Florida Gators Take Care of Business Against UC Santa Barbara

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

On a day filled with game-winners, and mid-major programs advancing, the Florida Gators (27-7, 13-3) made sure it wasn't upset in the first round again.

Florida took care of business against UC Santa Barbara (18-14, 8-8) 79-51.

The Gators got out to a fast start breaking 40-points before the Gauchos eclipsed the 20-point mark.

Florida did it with a balanced attack all game finishing with 22 assist, on 29 made field goals. The intensity was there all game, and Florida ran UC Santa Barbara out of the building early.

Junior guard Erving Walker led the Gators with 18-points nailing 4-of-6 from downtown and added six assist as well.

Backcourt mate Kenny Boynton also chipped-on 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with a season-high four steals.

Vernon Macklin and Chandler Parsons also chipped in 10-points apiece, while Parson finished with a game-high 10 assist, and seven rebounds.

The Gators tough defense was the determining factor of Florida getting out of the first round. The Gators held UC Santa Barbara to 36 percent shooting from the field, and 26 percent from downtown.

Not to mention, holding the Gauchos to a season-low 51 points, as well as, turning them over 17 times.

UC Santa Barbara had two players in double-figures led by junior Orlando Johnson, who poured in a game-high 21 points, four rebounds, and two steals. James Nunnally also got into the action with 12 points and five rebounds.

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Marcus Jordan Leads the Knights Over No. 16 Gators

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The UCF Knights (6-0) continued their flawless record against the No. 16 Florida Gators (5-2) after handing them their second loss on the season.

The Knights took care of the ball all night only turning the ball over six times.

UCF also nailed five three-point attempts and watched Marcus Jordan, and Keith Clanton nail crucial free-throws as the Knights pull of the biggest win of their young season.

Florida had a hard time containing the spectacular play of Jordan. 

Late in the second half, Jordan crossed over Macklin, intially had his shot blocked, switched to his left hand, and nailed the layup. Soon after, UCF never let Florida contain them offensively and rolled to a 57-54 upset.

Jordan led the upset with 18 points, nine second half points, four rebounds, two assist, while shooting 6-of-11 (54%) from the field.

Jordan scored five straight late in the second half to keep UCF in the lead.

Clanton was also in double figures with 12 points, and seven rebounds.

The Gators were unable to produce at the line shooting 10-of-18 (55%), and only nailed 2-of-13 (15%) from three.

Despite the struggles from the line, the Gators had three players in double-figures. Vernon Macklin lead all scorers with 20 points, and eight rebounds. Erving Walker also chipped in 16 points, with Kenny Boynton producing 10 points of offense as well.

Florida's star Chandler Parsons was held to one field goal and finished the game 1-of-9 with two points, seven rebounds and five assist.

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Jared Sullinger and Buckeyes defeat No. 10 Florida on the Road.

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Jared Sullinger was not the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2010 recruiting class, but did play like one of the best freshman, or possibly the best post player in College Basketball.

The No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 10 Florida Gators commandingly 93-75.

Freshman Sullinger led the Buckeyes with 26 points, 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double.


David Lighty also came up with 26 points, and added three rebounds, and two assist.

The Buckeyes were able to overcome a three-point halftime deficit (41-38) and used their powerful inside game as they rolled to victory.

Kenny Boynton paced the Gators with 21 points, two rebounds. Chandler Parsons (13), Vernon Macklin (12), and Erving Walker (15) were the other Gators in double-figures.

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Can the Ohio St. Buckeyes Compete for a National Championship this Season?

Posted by CoHoops Samuel Sica

The Ohio State Buckeyes have not won a championship since 1960 and I believe that this could be the year that Ohio State makes a serious threat in breaking that streak. 

Ohio State has four out of their five starters returning from last season with Evan Turner leaving for the NBA.

Turner was the key player for the Buckeyes last season and his absence will be felt immensely because no one player can fill the shoes of Turner but as a whole, Ohio State can fill that void and make believers out of everyone by doing what they accomplished in their season opener against North Carolina A&T. 

I understand that Ohio State will have to play against teams that are tougher than North Carolina A&T but with the core players that they have I believe they will be a team to watch to compete for the championship this season.

