Per Pete Thamel of ESPN, Billy Napier is promoting tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway to offensive coordinator. Callaway has been with the Florida program since 2022. He has earned a promotion and a raise after each season.   Callaway, the son of Neil Callaway, who played collegiately for Bear Bryant at Alabama and who earned a reputation as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country, played quarterback at Valdosta State for Chris Hatcher. Hatcher named Callaway, then 28 years old, as his offensive coordinator in 2016, a position he held for four years. In 2018, Callaway called the plays for a prolific Samford passing attack that averaged a D1AA-leading 392.7 yards per game and 519 yards of total offense.   Following the years at Samford, Callaway worked as an analyst at LSU in 2020 and for the New York Giants as an offensive assistant in 2021.   The promotion won’t entail play-calling duties. Napier isn’t going to give up that role, but Callaway is expected to have a bigger role in developing the game plan, plus he will be Napier’s eyes and ears in the booth on game days.   Russ Callaway has a very bright football mind. He’s been around the game all his life and he’s been building a nice pedigree from playing and working for Hatcher to working two years as an analyst for Nick Saban at Alabama (2010-11) to his increased role with the Gators.   During the 2024 season when the Gators posted their first winning season since 2020, Callaway called the plays for the scout team offense while working with the UF tight ends who accumulated 44 receptions for 445 yards and five touchdowns.   When spring practice begins in March, Callaway will probably have an increased work load on the field. He is likely to call a lot of plays in scrimmages for what is expected to be one of the more prolific offenses in the country. The Gators return of five starters on the O-line, one of the better running backs rooms in the country, outstanding wide receivers and stud sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway. Florida returns tight ends Hayden Hansen (15-207, 1 TD) and Tony Livingston (11-109, 2 TDs) plus redshirt freshman Amir Jackson and early-enrollee freshmen Micah Jones and Cameron Kossmann. Depending on post-spring attrition, Napier might look for another experienced tight end with size in the transfer portal. Tight ends coach Russ Callaway promoted to offensive coordinator (Photo by Chris Spears)

Gators huddle around Todd Golden during a time out (Photo by Chris Spears) Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears, an elite scorer and one of the nation’s best freshmen, had to be salivating. On the left side of the key, Fears was one-on-one with Florida big man Rueben Chinyelu, defending on the perimeter because of a switch. A 6-4 slasher with skills that can get him to the rim almost at will, Fears tried to blow by the 6-10, 255-pound Nigerian import whose muscles seem to sprout more muscles.   It should have been a mismatch in Fears' favor. Quick, quick feet and a jab step against big and strong, 20 feet from the basket. The ball went on the deck and Fears thought he would have a clear path to the rim. Maybe that works against 95 percent of the defenders Fears takes on, but perhaps Chinyelu didn’t get the memo.   Chinyelu matched Fears step for step, bounce for bounce. He was quick enough to cut off the angle so when Fears tried to turn the corner he was cut off, still 10 feet from the basket. Making matters worse, the ball caromed off his thigh and sailed out of bounds. Florida basketball.   For all practical purposes, the game was already over when that happened. Second-ranked Florida was already ahead, 64-38, and 11:40 remained to be played, but Florida was still showing what it’s capable of doing. The way the Gators were dropping the hammer on Oklahoma, Florida looked more like the No. 1 team in the nation, not No. 2.   This was only one play, perhaps insignificant in the overall scheme of things, but what Chinyelu did is commonplace for the Florida (23-3, 10-3 SEC) big guys. This is a team with elite in your face defenders who move their feet and make plays whether in the paint or 20 feet from the rim.   “Yeah, Rueben and Tommy (Haugh) are great with their feet,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Gators left Oklahoma gasping for air on the short end of an 85-63 score that could have been much, much worse if the starters had played more than 27 minutes. The Gators played one of their two or three best halves of defense in the first 20 minutes and spent the second half just toying with the Sooners (16-10, 3-10 SEC), who find themselves spiraling out of the NCAA picture with every loss.   With Alex Condon and Sam Alexis in boots nursing ankle sprains, the Gators played with a 3-man rotation. Micah Handlogten, in just his second game of the season, got in 23 minutes. Other than the fact he’s still getting back into game shape, he was good defensively whether in the paint or when he had to switch off to take on smaller guys. When Condon and Alexis return healthy, Golden will have five big guys he can put on the floor who can impact the game defensively in the paint or on the perimeter.   “… I'm a big proponent of taking advantage of the skill set of our players,” Golden said. “And I think Rueben, you know, his ability to move his feet for a frontcourt player is elite, and Tommy is very switchable … so in a game like today, where we knew they would downsize to try to take advantage of our size, try to get some rotations and put us in rotations and get some threes off that, we thought switching 1-5 would be a good way to counteract that and limit their opportunities to get catch-and-shoots.   “And when you have a possession like that, where there are players trying out Rueben, he does a good job keeping him in front, keeping him in front, and it leads to a turnover, those are huge plays for us, and they're deflating for opponents. But our frontcourt's versatility is obviously a big part of why we are who we are.”   The front court guys didn’t put up huge numbers – Chinyelu 11 points, two rebounds; Haugh seven points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal; Handlogten two points, five rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot – but they didn’t have to. This game, their defense was what was necessary.   The scoring slack was picked up on the perimeter where the Gators drained six consecutive first half 3-pointers. With the perimeter guys in a shooting coma and the defense making the Sooners look like lost balls in the tall grass, it was a 46-24 lead at the intermission. Oklahoma had no answers at either end of the floor.      The sure sign of what was to come offensively came with 12:12 left in the half and the Gators ahead, 12-8. Walter Clayton Jr. was well defended, seemingly pushed out to another area code. Fading to his left and a hand in his face, Clayton launched a high arcing bomb that hardly moved the net as gravity pulled it back down to earth.   Effectively, that was a 13-inch stiletto plunged into the heart of the Sooners. More was to come. Before the half came to a merciful conclusion, Urban Klavzar, Denzel Aberdeen, Alijah Martin, Will Richard (twice) and Clayton buried consecutive threes. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.   Meanwhile, Oklahoma, which depends on 3-point shooting to compensate for its lack of inside presence, not only couldn’t make shots but had all sorts of difficulty getting one off. At the half, Oklahoma was 7-26 shooting overall and just 2-11 from the 3-point line. The only thing that kept the Sooners within 22 was they kept making their way to the foul line where they hit 8-11. Florida made more shots from the 3-point line (9) than Oklahoma made shots from the field.   In smothering the Sooners, the Gators turned in one of their best defensive halves of the season.     “We held them to two 3-pointers made, which is a big part of our scout,” Golden said. “You know, guys like (Brycen) Goodine and (Duke) Miles are really, really good shooters, and we wanted to limit their opportunities, you know, in a game like tonight. We fouled a little too much, we gave them 11 free throws, but, you know, to hold them to 24 I'd say that's a very good effort, for sure.”   Oklahoma turned the ball over seven times which the Gators converted into 13 first half points. Although the Gators slacked off defensively in the second half when Golden sat his starters for protracted periods, they still forced another six turnovers which were turned into five more points.   Florida, meanwhile, had only one first half turnover and five in the second half. Because the Sooners could neither turn the Gators over or get into any kind of offensive flow until the game was well past decided, this game was an impressive blowout, the kind of game that helps cement Florida as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.   Like last year, the Gators can score on anyone. Pack the paint and the Gators will bomb away from the 3-point line. Three of the five big guys can shoot the 3-ball, and as Oklahoma coach Porter Moser lamented post game, the Gators have four shooters with legitimate range of 27 feet or more. Try to stop the perimeter and Florida has the size and inside strength to overpower opponents.   