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  • Chiozza expected to play despite illness

    Chiozza expected to play despite illness

    Chris Chiozza has been dealing with strep throat, but appears to be set to play in Wednesday’s home contest against Mississippi State.

    On Monday, UF officials announced that Chiozza had tested positive foe the illness, and would not participate in practice on Monday or Tuesday.

    Chiozza was spotted at shoot-around Wednesday.

    FloridaGators.com beat writer Chris Harry spoke with the Ackerman and Matthews Radio Show on 98.1 WRUF Wednesday morning about the men’s basketball team. Harry talked about how he ran into Chiozza on Tuesday while talking to Kevarrius Hayes and Chiozza stated that he felt better than the previous 24 hours and added, “I don’t miss games.”

    Florida faces the Bulldogs at 7:00 PM in Exactech Arena.

  • Gators baseball tops Perfect Game preseason poll

    Gators baseball tops Perfect Game preseason poll

    With a bevy of talent returning to the defending National Champions, it’s no surprise to see Florida atop the Perfect Game preseason baseball poll.

    The Gators return each member of their weekend rotation with projected top picks Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar anchoring the pitching staff.

    The Gators are joined by six other SEC teams in the top 25 and will face a total of six top 25 teams on their schedule.

    Florida begins the season February 16 vs Siena at McKeathan Stadium.

    Perfect Game is the second major publication to rank Florida number one in the preseason, joining Collegiate Baseball which released their rankings in December.

    PG preseason Top-25

    1. FLORIDA
    2. OREGON STATE
    3. TCU
    4. TEXAS TECH
    5. FLORIDA STATE
    6. ARKANSAS
    7. NORTH CAROLINA
    8. KENTUCKY
    9. MIAMI
    10. STANFORD
    11. MISSISSIPPI
    12. LSU
    13. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
    14. LOUISVILLE
    15. TEXAS A&M
    16. UCLA
    17. INDIANA
    18. OKLAHOMA
    19. CAL ST FULLERTON
    20. DUKE
    21. HOUSTON
    22. SAM HOUSTON STATE
    23. TEXAS
    24. CLEMSON
    25. MISSISSIPPI STATE
  • Gators PG Chiozza questionable for Wednesday with illness

    Gators PG Chiozza questionable for Wednesday with illness

    Florida PG Chris Chiozza is questionable for Wednesday night’s home contest against Mississippi State.

    Chiozza tested positive for strep throat and will not practice Monday or Tuesday according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson.

    Chiozza is shining in his first season as the primary starter at point guard. The 6-0, 160 lb senior is averaging career highs in minutes played (31.1 min), points (13.1), rebounds (4.4), and assists (5.8) per game.

    With Chiozza possibly out, look for KeVaughn Allen and Mike Okauru to play more minutes at the point.

  • Oh My! Chiozza comes up clutch, again

    Oh My! Chiozza comes up clutch, again

    FINAL: FLORIDA 77, MISSOURI 75

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 36 41 X 77
    MIZZOU 35 40 X 75

    GAINESVILLE, FL- In recent Gators basketball history has there been a more clutch player than Chris Chiozza? We all remember Chiozza’s floating three-pointer as time expired against Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen. On Saturday, Chiozza merely cemented his clutch legacy.

    After Florida guard Jalen Hudson hit a pair of free throws with twenty-one seconds left to tie the game at 75, Tigers head coach Cuonzo Martin called time out. During the brief stop in play, Florida head coach Mike White emphasized the defensive strategy. Mizzou inbounded the ball, after holding the ball for a few seconds in an effort to attempt the last shot, Jordan Geist attempted a pass to Kassius Robertson near the top of the key, that’s when Chiozza sprung into action. Chiozza intercepted the pass and glided unopposed to the basket. Chiozza’s layup fell through the cylinder of the rim with only 0.1 remaining on the clock.

    Florida’s resiliency showed off in the contest as the Gators fell behind early and often. Florida trailed by as many as twelve in the first half before finishing the period on a 12-3 run. The Gators trailed the Tigers 62-52 with just over ten minutes remaining, but again fought back. Missouri did appear to attempt to slow the game down, using much of the shot clock, but that strategy seemed to hurt more than help.

