the power leagues, but at least the Group of Five teams would have a chance to wear the glass slipper. That’s far better than what they have now. 3. When in doubt, go on the offensive:. That’s what Kansas did when it gave Bill Self a “lifetime” contract even before KU gets its hearing in what is called the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. That’s a fancy way of saying a trial before people who aren’t connected to any university, which is what you get when your school gets called on the carpet before the NCAA Committee on Infractions. Kansas got caught red-handed by the Feds in the college basketball corruption investigation and elected to fight it out before the independent board rather than a hearing before academics and athletic directors. Not many are denying that KU is guilty of cheating but Self has done his best version of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, claiming he never knew anything about players getting paid or other nefarious deeds by staff and Adidas people. KU chancellor Doug Giroud says he believes Self, therefore approving the contract, which seems to tell the NCAA to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine and keep it there for a long, long while. Is it possible Self was unaware of wrongdoing? Maybe, and though it does seem rather preposterous to think he was clueless, I’ll invoke the Bear Bryant Plausible Deniability Theory. Back in 1979, I flew on Ben Hill Griffin’s private jet with Charley Pell to Richmond, Virginia to sign Maggie Walker All-American running back Gordon Pleasants. On the flight back, Charley talked about working for Bear Bryant. When I asked if Bear cheated when it came to recruiting, Charley swore it never happened. He did, however, say that Bear made it a point to tell his assistant coaches that (a) it was in their best interests to bring in the best possible recruits; (b) if something illegal happened he better not find out about it; and (c) since you can’t control boosters, he better not ever find out about something a booster offered a recruit. Translation: “I don’t want to know what you do to get a recruit to Alabama and I better not find out. If you don’t tell me what you or some booster did, then I can deny it until the cows come home and nobody can prove I had anything to do with it.” It is entirely possible Bill Self told his staff something similar. CAN THE GATORS WIN AWAY FROM HOME? We’ve seen what the Gators can do in the friendly confines of the Florida Ballpark where they are 19-5 this season, 5-1 against Southeastern Conference opponents. What the Gators have yet to prove is that they can win consistently on the road, particularly in SEC play. On their only SEC road trip to date the 10th-ranked Gators (20-9, 5-4 SEC) were swept by South Carolina. The Gators, who travel to Knoxville to face 6th-ranked Tennessee (25-5, 7-2 SEC) in a 3-game weekend series beginning tonight (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+), trail the Vols by two games in the SEC East standings and SEC East-leading and national No. 1 Vanderbilt (24-4, 8-2 SEC) by 2-1/2. Vandy got smoked by Georgia (20-10, 4-6 SEC), 14-2, Thursday night in Nashville as ace Kumar Rocker was lit up, giving up six earned runs in five innings. At the very least, the Gators need to win the series in Knoxville to remain within striking distance of the top spot in the East. The Gators will send righty Tommy Mace (4-0, 2.54 ERA) to the mound to face Tennessee ace Chad Dallas (4-0, 4.28 ERA). The Saturday starter for UF hasn’t been announced although lefty Hunter Barco (4-2, 5.30 ERA) will get the start on Sunday. Nathan Hickey heads into the series with a .369 batting average, which ranks fifth in the SEC. Hickey, who has hit six home runs, is tied for third in the SEC with 34 RBI. Jud Fabian is second in the SEC in homers with 10. ROGERS TO SMU: Former Florida cornerback Jahari Rogers is transferring to SMU. Rogers played in three games and made two tackles for the Gators last season. UF TENNIS TRIES TO CLOSE OUT A PERFECT SEC SEASON A perfect SEC record is on the line today in Columbia when the Gators (17-1, 11-0 SEC) face 13th-ranked South Carolina (12-7, 7-4 SEC) in their final regular season match of the year. The Gators, who have a 14-match winning streak, are ranked No. 1 in the nation and have already won the SEC championship. Other UF sports: Softball: The 5th-ranked Gators (29-4, 10-2 SEC) will be at home this weekend to face the Canadian national team Saturday and non-conference Western Kentucky Saturday. Women’s tennis: The Gators (11-6, 9-3 SEC) close out their regular season Saturday at 24th-ranked South Carolina (10-9, 7-5 SEC). OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: Responding to what he considered negative remarks on a podcast by ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, Alabama running back Najee Harris said, “I think he can kiss my ass.” Get in line Najee. There are probably three or four hundred ahead of you with similar thoughts … SEC basketball player of the year Herb Jones has declared for the NBA Draft. Arkansas: Former Baylor head football coach Art Briles was a visitor at practice Thursday. Briles’ son Kendal is the Arkansas offensive coordinator. Auburn: Former Auburn player Brendt Bedsole has been hired as Bryan Harsin’s