The difference this year is the defense, which the Gators are proving capable of playing at an elite level.   “We definitely put a lot more effort into the defensive end this year, in practice, film, and all that,” Richard said. “So it’s definitely been a much more point of emphasis on our team, but A-Mart (Alijah Martin), he’s taken us to a different level, just how he impacts the game, picking up full court, I don’t feel like he gets enough credit for what he does for us on the defensive end. He’s definitely taken us to another level. The emphasis is definitely there and it’s brought us to another level.”   Another factor in Florida’s rise is the ability to plug and play without losing anything when someone goes down with an injury. This was Florida’s fifth straight game with at least one starter (Condon) down. With Alexis also out, the Gators were down at least two guys for the second straight game. Aberdeen, starting for the fifth straight game, had his first without scoring double figures but he was solid defensively to go with seven points, a rebound and three assists. Haugh started his third straight game and didn’t score in double figures but he filled the stat sheet.   Klavzar continued his growth as a valuable contributor off the bench. Against the Sooners, he scored a season-high 10 points, hitting 2-4 of his 3-points shots to go with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.   At the end of the first half, Klavzar grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw, navigated through traffic for a coast-to-coast layup with a second remaining. That play proved he’s more than just a catch-and-shoot guy from behind the 3-point line. It was Klavzar’s fifth straight game with a 3-pointer.   Florida’s top three scorers were the usual suspects on the perimeter. Clayton scored 18 points (4-7 from the 3-point line) while contributing four rebounds and two assists without turning the ball over. Richard had 14 points (3-7 from the 3-point line) with a game-high eight rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot and two steals. Martin, who is nearly 100 percent in recovering from the hip pointer that kept him out of the Auburn and Mississippi State games, had 14 points, five rebounds, an assist and two steals.   Game notes: The Gators had five double figures scores for the fourth straight game, the first time that’s happened since 1996, Billy Donovan’s first year as the UF coach … Florida has won 18 games by 10 or more points this season … The Gators have hit at least 10 3-pointers in each of their five straight games … Next up for the Gators is LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC) Saturday in Baton Rouge (6 p.m., SEC Network) … Oklahoma, which desperately needs a win to stop the bleeding of a 5-game losing streak, will face four ranked teams in its final five in the regular season.   SEC BASKETBALL Tuesday’s scores No. 2 FLORIDA (23-3, 10-3 SEC) 85, Oklahoma (16-10, 3-10 SEC) 63 No. 21 Mississippi State (19-7, 7-6 SEC) 70, No. 7 Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4 SEC) 54 LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC) 81, South Carolina (10-16, 0-13 SEC) 67   Today’s games Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC) No. 4 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at No. 15 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC) Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) at No. 17 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC)   UF BASEBALL: GATORS HAMMER JU, 10-4 Brody Donay homered for the fourth straight game as the Gators (4-0) scored a 10-4 road win over Jacksonville Tuesday night. Donay’s home run came in the fifth when the Gators erupted for four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Also going yard in the fifth was Bobby Boser, who launched a 3-run job, his second home run of the year.   It was a big game for transfer Justin Nadeau, who lit up his former Jacksonville teammates for three hits and a sixth inning RBI.   Clemson transfer Billy Barlow pitched the first three innings, giving up one hit and two unearned runs while walking three, hitting one batter and striking out four. Luke McNeillie (1-0) went the next three to pick up the win. McNeillie gave up one hit, one run and struck out seven. Aidan King (2 innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout) and Alex Philpott (1 inning, 2 strikeouts) went the last three innings.   The Gators will be home to face FAMU tonight at Condron Family Ballpark (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).   UF LACROSSE: GATORS TAKE DOWN SOUTH FLORIDA, 18-11 Gianna Monaco scored five goals and had an assist as the 5th-ranked Gators (3-0) went on the road for an 18-11 win over South Florida (3-1). Jordan Basso and Gabbi Kouri each had three goals and two assists while Clark Hamilton had three goals.   The Gators are idle until March 1 when they play host to James Madison.

Alijah Martin (15) is healthy but will be coming off the bench against Oklahoma (Photo by Chris Spears) With every move up the college basketball food chain, the target on the Florida Gators back gets bigger. Now that the Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) are ranked second in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, it elevates the motivation for opponents to get the kind of win that can make a huge difference when the NCAA Tournament selections are announced.   Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC), which faces the Gators at the O-Dome tonight (7 p.m., ESPN2), is in desperate need of a signature win. The Sooners went 13-0 against non-conference opponents, but the sailing has been anything but smooth since the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule began in January. Despite a 3-9 SEC mark, the bracketologists project the Sooners will make the 64-team NCAA field, but with only six SEC games to go, they are on shaky ground.   The Gators, who have won four games in a row despite missing at least one key player, have to understand that they’re going to get Oklahoma’s best shot. The Gators will be shorthanded again tonight as Alex Condon and Sam Alexis will be out for a second straight game with ankle injuries. Micah Handlogten, who played for the first time this season in last Saturday’s win over South Carolina, helps the big man rotation enormously. Handlogten scored two points, but he passed for five assists, grabbed a couple of rebounds, blocked a couple of shots and had a couple of steals.   Without the 7-1 junior, the Gators would be forced to play with a 2-man rotation of bigs, which could be a problem against a team like Oklahoma that starts a pair of 6-10 inside guys.   “It’s huge that he [Handlogten] came back,” Golden said.  “He gives us a lot of support down there … He’s been doing really good in practice, so we knew he was capable of coming back and making an impact like that [against South Carolina]. So it was good to see him come back and make that kind of impact in the game.”   Handlogten will come off the bench while Tommy Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu will start. In the 4-game winning streak, Haugh has scored 60 points, corralled 33 rebounds and handed out 18 assists. Chinyelu scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Florida’s two wins last week.   Golden is going to keep Denzel Aberdeen in the starting lineup even though Alijah Martin is healthy enough to start. Aberdeen has scored 66 points in the last four games, hitting 11-24 from the 3-point line. As important as his scoring, Aberdeen has played three turnover-free games during the win streak.   Martin, who came off the bench to score 11 against South Carolina after missing two consecutive games, is okay continuing to come off the bench while Aberdeen starts. Golden said, “When I talked to him about it, he had an incredible attitude and was like ‘Denzel deserves it. I’m ready when you need me.” There aren’t a lot of players who are the second-leading scorer on a highly ranked team that would be that team-oriented.