    Florida appeared to be aided several times by the officials. Missouri freshman Jeremiah Tilmon fouled out with two very questionable (wrong) calls in only eight minutes of action on the court.

    Hudson led Florida with 16 points while coming off the bench. Egor Koulechov finished with 15 while Chiozza and Keith Stone each added 13. Kevarrius Hayes had another solid effort, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.

    Mizzou senior forward Jordan Barnett scored a career high 28 points to lead the Tigers effort.

    Florida returns home to face Mississippi State on Wednesday

    Watch the final seconds of Florida’s win via CBS Sports’ Twitter account:

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA: 11-4 (3-0)
    • MISSOURI: 11-4 (1-1)

    Team Stats:

    FLORIDA MIZZOU
    FG % 44 48
    3-PT % 36 58
    FT % 68 86
    Offensive Rebounds 11 7
    Total Rebounds 30 32
    Assists 13 9
    Steals 6 4
    Blocks 3 3
    Turnovers 6 11

    What’s Next:

    After consecutive road contests the Gators will return home to face Mississippi State on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. The Bulldogs fell to in-state rival Mississippi on Saturday 64-58, but are 13-2 on the season. Junior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon leads MSU with a 14.8 points per game average. Weatherspoon also tops the Bulldogs stat book with 4.4 assists per game.

    Florida vs Mississippi State

    January 10, 2018

    7:00 PM / Exactech Arena

    SEC Network

  • Soccer All-American Gabby Seiler joins UF women’s basketball team

    Soccer All-American Gabby Seiler joins UF women’s basketball team

    When Florida took on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, there was an unexpected new face on the Florida bench.

    5’5 Gabby Seiler was announced as the newest Gators women’s basketball player just before the game began. Seiler was a 2017 All-American by the United Soccer Coaches and a three time All-SEC player. Seiler was captain of the Gators this season and was known for her versatility on the pitch.

    Seiler played point guard in high school at McIntosh High in Peachtree City, Georgia where she set the school bench mark for points scored with over 2,000.

    Seiler met with the media after Thursday’s game. She emphasized that she doesn’t know what her roll will be just yet, “I don’t really know exactly what my role will be, but I want to be a positive influence and encourage (my teammates) whenever I can.”

    Seiler will be filling in for a team that has had numerous injuries with several players. Among those injured is sophomore guard Sydney Morang, who is out for the remainder of the season and will seek a medical redshirt.

    Interesting side note: Florida head coach Cameron Newbauer actually recruited Seiler for Georgia as an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs.

  • Florida OL Martez Ivey to return for senior season

    Florida OL Martez Ivey to return for senior season

    The last two days have provided Florida head coach Dan Mullen plenty of joy as two of his top juniors have announced that they will return to UF next season. A day after star DE CeCe Jefferson tweeted his intention to stay, OL Martez Ivey announced his decision as well.

    Ivey has started 31 of 36 games he’s played in over his career and has played both the guard and tackle positions along the offensive line.

    Ivey was a five star recruit out of Apopka, Florida (number two overall) in the 2015 recruiting cycle. Ivey (6-5, 315 lbs) is expected to anchor an offensive line that will see all of its starters from a year ago return in 2018.

  • Gators falter late in loss to Alabama

    Gators falter late in loss to Alabama

    FINAL: ALABAMA, FLORIDA 54

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    BAMA 16 15 17 15 X 63
    GATORS 9 17 16 12 X 54

    GAINESVILLE, FL- New Florida head coach Cameron Newbauer was just five minutes from winning his frist SEC contest. Alabama, however had other ideas as they held the Gators scoreless over the final 5:21 of the game and instead handed Florida their second loss in league play.

    The Gators trailed 40-30 with 6:34 to play in the third period but Funda Nakkasoglu and Haley Lorenzen keyed a frantic rally that saw the Gators take the lead after a pair of made foul shots by Lorenzen.

    Florida began the game by getting baskets in the paint. Lorenzen and fellow forward Paulina Hersler scored four points down low in the opening minute of play. The Gators didn’t even attempt their first three-pointer until Dyandria Anderson’s try with 6:29 to play in the opening quarter. It didn’t take long for Florida to live up to the mantra of “chuck it from the cheap seats” as the Gators finished with 28 attempts from deep, making 10. Alabama entered the matchup as the second best team in the SEC at defending the three.

