They send a message to all the competition in the postseason. LOOK OUT! After last week’s tremendous showing between Florida and LSU with both teams scoring 198+. It would not have been a big surprise going on the road to #22 Kentucky and having a competition not up to that level. Not only did #3 Florida keep the gas pedal on the floor. They sent a message to all the competition in the postseason. LOOK OUT! Setting a new NCAA high score with a 198.575. Scoring season highs on Vault, Bars and Beam. Senior Selena Harris-Miranda picked up her second consecutive perfect score on Beam and the Gators continued to stick routine after routine. After the meet, coach Jenny Rowland proudly said: “What a fantastic evening for the Gators it was such a fabulous night too and on our regular season journey. Really proud of the momentum and the freeness. The best meets are sometimes the ones you have no idea how the scores are going, but you’re having so much fun, It’s just feels like it’s a practice. So, super pumped and super excited for the team. I’m sure they’re gonna take a lot of confidence from this going into the postseason.. We had three season highs on vault, bars and beam. So extremely proud of the Gators. They were locked in and focused. And more than anything they had fun.” Six symnasts competed, with Florida having the road rotation of Uneven Bars, Vault, Floor Exercise and Balance Beam. The five highest scores count. On to the recap:    Uneven Bars: Last Week’s Score: 49.625. Average, 49.557, 1st in the Nation. Kentucky: 49.089, 20th nationally. -eMjae Frazier: Low bar mount. Legs glued together. Double layout dismout. Stuck- 9.925 -Anya Pilgrim: Low bar mount. Legs together. Full twisting double tuck dismount. Stuck- 9.90 (The dropped score) You know it was a good day when you are dropping a 9.90 -Skye Blakely: Springboard mount. Extra long handstands. Inverted grip to a double half twist dismount. Stuck- 9.95 Skye is 10th in the NCAA on the Bars. -Kayla DiCello: Springboard high bar mount. Legs together. Twisting layout dismount. Stuck- 9.95. Ties her season high! -Selena Harris-Miranda: Top bar mount.High bar to low bar into a handstand. Double layout dismount. Stuck- 9.95 Selena averages 9.91 on Bars this season Riley McCusker: Low Bar mount. Toes pointed. Great low to high bar transition. Double tuck dismount. Stuck- 9.95 49.725 - Season high. Second only to Utah’s 49.750 this season. Florida leads Kentucky by .375 after one rotation. Kentucky scored a 49.350 on Vault. Vault: Last Week’s Score: 49.375, Average: 49.207, 10th in the Nation. Kentucky: 49.161, 13th nationally. -Anya Pilgrim: Yurchenko 1 1/2. Hop forward- 9.875 -eMjae Frazier: Yurchenko 1 1/2 with twist. To face the vault table. Small hop- 9.90 -Kayla DiCello: Yurchenko 1 1/2. Stepped backward- 9.775 (The dropped score) -Danie Ferris: Yurchenko 1 1/2. Small hop.- 9.925. Ties her season high. -Skye Blakely: Yurchenko 1 1/2, layout to face the table. Tiny hop.- 9.90 -Selena Harris-Miranda: Yurchenko 1 1/2. Big hop forward.- 9.875. 49.475 - Florida’s season high on Vault. Perhaps (Fingers crossed) the Gators have settled down on this event. Florida leads by .750. 99.200-98.450 after two rotations. Kentucky scores a 49.100 on Bars and couldn’t stick their landings. Floor: Last Week’s Score: 49.750. Average: 49.418, 7th in the Nation. Kentucky: 49.271, 15th nationally. -Gabby Disidore: 1st pass (The long runs from corner to corner)- Double layout into a leap. Stuck. 2nd pass- Front twisting flip. Hop- 9.875 -Danie Ferris: 1st- Double tuck flip. Hop. 2nd- Combination twisting pass into a jump.-9.875 -Amelia Disidore: 1st- Front double layout. Stuck. 2nd- Back flip to jump. Stuck. Amelia nailed this routine.- 9.925 -Jayla Booker: The freshman cracks the lineup this week. 1st- Front twisting leap. Lands out of bounds. 2nd- Front double tuck. Stuck- 9.775 (The dropped score) Skye Blakely: 1st- Front handspring. Double flip to stag leap. Stuck. 2nd-Huge leaps. Twisting combination pass. Stuck- 9.950 -Selena Harris-Miranda: 1st- Twisting front pass to leap. 2nd- Combination pass to stag leap- 9.950. Selena needed a 10 to complete her Gym Slam, a perfect score in all four events. Almost. 49.575- Florida is crushing Kentucky by 1.05 after the third rotation 148.775-147.725. Kentucky had a fall on Beam. Scoring a 49.275 Selena Harris-Miranda has back to back perfect scores on Beam. (Photo UAA) Beam: Last Week: 49.750. Average: 49.500, 2nd in the Nation. Kentucky: 49.029, 21st nationally. -Skylar Drasser:  Double back handspring. Wobble. Stag leap. Balance check. Twisting dismount 1 1/2 twist. Steps backward- 9.775 (The dropped score) -Alyssa Arana: Side mount. Double back handspring. Front leap. Gainer Full side dismount. Stuck - 9.925 -Skye Blakely: Side mount. Front arial. Triple wolf turn. Front to back flip combination. Gainer full twisting side dismount. Stuck - 9.950 -eMjae Frazier: Side mount.Front flip to back flip combination. Split jumps. Cartwheel to twisting dismount. Stuck.-9.975 Why not a 10? -Kayla DiCello: Springboard candle mount. 180 leaps. Double back a handspring. Front leap. Side dismount. Stuck. 10?? - 9.950 -Selena Harris-Miranda: Second in the NCAA this season on Beam. Side split mount. Triple series back handspring. Perfect! Twisting dismount. Stuck.- 10!! Wow! 49.800 - Florida ties last week’s score with a season high and NCAA high. Florida is really on a roll with an NCAA high score and all the momentum for the SEC Tournament  on Saturday. Beats Kentucky 198.575-197.225. -Selena Harris-Miranda won the All-Around title: 39.775. Skye Blakely was second: 39.750 -Danie Ferris was second on Vault: 9.925 -Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, Selena Harris-Miranda and Riley McCusker tied for the Uneven Bars title: 9.950 -Selena Harris-Miranda won the Beam title: 10.0 -Skye Blakely tied Kentucky’s C. Browse tied for the Floor title: 9.950 How exciting this postseason will be. After two runner up National Titles in 2022 & 2023 Coach Rowland may have the team that will finish first. First will be the SEC Championship in Tulsa Oklahoma on Saturday. So another advantage for OU, like always. Florida will have the evening session on the SEC Network at 8pm EST. I think you will see another season high on Vault and the team playing loose has paid dividends these past two weeks. Florida has pulled some of the extra difficult parts of several routines and it is paying off.