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 2 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC): Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, JR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)   Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC): Brycen Goodine (6-10, 240, GR); Sam Goodwin (6-10, 240, SR); Jalon Moore (6-7, 215, SR); Duke Miles (6-2, 188, GR); Jeremiah Fears (6-4, 182, FR)   Associated Press top 25: 1. Auburn 23-2; 2. FLORIDA 22-3; 3. Duke 22-3; 4. Alabama 21-4; 5. Houston 21-4; 6. Tennessee 21-5; 7. Texas A&M 20-5; 8. Iowa State 20-5; 9. Texas Tech 20-5; 10. St. John’s 22-4; 11. Wisconsin 20-5; 12. Michigan 20-5; 13. Purdue 19-7; 14. Michigan State 20-5; 15. Missouri 19-6; 16. Marquette 19-6; 17. Kentucky 17-8; 18. Clemson 21-5; 19. Arizona 17-8; 20. Maryland 20-6; 21. Mississippi State 18-7; 22. Memphis 21-5; 23. Kansas 17-8; 24. Ole Miss 19-7; 25. Louisville 20-6   Coaches top 25: 1. Auburn 23-2; 2. FLORIDA 22-3; 3. Duke 22-3; 4. Alabama 21-4; 5. Houston 21-4; 6. Tennessee 21-5; 7. Texas A&M 20-5; 8. Iowa State 20-5; 9. St. John’s 22-4; 10. Texas Tech 20-5; 11. Wisconsin 20-5; 12. Michigan 20-5; 13. Michigan State 20-5; 14. Purdue 19-7; 15. Marquette 19-6; 16. Missouri 19-6; 17. Clemson 21-5; 18. Arizona 17-8; 19. Memphis; 20. Maryland 20-6; 21. Kentucky 17-8; 22. Louisville 20-6; 23. Mississippi State 18-7; 23. Saint Mary’s 23-4; 25. Kansas 17-8   SEC Basketball Tonight’s games Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) at No. 3 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC) No. 7 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC) at No. 21 Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 SEC) South Carolina (10-15, 0-12 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 2-10 SEC)   Wednesday’s games Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) at No. 21 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC) Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC) No. 4 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at No. 15 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC)   UF VOLLEYBALL: RYAN THEIS NAMED AS NEW HEAD COACH Marquette head coach and former Gator assistant Ryan Theis was named Florida’s volleyball coach Monday. Theis was an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Mary Wise in 2006 and 2007. Since leaving Gainesville he was the head coach at Ohio University for six years before taking the Marquette job. At Ohio, Theis was 144-54 with three MAC championships and four trips to the NCAA. In his 11 seasons at Marquette, Theis was 258-87 with 10 trips to the NCAA that included three times to the NCAA Sweet 16 round.   Theis is married to former Gator great Jenny Manz, twice an All-American and twice Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. They have three sons.   UF BASEBALL: GATORS UP TO NO. 6 AT BASEBALL AMERICA Florida will send Clemson transfer Billy Barlow to the mound when the No. 6 Gators (3-0) travel to Jacksonville (0-3) in a 6 p.m. matchup at John Sessions Stadium. The Gators will return home Wednesday to face Florida A&M at Condron Family Ballpark (6:30 p.m.).   Baseball America top 25: 1. Texas A&M 3-0; 2. LSU 3-0; 3. Tennessee 3-0; 4. Arkansas 3-0; 5. Florida State 3-0; 6. FLORIDA 3-0; 7. Virginia 2-1; 8. Clemson 2-1; 9. Oregon State 3-0; 10. North Carolina 3-0; 11. Georgia 3-1; 12. Texas 2-1; 13. Vanderbilt 2-1; 14. North Carolina State 3-0; 15. Wake Forest 4-0; 16. Mississippi State 3-0; 17. Oklahoma State 1-2; 18. Duke 1-2; 19. Oregon 3-1; 20. Dallas Baptist 3-0; 21. UC-Irvine 2-1; 22. UC-Santa Barbara 3-0; 23. Kentucky 1-1; 24. TCU 3-0; 25. Michigan 3-0   D1 Baseball top 25: 1. Texas A&M 3-0; 2. Virginia 2-1; 3. LSU 3-0; 4. Tennessee 3-0; 5. Arkansas 3-0; 6. North Carolina 3-0; 7. Oregon State 3-0; 8. Georgia 3-1; 9. Florida State 3-0; 10. FLORIDA 3-0; 11. Oregon 3-1; 12. North Carolina State 3-0; 13. Wake Forest 4-0; 14. Clemson 2-1; 15. Vanderbilt 2-1; 16. Texas 2-1; 17. Duke 1-2; 18. Mississippi State 3-0; 19. Oklahoma State 1-2; 20. Dallas Baptist 3-0; 21. UC-Santa Barbara 3-0; 22. TCU 3-0; 23. Nebraska 2-1; 24. Troy 3-0; 25. Cincinnati 2-1   UF GYMNASTICS: WONG NATIONAL GYMNAST OF THE WEEK Leanne Wong, whose perfect 10 on balance beam was the highlight of a brilliant 39.750 all-around win in Florida’s SEC victory over No. 12 Auburn, was selected National Gymnast of the Week by Inside Gymnastics. Wong’s 10 led the Gators to a 49.700 score on beam, highest total this year. Only Oregon State’s Jade Carey has a higher all-around score nationally.   Despite Wong, a 39.750 all-around by Selena Harris-Miranda and a perfect 10 floor by Sloane Blakely, the Gators fell from No. 3 to No. 5 in the weekly rankings.   The Gators will travel to Norman Friday for the top meet in the country when the Gators take on No. 1 Oklahoma.   WCGA top 25: 1. Oklahoma; 2. UCLA; 3. LSU; 4. Utah; 5. FLORIDA; 6. California; 7. Michigan State; 8. Missouri; 9. Kentucky; 10. Oregon State; 11. Auburn; 12. Georgia; 13. Minnesota; 14. Michigan; 15. Stanford; 16. Stanford; 17. Alabama; 18. North Carolina State; 19. Arizona; 20. Nebraska; 21. Illinois; 22. Ohio State; 23. Southern Utah; 24. North Carolina; 25. Penn State   UF SOFTBALL: GATORS NO. 3 Florida’s 13-game winning streak came to an end against Duke on Sunday, but the Gators remain in the top three in the Softball America poll, where it’s an All-SEC 1-2-3 at the top with Texas, Oklahoma and UF. Thirteen SEC schools are ranked in the top 25.   The Gators play at North Florida Wednesday night. Friday through Sunday they will be in Tempe, Arizona to play in the Sun Devil Classic against Arizona State, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, New Mexico State and Iowa State.   Softball America top 25: 1. Texas 11-0; 2. Oklahoma 10-0; 3. FLORIDA 13-1; 4. UCLA 9-1; 5. Florida State 8-1; 6. LSU 10-0; 7. Tennessee 10-1; 8. Texas A&M 10-1; 9. Arizona 10-1; 10. Arkansas 10-0; 11. Georgia 9-0; 12. Oklahoma State 5-4; 13. Texas Tech 8-3; 14. Nebraska 8-2; 15. Duke 8-3; 16. Mississippi State 9-1; 17. Auburn 11-0; 18. San Diego State 8-2; 19. Virginia Tech 8-2; 20. Liberty 8-3; 21. Oregon 10-1; 22. South Carolina 10-0; 23. Alabama 5-5; 24. Missouri 6-5; 25. Florida Atlantic 9-2

Tommy Haugh has been on a tear for Florida's unselfish Gators ( UAA Photo) Back when the Gators were winning back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, opposing coaches schemed every which way imaginable to come up with a winning formula. Usually, it entailed trying to take out one of Florida’s better players but that simply opened the door for someone else. Nobody really cared who got the glory as long as the Gators got the win. Those two teams were that unselfish.   Fast forward to the current season where the 3rd-ranked Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) are poised to move up to the No. 2 slot when the Associated Press rankings come out today. If there is one characteristic shared by both those NCAA championship teams and this year’s Gators it is the unselfish nature. Todd Golden has a team that really doesn’t care who scores the most points or grabs the individual headlines as long as the Gators get the win.   We have seen the unselfishness all season long, but these last four games have truly brought out the best in this team. Injuries have made the Gators lean on someone new every single game.   Against Vanderbilt, the Gators were without Walter Clayton Jr., who sprained an ankle against Tennessee. So, Will Richard scored 21 points; Alex Condon scored 19 with nine rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots; Denzel Aberdeen scored 13 while playing 35 turnover-free minutes; and Tommy Haugh had eight points, nine rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Urban Klavzar came off the bench to hit all three of his 3-pointers and Sam Alexis had five points, one rebound, two assists and a blocked shot.   Against No. 1 Auburn, Clayton returned by Alijah Martin had to sit due to a hip pointer that limited him against Vanderbilt. So Clayton scored 19 to go with six rebounds, nine assists, a block and a steal; Condon had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists; Haugh had 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and a steal; and Aberdeen had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Klavzar hit both his threes and Alexis hit a key three.   Martin was out last week against Mississippi State and Condon went down 30 seconds into the game. Later Alexis sprained an ankle. So, Aberdeen stepped up with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals; Clayton had 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal; Haugh came through with 16 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals; Richard scored 10 with one rebound, one assist and one steal; and Reuben Chinyelu scored 10 all in the second half when he grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. When the Gators beat South Carolina, they were without Condon and Alexis. Micah Handlogten threw off his planned redshirt to play for the first time all season. He walled up the interior defense, blocked a shot and had five assists. Clayton focused on passing. He had 10 points, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Chinyelu scored 10, grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot. Klavzar hit another three. Martin came off the bench for his first action in three games, scored 11 to go with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.   For the fourth straight game, Aberdeen and Haugh had monster games. Aberdeen scored 22 while hitting 5-7 from the 3-point line. He also had two rebounds, three assists, a steal and no turnovers. Haugh scored 20 including 3-6 from the 3-point line. He led the Gators with six rebounds and added three assists, a blocked shot and two steals.   Next man up is so often mis-used, but this Florida truly is about next man up. Nobody worries about minutes and the only role they care about is being able to contribute to a win.   One way to measure greatness in basketball is the grasp of the true team concept. This Florida team knows the concept and embraces it. They just might make the Final Four and win it all.   