    Florida took a 54-52 lead with just over five minutes remaining, but Alabama finished the game on a 11-0 run to move the Gators to 8-7 overall on the year and 0-2 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide improved to 11-4 and 1-1 in league action.

    After the game, Newbauer expressed his “frustration” with Florida’s bad turnovers at inopportune times. Newbauer explained that it’s been the same mistakes that have plagued Florida all year. “Too many times we rely on our offense to dictate our defense, but we need to stop that, we have to play defense regardless of what happens on offense,” he continued, “we have got to find ways to get tougher on defense.”

    The Tide made a home inside the paint in the fourth quarter, scoring twelve of their fifteen points in the period in the lane.

    Lorenzen led Florida with 14 points while adding 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 35 minutes of action. Anderson finished with 13, though she missed all four field goal attempts in the final quarter. Nakkasoglu, Florida’s leading scorer, finished with 11 points despite not finding the net until midway through the third period. Hersler grabbed a team high nine rebounds and Delicia Washington recorded four assists in the Gators effort.

    Ashley Williams led Alabama with 12 points while Hannah Cook finished with 11. While these were the Tide’s only double-digit scorers, Alabama’s bench outscored Florida’s 20-2.

    Florida will look to rebound on Sunday at Mississippi. The game is slated for 3:00 PM and will be aired on SEC Network +.

    TEAM STATS:

    BAMA GATORS
    FG % 41 35
    3-PT % 21 36
    FT % 55 80
    Offensive Rebounds 17 11
    Total Rebounds 44 35
    Assists 5 16
    Steals 7 5
    Blocks 3 3
    Turnovers 12 17

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    Florida will travel to Oxford, Mississippi to face the Rebels of Ole Miss. Mississippi is 10-5 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. The Rebels were trounced by South Carolina 88-62 on Thursday. Mississippi allowed the Gamecocks 29 points in the fourth quarter to put away the game. The Rebels are led by Madinah Muhammad, who is fifth in the conference in scoring, and finished with 29 against South Carolina.

    Florida vs Mississippi

    January 7, 2018

    3:00 PM / The Pavillion

    SEC Network+

  • Breaking: Gators DL CeCe Jefferson appears to be returning for senior year

    Breaking: Gators DL CeCe Jefferson appears to be returning for senior year

    New Florida head football coach Dan Mullen may have just landed his most important commitment for the 2018 season.

    CeCe Jefferson posted on Twitter what appears to be his decision to stay at Florida for his senior year.

    Jefferson finished his 2017 campaign with 48 total tackles and 4.5 sacks to go along with 13.5 tackles for loss. Walter Football projected Jefferson as a day three draft pick for the upcoming draft in December.

    Earlier in the day, Florida announced Sal Sunseri as the new defensive line coach. Sunseri was an All-American linebacker at Pitt and most recently coached linebackers for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. Sunseri will have a lot of options with Jefferson, who may even get to play some linebacker thanks to his 6-1, 242 lb frame.

    Jefferson was the prize of Jim McElwain’s first class at Florida in 2015 and appears to be a natural fit in Mullen’s new 3-4 defensive scheme.

  • Florida topples #11 Texas A&M, move to 2-0 in SEC play

    Florida topples #11 Texas A&M, move to 2-0 in SEC play

    FINAL: FLORIDA 83, TEXAS A&M 66

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 46 37 X 83
    TAMU 30 36 X 66

    GAINESVILLE, FL- Florida forwards Egor Koulechov and Keith Stone combined for thirty seven points as the Gators upset #11 Texas A&M on the road. The Gators have now won four straight contests and sit atop the SEC standings with a 2-0 start to league play.

    Florida shot the ball incredibly well all game. The Gators finished the game shooting 51.6% from the field, including 17-28 from beyond the three-point arc. Florida managed to do this against the team that entered the night ranked #3 in the nation in defensive efficiency. A&M had held opponents to just 36% shooting and only 27% from three point land.

    Texas A&M was without leading scorer DJ Hogg due to suspension as well as starting guards Admon Gilder and Duane Wilson because of injuries.

    Koulechov finished with a game high 19 points. Stone added 18 points while Chris Chiozza scored 12 and Jalen Hudson contributed 11 off the bench in his 15 minutes of action. Kevarrius Hayes had an all-around solid effort, finishing with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and four assists while only picking up two personal fouls. Hayes played 33 minutes thanks largely to not being in foul trouble.

    Freshman gurad Jay Jay Chandler led the Aggies with 17 points. Robert Williams and Tyler Davis each chipped in twelve points for Texas A&M. The Gators will head to Missouri on Saturday to face the Tigers in SEC play.

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA: 10-4 (2-0)
    • TEXAS A&M: 11-3 (0-2)

    Team Stats:

    FLORIDA TEXAS A&M
    FG % 52 43
    3-PT % 61 42
    FT % 0 80
    Offensive Rebounds 6 13
    Total Rebounds 29 39
    Assists 25 17
    Steals 8 1
    Blocks 8 8
    Turnovers 7 16

    What’s Next: Florida will stay on the road to face Missouri in Columbia on Saturday. The Tigers are 10-3 entering their Wednesday night contest against South Carolina. Missouri is averaging 79 points per game and has shot the ball at a 48% clip this season. The Tigers have only allowed 66 points per game defensively. Senior guard Kassius Robertson is averaging 15.1 points to lead Mizzou. Jordan Barnett (14.8) and Kevin Puryear (10.2) also average double-digit points per game.

    Florida vs Missouri

    January 6, 2018

    1:00 PM / Mizzou Area

    CBS

  • Gators hold on against Vandy with late free-throws

    Gators hold on against Vandy with late free-throws

    FINAL: FLORIDA 81, VANDERBILT 74

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    VANDY 20 54 X 74
    FLORIDA 40 41 X 81

    GAINESVILLE, FL- With 1:43 to play in regulation, Vanderbilt’s senior guard Riley LaChance hit a three-pointer to close the Florida lead to just four points. Florida had led by as many as twenty points (at halftime), but watched the lead dwindle until the closing minute.

    Much of Florida’s victory came by way of the free throw line. The Gators shot 27 of 30 from the charity stipe for the game, and made 11 of 12 shots in the final five minutes. Senior F Egor Koulechov made all ten free attempts, and finished with a game high 22 points. Koulechov also led Florida with eight rebounds.

    Florida had fallen to Vanderbilt in all three of their meetings since head coach Mike White was hired. The Gators only committed five turnovers for the game, and shot 40+ percent from the floor and from beyond the arc.

    In addition to Koulechov’s big night, senior Chris Chiozza (17) and junior KeVaughn Allen (16) also finished with double-digit scoring figures. Chiozza led the team with three assists, but Florida only recorded an assist on seven of their twenty-three made baskets.

    Jeff Roberson led the Commodores with 18 points and 7 rebounds while Matthew Fisher-Davis added 17 more. Freshman guard Saben Lee scored 13 while LaChance (11) and Payton Willis (10) also finished in double figures.

    Florida will travel to College Station, Texas on Tuesday to face #5 Texas A&M.

    RECORDS:

    • VANDERBILT: 5-8
    • FLORIDA: 9-4

    Team Stats:

    VANDY FLORIDA
    FG % 42 43
    3-PT % 39 42
    FT % 71 90
    Offensive Rebounds 12 8
    Total Rebounds 36 36
    Assists 14 7
    Steals 1 4
    Blocks 3 10
    Turnovers 9 5

    What’s Next:

    Florida will hit the road for the first time in league play, and will face #5 Texas A&M on Tuesday. The Aggies (11-2) were upset by Alabama on Saturday, 79-57. Texas A&M usually starts a two center lineup which could give the smaller Gators lineup a lot of trouble. Tyler Davis and Tonny Trocha-Morelos both average more than eight points and five rebounds. 6-7 guard Savion Flagg is also averaging 8.3 points and 5.1 boards.

    Florida vs Texas A&M

    January 2, 2018

    9:00 PM / Reed Arena

    SEC Network