director of high school relations. Bedsole spent the previous seven years on the staff at South Alabama. Georgia: Power forward Toumani Camara (6-8, 230) is transferring to Dayton. Kentucky: A Sea of Blue reports that Kentucky might be the landing spot for Illinois transfer point guard Adam Smith (6-3, 180), who averaged 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds as a true freshman last season. LSU: Javonte Smart (6-4, 190) will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NBA Draft. Missouri: Point guard Dru Buggs has placed his name in the transfer portal ... Tight end Daniel Parker Jr. was arrested for failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket in which he was clocked going 20-25 miles per hour over the speed limit. South Carolina: Small forward A.J. Wilson (6-7, 210) is transferring in from George Mason. Tennessee: Saturday’s football practice in Neyland Stadium will be open to the public. Vanderbilt: Point guard Maxwell Evans (6-2, 190) is transferring to TCU. Point guard Isaac McBride (6-1, 190) has put his name in the NCAA transfer portal. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: I had all but written off Jordan Spieth when he triple-bogeyed the 9th at Augusta National Thursday afternoon but what he did on the back nine makes me think he will be there fighting for a green jacket on Sunday. Spieth was 3-under on the back with a chip in eagle on 15 to climb back in contention, 1-under for the day and three shots back of first round leader Justin Rose. Twelve golfers finished under par, and another seven finished even. The rest of the field was in red numbers. I can relate. I don’t know what it is about the majors, but I like them better when the course gets the best out of a majority of the golfers. I hope Augusta National wins the next three days of The Masters.

“Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” – Mark Twain Wasn’t it just a week ago when the University of Florida basketball program was being read last rites by the high priests of the internet? Four players had entered the transfer portal and the two five-star recruits from the class of 2019 were going pro, one that will be drafted in the first round, the other who will be fortunate to get a G-League contract. Keyboard cowboys from one end of the Gator Nation to another claimed that if athletic director Scott Stricklin didn’t hurry up and fire Mike White that at least half of the 2021-22 roster would be filled by walk-ons. When the transfers were being announced one-by-one, it seemed like a bailout of record proportions was taking place at Florida, but a quick study of what’s going on in the Southeastern Conference and all over the nation seems to indicate that what is happening at Florida isn’t all that unusual. Spring has sprung nationwide and with it the transfer season is upon us like never before. For some coaches the exodus will prove to be an unraveling of the program and their careers. Others will survive and a few of the survivors will actually thrive. Consider Mike White a survivor. Time will tell if he thrives but the way things look right now, he has done a rebuild faster than anyone could have expected. In one short week, the disappointment of a second round NCAA Tournament loss followed by a rush of departures by half the roster has given way to a sense of optimism. Reports that proclaim the Florida basketball program embalmed and awaiting burial it seems are greatly exaggerated. Indeed, six players are in transit to St. Somewhere Else but White has already recruited three replacements with room to add two or three more to next season’s roster. With the exception of Tre Mann, last season’s leading scorer when he was a first team All-SEC last season and currently ESPN’s 15th-ranked NBA Draft prospect, the departing players won’t be missed nearly as much as it seemed they would when they announced they were leaving. The five departing players not named Mann are Noah Locke, Omar Payne (transferring to Illinois), Ques Glover, Osayi Osifo (transferring to Jacksonville) and Scottie Lewis (declared for the NBA Draft). Since the 2020-21 season didn’t count against anyone’s eligibility per an edict from the NCAA, Locke, Payne, Glover, Osifo and Lewis each had two remaining years of eligibility. Of the five, Locke was the only full-time starter. Lewis started nine games, Payne eight and neither Glover nor Osifo were on the floor even once for the opening tip. Now, here is their productivity from the just completed season: Locke (10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocked shots per game); Payne (3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, 1.2 blocked shots); Glover (2.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0 blocked shots); Osifo (1.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.1 blocked shots); Lewis (7.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocked shots). Locke shot 40.4 percent from the three-point line and Payne shot 75 percent from the field, largely because the bulk of his 52 shot attempts were either dunks or something inside two feet. Combined, the departing five represent 26.