SEC BASKETBALL No. 2 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC): Losing to Auburn won’t hurt Alabama that much if the Crimson Tide can score a couple of wins this week – at Missouri Wednesday and home against Kentucky Saturday. When the AP poll comes out today, there’s a good chance Alabama drops no lower than No. 5. The NCAA NET ranking is No. 6.   Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC): The Razorbacks need to go 3-3 the rest of the way if they entertain hopes of making the NCAA field. Lunardi currently has them in his last four in category. They could help themselves immensely this week if they could score an upset either at Auburn Tuesday or home against Missouri Saturday. The NCAA NET ranking is 42.   No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC): Getting that win at Alabama was huge, particularly since the Tigers will host Alabama at Neville in the last game of the regular season. The Tigers are firmly on Lunardi’s No. 1 line and No. 1 in the NCAA NET rankings.   No. 3 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC): The Gators are likely to move up to No. 2 in the AP poll today. They’re No. 4 in the NCAA NET rankings. The next three are Oklahoma at the O-Dome Tuesday and roadies to LSU and Georgia.   Georgia (16-10, 4-9 SEC): The Bulldogs have a top 40 (38) NCAA NET ranking but to make the NCAA Tournament they have to find a way to win three of their last five games. This week they go to Auburn. Georgia is 1-6 on the road.   No. 15 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC): Despite their 6-6 record in SEC play, the Wildcats have the No. 17 NCAA NET ranking. They are a lock for the NCAA Tournament but for a decent seeding they at least need to break even in league play. The Wildcats have two tough ones this week – Vanderbilt, which already has beaten them, and No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.   LSU (13-12, 2-10 SEC): The Tigers got an SEC win at Oklahoma, which was a big surprise. They get South Carolina at home Tuesday so a third SEC win is entirely possible. The Gators travel to Baton Rouge Saturday. The NIT is a long shot.   No. 22 Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 SEC): The Bulldogs helped themselves immensely by beating Ole Miss in Oxford. Can they spring the upset when No. 8 Texas A&M comes to Starkville Saturday? Mississippi State has a No. 30 NCAA NET ranking and is a lock for the NCAA Tournament.   No. 21 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC): Mizzou jumped up to No. 15 in the NCAA NET rankings. The Tigers get No. 2 Alabama in Columbia Wednesday night, a big opportunity for a major move on the brackets. A 4-2 finish in the last three weeks of SEC play could move the Tigers up to the No. 5 line.   Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC): The Sooners’ chances of making the NCAA Tournament took a hit with the loss to LSU at home. Oklahoma has dropped out of the NCAA NET rankings top 50 (52 now) so a 4-2 finish in SEC play would help immensely. The Sooners are at Florida Tuesday night. They’re 1-6 on the road this year.   No. 19 Ole Miss (19-7, 8-5 SEC): The Rebels dropped four places in the NCAA NET rankings (No. 25) with the home loss to Mississippi State. They will make the NCAA Tournament but they desperately need to beat Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday.   South Carolina (10-15, 0-12 SEC): The Gamecocks might not have a better opportunity to avoid an 0-18 SEC record than they will have Tuesday night when they visit LSU.   No. 5 Tennessee (21-5, 8-5 SEC): The Vols have the mid-week bye, so they have extra days to prep for their road trip to College Station to face the Aggies on Saturday. The Vols are No. 5 in the NCAA NET rankings.   Texas (16-10, 5-8 SEC): The Longhorns helped themselves when they took out Kentucky at home. They have a mid-week bye, then travel to South Carolina, a game they cannot afford to lose. The NCAA NET ranking is 33.   No. 8 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC): The Aggies are a very dangerous team, currently on Joe Lunardi’s No. 2 line. They might move up to a No. 1 this week if they can win at Mississippi State and then take out Tennessee at home. Their NCAA NET ranking is 11, but that should move somewhere around eight or possibly a little higher if they score two wins this week.   Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC): The Commodores are No. 40 in the NCAA NET rankings. They’ve already beaten Kentucky, whom they play at Rupp Wednesday. They’re home against Ole Miss Saturday. Two wins would certainly help their NCAA resume. Lunardi has them on the 10 line but they have six games to move up.     Tuesday’s games Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) at No. 3 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC) No. 8 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC) at No. 22 Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 SEC) South Carolina (10-15, 0-12 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 2-10 SEC)   Wednesday’s games Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) at No. 15 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC) Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC) No. 2 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at No. 21 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC)   Saturday’s games No. 3 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 2-10 SEC) Georgia (16-10, 4-9 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC) No. 15 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC) at No. 2 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC) No. 5 Tennessee (21-5, 8-5 SEC) at No. 8 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC) No. 19 Ole Miss (19-7, 8-5 SEC) at Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) No. 21 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC) at Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) No. 22 Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 SEC) at Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) Texas (16-10, 5-8 SEC) at South Carolina (10-15, 0-12 SEC)   NAPIER WILL HIRE DERON WILSON TO COACH THE CORNERS The Gators will be hiring Deron Wilson to replace Will Harris on the football coaching staff per multiple reports. Wilson, who was an analyst for Napier in 2022, coached the secondary at Arkansas the last two years. In January he was named defensive coordinator at Georgia State, but is leaving for Gainesville.   A standout corner during his playing days at Southern Miss from 2010-12, Wilson started 39 consecutive games. Wilson previously coached at Texas-San Antonio and McNeese State (defensive coordinator) prior to joining the Florida staff in 2022.   Wilson is the third new defensive coach Napier has added since the end of the 2024 season. Previously added were co-defensive coordinators Vinnie Sunseri, who will coach the safeties, and Robert Bala, who will coach linebackers.   UF BASEBALL: GATORS PLAY FIVE THIS WEEK Off to a 3-0 start thanks to a dominant, 3-game sweep of Air Force in which the Gators outscored the Falcons 28-6, the Gators will play five games this week. They will be at Jacksonville Tuesday, returning home to face Florida A&M Wednesday night. The weekend series at Condron Family Ballpark will be against Dayton of the Atlantic 10 Conference.   Brody Donay, who homered in all three games against Air Force, leads the Gators with a .700 average while Hayden Yost is hitting .667 after six hits including three doubles in the two wins Saturday.   Starting pitchers Liam Peterson (11), Pierce Coppola (12) and Jake Clemente (8) combined for 31 of Florida’s 47 strikeouts.   UF SOFTBALL: DUKE HANDS GATORS FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON The 14th-ranked Duke Blue Devils avenged a Friday loss to No. 1 Florida, downing the Gators (13-1), 8-1, Sunday in a game that faced weather delays that pushed its start time until 5:30. Duke held the Gators to four hits, one of which was a second inning home run by Mia Williams. The Gators will face North Florida in Jacksonville Wednesday before traveling to Tempe, Arizona where they will play five games in Arizona State’s annual Sun Devil Classic. The Gators will play California Baptist and Arizona State Friday, New Mexico State and Grand Canyon on Saturday and finish things up Sunday with Iowa State.   UF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: GATORS GET BUZZER BEATER WIN Ra’Shana Kyle made the defensive play of the game with a steal with 11 seconds left and Jeriah Warren hit a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired Sunday afternoon as the Gators (13-13, 4-8 SEC) knocked off Mississippi State (18-9, 5-8 SEC), 69-66, at the O-Dome.   Warren’s big shot put the finishing touches on a rally that saw the Gators outscore Mississippi State 9-1 in the final 3:26 to get the win.   Liv McGill led four Gators in double figures with 20 points while Laila Reynolds scored 14, Warren 12 and Kyle 10. Reynolds also had two rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots.   The Gators will travel to College Station to face Texas A&M Thursday, returning home Sunday to face Tennessee.