The starters that Ohio State has returning from last season include William Buford, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and Dallas Lauderdale.

The Buckeyes also have added some talented players to go along with their core four starters with the additions of Deshaun Thomas, Jared Sullinger, and Aaron Craft. 

The freshmen have already turned heads as Sullinger had an impressive double-double in his Buckeye debut by scoring 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

 Thomas led the team in scoring with 24 points off the bench in his debut. Aaron Craft also made his presence known by scoring 8 points to go along with 9 assists in his debut.

The Buckeyes will face a big challenge in their second game of the season when they head down south to the Sunshine State to face the Florida Gators.

Florida is ranked number eleven in the polls and is the only ranked team that the Buckeyes will face until they play Illinois in late January.

In my opinion, Ohio State has a favorable out-of-conference schedule but they will face some tough competition once they start Big Ten play at the end of December.

Ohio State is one out of the five teams that are currently ranked in the top 25 teams in the nation with the other four being Michigan State (2), Purdue (8), Illinois (16), and Wisconsin (24).

I believe the Buckeyes will win the Big Ten championship as well as make it into the Championship game in the NCAA tournament because of the two big men that play underneath the basket in Lauderdale and Sullinger. 

Both players are taller than 6-8” and the rest of the team is no slouch either as all player are at least 6 feet tall. Ohio State has an extreme height advantage in my opinion, and that will create favorable matchups for the Buckeyes once they start their in-conference schedule.

Ohio State will also be a threat to win it all this season because of the sheer experience factor since the Buckeyes have four of their five starters returning from last season.

The Buckeyes are a well coached team and under the tutelage of Thad Matta, the Ohio State freshmen will be ready to play game in and game out. Ohio State will be ready to play once the tournament begins in March and do not be surprised if the Buckeyes are the champions when it is all said and done.

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SEC Basketball: New No. 1 Leader Not Named Kentucky

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Last season, the Kentucky Wildcats almost ran the tables in the SEC. They were rarely tested and prevailed by big numbers every game. However, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss and Georgia all have something to say about that this year.

This upcoming 2010-11' season the Florida Gators are conceived to win the SEC. They did return all five starters from last year's NCAA Tournament squad that lost a heartbreaker to BYU. Not to mention, the Gators picked up a highly touted freshman in Patric Young that will pose as a key threat off the bench.

With Chandler Parson leading the way for the Gators Head Coach Billy Donovan should be smiling a lot during the conference slate of games.

The Gators received eight first place votes with the Ole Miss Rebels trailing with three, and the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers each with two.

Ole Miss returned their senior lead guard Chris Warren, and surrounded him with an elite freshman like Demarco Cox. Not to mention, starters Zach Graham, Murphy Holloway, and Terrance Henry were reserved for the upcoming season.

Expect the Rebels to be dancing this season rather making a run at the NIT Championship.

Kentucky, as expected, reloaded for another year of College Basketball. They retained DeAndre Liggins, and brought in Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones, Enes Kanter and many other freshmen that can make an instant impact.

With the notion that Kanter will not receive eligibility, the Wildcats deserve the spot given. With Kanter, the Wildcats could challenge for the top spot in the SEC.

My sleeper is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Freshman guard Trevor Releford will have the Tide rolling high with returning players JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell, Senario Hillman, Chris Hines and more.

This year's team to watch is the Georgia Bulldogs. Yes, they received one first place vote, but they should have gotten more. Trey Thompkins, and Travis Leslie both returned for the Bulldogs. Last season, the duo almost scored 50 percent of the Bulldogs points.

This year they added freshman Marcus Thornton, and returned starters Jeremy Price, along with Dustin Ware.

With electrifying Travis Leslie, the Bulldogs will challenge for the first place slot in the SEC. Brandon Knight of Kentucky, Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins of Georgia, Jeffery Taylor of Vandy, and Chris Warren of Ole Miss were all First SEC-Team.

Overall, the SEC Conference should be among the toughest basketball conferences in all of College Basketball. The SEC has some of College Basketball's most electrifying athletes.

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Florida Gets Commitment From 2012 Guard Michael Frazier

Posted by CoHoops Paul Seaver

When taking a look at the ESPNU Super 60 for the class of 2012, only four prospects preparing for their junior seasons in high school have announced their verbal decisions.