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.4 steals and 2.5 blocked shots per game. That’s not exactly overwhelming productivity. The three replacements that have already committed to White and the Gators are Brandon McKissic, a 6-3, 200-pound combo guard from Missouri-Kansas City; C.J. Felder, a 6-7, 235-pound power forward from Boston College; and Myreon Jones, a 6-3, 180-pound wing guard from Penn State. McKissic was being heavily recruited by blueblood Kansas as well as Oregon State, which won the Pac-12 and made the Elite Eight. Felder broke the hearts of Tennessee, Virginia and UConn when he chose Florida. The final four choices for Jones were the Gators, LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss. McKissic is a graduate transfer so he’s a one-and-done after this season. Felder will have three years of eligibility and Jones two. McKissic, who was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Summit League (Oral Roberts is from the Summit), averaged 17.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.1 blocked shots per game. He shot 50.8 percent overall and 42.9 percent from the 3-point line. Felder, who plays taller than his 6-7, averaged 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.2 blocked shots. He shot 45.9 percent from the field. Jones was the leading scorer at Penn State where he averaged 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. Jones shot 39.5 percent from the 3-point line and 77.3 percent from the foul line. The combined productivity of the three transfers is 42.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.8 steals and 2.4 blocked shots per game. When you compare the combined stats of the three incoming transfers against those of the four outgoing transfers and Lewis, you could call this addition by subtraction. The stat gap will become more pronounced if White, as expected, adds one or two more transfers. The three newbies bring to 11 the number of scholarship players on the Florida roster, but that counts Keyontae Johnson, whose medical status remains a mystery at this point. While everyone in the country hopes he will be able to play basketball again, there has been nothing from Johnson’s family nor from the medical professionals to indicate if he will ever be able to return. Until there is an announcement regarding Johnson’s status, he remains on scholarship although the safe assumption is that he will not be playing next year. This is what the roster currently looks like: Returning (6): Colin Castleton (6-11, 235, 5th YR JR); Anthony Duruji (6-7, 220, 5th YR JR); Tyree Appleby (6-1, 172, 5th YR JR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 285, 3rd YR SO); Samson Ruzhentsev (6-7, 195, 2nd YR FR); Neils Lane (6-5, 205, 2nd YR FR) Signed LOI (1): Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 180, Macon, GA Westside) Transfers (3): Brandon McKissic (6-3, 200, GR); C.J. Felder (6-7, 235, 3rd YR SO); Myreon Jones (6-3, 185, 4th YR JR) Status in doubt: Keyontae Johnson (6-5, 240, 4th YR JR) If Johnson is unable to return, White will have three scholarships to fill. Since Tyree Appleby is the only true point guard on the roster, White will need to find a backup either in the transfer portal or the high school/junior college ranks. It is confirmed that White has had conversations with Deivon Smith (6-1, 165), who spent his true freshman year at Mississippi State, where he played in 33 games and started eight. Smith averaged 5.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists as one of the first players off Ben Howland’s bench. Florida was heavily involved in the recruitment of Smith when he was a 4-star prospect out of Grayson High School in the Atlanta metro area. The Gators are currently pursuing high school wings Wesley Cardet Jr. (6-6, 175, Oakland Park, FL/Orlando, FL West Oaks Academy) and Jordan Shorter (6-5, 180, Miami, FL/Orlando, FL West Oaks Academy), a pair of athletic shooters. Alabama seems to have the inside track on Cardet while Florida seems to be the leader for Shorter. The Gators are also working hard to land centers Nate Tshimanga (6-9, 235, Brazzaville, Congo/Granbury, TX North Central Texas Academy) and Bretner Motumbo (6-11, 220, Kinshasha, Congo/Chattanooga, TN Hamilton Heights Christian Academy). White continues to work the transfer portal for Tari Eason (6-8, 220), who averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in only 18 minutes per game at Cincinnati as a true freshman, and Noah Gurley (6-8, 210), who averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on a good Furman team. Eason’s suitors include Marquette, LSU, Washington, Washington State and Iowa State. Gurley will announce Sunday from a group that includes Duke, Tennessee, San Diego State, Marquette, Auburn, Alabama and Miami. * * * If you add the three recent commitments, White has brought in 10 transfers since he took the Florida job in 2015. That offsets the 16 who have departed during his tenure although it must be noted that very few of those who transferred out found success elsewhere. The most notable exception is Andrew Nembhard, who started for NCAA runner-up Gonzaga after two very good seasons with the Gators. The list of those who have transferred out: Devon White (Troy, a Billy Donovan recruit); Brandone Francis-Ramirez (Texas Tech, another Donovan recruit); Alex Murphy (Northeastern, Donovan recruit); Keith Stone (Miami); Eric Hester (Texas Southern); Gorjok Gak (California Baptist); Mike Okauru (UNC-Wilmington); Chase Johnson (Dayton); Isaiah Stokes (Memphis); De’Aundre Ballard (South Alabama), Nembhard (Gonzaga) and the four who announced in the past two weeks. To his credit, White has chosen wisely among transfers because Canyon Barry (from Charleston), Jalen Hudson (from Virginia Tech), Egor Koulechov (from Rice), Kerry Blackshear Jr. (from Virginia Tech), Anthony Duruji (from Louisiana Tech), Tyree Appleby (from Cleveland State) and Colin Castleton (from Michigan) have all been very productive. Barry was the SEC Sixth Man of the Year in 2017 when he averaged 11.4 points and 2.8 rebounds to help take the Gators to the Elite Eight game. Hudson averaged 12.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in two seasons at UF. In his one season at UF, Koulechov averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds. Blackshear made second team All-SEC while averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. Appleby was good for 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in the recently concluded season while Duruji was good for 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds as a sometime starter. Castleton was the big surprise. At Michigan he averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in two seasons. Last season at Florida he made second team All-SEC while averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game. Detractors and White supporters alike have to be troubled by the revolving door of players leaving even if it is offset by very good transfers. During White’s tenure, Kevaughn Allen is the only high school recruit who made it through all four years. White brought in junior college transfer Justin Leon his first year on the job and Leon stayed both years and graduated. All the other recruits who began their careers at Florida left the program before finishing their four years of eligibility. The lack of a foundation for bringing in high school kids and keeping them committed to the program is indeed a problem because that’s where a program’s foundation must begin. Most of the kids White brought in from the high school ranks weren’t good enough to play in the Southeastern Conference to begin with and that led to them leaving. The 2018 class that brought in Nembhard (5-star), Johnson (4-star), Locke (4-star) and Payne (4-star) was thought to be evidence that White finally had turned the corner in recruiting since all four were so highly regarded but three of them have departed and only Johnson remains although with no indication if he will ever play again. White followed that up in 2019 by bringing in Mann and Lewis, both 5-star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans. Mann is off to the NBA, which isn’t surprising. Lewis hasn’t developed, needs another year of college basketball, but is hiring an agent so his college days are over. For 2021, Kowacie Reeves (4-star recruit and ranked among the top 30 kids) was the only signee, largely because there were no scholarships available at the time he put his name on the LOI. Now, it’s late in the process and most of the outstanding high school kids have already signed. There are a few good ones left, but most of the unsigned aren’t the types to come in and play immediately. The number of kids leaving the program hasn’t exactly come back to bite White but only because he’s had extraordinary success bringing in capable replacements via the transfer route. As long as White can land better talent via the transfer route than the kids who leave looking for a new place to play, the Gators aren’t going to be hurt as badly as some of the other programs that are being decimated by transfers (currently more than 1,300 in the transfer portal; only half expected to land a scholarship). Imagine how things are going to explode in a matter of weeks when the NCAA enacts legislation that will eliminate the one-year penalty that requires an athlete to sit out a year. With a one-time transfer without penalty assured, more kids than ever before are going to be looking for that grass is greener place and there will be nothing to deter kids from leaving even for the flimsiest of reasons. How will White and every other Division I coach handle things when the new rules kick in? That is the question that has to be asked as Florida basketball moves forward. For next season, at least, White has stabilized matters by bringing in three very talented transfers with potentially two more to be added very soon. Based on what we’ve seen of White in bringing in quality transfers, he just might prove to be one of the better prepared coaches to handle what’s forthcoming. Transfers have played a vital role to Florida’s success the past six years – we tend to forget only Kentucky has had more success in the SEC during that time – and they have turned what just a week ago was viewed as a pending disaster into what may turn into an even better season when college basketball cranks up in the fall. Mike White’s roster won’t be dominated by walk-ons and it might turn out to be one of the more capable rosters in the entire league. So put the bottles of embalming fluid back on the shelf and fill the hole which was supposed to be the grave of the Florida basketball program. Mike White and Florida basketball won’t be kicking the bucket for at least one more year.

