Florida returned to Denton, Texas for a quad meet at Texas Women’s University with Fisk University and Arizona State. On the last trip to TWU Florida scored a very high 198.175 in 2023. Led by Trinity Thomas on the Floor and Sloan Blakely on the Vault, both scoring a 9.975.

Boogie Fland (0) has become one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation (Photo by Chris Spears) The last team that came to the O-Dome hoping to turn a game with the Florida Gators into a track meet was Alabama back on February 1. Bama did what Bama does that game, which is to bomb away from 3-point range and try to beat the Gators down the court for layups. Nice strategy except it didn’t work because Florida destroyed the Crimson Tide in the paint, 72-26, and sent them packing to the tune of 100-77, something like 15-16 points below their scoring average.     Arkansas, whom the 7 th -ranked Gators (22-6, 13-2 SEC) play tonight at the O-Dome (8:30 p.m., ESPN), has a similar philosophy and it works for 90.6 points per game. John Calipari has three  bombers – Darius Acuff Jr. (22.2 points, 6.1 assists per game), Meleek Thomas (15.2 points) and Billy Richmond III (10.9 points) – who specialize in getting out on the break and lighting it up, making the Razorbacks (21-7, 11-4 SEC) one of the more difficult teams in the country to defend. Opponents score nearly 80 a game on Arkansas but are usually left gasping for air trying to keep up with the pace.   What most opponents don’t anticipate is a Florida team that can adapt to any pace, light up the scoreboard and play smothering defense. The Gators score plenty (86.2 per game) but it’s what they do defensively that sets them apart. Both the kenpom.com and barttorvik.com analytics rate Florida the No. 4 defensive team in the country. During the recent surge that has seen Florida win eight straight games to take command of the Southeastern Conference, the Gators have allowed opponents to hit just 54-185 from the 3-point line, a rather dismal 29.1 percent.   If the Gators hold Arkansas to 29.1 percent – the Razorbacks typically hit 37.5 percent of their threes – it probably means there will be a championship celebration at the O-Dome. Beat Arkansas and the Gators clinch their first SEC championship since 2014 no matter what happens in the last two games. But, as long as the Gators get to 15 SEC wins, they’ll be league champs.   The Gators have the ability to overpower opponents in the paint no matter which end of the floor they’re on. Florida has what is widely recognized as the best 4-man front court rotation in the nation in starters Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Tommy Haugh with Micah Handlogten coming off the bench. They combine to score 46.6 points and grab 31.1 rebounds per game while providing menacing protection around the rim.   Those four contributed eight of Florida’s 11 blocked shots back on Wednesday when the Gators scored a road win over Texas. Florida is the nation’s leader in rebounding, offensive rebounding and rebounding margin (+14 per game).   It is the perimeter rotation of starting guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee along with Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown that has stepped it up in the last eight games. Florida’s perimeter guys are no longer considered a potential liability due to inconsistency, but now they’re another strength of this team. Defensively, they have played well all season, but particularly during the current winning streak. Offensively, they’re starting to make shots from the perimeter. Lee is 11-26 in his last five games. Fland is 5-9 in his last two. Klavzar is on a 21-42 run during the winning streak while Brown is hitting a season-long 35.1 percent.   The improvement of the guard play is why both CBS and Joe Lunardi have moved the Gators up to the No. 2 line in the brackets projecting the NCAA Tournament field. Not bad for a team that started the season 5-4. Seth Greenberg of ESPN’s College Game Day, which is at the O-Dome today, believes the Gators are capable of moving up to the No. 1 line.   “I think if they win the SEC that means they’re probably winning out, they’re probably a No. 1 seed,” Greenberg said Friday. “Don’t want to put any pressure on the head coach, right? Coaching agility and dealing with starting 5-4 and getting to where they are today, that is the essence of coaching. It really is. Because when you're 5-4, it can be suffocating. He must, I don't know, he has something in him that enables him to just deal with it and pour it to his team. And that's hard to do when you're losing, especially when the expectation is so crazy.”   The expectation tonight will be a Florida win and an SEC championship.   Game notes: Since winning their first SEC championship in 1989, the Gators have won more league titles (7) than any team other than Kentucky (13). Since 2000, the Gators have won more national championships (3) than any team in the SEC. That’s as many championships as Duke and North Carolina have won … In winning the last two games on the road, Florida held Ole Miss and Texas to a combined 7-29 from the 3-point line … All five Florida starters are scoring double figures (Haugh 16.9, Condon 14.3, Fland 11.5, Lee 11.4, Chinyelu 11.3. Klavzar averages 10 off the bench. For the season he’s hitting 40.1 percent from three … Chinyelu is a semifinalist for national defensive player of the year.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC):  Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Boogie Fland 6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR)   No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC): Trevon Brazile (6-10, 230, SR); Nick Pringle (6-10, 230, SR); Billy Richmond III (6-6, 205, SO); Meleek Thomas (6-5, 185, FR); Darius Acuff Jr. (6-3, 190, FR)   Saturday’s games No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC)    IF THE SEC TOURNAMENT WERE HELD TODAY Seedings 1-16: 1. FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC); 2. Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC); 3. Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC); 4. Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC); 5. Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC); 6. Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC); 7. Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC); 8. Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC); 9. Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC); 10. Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC); 11. Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC); 12. Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC); 13. Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC); 14. LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC); 15. Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC); 16. South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC)   First round matchups (March 11) 1. No. 9 Texas vs. No. 16 South Carolina; 2. No. 12 Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Oklahoma; 3. No. 10 Georgia vs. No. 15 Ole Miss; 4. No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 14 LSU   Second round matchups (March 12) 5. No. 8 Texas A&M vs. Game 1 winner; 6. No. 5 Missouri vs. Game 2 winner; 7. No. 7 Kentucky vs. Game 3. Winner; 8. No. 6 Vanderbilt vs. Game 4 winner   Quarterfinals (March 13) 9. No. 1 Florida vs. Game 5 winner; 10. No. 4 Tennessee vs. Game 6 winner; 11. No. 2 Alabama vs. Game 7 winner; 12. No. 3 Arkansas vs. Game 8 winner   Semifinals (March 14) 13. Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10; 14. Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12   Championship Game (March 15)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Texas A&M)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Houston; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia; 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Michigan State; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Georgia)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Purdue; 3. Houston; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Kansas; 4. Nebraska (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 9. Missouri; 10. Texas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Virginia; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 10. Auburn)

Alex Condon dunks on Alabama (UAA Photo) Give Chris Beard and Sean Miller credit. Faced with a Florida (22-6, 13-2 SEC) basketball team whose momentum is snowballing, the Ole Miss (Beard) and Texas (Miller) coaches have reverted to the Al McGuire cut the head off the snake defensive philosophy. Determined to prevent Rueben Chinyelu from dominating them on the inside, they have successfully neutralized Florida’s big guy, who came into the Ole Miss game as the nation’s leading rebounder with 16 double-doubles.   You could add Chinyelu’s totals for both games and you wouldn’t have a double-double – three points and six rebounds against Ole Miss and five and four against Texas. The strategy was definitely effective, but should be filed under the category it seemed like a really good idea at the moment.   There was just one teensy little problem. In gambling to take out Chinyelu they left the perimeter wide open and it created opportunities for Alex Condon to take over the game in the paint. In the last two games, the Gators are 19-40 from the 3-point line while Condon has gone off for 47 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots and a steal.   Since early season, defenses have sagged to clog up the middle while daring Florida to make shots on the perimeter. In Florida’s six losses, the Gators are a combined 40-153 from the 3-point line. That’s 26.1 percent. In the losses to Arizona, Duke and UConn the Gators shot 19-80 on threes while creating the impression that Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland couldn’t find the ocean if they were on a boat 100 miles off the continental shelf.   For the season, Lee is shooting just 27.8 percent on his threes, but in the last five games he is 11-26 (42.3 percent). Against Ole Miss and Texas he was 3-6. Fland is 21.2 percent for the year, but he has nailed 5-9 in the wins over Ole Miss and Texas.   Picking up the slack for Lee and Fland have been Tommy Haugh, who had a three in 22 straight games prior to Texas when the streak ended in large part because of foul troubles that disrupted his productivity, and Urban Klavzar, who has become Florida’s mad bomber. Klavzar is making 40.1 percent of his threes for the season, but more impressive an even 50 percent (21-42) in Florida’s eight wins since the loss to Auburn. Additionally, when left open, Isaiah Brown (35.1 percent) has shown he can nail a three.   As for Condon, the low point of the season was Auburn when he scored one more point than a dead man. In the eight games since, his stat line reads 122 points (15.25), 57 rebounds (7.1), 34 assists (4.25), five steals and 13 blocked shots. He has even nailed a three in each of the last two wins, but his lethal weapon has been a little push shot from eight feet on in. Since the Auburn game, Condon is 49-76 overall from the field (64.4 percent).   More than adequately, these guys have proven that Florida is far more than a one-man gang. There is such a fine line between winning and losing but as Lee and Fland re-discover their outside shots and Condon goes beast mode, the Gators are taking on the look of the nation’s most complete team. There are still three Southeastern Conference games remaining – Arkansas and Mississippi State at home, Kentucky at Rupp – but the 7 th -ranked Gators need only to win Saturday and they will clinch the SEC regular season championship.   