Pierce Coppola struck out 12 in five innings Saturday (UAA Photo) It must have seemed like old times for Pierce Coppola Saturday afternoon. Finally.   One of the top pitching prospects in the country out of high school back in 2022, Coppola spent 2-1/2 seasons battling injuries and coming back from surgery before getting in some important innings during Florida’s run to the College World Series last year. Saturday at Condron Family Ball Park, the 6-8 lefty looked every bit the prospect he was out of Verona, New Jersey. Coupling a low-90s fast ball that moved plenty with good command of his off-speed stuff, Coppola went five 1-hit innings, striking out 12 while walking one and hitting one batter. He even made the defensive play of the game in the top of the fifth when Air Force tried to squeeze in a run. Coming off the mound he scooped up the bunt with his glove and flipped to catcher Luke Heyman who made the tag for out two. Coppola put the finishing touches on the inning with a called third strike for the final out.   With Coppola giving the Gators their third quality start in three games, the 10th-ranked Gators earned an 11-1 win for a sweep of Air Force. Earlier in the day, the Gators launched four home runs to take the first game of the afternoon doubleheader, 10-4.   “I'm not sure I've ever seen him so comfortable on the mound and confident and pitch with aggressiveness,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I'm not quite sure I've even seen that in the preseason. He's been good in the preseason, but I haven't seen him strut around and feel good about himself. He's worked so hard to get back to this point.   No one's a bigger fan for him than I am. I've known exactly what he has had to go through, two major surgeries. He made a heck of a PFP play. The one that was hit off his foot and then regrouped and made a good throw, and then the play at home was a good play. A really good play. We obviously work on it, but it's one thing to work on it and then another thing to actually execute in a game."   Coppola had reason to strut off the field in the first inning. He struck out the side on 13 pitches, all three of the Ks swinging third strikes. He struck out the side again in the fourth and registered at least two Ks in every inning.   It wasn’t until the fifth that Air Force got its first hit, a triple off the left center field wall that barely eluded the glove of Blake Cyr. After a strikeout, Coppola hit a batter, putting runners on first and third. Since it was just a 2-0 game at the time, Air Force went small ball and tried to squeeze in the run, but Coppola got off the mound quickly, scooped the ball with his gloved hand and in one motion got the ball to Heyman for an easy out at home. Coppola finished off the Falcons with a rally-snuffing called third strike.   The way Coppola was throwing, it wasn’t going to take much support. In the bottom of the fourth, red hot Brody Donay, who homered Friday night with a laser that cut through a stiff wind and Saturday with a moon shot off the green monster in dead center, made it three long balls in three games for a 1-0 lead. The Gators added a run on an infield single by Brendan Lawson, a stolen base, a ground out and a passed ball.   Then came the bottom of the fifth, which was almost a reward for Coppola. The Gators scored seven runs, sending 11 men to the plate on seven hits, two walks and an Air Force throwing error. Once again it was Donay who got things going, this time with an RBI single. The carnage continued with a Blake Cyr RBI single, a 2-run single by Jacksonville transfer Justin Nadeau, a 2-run double by Hayden Yost and an RBI double by Bobby Boser.     O’Sullivan turned the game over to freshman Aidan King in the sixth. He gave up a run on two hits, but did strike out the side. With a 9-1 lead, the Gators needed two runs in the bottom of the sixth and a hold in the seventh for a run-rule. After Donay was walked intentionally Lawson hit a run-scoring double that barely missed leaving the yard. After Cyr was hit by a pitch Nadeau doubled down the left field line to score Lawson to make it a 10-run deficit.   The final three outs were recorded by Santa Fe College transfer Matthew Jenkins, who struck out two of the three hitters he faced to end the game.     In taking out Air Force 10-4 in game one, the Gators got home runs from Landon Stripling, Colby Shelton, Bobby Boser and Brody Donay plus a 4-hit game from Hayden Yost to back a combined 6-hitter by Jake Clemente and Luke McNeillie.   Stripling, a transfer from Texas Tech, hit his first homer as a Gator to open the scoring in the second inning. Later in the inning, Yost picked up an RBI when he singled in Donay, who had reached on a single and stolen second.   In the fourth, Yost doubled to right center and Ashton Wilson was hit by a pitch. The Gators pulled off a double steal with Wilson taking second and Yost racing home to make it 3-0. Shelton followed with his first homer of the season.   An inning later, Stripling led off with a single and Donay hit a towering blast off the green monster in center field for his second home run of the season. A walk to Brendan Lawson, a single by Yost and a walk to Blake Cyr loaded up the bases for Shelton, who drove home Lawson with a sacrifice fly to left. Boser finished off the scoring with an RBI single to center that scored Yost.   Boser delivered his first home run as a Gator in the seventh when he hit the first pitch he saw over the wall in right center to finish the scoring for UF.   Clemente had a rough second inning when he gave up three runs on only one hit. A hit batter, an error, a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice gave Air Force a brief 3-2 lead. Otherwise, Clemente was in command. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight in a 77-pitch, 6-inning outing.   McNeillie went the last three, giving up an eighth inning run on a home run that barely eluded the glove of Wilson, who almost brought the ball back into the park. McNeillie gave up three hits but didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.   One night after O’Sullivan lamented poor baserunning in game one of the series, the Gators came back to steal nine with Yost accounting for three while Boser and Wilson each had two.   AIR FORCE SERIES NOTES: The Gators got three consecutive quality starts in which the pitching staff held Air Force to five runs and four hits while striking out 46 in 25 innings. The Gators walked only three and hit three batters … Through his first three games, Donay is hitting .700 with two doubles, three homers and five RBI … Hayden Yost went 4-5 with two doubles in game one and 2-4 with two RBI in game two. He is hitting .667 with three doubles and three RBI … Next up for the Gators is Jacksonville on the road Tuesday night with a return home Wednesday against Florida A&M.   Shortstop Rylee Holtorff makes a throw across the diamond (UAA PhotoO UF SOFTBALL: GATORS IMPROVE TO 13-0 The No. 1 Gators improved to 13-0 on the season with a pair of Saturday wins in the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Presly Stadium. The Gators took the first game, 3-0, behind the 4-hit pitching of Keagan Rothrock. Florida got a 10-2 run-rule win over Binghamton in game two as Cassidy McClellan drove in four runs, three on her first home run of the season.   Rothrock (6-0) went the full seven innings against Boston College, needing just 56 pitches to mow down the Eagles. She struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.   The Gators gave Rothrock all the support she needed in the third when Rylee Holtorf followed a Mia Williams single with an RBI double to left center. The Gators added two insurance runs in the fifth on consecutive singles by Williams, Holtorff and Kendra Falby, a BC error and a sacrifice fly by Korbe Otis.   Ava Brown (3-0) and Kara Hammmock combine to pitch a 5-hitter against Binghamton. Brown went the first three innings, allowing three hits and only one earned run. She walked one and struck out two. Hammock pitched the fourth and fifth, giving up a hit and an unearned run.   In the bottom of the first, Taylor Shumaker reached on a fielder’s choice and Williams followed with a single. After a double steal, Brown walked to load the bases. Freshman Layla Lamar singled in Shumaker and Williams, after which Lamar and Brown pulled off a double steal with Brown scoring on the play. McClellan singled to score Lamar with the fourth run of the inning.   In the second, Falby singled, stole second and scored on a single by Shumaker. It was Shumaker’s 24th RBI of the season.   Florida added three in the third on a walk to Brown, a bunt single by Lamar and McClellan’s homer to right center. The Gators closed out the scoring in the fifth when McClellan reached on an error, moved to second on a single to right by Gaby Cormia followed by RBI singles by Kenleigh Cahalan and Otis.   Due to weather concerns the Gators will play a Sunday morning doubleheader, facing Binghamton at 9:30 and 14th-ranked Duke immediately after.

Micah Handlogten (3) and Walter Clayton Jr. (1) put the squeeze on a Gamecock (UAA Photo) “Our goal is to be the best team in America,” Todd Golden said Saturday night.   The 3rd-ranked Florida Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) certainly looked like the No. 1 team in the country, especially in the second half when they made the South Carolina Gamecocks look like a possum that just met his maker after a collsion with an 18-wheeler on 441 just south of Payne’s Prairie. For the second straight game, the Gators just ratcheted up the juice in the second half, almost as if the players made a collective decision to end the nonsense and leave these guys in a heap on the highway, just waiting for the buzzards to come pick apart the remains.   If you go by the record alone – South Carolina is 10-15, 0-12 in the SEC – then the Gators did exactly what they should have, turning a 37-33 halftime lead into an 88-67 runaway. It could have been worse but it is hard to argue with a 21-point win when you’re playing with a beat up and bruised lineup. The Gators played the game without Alex Condon and backup big guy Sam Alexis, who viewed the game in civvies wearing stylish boots to protect sprained ankles. Alijah Martin came off the bench after missing the last two games with a hip pointer. He still wasn’t 100 percent but he was good enough to give the Gators 11 points off the bench.   Micah Handlogten gave the Gators the first 20 minutes of competitive basketball he’s played since that horrendous compound fracture suffered in last year’s SEC Championship Game. He was a jolt of energy and an immediate intimidating defensive presence. He blocked a couple of shots, altered several others. He directed defensive traffic from the paint while walling off the rim. When Gamecocks collapsed their defense on him, he unselfishly gave the ball up to shooters.   Handlogten’s five assists were eye-opening.   “How about Micah's unselfishness, right?” Golden said with a joyous tone. He knows like no one else the apprehension and fears of overcoming an injury that could have spelled the end of Handlogten’s basketball career. He also knows the character of his 7-1 junior, who put team above self to return when his team was in desperate need due to the injuries.   “Like, it could be very easy for him say, 'Ah, you know, I only got this many games left. I don't want to waste it.' And he's like, 'Dude, I have a chance to go play with my buddies and compete, to go try to win, you know, a lot of games down the stretch.' And it's, it's been a long journey for him, obviously. All of us, but him specifically, he's living it. And, I just can't imagine how joyful he feels to be able to go out there and play 20 minutes now, you know. Got a bucket, nice little and-one. He had five assists, one turnover, two blocks, two steals. He was impactful. You know, he made winning plays. It's great to have him back out there."   Handlogten’s numbers weren’t as gaudy as those of Denzel Aberdeen and Tommy Haugh, but they were every bit as meaningful. Thrust into the starting lineup because of injuries, Aberdeen and Haugh have responded spectacularly and the Gators haven’t missed a beat. Add the return of Handlogten to the way Aberdeen and Haugh have played and it’s not all that difficult to envision a Florida team that is capable of being the best team in America.   Starting his fourth straight game, Aberdeen lit up the Gamecocks for 22 points. He scored on fast breaks. He drove to the basket and put the ball in the hole. He was deadly on threes, particularly from the corner. He was 5-7 on his threes, gave the ball up for three assists and went 30 minutes without turning the ball over.   Haugh went off for 20. He stretched the South Carolina defense with 3-pointers (3-6). He grabbed six rebounds, found teammates for three assists, blocked a shot and stole the ball twice. As is his habit, he seemed like he was everywhere on the defensive end of the floor, playing with reckless abandon and contagious energy.   The way Aberdeen and Haugh were playing, Walter Clayton Jr. didn’t have to carry the offensive load. He only scored 10 points, but he had eight assists and only two turnovers. Will Richard only scored eight but he was a nagging defensive presence. Richard passed up shots that a selfish player would have taken to keep the ball moving. Rueben Chinyelu, with Handlogten filling in the vital third man role in the big rotation, scored 10, grabbed five of his six rebounds in the second half, and blocked a shot. Like Handlogten, he was part of a defensive wall in the paint that forced bad shots and kept the Gamecocks from getting out on the fast break. Martin, still not 100 percent after the hip pointer suffered against Vanderbilt, showed some rust of inaction in the first half, but he was outstanding in the second when he scored eight of his 11 points.   The Gators have gone 4-0 since losing to Tennessee in Knoxville and they’ve done it shorthanded in every game. Clayton missed the Vandy game with a sprained ankle. Martin missed the road wins of No. 1 Auburn and Mississippi State with a hip pointer. Condon sprained an ankle and played only 30 seconds at Mississippi State. Alexis also sprained an ankle during the Mississippi State game.   And yet, here we are, middle of February and the Gators are steamrolling anyone that gets in their path. Good teams wilt when their best players go down with injuries. Great teams compensate, which is exactly what Golden and the Gators have done. By winning in spite of having to juggle his lineup and minutes, Golden has the Gators on the precipice of real greatness.   This is a team that is very capable of winning a national championship. This is the only team in the country that has beaten a team ranked No. 1 TWICE. Florida beat Tennessee by 30 points at the O-Dome. The Gators beat Auburn by nine at Neville Arena and that was without Alijah Martin, the second leading scorer and the Southeastern Conference’s best perimeter defender. That should be taken into account today when the new polls come out. The Gators should take over Alabama’s No. 2 slot in the AP poll.   Auburn will get plenty of love and that’s just fine. The Gators are lurking and winning without a full, healthy roster. The Gators are formidable even when shorthanded. They have a chance to be spectacular when Golden gets his roster back to full strength.   Over at the Heavener Center, Florida offensive linemen wear a ball cap that reads 5=1, as in five linemen playing together as one unit can get things done. The Florida O-line isn’t five 5-star guys, it’s five guys who weren’t at the top of the recruiting food chain who have found success by blending their talents and attitudes. It’s about parking egos at the door and putting selfish desires on the back burner.   Todd Golden has done the same thing with the basketball team. Unlike Duke or Kentucky or other bluebloods, the Gators don’t plug and play 5-star guys. There isn’t a single 5-star on the Florida roster, but Golden has team first guys who will do whatever it takes for the good of a team that should find itself ranked No. 2 in the nation when the polls come out Monday.   Golden uses Haugh as the perfect example of leaving egos behind while doing what is best for the team.     “This team has a chance to do really special things because of guys like Tommy Haugh, right?” Golden said.  “Like, a guy that there's not a selfish bone in his body. He, in this world, you know, we're in, he could have every reason to come, 'Hey, man, you know, I'm killing out there. I need more minutes,' and he's like, 'Dude, whatever you need for the team,' you know, 'Whatever you need for the team,' and that, that is why we are good.   “You know, we've talked about it a lot, but we have a lot of guys, you know, I think Rueben (Chinyelu) was really the only guy that was like a four-star level player coming out of high school. Everybody else is three-stars or lower mid-major transfers up. You know, we think of our whole staff as kind of being underdogs. And you know, that mentality, that chip, is a big part of why I think this team has been successful. Continuing to want to prove that we belong, continuing to want to prove that we are capable of doing this for an extended period of time. And you know, when you have guys like Tommy that are willing to come off the bench, and then when you need them to start, step up, they can give you 20 points and six rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes, it’s a luxury and we have a lot of really good players."   The Gators do have a lot of good players. Yes, good players whose willingness to be a part of something special instead of trying to be THE special one has Florida ready to take the next steps on the journey to greatness.   It’s there for the taking.

Leanne Wong would get the Gators their first 10 of the season on Beam with Sloan Blakely coming back from a concussion injury.

Liam Peterson struck out 11 in six innings against Air Force (UAA Photo) Unlike a year ago when he made his freshman debut, Liam Peterson took the mound Friday night minus the jitters. “I think I kind of got rid of those first game jitters, first game nerves,” Peterson said after six dominating innings in 7th-ranked Florida’s 7-0 season-opening win over Air Force at Condron Family Ball Park Friday night. Peterson gave up two hits, walked one and struck out 11 with a fast ball that routinely hit 97-98 on the radar gun. Minus the jitters Peterson pitched like a seasoned veteran. In the second inning after a leadoff double by Tripp Garrish, Peterson came back to get a fly ball out and consecutive strikeouts to get out of a situation that might have gotten to his head as a freshman. Last year Peterson had a tendency to overthink tough circumstances. There was no overthinking against Air Force. “I definitely think I handle situations like that … especially not overthinking it or overcooking anything and letting my heart rate go up.” Peterson could have gone further into the game than six innings. He only needed 74 pitches, 54 for strikes. The only hint of a control issue came in the fourth when he walked Alex Adams on four straight pitches then went 2-0 to Garrish. At that point Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan made a brief trip to the mound and settled his sophomore down. Other than that it was smooth sailing. Besides second inning double, the only hit Peterson allowed was a ball that traveled all of about 15 feet that Walker Zapp beat out in the fifth. Peterson followed that up with a strikeout and a fly ball out. It is just the first start of the year in mid-February, but Peterson’s start was a good sign. "I mean you never know what to expect opening day, but hopefully starts like this continue for him and hopefully he shows the maturation and the hard work he's put in,” O’Sullivan said. “Most of the time, it's not the stuff holding him back in the beginning. Freshman year, it was the ability to slow the game down and stay out of big innings … he had that situation where he threw six balls in a row, and took a short visit and he made some big pitches after that.” O’Sullivan pulled Peterson after six, sending in redshirt freshman Caden McDonald and true freshman Jackson Barbieri to close things out. McDonald went the seventh and eighth, gave up a hit, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out three. Barbieri went the ninth, retiring all three batters he faced with two strikeouts. McDonald, who missed last year with Tommy John surgery, threw strikes and heated up to 90-91 on the gun. He threw 34 pitches, 24 for strikes. “He’ll get the fast ball back to where it was before Tommy John, where it was 92-95,” O’Sullivan said. “And he still throws strikes and has a good slider.” Barbieri needed only 15 pitches to get the job done. At the plate the Gators came through with 11 hits highlighted by Brody Donay’s homer deep over the left field fence on the first pitch he saw in the third inning. Donay’s homer was the only ball that left the yard due to a stiff wind blowing in all night. Donay’s homer jump started a 4-run inning. Miami transfer Blake Cyr singled, got a stolen base when Air Force was called for interference on a pickoff play, and scored on a single by South Florida transfer Bobby Boser. With two outs, Cade Kurland singled to right center driving home Boser and Colby Shelton. Two innings later the Gators finished up their scoring with three runs on a bases loaded walk to Ty Evans, a run-scoring single by Kurland and a double play grounder. The Gators pounded out 11 hits with Shelton, Boser, Kurland and Donay each with two. The Gators were flawless in the field other than a throwing error on a pickoff by Peterson. Kurland turned in a brilliant play at second with a diving stop and throw from his knees to rob Christian Taylor of a hit in the fourth. In the eighth off McDonald, Cam Anstey was hit by a pitch. Ben Neidangle followed with a single to right but Ty Evans fielded the ball cleanly and fired a strike to Boser at third to nail Anstey. “All in all, it was a really good game, clean, only negative probably is baserunning,” O’Sullivan said. The Gators had a couple of pickoffs at first, one that was salvaged by the interference call. There was a line drive to shortstop that was turned into a double play and Stetson transfer Kyle Jones was hit a double but was thrown out at third to end the sixth. Next up: Due to anticipated bad weather on Sunday, the Gators and Air Force will play a doubleheader today, first game at 1 p.m. Taylor Shumaker greeted at home plate after her 8th homer of the season (UAA Photo) UF SOFTBALL: THE TAYLOR SHUMAKER SHOW CONTINUES Two games, two wins, one of them a 9-0 run-rule over 14th-ranked Duke and the No. 1 Florida Gators improved to 11-0 at the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Presly Stadium Friday.  