Marco Wilson would rather just forget about the shoe. He doesn’t want to reflect on a play that arguably took the game out of his team’s hands and subsequently derailed a season. He doesn’t want to rehash the mistake that turned nearly an entire fan base against him and tarnished a legacy he’d spent four years making. He doesn’t want to constantly live in one of the worst moments of his life. But at this point, it’s too late. Marco Wilson has made his peace with the fact that at this point, he’s going to be forever linked to that shoe. And as he continues through meetings with NFL teams in preparation for the NFL Draft (beginning on April 29), Wilson knows he’s going to have to address the play that launched 1,000 meme’s. “Sometimes the LSU play kind of gets brought up. But I don’t run away from it. It’s part of my life, and things happen,” Wilson explained to reporters following his Pro-Day on March 31. We won’t continue to hammer on Wilson with a complete history of the “LSU shoe toss” but a quick summary in case you’ve been living under a rock: in the regular season finale (a make-up game since the October game had been rescheduled due to COVID-19), the No. 6 Florida Gators (8-1) were tied with the LSU Tigers (3-5) at 34-all with two minutes to play. On 3rd and 10, Wilson stopped Kole Taylor to force a punt. In the act of the tackle, Taylor’s shoe came off. Wilson, in exuberant celebration of the stop, picked up Taylor’s shoe and threw it. It lead to an unsportsmanlike flag, giving the Tigers a fresh set of downs and the field room to kick the game-winning field goal. The vitriol was quick and swift…and expected, as Wilson understands. “I mean, I was getting just disgusting messages in my Instagram, stuff like that. Just seeing how quick people can turn on you and how negative they can really be in a tough situation, and how people could really not understand how things may play out in life. But it’s understandable. I learned that lesson. “I was upset after the game. Next day I woke up, I sit there and try not to dwell on … obviously I was getting hundreds of messages. But I tend not to look at that stuft, just continue to move forward with my day, move forward with my life. I can’t get caught up in the opinion of people who don’t matter, who are not working on the field with me, who are not putting blood, sweat and tears in the weight room and everything with me and working every day at practice. I’m not worried about that. Those people don’t know me personally, so I don’t blame if you’re mad.” The locker room was surprisingly supportive, according to Wilson—“the brothers I had on this team they’re really here for me. They didn’t like beat me up or anything in the locker room. They just talked to me”—and they then began to prepare for the SEC Championship. That game was also a close loss, but somehow felt much more positive than the previous week. Wilson then opted out of the Cotton Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners, along with a majority of starters. It was time to step away, get his mind right after sinking to one of the darkest times of his life. “I just learned especially early your mental health is just as important as your physical health, because if you don’t have mental health you’re not going to be able to just accomplish the things you want to accomplish.” He modified his social media accounts, but knew he needed to keep his face in public. So he shifted the majority of his social focus to YouTube and Twitch, where he’s developed a following and community as a gamer. It’s that community that helped provide support when it felt like the rest of his foundation had been shattered, even if by his own accord. “I’ve always really loved playing video games. I can sit, other than studying film, playing football, I can sit and play video games for hours. So rather than sitting there playing video games for hours for no reason, I just feel like I can make a big deal out of it. There’s a lot of money to be made in the streaming industry, in the YouTube industry. And I also built a really a good family on Twitch. I have kids who are coming into my streams daily and I’ve build a real good connection with them and really I motivate these guys and they watch my videos and watch my streams. It’s something really cool to do while doing something I enjoy. “If I stay off social media, my face won’t be in there, that’s why I still try to do YouTube videos. I still try to do all types of stuff. I’m trying to grow on and off the field. So I’m not going to let any little situation just make me disappear from the presence of social media.” As mentioned, Wilson knows the question will arise in meetings about the shoe toss. It has to; these general managers and coaches are getting ready to make decisions involving a lot of futures and even more money. Every bit of homework is required, including making sure they’re inviting a mentally mature individual into their organization. With his answer to the question he never wanted to hear again, Wilson hopes to assure them he’s more than his worst moment…while also addressing another one of his less than ideal games. “The A&M game was just a mix of miscommunication on the back end. No problem with play-making ability there,” Wilson says in reference to the Texas A&M loss in which he gave up a couple of big touchdowns. But it’s the shoe toss teams really want to know about. “I just answer them in the way I need to, which is the LSU game, had a lot of energy. Made a good play. I was excited and just made an unfortunate mistake. That’s how that is. I wished it never happened, but things happen. Everything’s not going to go your way. Are you going to face adversity in life and see how this can affect my team, affect me, affect my family, stuff like that. “It opened my eyes to a lot of things. Certainly not something I’d ever do again. If you watch my play, people might think I have mental issues, like, character issues, but that’s never the case. I’ve never gotten a personal foul like that in my life. You can cut the film break down and see that. I’m unhappy that it happened but happy at the same time, because it taught me a lot of lessons for moving forward in my life.” It’s a well-rehearsed answer, a stump speech if you will, indicating Wilson entered this draft process knowing he’d have to address the play. But scripted or not, it doesn’t shy away from it either. He embraces the pain and with it, the growing pains of learning from ones mistakes. “I’m the kind of person who’s going to try to elevate the people around me as well as myself. I’m going to try to make sure everyone’s doing the right things and doing what’s right and doing things that are going to help you, elevate who you are spiritually, mentally, physically, all types of things. I’m not someone who is going to cause you issues off the field. I’m just a straight-up guy who’s going to mind my own business and just work hard to help others.” Wilson made the most of his Pro Day; he completed 26 reps on the bench press, which would have led corners if the NFL Combine had been held this year (it wasn’t due to COVID-19). He ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash and he hit 43.5 on the vertical jump, going over the measuring device itself. “It was pretty exciting, to perform these numbers I did” Wilson admitted after his performance. "The work doesn’t stop here. I’ve got a lot more work to do, preparing for eventually having to go to an NFL camp. But I’m excited. I’ll take this one today and continue to work.” Marco Wilson would rather just forget about the shoe. It’s part of his story now though; it shaped him, it forced him to grow up, it taught him many a valuable lesson. But as he prepares to become the next Florida Gator in the NFL, the shoe will not define him.

It’s simple. Florida softball is peaking at the right time. Amanda Scarborough, a two-time All-American pitcher with Texas A&M and now a college softball analyst for ESPN will tell you that peaking at the right time is key in the sport. “We always say you don’t win national championships in February,” Scarborough said in a recent episode of ESPN’s 7Innings Podcast, which chronicles the sport of college softball. “You don’t win them in March. “But Florida may be getting hot at the right time.” Despite winning their first 14 games of the season, Tim Walton’s Gators didn’t look all that sharp early in the season. The Gators will take what they can get, but walk-off wins against mid-tier teams like Jacksonville, Georgia Southern and McNeese State weren’t exactly displays of Florida playing at the Gator Standard. On the same day the Gators walked it off against Georgia Southern, Walton picked up his 800th win as Florida softball’s head coach. But in the press conference following the double-header against Charlotte and Georgia Southern, relishing his milestone was the last thing on his mind. Fast forward to this week, and the Gators are 33 games into their 50-game regular season slate. Florida has coughed up a game here and there, but the Gators’ four losses are pretty mundane. The largest loss of the season came at the hands of the now tenth-ranked rival Seminoles on March 6 to the tune of a 2-7 loss. Of Florida’s three other losses, two came during conference play, with the other coming from a heartbreaking 6-8 loss to No. 24 UCF on March 24. The Gators haven’t lost to an unranked team in 2021. And though one of Florida’s four losses came last weekend in the series opener against the No. 20-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the Gators have caught the attention of the college softball world in recent weeks. Florida surged into the