It’s probably a little too early to start calling the Gators a great team, but shots are falling and the inside game is still dominant even when Chinyelu is neutralized. This team seems ready to take that next step that will take them from very, very good to great. SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Texas A&M)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Houston; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia; 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Michigan State; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Georgia)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Purdue; 3. Houston; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Kansas; 4. Nebraska (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 9. Missouri; 10. Texas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Virginia; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 10. Auburn) Top 25 plus SEC in NCAA NET rankings: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. Illinois; 5. Gonzaga; 6. FLORIDA; 7. Purdue; 8. Iowa State; 9. UConn; 10. Houston; 11. Nebraska; 12. Michigan State; 13. Virginia; 14. Kansas; 15. Texas Tech; 16. Louisville; 17. Vanderbilt; 18. Arkansas; 19. Alabama; 20. Tennessee; 21. BYU; 22. Saint Mary’s; 23. St. John’s; 24. Saint Louis; 25. Utah State (SEC: 29. Kentucky; 33. Georgia; 35. Auburn; 40. Texas; 42. Texas A&M; 58. Missouri; 65. LSU; 67. Oklahoma; 93. Ole Miss; 96. Mississippi State; 108. South Carolina   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC): Lamont Paris is under contract through 2030 so there is a reasonable possibility that the powers that be at South Carolina will give him another year. That might not settle well with the check-writing portion of the faithful.   15. Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC): Some very informed people think Chris Beard is seriously considering moving on but he’s making $5 million a year. Who’s going to pay him that much especially after such a rotten season?   14. Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC): Chris Jans is another coach whose name is popping up as entertaining the idea of a lateral move. The schedule says three more losses so he might be thinking he’s hit the ceiling at MSU.   13. LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC): A case can be made to fire Matt McMahon, but with one win in the last three he ensures no worse than a .500 season, which might be considered remarkable when taking into account all the injuries.   12. Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC): The Sooners are every bit as capable of going 0-3 down the final stretch as they are going 3-0. Nobody knows which team will show up. The question is will the AD give Porter Moser another year or is he a goner?   11. Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC): Steven Pearl needs to win two of the last three and then one or maybe two at the SEC Tournament to get the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament. The next two are Ole Miss and LSU, both at home.   10. Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC): The guess is that Mizzou makes the NCAA Tournament if it gets to 20 wins overall and 10 in SEC play.   9.  Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC): The Longhorns really need two more wins in the regular season and at least one at the SEC Tournament to feel comfortable about their NCAA Tournament chances.   8. Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC): Two of the last three (South Carolina, at Mississippi State) are quite winnable. Georgia is almost certain to get in if it gets to 20 wins, but a break even SEC record (9-9) would make the tournament selection committee feel a lot better.   7. Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC): Mark Pope has a $22 million roster that hasn’t played like it’s paid. The Wildcats are a lock for the tournament because they will assure the NCAA of at least one sellout. Fans aren’t happy with The Pope of the Bluegrass, but he’s going to get one more year.   6. Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC): The lack of size and overall talent is catching up with the Aggies. That full court press isn’t nearly as effective now as it was earlier in the year but it’s good enough that the Aggies are an NCAA lock. 5. Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC): Duke Miles is back from an injury and with him in the lineup, the Commodores are a much different team. If the Commodores figure out a way  beat Kentucky and Tennessee on the road in their last three games, they might make the No. 4 line when the NCAA selects.   4. Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC): The Vols have a chance to derail Alabama Saturday night in Knoxville. If Rick Barnes can muster up three wins to close out the season Tennessee could get the double bye for the SEC Tournament.   3. Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC): Alabama can’t play a lick of defense, but the Tide is outscoring people. Saturday’s game at Tennessee is critical for both SEC Tournament and NCAA seeding.   2. Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC): If the Razorbacks go 3-0 the rest of the way they’ll win the SEC title. Win two out of three and they could be a No. 4 in the NCAA Tournament.   1.FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC): The big bad Gators are scorching hot these days. Remember all that talk about guard issues? Forget that. The nation’s best front court now has guards making shots. The rest of the country should be very, very afraid.   Saturday’s SEC games No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC)

Haugh had a gimpy leg but toughed it out -- like the SEC POY he should be. (UAA photo) Tommy Haugh, who is either No. 1 or No. 1A in the race for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, had a game to forget Wednesday night when 7 th -ranked Florida traveled to Austin to face a Texas team scrambling to solidify its NCAA  résumé. Five points, his first game without a three since early in the non-conference schedule, no rebounds and a tweaked ankle although he did have a couple of nice blocked shots.    Okay, one guy off, no problem. Well, sort of. Rueben Chinyelu, the nation’s leading rebounder, was in some kind of funk. It wasn’t so much what Texas was doing to stop him as much as it seemed he struggled to get his act together. Like Haugh, he had a game worth forgetting, five points, four rebounds and four fouls. He did have a couple of blocked shots and a couple of steals.     Normally, when two high profile players like have their worst games of the year on the same night on the road against a Quad 1 opponent, you can chalk it up as a loss. Well, the Gators aren’t exactly your normal team.      Normal teams crash and burn. For the Gators (22-6, 13-2 SEC), who are proving to be anything but normal, it’s just another day at the office as Texas found out when the Longhorns finished on the short end of an 84-71 score.   For a half and the first 13-and-a-half minutes of the second half, the Gators played like the odds of winning on the road had caught up with them. It was white knuckles all the way. Texas led 39-36 at the break and it was 64-61 when Jordan Pope blew by everyone for a layup with 7:27 to go.   That’s when the Gators decided enough is enough. Almost as if they simply flipped a beast mode switch to go on a pillaging and plundering rampage, the Gators outscored Texas 23-7 the rest of the way. It was brutal. The Gators clicked on both ends of the court and Texas had no way to match the Gators intensity and efficiency.    It took 1:06 off the clock for the Gators to go from three down to four up, taking the lead for good on a pair of Boogie Fland free throws and an Alex Condon fast break layup on an assist by Isaiah Brown. With a 68-64 lead, the Gator created breathing room on a 7-1 mini-run highlighted by a 3-pointer from Fland with 4:16 to go that expanded the lead to 10, 75-65.   From that point onward the Gators kept stomping out any signs of life from the Longhorns. For a team that seemed to have the Gators on the ropes with 7:27 left in the game, the Longhorns looked like more road kill for a Florida team that has won seven straight SEC games away from Gainesville, the last five by at least 13 points.   Impressive to say the very least.   “I thought we did a good job down the stretch of extending the lead and not giving them any hope or any belief in the last two minutes that they'd come back,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “This is a huge win for us going down the stretch in conference play."    The win kept the Gators two full games ahead of Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) and Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) in the race for the Southeastern Conference regular season championship. With three games to go before the SEC Tournament in Nashville, any combination of one Florida win and one loss each by Arkansas and Alabama will give the Gators their first conference championship since 2014.   Not bad for a team that got such little production out of Haugh and Chinyelu. While they struggled to get anything going, the rest of Golden’s 8-man rotation simply picked up the slack starting with Condon and Fland.   Condon posted his third straight game with 20 or more points. His stat line read 23 points on 10-12 shooting from the field, a second straight game with a 3-pointer, four rebounds, three assists and four blocked shots.   Fland, that same guy who couldn’t find the 3-point ocean from the end of the pier for most of the season, went 2-3 on his threes. He’s hit 5-9 on threes in his last two games. Fland made 7-10 shots from the field, 6-6 from the foul line, grabbed five rebounds and came up with a couple of steals.   Xaivian Lee, who like Fland could have qualified for a union card the way he was laying bricks from the 3-point line prior to the Auburn game, also went 2-3 from three. In his last five games he’s 11-26 (42.3 percent) from the 3-point line. Lee finished with 12 points, three rebounds, six assists and a steal.    Off the bench, Brown had nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. He was 4-6 from the field and 1-2 from three. Urban Klavzar scored eight, hitting 2-5 of his threes. Since the Auburn loss he’s 21-42 on 3-pointers.   "When our guards are banging shots like that, we're going to be really tough to beat, and it allowed us to run away from them down the stretch,” Golden said.   With Haugh and Chinyelu magnets for foul calls from the zebra crew of Courtney Green, K.B. Burnett and Brian Dorsey, Micah Handlogten logged 16 minutes off the bench. The stat line – 0 points, two rebounds, one assist, two blocked shots and two steals – doesn’t accurately measure his effect. Texas 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis scored eight points and dominated the paint in the first half. In the second, much of it with Handlogten guarding him, he scored only four.   "I thought there was a little bit of a moment where we were starting to get some steals, some runouts, and kind of hurt their spirit a little bit,” Golden said. “I think our depth really showed up. I thought our bench did a great job. I thought Micah Handlogten had one of his best defensive games of the year. I thought we wore them down, made it a little more difficult for them to execute, and we took advantage of it. We were making a lot of shots on the stretch, also."   The defense did wear down the Longhorns. In taking the 39-36 halftime lead, Texas hit an even 50 percent from the field (15-30 overall, 4-8 on threes). In the second half, the Longhorns were 10-28 overall and 1-5 on threes. The Gators ran them off the 3-point line and forced them to take tough twos instead.   In the second half, the Gators blocked eight Texas shots while forcing eight turnovers. In the matter of a half, the Gators went from well below average into beast mode defense, choking off the same shots the Longhorns were making in the first 20 minutes of the game.   “They outplayed us in the first half,” Golden said. “We obviously challenged our guys pretty strongly at halftime about guarding your yard and doing a better job on the defensive end and obviously that flipped us. We guarded really, really well in the second half, held them to 35 (percent) from the field, only let them make one three."     When the Gators defend like they did in the second half they are as tough to beat as any team in the country. When the Gators defend and the guards are making shots like they have done these last two games, Florida is almost unbeatable.   Now, imagine what it will be like when Haugh and Chinyelu are playing at peak levels.   ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) 100, Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) 75:  Alabama raced out to a 63-33 halftime lead in winning its seventh straight game. The Crimson Tide went 22-50 from the 3-point line with freshman Amari Allen going 6-7 as part of his 23-point night. Achor Achor scored 18 for Mississippi State.      No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) 99, Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) 84:  The Razorbacks fell behind 11-2 out of the gate, but roared back on a 27-7 run and never looked back. Arkansas, which remains two games behind SEC leader Florida, still has a mathematical shot at the regular season league championship. Billy Richmond scored 23 and Darius Acuff Jr. 22 for Arkansas while Zach Clemence scored 29 off the bench for the Aggies.    No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) 88, Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) 80:  Vanderbilt jumped out to a 31-14 first half lead then held off a furious second half Georgia rally that saw the Bulldogs close to within three. Six Vandy players scored in double figures led by Devin McGlockton who had 10 rebounds to go with his 17 points. Jeremiah Wilkinson went off for 28 points including 5-9 from the 3-point line to pace Georgia.   LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC) 106, Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC)  99, 2OT:  Max Mackinnon scored a season-high 33 points and LSU went 11-21 from the 3-point line as LSU broke a 5-game losing streak at Oxford. Ilias Kamardine scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Ole Miss, which has lost 10 straight games. With one win in the last three, LSU can be assured of no worse than a break even season.   Saturday’s SEC games No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC)    National top 25 plus SEC in kenpom.com analytics: 1. Duke 25-2; 2. Michigan 26-2; 3. Arizona 26-2; 4. Illinois 22-6; 5. FLORIDA 22-6; 6. Houston 23-5; 7. Purdue 22-5; 8. Iowa State 24-4; 9. UConn 26-3; 10. Gonzaga 28-2; 11. Michigan State 22-5; 12. Nebraska 24-4; 13. Vanderbilt 22-6; 14. Virginia 25-3; 15. Kansas 21-7; 16. Texas Tech 21-7; 17. Arkansas 21-7; 18. Louisville 20-8; 19. Alabama 21-7; 20. Tennessee 20-8; 21. BYU 20-8; 22. St. John’s 22-6; 23. Iowa 20-8; 24. Saint Mary’s 26-4; 25. Utah State (SEC: 30. Kentucky 18-10; 31. Texas 17-10; 35. Georgia 19-9; 36. Texas A&M 19-9; 37. Auburn 15-13; 51. Missouri 19-9; 52. LSU 15-13; 56. Oklahoma 14-14; 84. Ole Miss; 11-17; 88. Mississippi State 13-15; 93. South Carolina 12-16   National top 25 plus SEC in barttorvik.com analytics: Michigan 26-2; 2. Duke 26-2; 3. Arizona 26-2; 4. FLORIDA 22-6; 5. Illinois 22-6; 6. Houston 23-5; 7. Purdue 22-5; 8. UConn 26-3; 9. Iowa State 24-4; 10. Texas Tech 21-7; 11. Kansas 21-7; 12. Vanderbilt 22-6; 13. Virginia 25-3; 14. Gonzaga 28-2; 15. Nebraska 24-4; 16. Michigan State 22-5; 17. Tennessee 20-8; 18. Louisville 20-8; 19. Alabama 21-7; 20. Arkansas 21-7; 21. St. John’s 22-6; 22. Iowa 20-8; 23. North Carolina 22-6; 24. Saint Mary’s 26-4; 25. North Carolina State 19-9 (SEC: 34. Texas A&M 19-9; 40. Kentucky 18-10; 41. Auburn 15-13; 42. Texas 17-11; 44. Georgia 19-9; 47. Missouri 19-9; 54. Oklahoma 14-14; 63. LSU 15-13; 87. Ole Miss 11-17; 88. Mississippi State 13-15; 99. South Carolina 12-16

Gators Throw Their Own Texas-Style Block Party With Condon Presiding

Todd Golden has Florida on the brink of an SEC title (Photo by Chris Spears) Just call them road warriors.   Todd Golden has a team that doesn’t seem fazed by the kind of hostile environments found in venues around the Southeastern Conference. It’s almost as if 7 th -ranked Florida (21-6, 12-2) has this thing about going on the road to burst the bubble of fans intent on potentially storming the court to celebrate a win over last year’s national champ.   The numbers bear it out. Since a loss to Missouri in Columbia the first SEC game of the year, the Gators have won six straight, the last four by a whopping 105 points. The six straight road wins is the second longest streak in Florida basketball history. Beating four straight opponents on the road by at least 19 points is something that hasn’t happened among top 25 teams in years. Any win on the road is a good win, particularly when the end of the regular season is in sight, but crushing an opponent in his home arena is something to be savored.   That stick a dagger in the heart of opposing fans mentality gets tested tonight when the Gators take on Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) in Austin. There is the added incentive of moving one step closer toward a regular season Southeastern Conference championship. Following Tennessee’s loss on the road at Missouri Tuesday night, only Arkansas and Alabama are within two games of the Gators with four to go.   The magic number for Florida is three. Any combination of two Florida wins and one loss each by Arkansas and Alabama and the Gators clinch their first SEC title since 2014. In the SEC the league champ is determined by the regular season not the tournament. The SEC Tournament champ gets the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament but the best record in the regular season dictates the league championship.   The Gators should also find incentive in the most recent brackets by both Joe Lunardi and CBS, both of whom have UF on their No. 3 line. Also, when the NCAA came out with its early bracket look last Saturday, Florida was No. 9 of their 16 seeded teams, which would mean the Gators are the top team on the No. 3 line. If the Gators continue their winning ways – they have won seven straight games, 12 of their last 13 games and 16 of 18 since a rocky 5-4 start – getting up to the two line is within reach. No. 1 would take a combination of Florida wins and losses by teams ranked above UF right now. The Gators have already gotten help this week when Houston was clocked on its home floor by Kansas.   Golden is keenly aware of what’s going on in the brackets.   “I think we're probably two right now if I was doing the bracket, but I'm not,” Golden said Tuesday before the Gators left for Austin. “I think it's all really close. So I think these next couple weeks are going to really determine who slides up and who drops down. I don't think there's too much of a difference necessarily between being a two and a three. I think once you start going from a three to a four or two to a one, that's when the difference really shows up.   “We obviously want to be the highest we can be. Can we still get to one seat at that? We'll see. I mean, if we run the table, you never know. I think that would be an incredible situation to think about. But again, our goal is …  what we need to do, taking care of business day by day to win the league, and then work to play to the highest seat possible for March … We'll see how these things go. Hopefully we can continue to put pressure on them to make it as high as possible.”   Anticipated starting lineups No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR)   Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC): Camden Heide (6-7, 215, SR); Matas Volietaitis (7-0, 255, SO); Dailyn Swain (6-8, 225, JR); Tramon Mark (6-5, 210, SR); Jordan Pope (6-1, 180, SR)   Tuesday’s scores Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) 73, No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) 69: Despite being outrebounded by 12 (42-30) and shooting only 4-17 from the 3-point line, Mizzou pulled off a stunner in Columbia, upsetting Tennessee and all but ending any mathematical chance the Vols had to tie for the SEC title. T.O. Barrett (28) and Mark Mitchell (23) led Missouri, which got 4-4 from the foul line in the final 18 seconds to seal the win. The Vols were led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie with 18.   Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) 72, South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) 63: Kentucky closed on a 13-5 run to avoid its third straight loss. Denzel Aberdeen scored 19 for the Wildcats. Otega Oweh (8) saw his streak of 31 straight double figures scoring games come to an end. South Carolina, which hit four 3-pointers early in the first half, couldn’t buy a basket when it needed points late. Meechie Johnson scored 18 for the Gamecocks who made only 8-29 from the 3-point line.   Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) 91, Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) 79: Auburn’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament took a serious hit in Norman because the Tigers couldn’t defend Oklahoma’s 3-point shooters. Oklahoma made 13-19 of its threes with Nijel Pack hitting 6-8 as part of a 22-point night. Keyshawn Hall and Kevin Overton each scored 26 for Auburn.   Wednesday’s games No. 12 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) at Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) at No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) at No. 25 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC)   Saturday’s games No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-9, 10-5 SEC) Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 9. Georgia; 11. Missouri)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 8. Kentucky; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 9. Texas A&M)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Auburn)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Alabama (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 9. Auburn; 11. Missouri)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 8. Georgia; 10. Texas A&M)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 7. Kentucky; 10. Texas)   BEDIAKO LOSES IN COURT … AGAIN Tuscaloosa circuit judge Daniel Pruet denied Charles Bediako’s request for injunctive relief, which would allow him to play the rest of the season while the Alabama Supreme Court hears his case. Pruet is the same judge that ruled in favor of the NCAA, taking off the temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play in five games. The appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court won’t be heard until after the season ends.   SEC FINES THE POPE OF ST. RUPP’S ARENA Kentucky coach Mark Pope was fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference for his remarks about the officiating in the Wildcats’ loss to Auburn. Pope was incensed by an offensive foul call on Collin Chandler when the Wildcats were trying to inbounds the ball with seconds remaining in the game. The ball turned over to Auburn which got a tip-in with a little more than one second remaining that gave the Tigers a 75-74 win.   Leaving the press conference afterward, Pope was caught on a hot mic shouting at UK athletic director Mitch Barnhardt, “Mitch, if those MFers try to fine me, they can’t. I didn’t say a word about how they cheated us.” Well, the SEC did fine him quite a bit of money.   Two things to take into consideration here. 1. The call on Chandler had all the feel of retribution against Pope, who had been in the ear of the officiating crew of Todd Austin, Courtney Green and Lucas Santos many times during a very physical game. This was the only pushing off call the entire game but especially there at the end but it is also a call that could have gone the other way. 2. It shouldn’t have come down to one call by one of the zebras to influence the outcome of the game anyway. Kentucky had chances to expand the lead to four points but blew layups and stickback bunnies that could have made what Auburn did at the end of the game irrelevant.

Todd Golden should be SEC Coach of the Year (Photo by Chris Spears) The best basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference is Todd Golden. He proved it last year when he took the Gators to the NCAA championship in just his third year on the Florida job. He should have been SEC coach of the year in 2025, but that honor was bestowed on Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, whose Tigers held the No. 1 ranking for a portion of the season and who got to the Final Four. Head-to-head, Golden won two matchups with Auburn, one during the regular season when Auburn was ranked No. 1 and then in the NCAA semifinals, where Auburn was the No. 1 seed for the entire tournament.   The best player in the Southeastern Conference, and quite frankly, the nation last year was Walter Clayton Jr. When the SEC coaches voted on Player of the Year, they voted for Johni Broome of Auburn. Amazingly, when the coaches voted the All-SEC team, one or more didn’t vote Clayton first team. Yet, Clayton was a consensus first team All-America, the Most Outstanding Player at the SEC Tournament, the NCAA West Regional and for the entire NCAA Tournament. Head-to-head, Walt was the better player than Broome, both during the regular season game and especially the semifinals when he scored 34 points. Broome had 15 points in the semis, but only three in the second half when the Gators erased a 12-point Auburn lead.   It’s worth mentioning last year because with four games remaining in the regular season, Florida is ranked No. 7 nationally and on the kind of dominating run that makes the Gators the team nobody in his right mind wants to play. It’s true the Gators lost head-to-head matchups to now No. 3 Arizona, No. 1 Duke and No. 6 UConn, but Arizona was the first game of the year in November, and both Duke and UConn were early in December. All three of those games were on the road. Arizona in Las Vegas was nothing more than another home game for the Wildcats. The Gators faced Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and Roger Ayers was on the whistle. Duke never loses at Cameron, especially when Ayers is calling the game. Although it was Washington DC last Saturday when Duke beat Michigan, guess who was on the whistle? As for UConn, that game was at Madison Square Garden, also known as Storrs South because whenever the Huskies play there it is nothing more than a home game.   The Gators who played Arizona, Duke and UConn early season aren’t the Gators of right now. Todd Golden was still juggling his roster and trying to figure out a rotation that would bring out maximum efficiency. That time has come. Golden has the best front court in the nation with starters Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon with 7-1 Micah Handlogten coming off the bench. The backcourt has been trickier because it took awhile for Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee and Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland to grow comfortable with each other and for Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown to emerge as the go-to guys off the bench. It took awhile for the four in the backcourt to blend together and play like a real unit, but Golden’s patience and tinkering with how he used these guys has paid off. Florida’s four backcourt guys are as good as or better than any team in the country, not to mention the SEC.   The result is an exceptional 8-man rotation, which this time of year is ideal for making a run at winning a national championship. Golden scheduled an incredibly tough non-conference schedule, found his rotation and now the Gators sit 12-2 in the SEC. With two wins in the last four games, the Gators will be the SEC champs for the first time since 2014. It would take the Gators losing twice and Arkansas going 4-0 which would mean beating UF at the O-Dome Saturday for someone other than Florida to win the SEC.   So, will Todd Golden be the SEC Coach of the Year. He could be but bet the ranch the SEC coaches will vote either Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington or Texas A&M’s Bucky McMillan. Both Byington and McMillan have done an outstanding job but Golden beat both of them head-to-head. He also beat Alabama’s Nate Oats and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes head-to-head and there is a very strong possibility Golden gets John Calipari’s scalp to hang on his belt Saturday night.   Smart money says the Gators finish the final two weeks of the regular season 4-0 and win the SEC title by three games at 16-2. No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) has to play Texas A&M tonight, Florida on the road, Texas at home and Missouri on the road. There is at least one loss in there. Among the last four for No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) are roadies to No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) and a resurgent Georgia team, plus arch-rival Auburn in the finale. Alabama at Tennessee is an elimination game with the loser getting its fifth loss in league play. Tennessee also has to deal with Missouri tonight and No. 25 Vanderbilt in the last game of the year.   Florida will win the SEC by either two or three games and the Gators will be a top-5 ranked team. That’s worthy of SEC Coach of the Year for Golden, who with three more wins gets to 100 in four years on the Florida job.   So will he get it? Donkeys might fly first.   That brings us to SEC Player of the Year. Before going further, think back to last year when Walter Clayton Jr. was the best player in the league and not only didn’t he win it, but at least one coach left him off his All-SEC first team ballot. Last year (2024), also, the coaches didn’t vote Florida football center Jake Slaughter first, second or third team All-SEC. The Associated Press voted him first team All-SEC and first team All-America.   The best player in the SEC is Tommy Haugh. Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, Nate Ament of Tennessee, Otega Oweh of Kentucky and Tyler Tanner score more points, but as Haugh has proven with his performances against the likes of Arizona, Duke and UConn, not to mention the SEC schedule, he’s the best player in the league.   Here is what UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the game in Madison Square Garden: “I think he’s one of my favorite players in recent memory, just that guy is just an incredible player,” Hurley said. “… That guy’s like first team All-American. I mean that guy should be a lottery pick. That guy’s tremendous.”   He is tremendous and the reason why is he figures out what his team needs for any particular game and then he does it. He averages 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He is a 6-9 hybrid who during the course of any game will play and defend four positions at an extraordinarily efficient manner. He has made a 3-pointer in 22 consecutive games. His defense is lights out, so is his timing for making a play that shifts momentum Florida’s way. Against Arizona, Duke and UConn he combined for 69 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots. In critical SEC games against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M and Kentucky he combined for 72 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, eight steals and four blocked shots.   Now, when the coaches vote prior to the start of the SEC Tournament in Nashville, if they’ve actually watched how he affects the biggest games, Tommy Haugh will be the SEC Player of the Year.   Will they vote Haugh as Player of the Year? Those same donkeys that won’t fly when it comes to voting Coach of the Year probably will stay grounded. Again. Just like last year with Walt and Jake.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 25-2; 2. Arizona 25-2; 3. Michigan 25-2; 4. Iowa State 23-4; 5. Houston 23-4; 6. UConn 25-3; 7. FLORIDA 21-6; 8. Purdue 22-5; 9. Gonzaga 27-2; 10. Illinois 22-6; 11. Virginia 24-3; 12. Nebraska 23-4; 13. Michigan State 22-5; 14. Kansas 20-7; 15. St. John’s 22-5; 16. Texas Tech 20-7; 17. Alabama 20-7; 18. North Carolina 21-6; 19. BYU 20-7; 20 Arkansas 20-7; 21. Miami (OH) 27-0; 22. Tennessee 20-7; 23. Saint Louis 25-2; 24. Louisville 20-7; 25. Vanderbilt 21-6   Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 25-2; 2. Arizona 25-2; 3. Michigan 25-2; 4. Houston 23-4; 5. Iowa State 23-4; 6. UConn 25-3; 7. FLORIDA 21-6; 8. Purdue 22-5; 9. Gonzaga 27-2; 10. Nebraska 23-4; 11. Illinois 22-6; 12. Virginia 24-3; 13. Michigan State 22-5; 14. Kansas 20-7; 15. St. John’s 22-5; 16. Texas Tech 20-7; 17. Arkansas 20-7; 18. Alabama 20-7; 19. North Carolina 21-6; 20. Louisville 20-7; 21. Vanderbilt 21-6; 22. Tennessee 20-7; 23. BYU 20-7; 24. Saint Louis 25-2; 25. Miami (OH) 27-0   Tuesday’s SEC games No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11 SEC)   Wednesday’s SEC games No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) at Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) at No. 25 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) at No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC)   Saturday’s SEC games No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) at Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) at Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC) at Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) Oklahoma (12-14, 3-11 SEC) at LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC)   SPORTING NEWS NCAA TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS (SEC teams in bold face) No. 1 seeds: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Iowa State No. 2 seeds: UConn, Houston, Purdue, FLORIDA No. 3 seeds: Illinois, Gonzaga, Kansas, Nebraska No. 4 seeds: Michigan, Texas Tech, Virginia, Alabama No. 5 seeds: St. John’s, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Louisville No. 6 seeds: BYU, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, No. 7 seeds: Saint Louis, Villanova, North Carolina State, Wisconsin No. 8 seeds: Utah State, SMU, Iowa, Texas No. 9 seeds: Miami, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia No. 10 seeds: Miami (OH), Saint Mary’s, Texas A&M, UCLA No. 11 seeds: UCF, Santa Clara, TCU, Ohio State No. 12 seeds: South Florida, Belmont, Yale, Utah Valley No. 13 seeds: Liberty, Stephen F. Austin, High Point, UNC-Wilmington No. 14 seeds: Hawaii, North Dakota State, East Tennessee State, Portland State, No. 15 seeds: Austin Peay, Navy, Wright State, Merrimack No. 16 seeds: Appalachian State, Long Island, Howard, Southeast Missouri State, UMBC, Bethune-Cookman   WE HAVEN’T HEARD THE LAST OF CHARLES BEDIAKO Just when you thought case closed, Charles Bediako’s attorneys filed for injunctive relief to the Alabama Supreme Court which would allow him to play for 17 th -ranked Alabama while his appeal works its way through the courts. Back on February 9, Tuscaloosa circuit judge Daniel Pruet ruled in favor of the NCAA that terminated a temporary restraining order that was allowing the former G-League player to suit up and play college basketball again. Bediako declared for the 2023 NBA Draft but was not selected, so he spent two years in the G-League while on a 2-way contract.   Bediako played five games for Alabama under a temporary restraining order issued by circuit judge James Roberts. When Roberts, who along with his wife is an Alabama booster, recused himself, Pruet heard the NCAA argument that Bediako was ineligible under the rules. Pruet agreed with the NCAA but Bediako, who averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds during the five games, has opted to appeal so he can continue playing for the Crimson Tide.   Of course, Alabama coach Nate Oats, AD Greg Byrne and the entire Alabama administration is supportive, not to mention the boosters who are likely funding this legal action. The Alabama administration released this statement: "We understand that Charles is pursuing an appeal in his case against the NCAA, and ultimately, he must do what he considers to be in his best interest. The University continues to support Charles as he works toward completing his degree."   If you believe the Alabama admin, it’s all about the academics. If you live in the real world, then you know that Bama can be destroyed in the paint with its current roster and they'll take help from wherever they can get it even if it means bending any rule necessary.