To absolutely no one’s surprise, the story of the day was once again freshman Taylor Shumaker. The damage assessment: In Florida’s 5-0 win over Providence, Shumaker went 2-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. In the win over Duke, she went 3-3 with a single, a double, a home run and four RBI. Add it up and it’s an astonishing 5-6, one single, three doubles, a home run – her eighth of the season – and seven RBI. Through the first 11 games of her still young college career Shumaker is hitting .581 (18-31) with five singles, five doubles, eight home runs and 23 RBI. She has walked seven times, stolen six bases in six attempts and has struck out only three times. Not a bad start for a freshman. In getting the win over Providence, Shumaker drove in three runs while Jocelyn Erickson had a single, a triple and the other two RBI. Olivia Miller, in her first start of the season, went the distance, allowing three hits while walking two and striking out six. Against Duke, Shumaker gave the Gators the only run they needed in the bottom of the first when she went opposite field over the wall in left field. In the third, Shumaker doubled to right center to drive home Rylee Holtorf and Kendra Falby who had singled. One out later, Erickson singled to right center to score Shumaker for a 4-0 Florida lead. The Gators put the game away in the bottom of the fourth when they erupted for five runs. Ava Brown walked, Holtorf was hit by a pitch and Falby singled to left field, loading the bases for Shumaker, who hit a run-scoring single. A wild pitch scored Holtorf and after a walk to Erickson, Reagan Walsh hit a run-scoring grounder and Kenleigh Cahalan followed with a 2-RBI single. Keagan Rothrock gave up two hits and walked one while striking out five to improve to 5-0 on the season. Rothrock has yet to give up an earned run. She has walked only three while striking out 23 in 24-2/3 innings. The Gators will play two Saturday starting at 11:30 against Boston College. The second game against Binghamton will follow at 2 p.m. The O-Dome crowd wanted and got 10s against Auburn (UAA Photo) UF GYMNASTICS: WONG, BLAKELY PERFECT IN WIN OVER AUBURN Third-ranked Florida got perfect 10s from Leeanne Wong and Sloane Blakely Friday night as the Gators scored a 197.635-196.825 win over 12th-ranked Auburn in the annual Link to Pink night that raises awareness for breast cancer at the O-Dome. Wong got Florida’s first 10 of the season with a perfect balance beam routine as the Gators turned in a national high score of 49.700. Included were 9.975s by Victoria Nguyen and Selena Harris-Miranda. Blakely got her 10 on floor. Combined with Harris-Miranda and Nguyen’s 9.925s the Gators closed out the meet with a season-high 49.600. Wong won the vault title with a 9.90 and had a 9.975 to tie with Harris-Miranda for the bars title. Anya Pilgrim had a 9.95 on bars. Wong and Harris-Miranda tied for the all-around title with 39.750 scores, tied for the second best all-around scores in the nation. The Gators travel to Norman next Friday night to face No. 1 Oklahoma.

Micah Handlogten will be playing, not cheerleading Saturday night (UAA Photo) “I’m back” and with those words Micah Handlogten gave 3rd-ranked Florida a jolt of energy as the Gators (21-3, 8-3 SEC) prep for the stretch run in the Southeastern Conference. Already a threat to earn a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, the return of the 7-1 junior is definitely a game-changer.   Handlogten, who averaged 5.3 points, 6.9 rebounds last season, suffered a compound leg fracture when the Gators faced Auburn in the 2024 SEC Tournament championship game. It was intended that Handlogten would take a redshirt for the entire 2024-25 season, but the injury to Alex Condon in Florida’s 81-68 win over Mississippi State in Starkville Tuesday night created a sense of urgency.   “ I think it's the time that the team needs me, and I've been ready to play,” Handlogten said. “I've had some, like, hesitation in the past, but I've moved on past that, and I'm ready to get out there and hoop for the Gators."   The news comes at a most opportune time for the Gators who play host to South Carolina (10-14, 0-11 SEC) Saturday at the O-Dome (8:30 p.m., SEC Network). Condon suffered a sprained ankle 30 seconds into Florida’s Tuesday night win over Mississippi State, forcing the Gators to go the rest of the game with a 3-man rotation of big guys – Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Sam Alexis. Condon is week-to-week, game-to-game before he’s able to play again. Alexis is also banged up and will not be available against South Carolina, so the re-emergence of Handlogten is a huge development.   “Micah is one of the most unselfish guys I've ever been around,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “He's always worried about the team and the program. I think he saw another opportunity where he could really help and become a physical part of this as we move forward. He did miss out on playing in the tournament last year. He was tracking on missing out with what this season was going to be. He deserves more than that. He was a big part of getting our program where it is today.   “I think he'll continue to help us get even better the rest of the year. It's a huge lift from us. It's not every day you can add a starting-level SEC player this time of the year. Let's be honest, it's probably going to take him some time to get back to his full self out there, but the great thing is the physical piece is there and he's been playing pretty well."    Until Condon is back healthy, the Gators will still have a 4-man rotation of experienced big guys. A year ago, Handlogten was one of the nation’s most effective offensive rebounders and a serious rim protector. When Condon returns, the Gators might have the strongest front court in the entire country.     It was thought that Handlogten would return a couple of weeks ago when Georgia visited the O-Dome, but there was some hesitation on his part. Florida coach Todd Golden didn’t push the big guy and was content to go the rest of the way with the four guys who have carried the Gators this far. Handlogten may have been content with the decision, too, but he was sitting on the bench doing his usual encouragement and cheerleading when Condon went down.   The first thing Handlogten did was gather teammates around and lead the prayers for Condon. Perhaps it was during those prayers that he concluded it was time to take the wraps off and play ball again.   “We've always pushed each other in the last two years we've been together to kind of just like, get out there and, like, be the best players we can be,” Condon said. “And so as much as it, like, hurts me that he went down, it kind of also … I won't say influenced my decision, but it definitely played a factor in it. Because, like I said, my team needs me. And like, when a team goes through adversity, you need someone to step up, and I think that I can do that."    Also playing into the decision was Florida’s opportunity to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. As of Friday morning, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved the Gators up to his No. 1 line as the top seed in the West Regional playing the opening round in Raleigh.   Handlogten, like Lunardi, sees the potential for Florida’s deepest NCAA run since the 2017 team made it to the Elite Eight. The Gators haven’t made the Final Four since 2014 and haven’t won a national championship since the back-to-back NCAA titles of 2006-07.   “I think the sky's the limit as far as, like, when everyone gets healthy,” Handlogten said. “I mean, you have Condo, obviously. He’ll be back in a week or two, something like that, and then Sam, same thing, but I think that we'll be able to, once everyone's back and healthy, I think that the sky's the limit. I literally think we can win the national championship.”    By playing now, Handlogten will have to ask for an NCAA waiver to preserve his redshirt and keep two seasons of eligibility. That is entirely possible given the way the NCAA has flip flopped and caved on so many eligibility issues, but for now, that’s the least of his concerns.   All eyes are now on the getting the Gators through the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament, which is a dream for Handlogten.     "It's the dream to play in March … I didn't get to do it my freshman year at Marshall,” Handlogten said. “Last year was cut short, like a game before, and so it's definitely played a role, just playing in March Madness. I've always wanted to, I dreamed of it as a kid, and so just, like, to have the ability to actually go out there and play, let alone solid minutes on the team. And I'm just, I'm so excited."   Golden on Condon’s status: “ We dodged a bullet with it only being only a low-ankle sprain; no structural damage, no bone damage. He has not sprained his ankle much in his life, so it's a little more swollen and sore than your general ankle sprain. But already putting more pressure on it and walking around a little bit better. Haven't seen him today, but I think that one- to two-week timeline is pretty accurate right now."   Golden on the front court rotation against South Carolina: “We're banged up. Condo won't play tomorrow night. Sam won't play tomorrow night. So even with Micah's return, we have three guys that have been rotational players who are eligible in our front court. We'll still have to figure some things out for tomorrow night, but obviously Micah's addition helps us out a lot. Obviously, Rueben, Tommy and Micah will play the majority of minutes in the front court."    Golden on Alijah Martin’s status: "He said he's feeling better this morning. But this deal has been a little tricky with his abdomen, the tightness and kind of a weird inability to treat it in terms of, like, there's only so much rehab you can do on your ab, you know? So, we'll see how practice looks today. We kind of felt like he was getting close to playing and he wasn't able to, so I don't wanna say that today and him not play tomorrow. So I'm gonna say I don't know, and hopefully he does. But he's definitely getting closer. He's getting closer."