national conversation following its series sweep of LSU March 26-28. The Tigers were ranked No. 13/11 when they entered Gainesville. LSU now sits at No. 17 in the country. “That sweep of LSU was huge for Florida,” 7Innings co-host Kayla Braud said. Braud helped the Alabama Crimson Tide to a title in 2012. “I think to go and get a quality, top-25 opponent sweep is always a really big thing,” Braud added. Though they haven’t all been sweeps, Florida has yet to drop a conference series. And the members of the 7Innings podcast are seeing the same things that us at home see. “If you start in the circle, Elizabeth Hightower is making a really good case for herself to be SEC Pitcher of the Year with what she’s done so far,” Braud said. “She’s undefeated in conference play and has just been really solid… Someone who has emerged and gotten better as her career has gone on.” Hightower, a junior, pitched for 86.1 innings through 27 appearances in her first two years in Gainesville. The Monticello, Florida native has already surpassed that in just 22 appearances in 2021. Hightower has become Florida’s ace in the circle. “She reminds me of the pitcher that almost say, ‘Hey, I’m throwing you a screwball and here it comes on three different planes.’,” 7Innings podcast co-host Michele Smith said of Hightower. “And teams still aren’t hitting it… With just one pitch, you can win a national championship with it.” Elizabeth Hightower isn’t Kelly Barnhill. She’s not going to throw a flashy rise ball that has batters chasing pitches all over the box. But she is going to make it difficult for you to make contact. And behind her is a stingy defense that’s as good as any in the country. “We always know that they’ll have strong defense,” Braud said. “They have only 14 errors on the year. And as I’m watching the rest of the SEC play right now, it is not clean. “For me, the key is that strong defense that we know Florida always brings… Walton just prepares them defensively.” Meanwhile, the Gators’ offense has historically been, well, hit or miss. Inconsistencies and the inability to come up with timely hitting has been the bane of Florida softball for nearly a decade. That’s beginning to shift. It started last season when Charla Echols transferred in and was lighting up pitchers alongside Kendyl Lindaman, who were both hitting above .400. But a premature ending to the 2020 campaign kept us from seeing what exactly was in store for Florida’s lineup. We’re learning now. And we’re learning that Florida’s entire lineup is capable causing damage. In Florida’s sweep of LSU two weekends ago, Echols and Lindaman struggled. Echols was just 2-for-8 on the series, while Lindaman was 3-for-9. “Cottrill, Lindsey, Hoover… These are players that were able to step up and give Florida an offensive depth in their lineup that we haven’t seen yet,” Scarborough said. “But that, Coach Walton knew they were capable of that and saw in the fall.” It’s been said that Cheyenne Lindsey acts as another leadoff hitter. Lindsey, who sees action from the nine-hole, is hitting .378 on the season and drove in a career high five RBIs in the final game of the LSU series, including a hit that went beyond the fence. Meanwhile, sophomore catcher Julia Cottrill has also started to find some rhythm. Cottrill had two multi-hit games against the Tigers, including a three-RBI home run in the series opener. All this is said without ever mentioning the name of Florida’s senior second baseman, Hannah Adams. “Hannah Adams, for me, has been such a bright spot for the Gators,” Braud said. “And I look at her right now, and yes… she’s hitting above .450 overall. But her conference numbers, she’s also hitting .455 in conference play, which tells me that when the competition is the toughest, you step up and you’re ready to go and you’re a baller.” Calling Adams a baller is an understatement, both from the batter’s box and second base. Before visiting the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens last weekend, the Gators visited Jacksonville on March 31. In the midweek contest, Adams went 3-for-3 from the plate, including a home run. Adams was running with a 13-game hit streak before going 0-for-2 against Georgia on Friday night. From the field, Adams acts as the infield’s vacuum and has committed just three errors on 112 chances. “It was very interesting to note how well-rounded Florida is in all areas of the game,” Smith, who called Florida’s Saturday night game against LSU, said. “As you mention Hannah Adams in the batting, but remember this was a freshman second baseman who did not commit an error her entire freshman year.” Florida didn’t need to look their sharpest in February. And they didn’t. The Gators didn’t need to win every game in March. And they didn’t. But Florida softball does need to peak at the right time. And they are.