Find Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Bookmark & Share
0

Rally Cat Report: New semester, new goals

January 21, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories, Football

Kicking it back up in full force is what the Rally Cats have been doing this past week. School work, workouts, practice and sleep are the only things that have been on all of our minds as we get ourselves re adjusted to the new semester. We are all enjoying the little amounts of free time we have left, because after this weekend, practices pick up, games are constant, and workouts are a must. Even though we have a very intense and busy schedule ahead of us, we are all looking forward to spending even more time with each other than we did last semester, and we look forward to growing together as a team.

We are currently in the process of learning a variety of different halftime performances that we will perform at the rest of the home basketball games. We are very excited that we will be able to dance more and show off our skills during all of these important games that are quickly approaching. On Tuesday, January 25th, we will be performing an entertaining hip hop routine that was choreographed by our very own Junior Captain, Christi King. It is great getting back into the swing of things with the team, and being able to learn fun, new, high energy halftime routines that we will be able to perform for the public. Since the basketball schedule is tightly packed into the next three months, we will constantly be learning new routines and perfecting them, so we look our best when we step out onto the court.

On top of the intense home basketball schedule, we are also hoping to travel to the ACC tournament with the team in mid March. If Clemson makes it into the tournament, six lucky Rally Cats will be traveling with them on the exciting journey, cheering them on every step of the way. Not only are we looking forward to that opportunity, but we are also looking forward to traveling to Daytona Beach in mid April for the NDA national competition! We have a lot of preparing to do for that competition, which is what our future weekends will consist of; Nationals practice!

As it was very exciting to watch the Tigers play at UNC this past Tuesday, we are all hoping to cheer the Tigers on for a Win when they have another match up in Littlejohn on Saturday, February 12th! However, we have three games that lead up to the UNC game that start next Tuesday, when the Tigers take on NC State in Littlejohn at 7pm! Come out and help us Rally Cats cheer on our Clemson Tigers, and enjoy a very entertaining hip hop halftime show performed by yours truly, The Clemson Rally Cats!

GO TIGERS!

Tags ,
Comments: #0
1

Welcome to our STATE

January 21, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories, Football

This is our “State”. By now, you’ve seen the billboards or at least glanced at a photo of one. You know the one, Dan Mullen welcomes travelers to our great state with the clear message that MSU is the leader in Mississippi. My initial thought was simply, “what a great snapshot of where Mississippi State stands right now… on top”.

That’s right… on top! The Bulldogs are leading the way in the state of Mississippi and you need not look any further than the current leadership to see why.

For the first time in a very long time the Bulldogs are united from Dr. Keenum to Scott Stricklin, Dan Mullen to the ticket taker, everyone is on the same page with the message we’re here to win. It isn’t just talk; they’re backing their promises up with wins on the field and growth on campus. If Mississippi State is involved the clear goal is to lead the way.

This newfound attitude didn’t happen overnight, it has been and continues to be a process, a process that requires dedication and determination to push the “People’s University” to the forefront.

Just this morning State’s athletic director gave a great example as to their purpose in one of his early morning tweets.

“Our 3 “Foundations” for success: 1) focus on student-athletes; 2) possess great integrity & 3) aggressively promote Mississippi State,” this was his message. It is just a simple reminder that Mississippi State knows who they are and where they are going.

This philosophy that guides State has led them into uncharted waters, at least from my vantage point. They are going places and doing things they’ve not dared to dream of. Sure, there have been successful periods in the past, but never has MSU had the leadership it needed when the opportunity was present.

Bulldog Club memberships are up. University donations are increasing. They are on the verge of announcing a multi-million dollar gift. Facilities are improving. Stadium expansion plans are in the works. The bottom line is that Mississippi State has become an intelligently aggressive university.

Time to step forward…

For the first time in my lifetime, Mississippi State is in a true leverage position in the state. And the time has come for the fans to realize the opportunity the University has in front of it.

I’m not being critical of the MSU fan base, you’ve been amazing. Record season ticket sales, stadium sellouts, and wearing Maroon with pride. No question the Bulldog faithful have been doing their part.

That being said, it is time for the fan base to take the next step, changing the mindset. I’m not talking about the woe-is-me attitude… I’m saying it is time to think and act like leaders. You do it every day in your day-to-day lives. You run your company as a leader. You lead in your community. Now it is time to lead as a fan of Mississippi State.

The time has passed where you’re overly concerned with the antics and tactics from a rival university. As a leader you will always be attacked and undermined, but because you are leader you’re prepared for those events.