Xaivian Lee scores on a first half layup (Photo by Chris Spears) NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The three-ring circus that doubled as Florida’s 71-63 win over Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals was put into philosophical perspective by SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Rueben Chinyelu.   Asking and answering his own questions, Chinyelu said, “Was it ugly? Yes, of course. Was it beautiful? Winning is always beautiful even when it’s ugly.”   When the Gators are playing well, firing on all cylinders while playing at a breakneck pace, the game can be this blazing fast collage of dunks, layups, rebounds and an occasional 3-point bomb for good measure. To combat the speed and precision the Gators have been playing with during the 12-game winning streak that has them favored to earn a No. 1 seeding when the NCAA announces its field Sunday, Kentucky took a couple of pages out of the Harley Race playbook. The only thing missing was Gordon Solie on play-by-play.   Hacks, slaps, hooks, holds, pushes and shoves are only illegal if you get caught. At least that seemed to be the strategy. Kentucky did get caught quite a few times, enough to send the Gators to the foul line 19 times in the last 11:23 of the game, but it was ever so disruptive. Florida, which spent the game struggling to get into some sort of a shooting rhythm, made only three shots from the field during that stretch, but all three shots were critical.   There was a stickback by Chinyelu with 4:17 left after Alex Condon’s end of the shot clock three clanged off the rim. There was Tommy Haugh’s turnaround 10-footer in the lane with 1:39 to go, this one also a second chance score after Boogie Fland rebounded his own miss. That pushed a six-point Florida lead to 66-58.   And then there was the step-back three from Xaivian Lee with 50 seconds left that answered a three by Kentucky’s Denzel Aberdeen. The 5-point margin that had the largely Kentucky crowd on their feet screaming for an upset let out a collective gasp as the ball settled in the bottom of the net to give the Gators a 69-61 lead.   “He stepped up and hit a dagger” is how Florida coach Todd Golden called it.   “Just something I do,” was Lee’s explanation. “I kind of knew I was going to shoot it because I had been trying to drive the ball through lane the entire half … If I could create a little space, it’s a shot I’ve taken and made before.”   The Vanderbilt game comes to mind. The stepback three in that game was the death blow to the Commodores more than a month ago.     All the while the Gators were struggling to find some offensive mojo, Kentucky was making just enough shots to cut into what had once seemed an insurmountable Florida lead. Isaiah Brown’s fast break layup after a steal by Lee put the Gators ahead 49-32 with 13:07 left in the game. Two minutes later it was a 16-point margin (54-38) on a pair of Haugh free throws with 11:02 left in the game but that was almost like a signal for the Gators to get complacent.   “Yeah, I’d say we got complacent … I know I did,” Condon said. He had a double-double – 22 points and 10 rebounds to go with two assists and a pair of spectacular blocked shots at the rim. “In the first half and when the second half started, I knew I could get any shot I wanted. It was too easy.”   The same thing happened twice before this season, both times against Kentucky. In the end, what saved the Gators from unmitigated disaster was making just enough free throws (24-33 for the game, 19-26 in the second half) and the fact Kentucky wasn’t exactly burning it up offensively. The Wildcats scored enough to make it close, but never got over the hump. “I thought once they got behind, the last 10 or so minutes, we were kind of playing not to lose, and they were playing free with no pressure because there was none left at that point,” Golden said. No pressure on the Wildcats. Plenty of pressure on the Gators, but the pressure release for UF was the defense. Even when the Gators were out of synch offensively, the defense was still very, very good.   The Wildcats managed just 21-59 from the field overall and 5-23 from the 3-point line. Collin Chandler, Kentucky’s purest shooter who lit up the Gators for six threes at the O-Dome back in January, kept getting run off the 3-point line. The one make he had in three attempts was a touch-em-all type that bounced high off the rim before rattling in.   Golden pointed to Florida’s offensive struggles as one of the major reasons the Wildcats got back into the game. “ We're a very good defensive team, we have been all year,” Golden said. “The times where we struggled today defensively were a product of our offense, in my estimation. Obviously we'll go back and watch the film. When we were bad with the ball leading to turnovers, they were able to get out in transition or get us in odd-man advantage where we weren't matched up properly … Anytime we got them operating in the halfcourt against a set defense, it was challenging for them. That's where complementary basketball, take better care of the ball, they're not going to be able to put us in those predicaments.”    Kentucky scored 18 fast break points, most of them coming after turnovers, but even with Florida’s miscues, the Wildcats were held to 63 points, a full 18 fewer than normal. Haugh drew the defensive assignment of UK’s leading scorer Otega Oweh. He went 5-18 from the field and scored only 10 points. On the interior, Kentucky bigs Malachi Moreno, Adrij Jelavic, Brandon Garrison, all of them 7-footers or close to it, combined for 12 points and just 11 rebounds.   On the perimeter, Fland and Lee made Aberdeen and Chandler work for everything they got.   “They don’t get nearly enough credit for how good we are defensively,” Haugh said. “The way they get after the guys they guard makes it so much easier for me, Alex, Rueben and Micah (Handlogten) to play defense. They make their guys take tough shots and then we get the rebounds.”   Florida outrebounded Kentucky 50-29. Just a week ago at Rupp, the Wildcats were nearly dead even with the Gators on the backboards (41-40 Florida advantage). Kentucky tried to be physical, but couldn’t come close to matching the Gators in that category. Kentucky’s 29 rebounds produced only eight second hand points.   Florida, on the other hand, got 10 rebounds each from Condon and Chinyelu and eight each from Haugh and Handlogten. Chinyelu had a blocked shot and three steals. Haugh had three blocked shots and two steals.   On a day when offensive highlights were few and far between for the Gators, Handlogten contributed the play of the game offensively during a 26-second sequence. It began when Haugh snagged a contested rebound after an Aberdeen missed three. On the break, Klavzar let fly with a three that clanged off the rim. Handlogten made a diving save of the rebound, flipping it to Fland who found Klavzar open for another three. Same result only this time Handlogten came bolting in from the corner, leapt as high as he could, his right hand like a predatory bird’s claw to jam it back in with 4:51 left in the first half.   “I just ran in and jumped as high as I could,” Handlogten said. “Obviously, a cool moment. I got hyped and was just standing there, yelling and the camera guy comes up to me and almost slaps me in the face. I’m like what are we doing here? I kind of had to come back to earth.”   Back to earth is where the Gators need to be tomorrow when they face Vanderbilt in the semifinals. The Commodores advanced with a 75-68 win over Tennessee in the second game of the afternoon.   This was a sloppy game in which the only things missing were a bearded lady, poodles jumping through hoops, some elephants and a couple of clowns.   This was not the game fans expected from the 4 th -ranked team in the country, but the outcome is the only thing of relevance.   Florida won, advanced and remained very much in the hunt for a No. 1 seed. Kentucky went home where it will await the NCAA sending the Wildcats somewhere as a No. 7 or maybe even a No. 8 seed. “When it was over, it was beautiful,” Chinyelu said. “Winning is beautiful.”   Even when it’s ugly. Game notes: Xaivian Lee finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals ... The Gators scored 21 second chance points, 16 of them after a missed three ... Chinyelu's 10-rebound game was his 20th with 10 or more this season. Friday's SEC Quarterfinals No. 1 Florida (26-6) 71, No. 9 Kentucky (21-13) 63 No. 4 Vanderbilt (25-7) 75, No. 5 Tennessee (22-11) 68 No. 15 Ole Miss (15-19) 80, No. 2 Alabama (23-9) 79 No. 3 Arkansas (24-8) 82, No. 13 Oklahoma (19-15) 79 Saturday's SEC Semifinals No. 4 Vanderbilt (25-7) vs. No. 1 FLORIDA (26-6) No. 15 Ole Miss (15-19) vs. No. 3 Arkansas (24-8) SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Iowa State; 3. Illinois; 4. Purdue (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky; 11. Missouri) South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Alabama; 4. Kansas (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 8. Georgia; 10. Texas A&M) West: 1. Arizona; 2. Michigan State; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 11. Texas) SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Kansas (SEC: 7. Kentucky; 11. Texas) South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Purdue; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Texas A&M) Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Iowa State; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 8. Georgia; 11. Missouri) West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas)

Rueben Chinyelu leads the nation in rebounding (Photo by Chris Spears) “Bad things, Man!” – Dennis Hopper in a 1980s Nike commercial   NASHVILLE, Tennessee – That’s what happens to opponents when the Florida Gators arrive at the arena in the mood to put a world class hurting on an opponent. Bad things, Man.   In laying waste to the rest of the Southeastern Conference to win the regular season championship, the 4 th -ranked and top-seeded Gators (25-6) won 13 of their 16 league games by 13 or more points. Kentucky (21-12), who the Gators play today in the SEC Tournament semifinals (1 p.m., ESPN) lost by nine to the Gators at the O-Dome and seven last Saturday at Rupp.   Although Florida and Kentucky know they will be playing in the NCAA Tournament next week, both teams have plenty to play for. The Gators are in the hunt for a No. 1 seed. Starting with Kentucky today and subsequent wins in the semifinals and championship games, the Gators can seal the deal on a No. 1, most likely in the South with first and second round games slated for Tampa. Kentucky, which will be playing its third game in three days, is currently hovering around the No. 7 line. If the Wildcats can get a win or two more in Nashville, they could move on up to a No. 5 seed.   The secret to Florida’s success is a smothering defense that ranks fifth in the kenpom.com efficiency ratings, fourth in barttorvik.com . The Gators force teams off the 3-point line and make them take tough twos instead. And, once the ball goes up on the rim, Florida typically controls the rebounding, forcing opponents to try to beat the Gators on one-and-done trips to the offensive end of the court.   There is added incentive for the Gators who have only beaten Kentucky three times in a single season once before (2014) in all the years the two teams have been playing. Since the inception of the SEC Kentucky has dominated the league. With eight national championships to its credit by five different coaches, Kentucky is the longstanding SEC blueblood but Florida is no longer the Wildcats' little SEC brother. The Wildcats had won five national championships before Florida won its first SEC title (1989). Since 1999, however, Florida has won three national titles (2006-07, 2026) to Kentucky’s one (2012). Only UConn has won more national titles (five) than the Gators since 1999.   Florida comes into the game with fresh legs, having not played since last Saturday when the Gators took down Kentucky at Rupp. To get to this game Saturday, Kentucky had to beat LSU in a 9-16 game, then toppled Missouri in a 9-8 game Thursday. If the Gators arrive at Bridgestone Arena focused and ready to pillage and plunder anyone that gets in their way, then it could be another pillage and plunder job. Bad things, Man.   Game notes: Tommy Haugh was named second team All-America by The Sporting News. Haugh was named first team All-SEC by both the Coaches and Associated Press. Rueben Chinyelu, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was a first team selection by the AP and a second team by the Coaches. Alex Condon was second team AP and third team Coaches … Chinyelu leads the nation in rebounding at 11.77 per game …The Gators continue to creep upward in the 3-point shooting stats. By hitting 43 of their last 99 shots in the previous five games, the Gators are now hitting 31.3 percent of their threes … The Gators lead the nation in rebounding and rank second (by two rebounds) to Tennessee as the top offensive rebounding team in the country.   Anticipated Starting lineups No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11 ,265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 210, JR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR)   No. 9 Kentucky (21-12): Andrija Jelavic (6-11, 225, JR); Malachi Moreno (7-0, 250, JR); Otega Oweh (6-4, 220, SR); Collin Chandler (6-5, 205, SO); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 195, SR) Thursday’s scores No. 9 Kentucky (21-12) 78, No. 8 Missouri (20-12) 72: Missouri battled back from a 16-point deficit to take a 70-69 lead with 2:34 remaining but the Tigers gave out of gas. Kentucky outscored Mizzou 9-2 with Denzel Aberdeen scoring six including 4-4 from the foul line. Otega Oweh scored 21 to lead the Kentucky scoring while Aberdeen had 16 points, seven assists and two steals. Mark Mitchell scored a game-high 30 points for Missouri.   No. 5 Tennessee (22-10) 72, No. 12 Auburn (17-16) 62: Tennessee, which trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, outscored Auburn 47-30 in the second half to advance to a semifinal matchup with 4 th -seeded Vanderbilt. Freshman Nate Ament had 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists to lead Tennessee. The Vols got to the foul line 32 times (made 24) while Auburn was just 13-20. Tahaad Petiford’s 28 led the way for Auburn, whose NCAA chances took a serious jolt with the loss.   No. 15 Ole Miss (14-19) 76, No. 7 Georgia (22-10) 72: Ole Miss led 55-35 with 12:45 remaining in the second half, but the Rebels had to hold on for dear life as Georgia rallied furiously to cut the lead to two with five seconds to go. Ole Miss sealed the win with a free throw by Kezza Giffa and two by Travis Perry. Georgia was done in by poor 3-point shooting, just 9-38 for the game. AJ Storr scored 19 to lead Ole Miss while Kanon Catchings led Georgia with 19.   No. 11 Oklahoma (19-14) 83, No. 6 Texas A&M (21-11) 63: The Sooners have played their way into the NCAA picture with six straight wins, four to end the regular season and two in Nashville. Oklahoma led 49-27 at the half and never looked back while blowing out the Aggies. Nijel Pack led Oklahoma with 20 points while Derrion Reed had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Leading the way for the Aggies were Rylan Griffin and Rashaun Agee with 13 each.   Friday’s games (Quarterfinals) No. 9 Kentucky (21-12) vs. No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6) No. 5 Tennessee (22-10) vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7) No. 15 Ole Miss (14-19) vs. No. 2 Alabama (22-9) No. 13 Oklahoma (19-14) vs. No. 3 Arkansas (22-9)

Urban Klavzar drives on UK's $22 million lineup (UAA Photo) "Money don't matter 2 night It sure didn't matter yesterday Just when u think u've got more than enough That's when it all up and flies away" – Prince The Kentucky Wildcats open the Southeastern Conference Basketball Tournament as the No. 9 seed, which isn’t exactly what the Big Blue Nation thought was in the cards when $22 million was forked out to build a roster capable of cutting down the nets at the Final Four. National championship dreams have been replaced by the nightmare of the indignity of playing the first game of the SEC Tournament against No. 16 LSU.   Making matters worse for the Big Blue Nation, the first game of the tournament is 11:30 a.m. local time, 12:30 p.m. EDT. Has Kentucky ever started an SEC Tournament this early and with the prospects of needing to win four games in four days just to get to the championship game? Kentucky spent all that money on a roster that lacks the depth and the talent to do that.   Beat LSU in game one and the Wildcats have to face a rested Missouri team at noon Thursday. Beat Missouri and it’s the Florida Gators on Friday. The Gators are rested and ready to go on a search and destroy mission having not played since beating Kentucky at Rupp last Saturday.   Florida is in every conversation about winning a national championship. Conversations about Kentucky begin with what happens with Mark Pope if the Wildcats go belly up day one or day two? Despite the pleadings of Jimmy Dykes and Dick Vitale who proclaimed Pope is the perfect guy to lead Kentucky during last Saturday’s Florida-Kentucky ESPN broadcast. About the only way the Big Blue Nation would agree with that assessment is if Kentucky does the unthinkable and goes 5-for-5 in Nashville to win the tournament. It’s not impossible. Stranger things have happened such as the 2008 tornado that damaged the old Georgia Dome, forcing the tournament to move to Georgia Tech for the semifinals and finals. Georgia had to play two games on Saturday to win the championship.   Donkeys might fly before something that bizarre happens again, although in the eyes of Kentucky fans the Wildcats playing the first game of the tournament as the No. 9 seed is reach out and touch close. Two things might happen if LSU were to spring the upset today: 1. LSU would probably announce that Matt McMahon would be returning to coach the Tigers next year; and, 2. Kentucky would be putting out a notice on Linked In and other social media outlets that it’s in the market for a new head coach.   Kentucky should beat LSU. Emphasis on should. Oklahoma, Texas and Auburn should win their first round games. Once again, emphasis on should. Kentucky will make the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens because the NCAA knows the Big Blue Nation travels and it’s an almost guaranteed sellout wherever the Wildcats play in the first round of the Big Dance. Oklahoma has won four straight games. Can two wins in Nashville punch the Sooners’ dance card? How about three? Texas is in although a low NCAA seed. Try No. 10 or No. 11. Auburn? Two wins could do it, but three for sure.   NCAA locks no matter what happens in Nashville: Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky. Should be in: Texas and Missouri.   The pick to win it all: Florida. The Gators are too big, too fast, too well coached. There isn’t an SEC team in Florida’s league. The pick to make it to the championship game to play the Gators: Arkansas if Darius Acuff Jr. is healthy.   SEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 11 1. No. 9 Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. No. 16 LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) 2. No. 12 Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 13 Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) 3. No. 10 Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC) vs. No. 15 Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14 SEC) 4. No. 11 Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 14 South Carolina (13-18, 5-13 SEC)   Thursday, March 12 5. No. 8 Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 1 6. No. 5 Tennessee (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 2 7. No. 7 Georgia (22-9, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 3 8. No. 6 Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 4   Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals) 9. No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6, 16-2) vs. Winner game 5 10. No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 6 11. No. 2 Alabama (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 7 12. No. 1 Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 8   Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals) 13. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 14. Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner   Sunday, March 15 Championship game   TODD GOLDEN, FIFTH BEST COACH IN THE COUNTRY?   That’s the opinion of John Leuzzi; someone I’ve never heard of who writes for USA Today. Dan Hurley as the No. 1, I can see that since he’s the only coach in the country who has back-to-back titles, but Jon Scheyer, Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May ahead of Golden? Surely he jests. They are good basketball coaches but neither Scheyer, Lloyd nor May have won a national championship. Todd Golden has and he might get a second one this year.   Here is Leuzzi’s top ten: 1. Dan Hurley, UConn; 2. Jon Scheyer, Duke; 3. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona; 4. Dusty May, Michigan; 5. TODD GOLDEN, FLORIDA; 6. Tom Izzo, Michigan State; 7. Kelvin Sampson, Houston; 8. John Calipari, Arkansas; 9. Bill Self, Kansas; 10. Rick Pitino, St. John’s.   SEC in the latest Joe Lunardi (ESPN) brackets East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Alabama; 4. Kansas (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt)   South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Purdue (SEC: 10. Texas; 11. Missouri)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Iowa State; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 7. Georgia)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 7. Kentucky)   THE SEVEN TEAMS THAT COULD WIN IT ALL FLORIDA: The Gators are hot and healthy. They’ve made 43-99 from three their last five games. So much for they can’t shoot. Nobody in the SEC plays better defense. Nobody in all of college basketball transitions from defense to offense better. Nobody in college basketball has a front line that can match Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and coming off the bench Micah Handlogten. The perimeter rotation of Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland, Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown is vastly underrated.   ARIZONA: The Wildcats can match the Gators’ size and physicality up front. They have very physical guards led by freshman Brayden Burries. There are quality wins over Florida and UConn, blowout wins over SEC opponents Alabama and Auburn. The secret to beating the Wildcats is make their perimeter guys win the game with their outside shooting. Tobe Awaka off the bench is an absolute beast to deal with.   MICHIGAN: The loss of L.J. Cason (ACL) cannot be underestimated. He was the backup point guard and an outstanding outside shooter. The Wolverines have a tall front line but as they showed in losing to Duke, the outside shooting is suspect without Cason. Elliott Cadeau can disappear as he did in the Duke loss. He’s only 4-18 from three since then. The Wolverines are good enough to get to the Final Four. Good enough to win?   DUKE: Point guard Caleb Foster had surgery to repair a fractured foot. There is only one other point guard on the team, Cayden Boozer. Can he play 40 minutes? Is he good enough defensively to replace what Foster brings to the table? Center Patrick Ngongba has a high ankle sprain and won’t play in the ACC Tournament. How effective will he be when he comes back. Duke doesn’t have a lot of size to back him up. Can Cameron Boozer carry the Blue Devils all the way to a championship?   HOUSTON: Three starters from last year’s team that lost in the championship game to Florida – Emanuel Sharp, Joseph Tugler and Milos Uzan – plus outstanding freshmen Kingston Flemings and 6-11 Chris Cenac Jr. Nobody guards the perimeter better than Houston and the Cougars battle hard on the boards, but is there enough depth up front to win it all?   MICHIGAN STATE: Wins over Arkansas, Kentucky and North Carolina, a white knuckles loss to Duke when Duke was at full strength. If Michigan State is the No. 2 in Duke’s bracket and there is no Caleb Foster to handle the pressure, Tom Izzo could get to the Final Four.   UCONN: For UConn to win it, Alex Karaban can’t disappear which he did in those unexplainable losses to Creighton and Marquette and Taras Reed has to go beast mode. Wins over Florida and Texas from the SEC, BYU from the Big 12 and a white knuckles loss to Arizona. A lot of things have to go right for UConn to win it.

(UAA Photo) “Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television. ” – Walt Kelly   Back on January 4, the day after the Gators lost their Southeastern Conference opener to Missouri, you didn’t have to look far or wide to find an expert ready to write off Florida’s chances to repeat as national champions. The Gators were 9-5 at the time and all five losses seemed to follow the same script – too many missed 3-pointers, too many turnovers, too many blown opportunities to make winning plays at crunch time.     Todd Golden couldn’t disagree with the reasons why the Gators had five losses by a combined 17 points, but if he was frustrated, he wasn’t letting it show in his public demeanor. Far from it. He preached wait-and-see confidently, something you can do when you’ve won a national championship before your 40 th birthday.   Patience and confidence have been rewarded. The Gators are 16-1 since the Missouri loss. Thirteen of the 16 wins are by at least 13 points. The most significant improvement has been 3-point shooting. For the season, the Gators are making just 31.3 percent of their threes, but in the last five games they are 43-99, which is 43.4 percent. The Gators have made eight threes in each of the last four.   Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, who were subject to much of the criticism in Florida’s five losses prior to their run through the SEC, are making shots, setting up teammates and play outstanding defense. Fland, who was overlooked for the All-SEC defensive team, has made 9-17 from three in his last five games. In his last eight, Lee is making 14-37, which is 37.8 percent. Off the bench, Urban Klavzar, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, is making 40.6 percent for the season, and Isaiah Brown 35.4 percent.   The big guys – Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten – make up the best front court in the country. Haugh leads the Gators at 17.2 points per game while turning into a solid 34.4 percent 3-point shooter. Chinyelu leads the country in rebounding (11.7 per game), while Condon has gone beast mode the last six games (20.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and Handlogten remains the most reliable rebounder off the bench in the SEC.   Golden, selected SEC Coach of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, has transformed Florida into a team that might be playing better than any team in the country when it counts the most. The Gators have a max of nine games remaining – three in the SEC Tournament in Nashville; six in the NCAA – and the way they are playing it doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination to believe they will be the last team standing on the first Monday night in April.   Haugh was first team by both Coaches and Associated Press. Chinyelu was first team AP, second team Coaches. Condon made third team Coaches, second team AP. Associated Press All-SEC First Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt; Tommy Haugh, Florida; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida   Second Team Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State; Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee; Dailyn Swain, Texas; Nate Ament, Tennessee; Alex Condon, Florida Player of the Year: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Coach of the Year: Todd Golden, Florida Freshman of the Year: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Newcomer of the Year: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee   Coaches All-SEC First Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee; Thomas Haugh, Florida; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt   Second Team Nate Ament, Tennessee; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Mark Mitchell, Missouri; Otega Oweh, Kentucky; Dailyn Swain, Texas   Third Team Rashaun Agee, Texas A&M; Alex Condon, Florida; Keyshawn Hall, Auburn; Aden Holloway, Alabama; Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State   All-Defensive Team Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Somto Cyril, Georgia; Felix Okpara, Tennessee; Billy Richmond III, Arkansas; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt   All-Freshman Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Amari Allen, Alabama; Nate Ament, Tennessee; Malachi Moreno, Kentucky; Meleek Thomas, Arkansas   Coach of the Year:   Todd Golden, Florida Player of the Year:  Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Scholar-Athlete of the Year:   Rueben Chinyelu, Florida Newcomer of the Year:  Dailyn Swain, Texas Freshman of the Year:  Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Sixth-Man of the Year:   Urban Klavzar, Florida Defensive Player of the Year:   Rueben Chinyelu, Florida   Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 29-2; 2. Arizona 29-2; 3. Michigan 29-2; 4. FLORIDA 25-6; 5 . Houston 26-5; 6. UConn 27-4; 7. Iowa State 25-6; 8. Michigan State 25-6; 9. Illinois 24-7; 10. Virginia 27-4; 11. Nebraska 26-5; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. St. John’s 25-6; 14. Kansas 22-9; 15. Alabama 23-8; 16. Texas Tech 22-9; 17. Arkansas 23-8; 18. Purdue 23-8; 19. North Carolina 24-7; 20. Miami (OH) 31-0; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Vanderbilt 24-7; 23. Wisconsin 22-9; 24. Louisville 22-9; 25. Tennessee 21-10   Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 29-2; 2. Arizona 29-2; 3. Michigan 29-2; 4. FLORIDA 25-6; 5. Houston 26-5; 6. UConn 27-4; 7. Iowa State 25-6; 8. Michigan State 25-6; 9. Illinois 24-7; 10. Nebraska 26-5; 11. Virginia 27-4; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. St. John’s 25-6; 14. Texas Tech 22-9; 15. Alabama 23-8; 16. Kansas 22-9; 17. Arkansas 23-8; 18. Purdue 23-8; 19. North Caolina 24-7; 20. Miami (OH) 24-7; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Vanderbilt 24-7; 23. Wisconsin 22-9; 24. Louisville 22-9; 25. Miami (FL) 24-7   SEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 11 1. No. 9 Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. No. 16 LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) 2. No. 12 Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 13 Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) 3. No. 10 Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC) vs. No. 15. Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14 SEC) 4. No. 11 Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 14 South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC)   Thursday, March 12 5. No. 8 Georgia (22-9, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 1 6. No. 5 Tennessee (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 2 7. No. 7 Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 3 8. No. 6 Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 4   Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals) 9. No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6, 16-2) vs. Winner game 5 10. No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 6 11. No. 2 Alabama (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 7 12. No. 1 Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 8   Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals) 13. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 14. Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner   Sunday, March 15 Championship game   Top 25 plus SEC kenpom.com : 1. Duke; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Illinois; 6. Houston; 7. Iowa State; 8. Purdue; 9. Michigan State; 10. Gonzaga; 11. UConn; 12. Nebraska; 13. Vanderbilt; 14. Tennessee; 15. Louisville; 16. Alabama; 17. Texas Tech; 18. Arkansas; 19. Kansas; 20. Virginia; 21. St. John’s; 22. Saint Mary’s; 23. Wisconsin; 24. Iowa; 25. BYU (SEC: 27. Kentucky; 31. Georgia; 33. Texas; 35. Texas A&M; 39. Auburn; 50. Missouri; 62. LSU; 81. Ole Miss; 95. South Carolina; 100. Mississippi State   Top 25 plus SEC barttorvik.com : 1. Michigan; 2. Duke; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Arizona; 5. Houston; 6. Illinois; 7. UConn; 8. Purdue; 9. Iowa State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Texas Tech; 12. Tennessee; 13. Gonzaga; 14. Louisville; 15. Kansas; 16. Virginia; 17. Nebraska; 18. Vanderbilt; 19. Alabama; 20. Arkansas; 21. St. John’s; 22. Wisconsin; 23. Ohio State; 24. Saint Mary’s; 25. Iowa (SEC: 32. Texas A&M; 33. Kentucky; 35. Georgia; 41. Texas; 42. Auburn; 45. Missouri; 46. Oklahoma; 72. LSU; 76. Ole Miss; 97. Mississippi State; 105. South Carolina)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) brackets East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Iowa State; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 8. Georgia)   South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Purdue; 4. Kansas (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (5. Tennessee; 9. Texas A&M; 10. Texas)   SEC in CBS brackets East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 6. Tennessee; 7. Georgia)   South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Purdue; 4. Virginia (SEC: 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Iowa State; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 8. Kentucky)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas A&M; 11. Missouri)

Todd Golden - photo credit Chris Spears GatorBaitMedia.com Nobody handed Todd Golden anything By GatorBaitMedia.com Staff The Gators finished the regular season 25 wins and six losses, going 16-and-2 inside the league to claim the outright SEC title — and not by a whisker. They won it by three full games. When he walked into Gainesville four years ago — a 36-year-old kid from San Francisco with a résumé built entirely outside the Power 5 — the skeptics were plenty and the believers were few. That's just the truth. Florida fans had been through enough to earn their skepticism. They weren't handing out trust on reputation alone. Monday, the Southeastern Conference made it official: Golden is the league's Coach of the Year. And if you've watched this team closely all season, you weren't surprised. A Title Nobody Predicted The Gators finished the regular season 25 wins and six losses, going 16-and-2 inside the league to claim the outright SEC title — and not by a whisker. They won it by three full games. The last Florida coach to earn this honor was Mike White back in 2017. Before that, you have to dig pretty deep into the history books. It's only happened four times total in program history. That's how rare this is. What makes it richer is the context. A year after winning a national championship — a run that drained the roster through graduation and the transfer portal — most programs take a step back. That's not cynicism, that's just pattern recognition. Golden didn't follow the pattern. Plenty He Rebuilt the Identity, Not Just the Roster The Florida that showed up this season looked nothing like the Florida of a year ago, and that was entirely by design. Golden stripped down the perimeter-driven style that carried the Gators to a title and rebuilt the program around defense, toughness, and an interior presence that made opponents uncomfortable from the opening tip. The numbers back it up. Florida outscored SEC opponents by 17 points per game on average — one of the strongest marks in conference play in decades. Down the stretch, they reeled off 11 wins in a row, putting opponents away by 23 points on average. That's not a hot streak. That's a team playing with complete command. Golden, to his credit, didn't sugarcoat how long it took to find that gear. He acknowledged the stylistic shift was a process — that it "took me a little longer than expected." That kind of candor is rare in coaches. It's also why his players trust him. 100 Wins, A Record, and Some Rare Company Somewhere in the middle of that winning streak, Golden quietly hit a milestone that stopped people in their tracks. He reached 100 career wins at Florida in his 139th game — faster than any coach who has ever held that job. Faster than Billy Donovan. That sentence alone should land with some weight for Gator fans. Nationally, only Kentucky's John Calipari and Tubby Smith had ever reached 100 wins at an SEC school within their first four seasons. Golden joined that list without anyone making much of a fuss about it. That's almost fitting — this whole season has operated the same way. Quietly dominant. Methodically excellent. The Players Deserve Their Flowers Too A coach can only take you as far as his players will carry the vision, and this group carried it all the way to the top of the standings. Thomas Haugh earned first-team All-SEC recognition after pouring in 17.2 points a night and becoming one of the most reliable offensive players in the league. Alex Condon landed on the third team. Urban Klavžar, coming off the bench and providing energy and production in stretches that changed games, took home Sixth Man of the Year. And then there's Rueben Chinyelu — who pulled off something only one player in league history had ever done before him, sweeping both the Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in the same season. Second-team All-SEC to boot. That kind of performance, on both ends of everything, doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a coach builds a culture where excellence is the standard and academics are part of the identity. Three Gators total landed on the coaches' All-SEC team. Florida hadn't done that since 2014. What Four Years Actually Looks Like Step back and look at the full arc of what Golden has built, and it's striking. NCAA Tournament in his first year. Back-to-back deep postseason runs after that. A national championship in Year 3. And now, a dominant regular-season title in Year 4. He is the only active coach in college basketball who holds an SEC regular-season title, an SEC Tournament title and an NCAA championship — all earned within his first four seasons at a single school. Nobody else is carrying that combination. His contract runs through 2031. Speculation about larger opportunities has circulated in national media circles, as it always does when a coach builds something this fast. But there's been no smoke in Gainesville, no whispers of a restless coach looking over his shoulder at the next thing. Golden seems to understand what he has here — and what it took to build it. The Postseason Is Still Ahead The full SEC award slate and tournament seeding comes later this week. The bracket and everything that follows will bring its own drama, its own pressure and its own stories yet to be written. But March 9, 2026 belongs to Todd Golden — a coach who earned trust the only way it's ever really earned. By showing up, doing the work, and winning games when it counted most. *For more Florida Gators coverage, follow GatorBait Media across all platforms:* 🎙️ **The Buddy Martin Show on YouTube** — [ youtube.com/@TheBuddyMartinShow](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtR8b1sKFuwaRjKy5BiXRvA) 📸 **Instagram** — [@gatorbaitmedia](https://www.instagram.com/gatorbaitmedia/) 🐦 **X / Twitter** — [@gatorbaitmedia](https://x.com/gatorbaitmedia) 🐊 **GatorBaitMedia.com** — Your home for Florida Gators sports coverage

Selena Harris-Miranda, Bridget Sloan, former NCAA champion and SEC gymnastics analyst eMjae Frazier (Chris Spears Photo) When LSU’s pixies marched into the O-Dome Sunday night, they had the look of a team every bit as good as the one that won the 2024 NCAA title. Maybe the best word to describe the difference in the gymnastics team that seemed to be making a living out of close call losses and the one that got a flip-for-flip, stuck landing-for-stuck landing win over 2 nd -ranked LSU at the O-Dome Sunday evening is joy. As in 4 th -ranked Florida re-discovering the joy of simply competing after an uneventful win in a quad-meet in Texas a week ago.   Talent has never been an issue for the Gators, but something has been missing all season long and it showed in those Roseanne Rosannadanna finishes. If you’re old enough to remember the early days of Saturday Night Live, you remember Roseanne and her signature line: “It just goes to show you it's always something. If it isn't one thing it's always something else.”   When it comes to Florida’s 2026 gymnastics those words from 40-plus years ago seem almost prophetic because that was Florida’s inconsistent season. The Gators weren’t bad. You can’t be bad and rank fourth nationally, but if you watched the Gators compete then you knew something was missing. If it wasn't one thing, it was always something else.   There were issues with the vault rotation. A 49.175 nearly cost Florida a win over Alabama early on. A week later the Gators beat Auburn in spite of a 48.600 vault. On Link to Pink Night at the O-Dome, the Gators turned in a 48.975 that cost a chance to spring the upset on big, bad No. 1 Oklahoma. There was the loss on the road at Missouri where Florida’s uneven bars rotation went Murphy’s Law. Whatever could go wrong went wrong. The nation’s best bars rotation did a 48.450. It would have taken an act of God for the Gators to lose the quad meet with Arizona State, Texas Women’s University and Fisk a week ago but the vault reared its ugly head once again, this time with a 48.175. Fortunately for UF, the other three teams were totally outmatched.   When LSU’s pixies marched into the O-Dome Sunday night, they had the look of a team every bit as good as the one that won the 2024 NCAA title. The Gators meanwhile came into the meet ranked second on vault, second on bars, third on beam and first on floor. The Gators came into the LSU meet without a single gymnast ranked in the top 30 in the all-around. This is a program that has produced the likes of Bridget Sloan, Alex McMurtry, Trinity Thomas and Leanne Wong, four of the greatest all-arounders in collegiate gymnastics history.   What the crowd of 9,925 crammed into the O-Dome and the national television audience saw was the Gators putting all their inconsistent ways behind them. That’s what it took to beat LSU. Final score, Florida, a nation’s best 198.450; LSU, a marvelous effort but a fall that made the Tigers eat a 9.70 on bars, 198.325.   Now LSU coach Jay Clark probably fumed on the plane ride back to Baton Rouge about a 9.30 leadoff on bars due to a fall and the follow-up 9.70. A 9.875 would have given LSU the win, but the difference Sunday night went far beyond anything LSU did or didn’t do.   It had everything to do with leaving the pressure of winning in the rearview while re-discovering the joy of competing. That’s what Jenny Rowland preached. That’s what the Gators delivered.   “ Tonight they did not chase the win,” Rowland said proudly. “They allowed the win to happen tonight and I think that's something that has been hindering this team a little bit over the last couple weeks, or I think we've gotten better over the last couple of weeks. They were present, they were mindful. They trusted themselves. And that's when you know the win is going to happen.”      Florida’s vault rotation was decent. Considering the way it’s gone this season, 49.375 is nothing to sneeze at. Despite the fall, despite eating a 9.70, LSU was dead even with the Gators after the first rotation and while Florida was pulling off an excellent 49.625 on bars, LSU went into a stuck landing frenzy on vault with three consecutive 9.975s for a 49.70, the second best score in the country this year.   Down at the midway point of the meet, there was no panic in the Gators, who went 49.700 on the balance beam and 49.750 on floor. LSU was very good on both rotations – 49.600 on floor and 49.650 on beam – but Florida was better to the point that when Harris-Miranda closed out the meet with a 9.950 on floor, the Gators could have thrown out her score and still won.   On the beam Florida got a 9.925 from Skye Blakely and 9.950s from EmJae Frazier and Kayla DiCello. Then came Selena Harris-Miranda with a perfect 10 and the roaring O-Dome crowd began to sense the Gators were in for a win.   It didn’t necessarily feel like a 10 for Harris-Miranda.   “Like, this is probably the worst beam routine I’ve done this season in nine out of ten,” she said. “So it was fabulous to know that no matter what, it’s up to the judges.”   The beam routine was fabulous, but so were the 9.95s she scored on vault, bars and floor. As close as those were to perfection, the judges didn’t see it that way. Even so, Harris-Miranda won the all-around title with a 49.850, just .025 behind the country’s leading score so far this year.   Harris-Miranda was so focused on executing what she does in practice every day that she was unaware that the Gators could have dropped her 9.95 on floor and still won the meet.   “Personally, I didn’t even know what the score was going into the floor,” Harris-Miranda said. “It was more about wanting to just stay present, staying in the moment … We talk about it all the time, staying with each other, staying in the process, taking it one skill at a time because that’s what’s most important. At the end of the day, if we are ourselves and normal, then the outcome comes out the way we want it.”   Florida was so good on floor – the second best team total in the country this year – that the Gators had to drop Gabby Disidore’s 9.90. In addition to Harris-Miranda’s 9.95, Blakely and Frazier both came in at 9.975 while DiCello and Danie Ferris both scored 9.925.   The joy was back. The scores were high. Winning took care of itself.   “It just goes to show when you have a little fun and you shut out the noise, take the pressure off yourself and not worry about what anybody else is doing, and you’re doing what you do and own it, great things can happen,” Rowland said. “You don’t have to be perfect, but these Gators are excellent.”   The Gators were excellent and so was LSU in this meet that had the intensity and drama that is normally reserved for Fort Worth when the nation’s 12 best teams gather to decide the NCAA championship. LSU finished the meet with six scores of 9.975 and two 9.95s. Florida finished with the 10 by Harris-Miranda, three 9.975s and six 9.950s.   Rowland tweaked her lineup a bit with Harris-Miranda, DiCello, Blakely and Frazier all competing in the all-around. Finishing second to Harris-Miranda (39.850) was LSU’s Kailin Chio (39.775). DiCello finished at 39.725, Blakely at 39.70 and Frazier at 39.625.   “They were fierce tonight and just calm, relaxed and having a lot of fun and celebrating each other,” Rowland said. “This is what we’re capable of and we’ll continue to keep it going.”   It’s amazing what happens when the pressure to win is replaced by the joy of competing. A month ago, the Gators might have been written off as NCAA championship contenders. Sunday night, their joy restored and the fun back in competing, winning took care of itself.     Note: Of the 12 meets in NCAA gymnastics dual meet history when both the winning and losing team scored 198 or better, Florida has competed in eight of them, winning five.

OK thanks Todd! We'll have another here in Gainesville. (UAA Photo) Dykes wonders whether Kansas might come calling for the hottest young coach east of Mau i. Who's next?     They climbed back through broken glass and broken dreams — their knees bloodied, their hopes bandaged with duct tape and stubbornness — after what looked like a 5–4 post-championship hangover that had “rebuilding year” written all over it.   The Gator faithful had barely gotten a taste of their resurrected, top-seed soufflé when the speculation whacked them across the face like a wet gym towel.   “Is another blue-blood basketball empire fixing to back the truck up for Todd Golden?” came the whisper.   The man hasn’t even finished icing his celebratory soft drink when someone starts measuring him for a Rock Chalk blue blazer!   There sat the ESPN troika, perched courtside at Rupp Arena, chronicling what in Florida basketball terms qualifies as a solar eclipse — the makings of a road beatdown of Kentucky on their Senior Night. But right there in the final minutes, before the Gators even cleared the confetti, Jimmy Dykes pipes up with a “what if.” He wonders aloud whether Kansas might come calling for the hottest young coach east of Maui.   Because, heaven forbid you let a coach enjoy winning before you shove him toward the transfer portal for gazillionaires. That’s the fan’s perspective. I realize Dykes and Carl Ravetch were just doing their job — but I don’t have to like it. When speculation is thinly sourced or framed as inevitability (“measuring your office for someone else’s nameplate”), it drifts from informing into manufacturing a narrative. There’s also a power imbalance: When ESPN voices float a rumor, they don’t just describe reality, they help create market pressure on ADs, agents, and even the coach’s own locker room. Fans sense that the game they care about is being used as background for a broader rights-holder story which feeds existing distrust. Now here we go — and we could be accused of doing the same thing by repeating the Dykes comment. Already a few days later on a Monday morning, we could add Kentucky to the list of suitors. It’s not gonna stop there.   And let’s be fair — Dykes isn’t crazy. He's adding a little spicey mystery. Kansas might soon be searching for Bill Self’s heir, and the lure of those peach baskets hanging in Allen Fieldhouse still tempt dreamers like Christmas lights in July. But really?   Gainesville versus Lawrence? Sunshine, good food and sanity versus wheat. wind, and whatever’s left of Phog Allen’s ghost? We’ll take the Gator country club crowd over the Jayhawk clubhouse any day.   Still, there it was — the double-edged sword of success, gleaming under ESPN’s spotlight.   Florida finally claws back to relevance/dominance with a potential for matching bookend natties, celebrates a statement win, UConn conveniently stumbles and instead of popping champagne, fans get served a nice glass of “What If Todd Leaves?” on the rocks.   Cue the “Pooh-Pooh Party,” hosted by Ravetch and Dykes. But give credit to the elder statesman in the booth — Dickie V, diaper dandy and all — who broke from the script and said, in essence: “Cut the nonsense.” He hadn’t heard the rumor, wasn’t buying it and wasn’t peddling it. Score one for Dickie V, who somehow, through raspy wisdom, became the voice of reason in a world allergic to context.   Criminey fellas — let the body cool before you autopsy it. The man just won! Let the Gators enjoy their win in peace without needing a witness relocation plan for their coach.   But that’s today’s college sports for you — joy gets hijacked before it even finds a parking space.     That’s the fan’s perspective. I realize Dykes and Ravetch were just doing their job — but I don’t have to like it.   When speculation is thinly sourced or framed as inevitability (“measuring your office for someone else’s nameplate”), it drifts from informing into manufacturing a narrative.   There’s also a power imbalance: When ESPN voices float a rumor, they don’t just describe reality, they help create market pressure on ADs, agents, and even the coach’s own locker room.   Fans sense that the game they care about is being used as background for a broader rights-holder story which feeds existing distrust of “Four-Letter” motives.   Now here we go — and we could be accused of doing the same thing by repeating the Dykes comment.   Already a few days later on a Monday morning, we could add Kentucky to the list of suitors. It’s not gonna stop there. Especially since they are likely to face Kentucky again soon.   The defending 2025 national champions who began the campaign as a No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi's March Madness predictions, are now predicted to take the top seed in the South Region after closing out the schedule with an 11-game winning streak, securing a 25-6 overall record along with a tidy 16-2 mark in SEC play.   Everything’s for sale in the great collegiate bazaar: Coaches, players, maybe even mascots if the NIL deal’s right.   I keep asking myself: is there still something sacred left out there, or did that ship sail off the edge of the flat-earth model the NCAA drew up in 2020?   At least somebody’s trying to steer the boat straight. The so-called “round table” — actually a rectangle, because symbolism is dead — brought together a motley crew: a President, some power brokers, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer… you know, the bureaucrats with big wallets and a few from usual gang of survivors/saviors.   Doesn’t matter what color your politics are; seeing those faces in one room was a small miracle, and maybe — just maybe — a hint that someone still cares about fixing this runaway train.   So for just for a few days, can we all agree to let success breathe? Let the players soak in a Lexington stunner without an exit interview for the coach?   That thing people used to call savoring the moment? Yeah — maybe try that again. Before it’s another relic in the museum of what college sports used to be.