Michael Frazier became the fourth to do so when he announced his verbal commitment to the University of Florida.

The Tampa, Florida native made the decision to remain in-state, giving Gators head coach Billy Donovan his first recruit from the class of 2012.

Donovan landed elite shooting guard Bradley Beal from the class of 2011 and also had a commitment from Austin Rivers (currently undecided). However, Rivers re-opened his recruitment and many people believe Duke may be his ultimate destination.

Donovan appears to have moved forward though in earning the verbal from Frazier. The 6-foot-4 guard is known for his smooth shooting touch and should fit perfectly into Billy Donovan's offensive system.

Michael Frazier chose the Gators over a long list of suitors which included fellow Florida schools Miami (FL), Florida State, Central Florida, and South Florida, along with receiving interest from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Stanford.

According to ESPN's recruiting expert Paul Biancardi, Frazier is a star on the court, as well as off the court, known for his excellent grades and active volunteer. There isn't much doubt he should be a great addition to the Florida program.


*Photo: Michael Frazier *Credit: rivals.com


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College Thrice: What Prospects Can Join Forces to Create a Big-Three?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The biggest thing buzzing in the sports world lately has been LeBron James joining the Miami Heat with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. 

That was a good move, just bad execution. However, the buzz that has been surrounding this only sparked an idea.

In the 2011 recruiting class, there are a ton of players that are most likely one-and-done. 

I say that because quite-frankly they're just that good. I surely hope to have Quincy Miller, Michael Gilchrist, and others for all four-years, but we all know that's not happening.

But what if in the years we had these prospects they joined forces with a team to win a National Championship? 

Something like James, Bosh and Wade has done with Miami.

It wouldn't be crazy to think it couldn't happen, in fact, if it did here are the players that I think could join forces and win a National Championship; and where they should go.

Quincy Miller is the first piece to the puzzle. He is the dynamic 6-foot-9 guard-forward. He is very long and has the ability to be a very successful player.

He rebounds, scores, and brings more passion to the game than any other prospect in the country.

With his maturity and mentality to step up in big games, he is a must for a lot of college programs out there. He kind of reminds me of Kevin Durant.

He almost does just about everything Durant did on his way to college. 

Miller has a lot of interested colleges after his services. Yesterday's tweet said he was a "student-athlete, not an athlete-student" means he could go anywhere in the world if he wanted to.

Next up, on the wing is Michael Gilchrist. To many recruiting sites, Gilchrist is the best the 2011 class has to offer. He is 6-foot-7 and has the ability to do just about anything he wants.

He isn't about flash, but he knows how to get the job done. He puts his team in position to win every game.

Not to mention, he is a potent-rebounder and has the ability to develop into a weak-side shot blocker.

Lastly, add Austin Rivers to the mix. Rivers is a great scoring threat. He can be Mr. Everything on offense. 

He has the ability to stretch the floor with his deadly three-point shot. Not to mention, he is one of the most difficult defenders to grasp in the one-on-one. He showcases nifty jab steps and crossovers before scoring on the defender.

He gets good lift on his shot and is so hard to block because of his quick release.

Along with his shot, he likes to take it to the rim a lot. He has the ability to finish strong through contact with both hands.

Rivers isn't rated the No. 2 overall prospect for nothing.

So, if you get Miller, Gilchrist and Rivers together, to create a College thrice, where would they go?

Well, the only similar college on their list of interest is Kentucky. However, I wouldn't want to see each of these players go to Kentucky and not win a thing again. 

They'll need to go somewhere with depth, talent, a great coach and the ability to win games.

There are several colleges out there that fit the criteria, so I'll give you three scenarios.

Louisville Cardinals - Head Coach Rick Pitino

So with a familiar college on Miller's list, Louisville could be a possible destination. Louisville could surround these three collectively with young playmakers.

Not to mention, they have Rick Pitino, one of the better college coaches in the nation.

Teaming up in Louisville will be a very smart thing if this was to happen.

Look at the projected starting lineup:

[PG - Peyton Siva, SG - Austin Rivers, SF - Michael Gilchrist, PF - Quincy Miller, C - Gorgui Sy Dieng]

Now you can't tell me you wouldn't live with that roster. Also, coming off the bench would be: Kyle Kuric, Rakeem Buckles, George Goode, Jared Swopshire, and Terrence Jennings.

Indiana Hoosiers - Head Coach Tom Crean

Indiana has always been a basketball state. However, the proceeding year, Indiana has been on the wrong side of the losing column.

Now with Tom Crean at the helm, Indiana should be back on its feet. Indiana is on Gilchrist's list as a possible destination, even though he committed to Kentucky.

However, with these three players in the basketball capital, they could make history.

Look at the projected starting lineup:

[PG - Austin Rivers, SG -Maurice Creek, SF - Michael Gilchrist, PF - Quincy Miller, C - Christian Watford]  

Off the bench would be: Verdell Jones III, Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo, Will Sheehey, and Guy-Marc Michel.

Florida Gators - Head Coach Billy Donavan

Earlier last decade, Florida was back-to-back National Champions in college basketball. They had a big-three of Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and Corey Brewer.

Billy Donavan has done a fair share of developing players. So why not choose Florida? This is a familiar college on Rivers list.

Florida would be the best possible fit. Not only are they equipped with talent already, but Donavan will help as the coach.

Look at the projected starting lineup:

[PG - Kenny Boynton, SG - Austin Rivers, SF - Michael Gilchrist, PF - Quincy Miller, PF - Patric Young]

Off the bench would be: Ray Shipman, Erving Walker, Casey Prather, Cody Larson Kyle McClanahan and Erik Murphy.

Now if this was to happen, I would like to see these three in one of the destinations above. However, I doubt this is being thought of.

A big three in college basketball is rare, but if it was to happen, these three players would be the ones I would want to see join forces.

There would be no doubt in my mind that these three could win it all. Miller has leadership, Gilchrist has the winner’s mentality, and Rivers provides the scoring. What more could you ask for?

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Add "Contender" To the Florida Gators Resume

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Last era is marked with the back-to-back National Championship winner, Florida Gators. 

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. And the Gators were moving forward with Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer. 

Being a National Champion was also a feather in the cap of both the Gator and their fans.

However, once Horford, Noah and Brewer left to play in the NBA, the Gators relied on their top ranked 2007 recruiting class to help them continue success. 

They brought in Nick Calathes, Chandler Parsons, Adam Allen, Jai Lucas, and Alex Tyus. 

All five of these players were considered to be one of the best in the recruiting class. Especially Calathes and Parsons, they created a lot of thrill coming out of high school. 

Many suspected to see all these players to continue the Gators dominance.

On the other hand, things went in a different way! In their first season together they were a 21-win team when the regular season ended. 

They weren't invited to the NCAA tournament, but did make a run to the NIT semi-finals before losing to the Massachusetts Minutemen. 

That was not the ultimate season but the Gators did see the potential in their talented but young team. 

The next season, nothing improved, the Gators were granted a NIT berth. After another NIT loss and Calathes left for the NBA draft. 

That left a hole in the backcourt that Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker would curb.

Just last year, the Gators were finally granted a NCAA berth, led by freshmen Boynton. 

Parsons and Tyus both stepped up significantly and Florida has some clarity. 

The Gators lost Dan Werner and Ray Shipman from last year's first-round team. 

They returned everyone else and brought in a great recruiting class. Patric Young, the exciting McDonalds All-American and Casey Prather are going to be in blue and orange next season.

Young is an electrifying shot-blocker in the post. He stands at 6-foot-9 but still has the ability to alter and block a lot of shots. Also, he will be very good in the pick-and-roll. 

His ability to finish around the rim will allow him to jump and catch alley-oops while rolling to the basket. 

Prather is 6-foot-6 wingman. He is a great slasher to the rim displaying soft hands and the ability to find teammates. 

Cody Larson, Scottie Wilbekin, Will Yequete will also be huge contributors. Not to mention, the transfer of Mike Rosario will pay off down the road.

The Gators 2010 recruiting class, mixed with last season's success has solidified them as contenders. I expect them to make a deep run in the tournament this season. 

Though Walker and Boynton will sparkle on their decision-making, the Gators have the chance to make a great run in the tournament next year.

As said correctly, victory is sweetest when you've known defeat. I wish them all the good luck for future!