Will Harris, who coached Florida’s secondary in 2024, has departed for Miami. The Florida pass defense was vastly improved after Harris took over from Corey Raymond, in part because the Gators mounted a serious pass rush and also because the Gators were far more aggressive in their coverage. Interceptions went up from three in 2023 to 14 in 2024.   In Harris, Miami gets a coach who gets results and a proven recruiter. Harris was instrumental in the Gators landing Dade County’s all-time single season interception leader in Ben Hanks Jr., who picked off 13 passes last year. He also helped the Gators flip safety Hylton Stubbs from Miami, safety Lagonza Hayward from Tennessee and corner Onis Konanbanny, also from Tennessee.   The timing of Harris’ departure isn’t the greatest, but it isn’t like Billy Napier has few options when it comes to finding a qualified replacement. Since Vinnie Sunseri was hired as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, Napier will be looking for an assistant to work with a young, but very talented group of corners. One name prominently mentioned is Corey Bell, who was Florida’s secondary coach in 2017 when the secondary included Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Duke Dawson, C.J. Henderson and Marco Wilson, all future NFL draft picks. Bell, who is currently the secondary coach at Mississippi State, has deep ties to Dade County where he was once the head coach at American High School and Miami Edison.   While Bell seems a solid choice, Napier and Sunseri may prefer a coach with an Alabama background. Sunseri was one of the more feared safeties in the college game when he played for Nick Saban. He made life miserable for receivers going over the middle. He played in a secondary filled with future pros Dee Milliner, Dre Kirkpatrick, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and DeQuan Menzie.   One possibility with ties to both Alabama and Napier is Doug Belk, who coaches the secondary at Southern Cal. A Valdosta native, Belk was an Alabama grad assistant when Napier was Nick Saban’s wide receivers coach. Another possible consideration could be Nick Perry, the Arkansas secondary coach who was a free safety in the same secondary as Sunseri at Alabama.   Two things to consider regarding Harris leaving and the hiring of a new assistant coach:   1. College football is a business. Coaches, just like players, follow the opportunity. Head coaches leave for big contracts and what they perceive to be an opportunity to coach at a school that has a chance to win at a higher level. They coach one team to a successful season and then bolt because they are offered a high-paying, long term deal at another school, frequently before a bowl game. Assistant coaches don’t have the long term contracts for big bucks like the head coach, so there is always a feeling of insecurity, particularly if they don’t feel like they are in the head coach’s inner circle. Assistants constantly have their eyes and ears wide open for the next big landing spot. They also look for that place that will elevate their chances of becoming a coordinator and eventually a head coach. If they think the grass is greener somewhere else, they bolt. Now that players have free agency to go with NIL, there is very little in the way of loyalty. Head coaches and assistants will candidly tell you whether it’s recruiting high school kids or those from the portal one of the first things asked is “What’s in it for me?”   2. This is Florida. Despite the overall downward trend of Florida football since Urban Meyer retired after the 2010 seasons, Florida is still an iconic brand name. The brand coupled with the excitement generated by the final four games of the 2024 season is all you need to know about Billy Napier’s ability to land a quality coach to replace the departed Will Harris. The Gators are in nearly everybody’s too early top 25 predictions for 2025. With an offense that some experts believe will be as good as there is in the country and a defense that returns eight starters and a slew of talented backups, the Gators are considered a team on the verge of taking that next step to become a serious playoff contender. That makes Florida a very attractive landing spot for an assistant coach. Take for example the aforementioned possible contenders for the vacancy. Corey Collier is at Mississippi State. Mississippi State vs. Florida? No brainer there. Doug Belk is at Southern Cal. He pays a state income tax that eats up 11.3 percent of his paycheck and the cost of living is exorbitantly higher than Florida. Plus Southern Cal is spinning its wheels in mediocrity. Big advantage Florida. Finally Nick Price is at Arkansas. Arkansas vs. Florida? Another no brainer.

Rueben Chinyelu (9) held as he tries to block out for a rebound (UAA Photo) The Game Overview On Saturday afternoon, the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville transformed into a battleground. Tennessee's basketball team, known for its gritty play, faced off against the Florida Gators. The final score? A resounding 64-44 victory for the Volunteers. This game was challenging for both teams. Tennessee's starting point guard, Zakai Ziegler, and power forward, Ivan Milicik, were sidelined due to the flu. Coach Rick Barnes knew that physicality would play a crucial role. The message was clear: the team that emerged with fewer bruises would likely win. The Vols brought enough toughness to the floor without any extra equipment. “It was all about the physicality,” Florida's coach, Todd Golden, explained. He noted that the game's first half felt overwhelmingly chaotic. With a halftime score of 24-21, the action was anything but pretty. Physicality Takes Center Stage The officiating crew, consisting of Joe Lindsay, Olandis Poole, and Chuck Jones, allowed the players to battle it out physically. Both teams felt the implications of this style of refereeing. Tennessee appeared better equipped to handle the rugged approach the game demanded. The Gators struggled throughout the match, looking disoriented at times. “We weren’t able to adjust well enough to the way the game is being played,” Golden stated. He acknowledged Tennessee's status as an elite defensive team, which significantly hampered Florida's performance. In particular, Tennessee's strategy aimed to stifle Florida's perimeter players, including Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard, and Denzel Aberdeen. Meanwhile, they forced Florida's big men to carry the load. The Gators managed to score only 26 points collectively from their starting perimeter players, averaging a mere 7 out of 33 attempts from the court. First Half Highlights Despite the dismal shooting percentages on both sides, Florida maintained a slim lead early in the first half. They held a 9-6 advantage with 14:43 left, bolstered by Clayton’s sharp shooting. However, their fortunes changed quickly. Following an initial flurry, the Gators failed to make a three-pointer, finishing the half with a staggering 2-13 record from beyond the arc. Tennessee faced similar issues with shooting, hitting only two of their thirteen attempts from three-point range. Yet, they thrived on the boards, tallying seven offensive rebounds that converted into six second-chance points. As both teams entered halftime, Florida faced a steep hill to climb. The Volunteers had capitalized on Florida's eight turnovers, translating them into thirteen points. The Gators needed an explosive start in the second half to overcome the deficit. Second Half Struggles After halftime, the Volunteers emerged with renewed energy, while Florida seemed lackluster. Tennessee quickly built a lead of 32-26 with 17:22 left. It was a pivotal moment; unfortunately for Gators fans, it marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the team. Florida's Alex Condon managed to cut Tennessee's lead to 10 points at 40-30, but their momentum was short-lived. The Gators attempted to rally from the three-point line but struggled mightily. Their attempts were fruitless until Alijah Martin finally hit a shot from the left side with just under five minutes to go—marking Florida’s first three-pointer since the first half. Their shooting continued to betray them, with Florida recording a dismal 13-53 (24.5 percent) from the field overall and a mere 4-27 (14.8 percent) from the three-point line. Reflection on the Game Despite the challenges, Florida's defensive efforts were commendable. They held the Volunteers to 64 points and limited their shooting percentages to 24 out of 60 and 27.3 percent from the arc. Yet, even with these numbers, Tennessee dominated enough to secure the win. Golden conceded that the Gators simply could not adjust. “A lot of credit goes to Tennessee,” he continued. "They dictated the game from start to finish." Game Notes Clayton, a key player for Florida, suffered an ankle injury during the first half. He returned to the game but was notably ineffective, scoring no points in the second half after tallying ten in the first. “He was not himself with his explosiveness,” Golden mentioned. Tennessee battled its way to a 40-37 rebounding advantage, showcasing their grit throughout the game. Florida will look to regroup as they face No. 24 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, hoping for a better outcome. SEC BASKETBALL Saturday’s scores: No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) 64, No. 5 Florida (18-3, 5-3 SEC) 44 No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) 92, No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC) 82 No. 4 Alabama (19-3, 8-1 SEC) 90, Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC) 69 Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) 89, No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-4 SEC) 79 No. 13 Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3 SEC) 76, South Carolina (10-12, 0-9 SEC) 72 No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) 88, No. 14 Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC) Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) 97, No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) 67 Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) 89, LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) Tuesday’s games: No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) at No. 5 Florida (18-3, 5-3 SEC) Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) No. 12 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) at No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC) Wednesday’s games: No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) at Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) at Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC)