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  • #17 Florida defeats Georgia, moves into tie atop SEC standings

    #17 Florida defeats Georgia, moves into tie atop SEC standings

    ​FINAL: FLORIDA 72, GEORGIA 60

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 35 37 X 72
    GEORGIA 33 27 X 60

     

    ATHENS, GA-  The Gators avoided a hangover effect against Georgia on Tuesday night as Florida defeated the Bulldogs 72-60 inside Stegeman Coliseum.  Florida was coming off a huge win against #8 Kentucky on Saturday and seemed primed for a let-down against a conference rival. Florida head coach Mike White wouldn’t allow it.  Florida raced out of the gates to a 30-14 lead before allowing Georgia to tie the game at 31.  

    Florida settled in at halftime and kept Georgia at an arms length away. Chris Chiozza led the Gators with 15 points on 6-10 shooting. Chiozza was named the SEC Player of the Week earlier in the day. Chiozza’s backcourt mate Kasey Hill added 12 points and 5 assists. Canyon Barry added 11 points in a reserve role for Florida. Justin Leon finished with ten points and made two three-pointers to help put the Bulldogs away.  

    Once again, Florida’s defense dominated the game allowing Georgia to shoot at only a 33% clip. Yante Maten scored 19 to lead the Bulldogs while JJ Frazier added 18 to the effort.

    Florida moves to 19-5 overall and 9-2 in SEC play while Georgia falls to 13-11 and 4-7 in conference play. Florida is tied for first place in the SEC with South Carolina and Kentucky. South Carolina fell to Alabama in four overtime periods on Tuesday while Kentucky defeated LSU easily at home. 

    ATTENDANCE:  7,605

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA:                                    19-5 (9-2 SEC)
    • GEORGIA:                                     13-11 (4’7 SEC)

    Team Stats:

      FLORIDA GEORGIA
    FG % 41 33
    3-PT % 33 33
    FT % 81 75
    Offensive Rebounds 7 12
    Total Rebounds 39 45
    Assists 10 10
    Steals 12 2
    Blocks 7 6
    Turnovers 8 16

     

    What’s Next:

    FLORIDA GATORS vs TEXAS A&M AGGIES

    FEBRUARY 11, 2017 at 12:00 PM

    ESPN2

     

  • Florida women fall to Ole Miss in tight game

    Florida women fall to Ole Miss in tight game

    FINAL: MISSISSIPPI 84, FLORIDA 75

      1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    OLE MISS 19 23 18 24 X 84
    FLORIDA 20 19 19 17 X 75

     

    GAINESVILLE, FL-  The Florida Gators women’s basketball team has fallen below .500 for the first time this season with a home loss to Mississippi on Monday.  Florida has seen it’s record fall to 11-12 after starting the season 7-3.

    Senior Ronni Williams led four Florida scorers in double figure scoring.  Williams finished the game with 21 points while Haley Lorenzen and Delicia Washington added 14.  Dyandria Anderson scored 13 for the Gators.  Tyshara Fleming grabbed seven rebounds in 24 minutes to lead the Gators in rebounding.

    Ole Miss was led by MMadinah Muhammad with 22 points in 39 minutes.  Shandricka Sessom added 18 points while Shelby Gibson contributed 16 for the Rebels.

    Florida is now 2-8 in SEC play sitting one game above Vanderbilt for last in the SEC.  Mississippi improves to 15-8 and 4-6 in SEC Action.

    TEAM STATS:

      OLE MISS FLORIDA
    FG % 46 42
    3-PT % 50 27
    FT % 88 86
    Offensive Rebounds 13 19
    Total Rebounds 35 37
    Assists 14 12
    Steals 5 7
    Blocks 3 3
    Turnovers 11 12

     

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    FLORIDA VS ARKANSAS

    FEBRUARY 9, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    SEC NETWORK +

     

  • Kasey Hill leads #24 Florida to rout of #8 Kentucky

    Kasey Hill leads #24 Florida to rout of #8 Kentucky

    FINAL: FLORIDA 88, KENTUCKY 66

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    KENTUCKY 26 40 X 66
    FLORIDA 34 54 X 88

     

    GAINESVILLE, FL-  Mike White and the Florida Gators earned a big-time resume builder with a convincing victory against #8 Kentucky on Saturday night.  Florida’s defense stymied the Wildcats.  Kentucky finished the game shooting 37.7 percent.  Kentucky had averaged 91 points per game prior to this contest.  The Gators also dominated the glass, finishing with a 54-29 edge in rebounding including a 15-6 advantage in offensive rebounds.

    Florida led virtually the entire game (39:32 of game time) and eventually cruised to the finish.  Kasey Hill led the Gators with 21 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.  Devin Robinson added 16 points and 9 rebounds.  Canyon Barry came in off the bench and contributed 14 points.  KeVaughn Allen added 12 points for Florida.

    Florida also received a key contribution from walk-on center Schuyler Rimmer.  Rimmer played seven minutes and scored four points as both Kevarrius Hayes and John Egbunu were both in foul trouble.

    The Gators defense was impressive against one of the top offenses in the country.  Florida limited Kentucky’s leading scorer Malik Monk (22.4 ppg entering the game) to 11 points on 4-14 shooting.  De’Aaron Fox led the Wildcats with 19 points in a reserve role.

    Florida is now 18-5 overall and 8-2 in the SEC.  Kentucky has an identical record.  Both schools sit one game behind South Carolina in the SEC standings.  South Carolina defeated Georgia earlier on Saturday 77-75.
    ATTENDANCE:  10,151

    RECORDS:

    • KENTUCKY:                                    18-5 (8-2 SEC)
    • FLORIDA:                                     18-5 (8-2 SEC)

    Team Stats:

      KENTUCKY FLORIDA
    FG % 38 48
    3-PT % 33 38
    FT % 61 62
    Offensive Rebounds 6 17
    Total Rebounds 29 54
    Assists 7 18
    Steals 7 5
    Blocks 3 7
    Turnovers 13 17

     

    What’s Next:

    FLORIDA GATORS vs GEORGIA BULLDOGS

    FEBRUARY 7, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    ESPN2

     

  • Florida women come up short at Texas A&M

    Florida women come up short at Texas A&M

    FINAL: TEXAS A&M 84, FLORIDA 76

      1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 22 17 16 21 X 76
    TAMU 23 19 24 18 X 84

     

    COLLEGE STATION, TX-  Florida’s women’s basketball team fell to the Texas A&M Aggies 84-76 on Thursday night in a SEC match.

    Freshman Delicia Washington led all scorers with 25 points.  Fellow freshman Syndey Morang scored 12 points and junior Haley Lorenzen added 11 points for Florida.  Senior Ronni Williams scored 9 points and added 9 rebounds in her first game following her 43-point output against Vanderbilt.

    Texas A&M was led by their starting unit as all five starters scored double-digit points.  Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with 24 points.

    Florida falls to 2-7 in SEC play and 11-11 overall.  Texas A&M remains two games back in the SEC race at 6-3.  The Aggies improved to 16-6 overall.

    TEAM STATS:

      FLORIDA TAMU
    FG % 47 46
    3-PT % 40 31
    FT % 50 85
    Offensive Rebounds 12 18
    Total Rebounds 28 44
    Assists 20 20
    Steals 5 7
    Blocks 5 3
    Turnovers 11 11

     

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    FLORIDA VS MISSISSIPPI

    FEBRUARY 6, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    EXACTECH ARENA

  • Florida defeats Missouri behind Chiozza’s triple-double, Kentucky looms

    Florida defeats Missouri behind Chiozza’s triple-double, Kentucky looms

    FINAL: FLORIDA 93, MISSOURI 54

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    MISSOURI 20 34 X 54
    FLORIDA 48 45 X 93

     

    GAINESVILLE, FL-  Chris Chiozza accomplished something that no Gator had done since Nick Calthes in 2009.  Chiozza finished with a triple-double: 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.  According to the University of Florida, no NCAA basketball player had recorded a triple-double in a reserve role since 2008.  Chiozza earned his tenth assist on a three-pointer by Devin Robinson with 31 seconds left.

    Florida got off to a fast start leading Missouri 12-2 early on, and finishing the half with a 48-20 lead.  Florida didn’t give the Tigers a chance to come back as ten of the eleven players that Florida used scored.

    The Gators were led by Canyon Barry with 17 points despite having only two at halftime.  Guard KeVaughn Allen scored 15 points including 3-5 from behind the three-point arc.  Kasey Hill adeed 11 points and 5 rebounds for Florida.  The Gators made 11 3-pointers as the students wore “Rainesville” ponchos.  Florida’s bench scored 37 points in the extended playing time.

    Missouri was led by Terrence Phillips who scored 14 points in a reserve role.  The Tigers only other double figure scorer was KJ Walton who scored 10 points.

    Florida improved to 17-5 and 7-2 in SEC play.  Mizzou is now 5-16 and 0-9 in the conference.  Florida has a huge game coming up on Saturday as first place Kentucky comes to Gainesville.  ESPN’s College Gameday will be broadcast live from Exactech Arena.  Florida is one game behind Kentucky and South Carolina in the SEC standings.
    ATTENDANCE:  10,151

    RECORDS:

    • MISSOURI:                                    5-16 (0-9 SEC)
    • FLORIDA:                                     17-5 (7-2 SEC)

    Team Stats:

      MISSOURI FLORIDA
    FG % 30 46
    3-PT % 38 39
    FT % 53 82
    Offensive Rebounds 11 18
    Total Rebounds 32 56
    Assists 7 16
    Steals 8 7
    Blocks 0 7
    Turnovers 13 11

     

    What’s Next:

    FLORIDA GATORS vs KENTUCKY WILDCATS

    FEBRUARY 4, 2017 at 8:15 PM

    ESPN

     

  • Florida hires Seider as RB coach

    Florida hires Seider as RB coach

    It has been no secret that the Florida Gators coaching staff was short-handed during the final month of the 2017 recruiting cycle. Some Gators fans took to social media to complain that Florida could have had a bigger finish had head coach Jim McElwain made a quicker hire. 

    On Friday the University of Florida announced the hiring of West Virginia running backs coach, JaJuan Seider, to the same position. 

    The 38-year old Seider has been the running backs coach at WVU for the last four years and is an alumn of the school. 

    Seider is originally from Belle Glades, FL and is known for his ability to recruit the area. 

    “I’ve always had an affinity for this university and am honored to have the opportunity to have the opportunity to join the Florida Gators family.” -Seider on joining the Florida Gators coaching staff. 

    West Virginia had the 24th ranked rushing attack in the NCAA in 2016 at 228 yards per game. The Mountaineers had four players that rushed for more than 400 yards. Florida was ranked 113th (128 yards per game) in rushing with Jordan Scarlett leading the team with 889 yards and six touchdowns. 

    The hiring of Seider means that former RB coach Tim Skipper will likely return to the defensive side of the ball, possibly as linebackers coach. Skipper played linebacker in college. 

    Florida still has one more opening on the coaching staff. Stay with The Gator Chomp Blog for all of the latest information about the Florida Gators. 

  • McElwain proves he is a closer, Florida finishes with Top-10 Class

    McElwain proves he is a closer, Florida finishes with Top-10 Class

    If you’ve been paying attention to Florida’s 2017 recruiting cycle, you may have been worried.  Jim McElwain’s Florida Gators were ranked very low just a week ago and programs such as Kentucky and Mississippi State were ranked higher.

    Florida also had to deal with a negative recruiting campaign that (reportedly) University of Miami coaches used.  Miami and Florida were competing for nine recruits according to Zach Abolverdi at SECCountry.com, and Florida was able to bring seven of those athletes to Gainesville.

    Florida had a very successful day, one that may have surprised even the biggest optimist.  Florida is ranked in the top ten in recruiting rankings on most sites, including #9 on Rivals.com.

    Florida’s first letter of intent received came from Marco Wilson.  Wilson is the brother of former Gator Quincy Wilson who left early for the NFL draft.  Quincy Wilson was the first commit to submit his letter of intent in 2014.  Wilson’s teammate at American Heritage, Tedarelle Slaton became the highest rated commit when he put the Gators hat on his head.

    Most importantly, Florida was able to address positions of need in this recruiting cycle.  Florida had to address the defensive tackle position and the defensive backfield, and they certainly did.

    DTs:

    • Kyree Campbell (EE 3-star, Woodbridge, VA)
    • Elijah Conliffe (4-star, Hampton, VA)
    • TJ Slaton (4-star, Fort Lauderdale)

    DBs:

    • Shawn Davis (3-star, Miami)
    • Brian Edwards (3-star, Hollywood)
    • Christopher Henderson (4-star, Miami)
    • Brad Stewart (4-star, New Orleans)
    • Donovan Stiner (3-star, Houston)
    • Marco Wilson (4-star, Fort Lauerdale)

    Jim McElwain and staff also added depth to the Gators roster at linebacker, wide receiver, and running back.  The Gators signed four linebackers, and two receivers, and two of the top rated running backs in Florida.

    The James Robinson saga continued for Florida after administrators forced McElwain to stop recruiting the talented wide receiver after receiving a citation for marijuana possession on an official visit to Ohio State.  One of the biggest surprises of the day was Robinson signing with Florida.  Clearly, McElwain reached out to the administration and wanted to give Robinson a second chance.

    LBs:

    • Lacedrick Brunson (2-star, Miami)
    • James Houston (EE 3-star, Fort Lauderdale)
    • Ventrell Miller (3-star, Lakeland)
    • Nick Smith (3-star, Orlando)

    WRs:

    • DaQuon Green (4-star, Tampa)
    • James Robinson (4-star, Lakeland)

    RBs:

    • Malik Davis (3-star, Tampa)
    • Adarius Lemons (3-star, Clearwater)

    Florida added two (for now) quarterbacks to the roster as well as two big offensive linemen.

    Jake Allen had been the longest committed Gator, and was among the first to sign his letter of intent.  Kadarius Toney is an athlete that will have a chance as a quarterback.  Toney early-enrolled and may switch to receiver at some point.

    QBs:

    • Jake Allen (3-star, Fort Lauderdale)
    • Kadarius Toney (EE 3-star, Eight Mile, AL)

    OL:

    • TJ Moore (4-star, Charlotte, NC)
    • Kadeem Telfort (EE 4-star, Miami)

    Also signed:

    • TE Kemore Gamble (EE 4-star, Miami)
    • DE Zachary Carter (4-star, Tampa)

    McElwain said in his press conference that Florida has not filled out their roster yet, and that he expects more to come.  TE commit Zech Byrd did not sign his letter of intent.  He stated that he is still committed to Florida, but that he wasn’t ready to sign.

    Stay up to date with The Gator Chomp Blog.

     

  • 4-star DT Elijah Conliffe picks Florida 

    4-star DT Elijah Conliffe picks Florida 

    HAMPTON, VA-  ‘Twas the day before National Signing Day… And the Florida Gators have received a huge gift. A 6-4 305 lbs player at a position of need committed to Jim McElwain and the Florida Gators on Tuesday. 

    Hampton, Virginia defensive tackle Elijah Conliffe announced via facebook live and Bleacher Report his commitment to Florida. 

    Conliffe is a 4-star defensive tackle who was the 307th ranked player in the nation. Conliffe was the number 19 ranked defensive tackle in the 2017 class and the twelfth ranked player in Virginia according to 247 sports. 

    Conliffe held offers from twenty eight schools including Penn State, Tennessee, Miami, and Louisville. Conliffe had his official visit to Florida on January 20, and was sold on the idea of playing early. 

    Photo courtesy of Rivals.com.  

  • Report: UF administration won’t allow 4-star WR to enroll

    Report: UF administration won’t allow 4-star WR to enroll

    HUGE RECRUITING NEWS REGARDING THE FLORIDA GATORS:  On Saturday it was discovered (or leaked) that four-star WR prospect James Robinson was issued a citation for marijuana possession while on an official visit to Ohio State.

    Robinson was with three unnamed Ohio State players, but was the only one charged.  In Ohio, marijuana possession is a minor misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $150. Robinson has a court date set for March 1st.

    Florida head coach Jim McElwain knew of the situation and was still recruiting Robinson as of last weekend.  Robinson has been thought to be a strong lean to Florida and is one of the Gators’ top remaining targets.  Robinson has apologized for the incident and told Zach Abolverdi of SECCountry.com that he did not fly to Columbus with the marijuana.

     

    On Monday it was reported that the University of Florida’s administration has decided that Robinson will not be allowed to enroll due to this incident.  Robinson is set to announced his decision on National Signing Day at 1:00 pm.

    More to come as this story is still developing.  Stay tuned into Florida’s recruiting with The Gator Chomp Blog.

  • 3-star DB Donovan Stiner commits to Florida 

    3-star DB Donovan Stiner commits to Florida 

    For the second straight recruiting cycle, Florida has convinced a player committed to Houston to flip his commitment. 

    In the 2016 recruiting cycle Jim McElwain got 4-star WR Tyrie Cleveland to change his allegiance on Signing Day. This year, 3-star CB Donovan Stiner made the flip. 

    Stiner was offered a scholarship by Florida on Wednesday after Elijah Blades decommitted. Stiner visited the Gators this weekend and obviously came away impressed. 

    Stiner is listed at 6-2 and 185 lbs. He is ranked by 247.com as the #765 player in the country and the #54 safety in 2017. 

    For all the latest information on Florida’s recruiting clas, stay with The Gator Chomp Blog.