I’m not suggesting you turn the other cheek… just the opposite. By leading the way you handle the threats as they come at you not ignore them.

Case-in-point… our rival university is currently employing the tactics to slander Mississippi State, spreading rumors and false information with the goal of impacting State’s current recruiting class.

The plan is designed to get a reaction from the MSU fanbase, not MSU leadership. They want fans to react with venom and disgust, ultimately taking the focus off of the 9-4 season and Gator Bowl victory, not to mention back-to-back Egg Bowl victories.

The one flaw in the plan is that it requires a negative fan reaction. If the fans don’t react … the plan doesn’t have the desired impact.

So the challenge is with us… are we going to help the adversary’s cause by reacting in a negative fashion or will be react with the realization they have made themselves irrelevant?

For years the guys up north have lived with the completely misplaced attitude that MSU is inferior. They simply projected the falsehood as a fact. Now the shoe is on the other foot and you have the chance to factually tell them they are no longer relevant. The Bulldogs are now driving the bus and there is simply nothing they can do to change that fact.

Mississippi State has moved past the days where the only game that matters is the rivalry game. Sure that game is big, bigger than the others, but State is now about competing for and winning championships and that requires goals that are much bigger than beating your rivals. The players believe it, the coaches believe it, the administration believes it and now it is time for the fans to live it!

Winning is a learned behavior…

From day one we’ve heard Greg Byrne, Dan Mullen and Scott Stricklin preach the message of changing the culture to a winning culture. It took time. It took an aggressive plan. Now your university is in position to win and win consistently and with that comes a new set of difficulties.

When you win you’ll have an increase in coaches leaving for other jobs. You’ll have more attacks from your rivals. You’ll have to learn how to deal with expectations. And I think we all would agree…what a great set of problems to have!

As fans we all need to learn to trust in the plan and the people in place at MSU. They have proven they can adapt to change and make good hires when needed. Gone are the days when there is a need for panic when a coach leaves.

As a group we need to learn from others who have experienced winning at a high level for an extended period of time. Take Florida for example… for years their coaches have been plucked from their system yet they don’t panic, they just make a solid hire. When Urban Meyer stepped down they just went out and got the guy they wanted. Texas didn’t panic… they hired Manny Diaz. That’s just how it works with programs that win. The time has come to accept that Mississippi State is moving in the right direction and with that will come the problems of winning.

Know that the Bulldogs are there yet, but with a couple more seasons of winning and New Year’s day games, Starkville will cease to be a mere stopover until something better comes along.

At the end of the day…

When you stop and think about it, Mississippi State has come a long way in a very short period of time. The mindset has changed. Expectations have increased. The passion for the Maroon and White is off the charts. Know that the leadership at Mississippi State is focused on delivering a product and a reputation we can all be proud of.

We’re not going to win every game. We’re not going to get everyone recruit. However, you can rest assured Mississippi State is focused on the task at hand… win with integrity.

Isn’t it time we’re all on the same page…

Tags
Comments: #1
0

Gators win despite themselves

January 21, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories

Ugly. Brutal. Awful.

Those are three words that can describe Florida’s performance Thursday night at Auburn.

But in the end, the only thing that really matters is this: UF 45, AU 40.

In what was possibly their worst performance of the season, the Gators were fortunate the Tigers are just that bad, or else Florida (14-4) would not be tied with South Carolina atop the SEC East with a 3-1 league mark.

Coach Billy Donovan tried to put a positive spin on the game.

“It was one of the best wins I’ve been a part of,” Donovan said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of a game as a player or a coach watching us struggle to shoot the ball as badly as we did.”

How horrendous was it?

Finishing with the lowest point total in the 15-year, 488-game Donovan Era, the Gators were victorious despite making just 15-of-53 shots (28.3 percent), including only 5-of-26 from three-point range (19.2 percent). And they were equal opportunity clankers, shooting 27.6 percent in the first half and 29.2 percent in the second.

Additionally, they had 14 turnovers compared to just nine assists and went scoreless at one point for 7:21 and another for 5:56 and yet another for 4:17.

Fortunately for Florida, Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, a combined 6-for-28 from the field (4-for-18 on threes), sank the biggest shots they took.

Auburn (7-11, 0-4) had a 40-37 lead with 1:51 remaining when Boynton drilled a three-pointer just to the left of the top of the key. After a stop, Walker followed up with a long-ball of his own 37 seconds later before drawing a charge on the Tigers’ Earnest Ross (11 points, three rebounds) with 56.1 seconds to play.

If positives (aside from the win) can be taken from the game, UF did shoot 10-for-14 (71.4 percent) from the foul line, included in that was a 5-for-5 first half. And Auburn was held scoreless for the final 3:30 of the contest. The Gators also ended the dry spell in rebound differential.

After outrebounding 13 of 14 non-conference opponents, Mississippi and South Carolina grabbed more boards than UF, while Tennessee and Florida pulled down the same number.

Led by Chandler Parsons’ and Vernon Macklin’s six each, the Gators finished the game with a 40-32 rebounding advantage.

But really, that’s about it. As far as memories go, this one would best be forgotten.

FREE THROWS
*Senior center Vernon Macklin played despite strep throat. He scored six points and grabbed six rebounds in 19 minutes. Freshman Patric Young started in Macklin’s place and contributed two points, three rebounds, one blocked shot and a steal in 19 minutes.

*Sophomore power forward Erik Murphy returned after a four-game absence with a foot injury. He didn’t score (going 0-for-2 from the floor), but did grab three rebounds in just six minutes.

*Auburn’s Ty Armstrong, who played for Gainesville Eastside High School through his junior year, returned from a season-long knee injury to score two points and grab three rebounds in eight minutes against his former hometown team. His Tigers held a halftime lead, 24-23, for the first time this year in SEC play.

PATTON’S PICKS
Gator(Gr)ade: D (only this high because they won)
Gator Player of the Game: No award given.
Opposing Players of the Game: Earnest Ross came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting (3-for-4 on three-pointers) with three rebounds and a game-high three steals.
Play/sequence of the Game: Erving Walker sank a three-pointer and followed that up by drawing a charge on Ross. Both came with right around a minute to play.
Stat of the Game: The winning team shot 28.3 percent from the floor.
Next Up: The Gators will host Arkansas (12-5, 2-2) on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Tags , , , ,
Comments: #0
1

UF board games: A glass monopoly

January 19, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories

Call it playing a tougher schedule. Call it facing coaching staffs with more familiarity with what they do. Call it their own fault.

No matter what you call it, the truth is there. Florida, once considered among the top rebounding teams in the nation, hasn’t been so dominant since the beginning of Southeastern Conference play.

Prior to the SEC opener against Mississippi a week-and-a-half ago, the Gators had outrebounded 13-of-14 opponents.

The one glitch: Morehead State and power forward Kenneth Faried, a magna cum laude graduate of the Dennis Rodman School of Glass Cleaning.

Yes, Ohio State, Xavier, Central Florida, Kansas State and Florida State, among others, had been on the short end of team boards against UF.

But through three SEC games, the Gators are 0-2-1 in team rebounding and now rank seventh overall in the conference with 37.8 boards-a-game (a semi-deceiving statistic because rebounds are based on missed shots and some games have fewer of those).

Florida has just two players – No. 18 Chandler Parsons (6.5 rpg) and No. 19 Vernon Macklin (6.4) – in the SEC’s top 20 rebounders, though that is due in part to having more post depth than most.
The numbers aren’t overwhelmingly negative – Florida is only a minus-1.33 in conference play – but consider UF is plus-6.7 overall (and dropping), and it begs the question: Is there something wrong?

The SEC’s active leader in career rebounds with 687, Parsons said there is blame to go all around.

“The SEC is a physical conference,” UF’s senior swingman said. “I know the teams are a lot bigger and stronger here.

“(The problem is) just our mindset. We’ve got to come each game with the mentality we’re going to win the game on the defensive end. We’ve just got to keep rebounding.

“We’ve got great size (and) great depth. So we’ve just got to keep going to the glass on the offensive end and just keep blocking out our man on the defensive end, not giving up second chances.”

Parsons says the team can get “satisfied” when its offensive game is going well (which it has of late, scoring an average of 76.4 points in the last five games), but need continue defensive focus.

Another issue has been foul shots.

Not that it has been a positive for the Gators all year, but since SEC play started, UF has made just 38-of-59 free throws, a 64.4-percent clip. In all, Florida ranks 11th in the conference in foul shooting at 65.1 percent. Only South Carolina, which has beaten the Gators in the O’Connell Center, is making the so-called freebies at a worse rate (62.2 percent).

Parsons called his own 52.9-percent showing “confusing” because of how well he is shooting overall from the field (50.7 percent, ninth in the SEC) and on three-pointers (41.9 percent, fifth in conference).

Even steady Erving Walker (75.3 percent, 14th in the SEC) had issues, missing the foul shot on a potential three-point play, as well as the front end of a 1-and-1 late against the Gamecocks last Saturday.

The junior point guard said he has to let go of his recent troubles.

“(The misses last game are) out of my hands,” said Walker, recently passed by Kenny Boynton (76.6 percent) for the team lead in foul shooting. “Sometimes, things happen.

“I know I’m a good free throw shooter, and I’m confident stepping up to the line. I don’t want to jinx myself, but it’s rare that I just keep missing free throws. So, I just (need) to focus on the next one and be focused on the foul line.”

MIDWEEK PICKS: Here are my picks for the SEC games scheduled for this Tuesday-Thursday.

The best game goes to tonight’s Kentucky at Alabama tilt. The Crimson Tide can win this one, but I think the Big Blue pull out a tight one, 75-74.

Tennessee will fall again, this time at Georgia, 79-64.

Wednesday brings a pair of pick ‘em-types, so I will go with the home team in each. Let’s go South Carolina 68, Arkansas 62 and Vanderbilt 66, Mississippi 60.

The Gators take the court again Thursday night at Auburn.

Walker said there was a “slippage” in a couple of practices last week leading up to the South Carolina game. He added practices this week have gone very well. Because the Gators tend to play the way they practice, I think Florida gets back on track with a comfortable 71-52 victory.

Tags , , ,
Comments: #1
1

Little big man comes up big vs. Rebels

January 9, 2011
Filed In Basketball

You could call him Little Big Man. At just 5-foot-8, it’s tough to visualize Erving Walker taking over a game. But when he comes out in burst of energy and things are clicking, Walker darts around the floor like a whirling dervish, wreaking havoc on his opponent.

They could also call him Freddie Kilowatt, because when the competitive juices start flowing, the junior guard from New York sends a charge of electricity through the arena.

Billy Donovan sees Walker “get that look on is face” and knows that the juice is coming. He only worries that because of his outgoing energy that Walker might get overly tired.

Sometimes the juice can short circuit Walker and send him off on an out-of-control tangent. Because he does everything so fast and it looks so much worse — or so much better – when it comes in bunches.

A good bunch can be a think to behold, as it was Saturday night at the O’Connel Center when Walker was on a mission to lead his team to victory in its opening game of Southeastern Conference play with a 77-71 win over Ole Miss.

It proved to be a bit of a shootout between Walker and Mississippi’s brilliant Chris Warren, both of whom led their teams with 20. Except that Walker had 13 in the second half and Warren scored all 20 of his.

Most importantly, when they needed Freddie Kilowatt, Walker came through with a steal or an assistant or three-pointer at just the right time as Florida staved off the Rebels, who came storming back to overcome an 11-point halftime deficit. Terrence Henry’s bucket with just under 10 minutes put his team ahead of the Gators, 53-51.

This would be the big test for Billy Donovan’s team, which has shown a propensity for giving up leads this season. Walker’s three-pointer put Florida on top, 57-53, with 8:41 to play, but it was tied at 59 with 6:44 to play.

Enter Little Big Man, who not only made a critical bucket and steal, but also his 15th point to put him over the 1,000 mark — only the 47th player in Florida history to accomplish that feat.

The big shot was a runner in the lane, about 10 feet, and it put the Gators on top for good, 63-61, as Walking chalked up his 15th of 20 points.

There wasn’t much made of Walker’s milestone, although the PA announcer did bring it up during halftime. His coaches or his teammates didn’t say anything or offer kudos. All Erving talked about in the post-game was the ability of Florida to stave off the run of Ole Miss and “hang together.”

The tie goes to the runner in baseball and the tie goes to the winner in hoops. So chalk this one up to Erving Walker over Chris Warren, whom Donovan feared would take over the game in the second half — and sort of did with his 20 points

Donovan doesn’t see Walker as a one-up kind of competitor, however, saying that “Erving probably would say, ‘OK, you got 20 in the second half – but I won.’ He’s got that kind of disposition. He likes that kind of competitiveness and when it gets amped up competitively, he gets into those sort of bursts where he starts doing things and making things happen.”

As for Walker surpassing the 1,000-point plateau, Donovan joked about how it will be remembered by the competitive, cocky junior guard.

“That’ll be something that he’ll talked to his kids (about) when he’s forty,” said Donovan. “He’ll say he left here as the all-time leading scorer, in his mind, and a couple of guys passed him after he graduated.”

SHORT SHOTS: It may not seem like Chandler Parsons is posting big numbers — and you look at his 12th career double-double Monday night of 18 points and 12 rebounds, and that he has now passed Taurean Green and Nick Calathes on the all-time scoring list . . . Parsons also went into Saturday night’s game against Ole Miss with 39 rebounds in his last four games, then added 17 points and 7 rebounds in the 77-71 win over the Rebels … The Gators have now scored 70 or more points for the third straight game for the first time ever … Kenny Boynton scored a four-point play for the third straight game … He made seven in his career at Florida.

Tags , , , ,
Comments: #1
1

Dawgs slammed by Tide

January 9, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State opened its “new season” on Saturday when the SEC opener against Alabama. But the same old problems seemed to carry over from the non-conference slate.

Trailing by just one (27-26) at halftime, the Bulldogs saw Alabama reel off a 14-1 early in the second half and the Tide never looked back en route to a 75-57 victory.

“Well, even as horribly as we had played, at halftime even though we were down one I felt like we had won the half,” said MSU head coach Rick Stansbury. “I didn’t think we could play any worse. But I found out the second half we could.”

After playing solid defense in the first half, Alabama shot nearly 60 percent in the second half. And on the other end of the floor, MSU had no answer on offense and shot just 33 percent from the field. The Bulldogs were just 5-of-24 beyond the arc and just 10-of-20 at the charity stripe.

Saturday marked the first game for MSU junior guard Dee Bost. But his game was obviously rusty, and he scored 14 points but on 5-of-16 shooting. Bost was also just 3-of-9 at the free throw line.

MSU sophomore Renardo Sidney also made his debut to SEC basketball. After a good defensive first half and holding Alabama’s JyMchael Green to just two points, Sidney struggled on both ends in the second half.

“It was very obvious Dee Bost was no factor,” said Stansbury. “He had no legs and had no shot and had nothing. But it’s not his fault. And Shug (Sidney), he just couldn’t finish in the second half. We couldn’t get any stops, couldn’t get into a rhythm and kinda like starting over out there today.

“Hopefully (Sidney) understand what it takes now to be at this level with his conditioning. I thought he did well, defensively, in the first half but got  tired. You can’t play 20 minutes and it’s a 40-minute game.”

Trevor Releford led Alabama with 17 points while Green added 16 points and 11 boards. In the Tide’s game-changing 14-1 second half run, Green produced six of the 14 points.

“He hit some jumpers,” said Stansbury of Green. “We missed some and he hit some jumpers. He made them and gave them some energy. We point-blank missed some and it didn’t help us.

“We just never got anything going out there today, rhythm-wise.”

Bost led MSU in scoring while Kodi Augustus shot just five times but still scored 11 points and had 11 boards. Sophomore Wendell Lewis had a career-best 10 points for the Bulldogs in 16 minutes of action.

In his 26 minute of action, Sidney had two points, nine rebounds and five turnovers. MSU’s Ravern Johnson also struggled from the field, missed 13 of 16 shots and hitting just two-of-ten beyond the arc.

“It just seemed like they got all the loose balls and made all the plays,” said Augustus. “They got to the free-throw line a lot. We’ve got to get our rhythm and get some chemistry.

“The pick and roll is hard to defend but we have to know what they are running and be there.”

For Bost, it was a bitter-sweet feeling Saturday at Humphrey Coliseum. Yes, it was his first time to return to the floor but he noted the team has a long ways to go.

“It felt good to be back out there but it wasn’t good that we lost,” said Bost. “I am just trying to get my legs back under me. We are gonna make a run so no worries right now. We just had no movement and I felt at one time we gave up. We have to keep pushing through it.

“My shot wasn’t there but at the same time, I should still knock them down. I’ve been playing this game a long time so I should make them.”

Tags , , , , , ,
Comments: #1
1

Gators host Rebels to open SEC play

January 8, 2011
Filed In Basketball

Southeastern Conference play begins Saturday night for the Gators, and the visitors not only are coming off a season where they shared the Western Division crown, they are among the favorites to do so again.

However, there is a big difference in the talent-heavy East and Mississippi’s only so-so West.

The RPIs bear this out.

In the West, only the Rebels (12-3) have an RPI in the nation’s top-60 (they sit 55th). The East, meanwhile, includes five teams with RPIs in the top-60.

Kentucky (12-2) is the highest, with an RPI of five. The Gators (11-3) aren’t far back at 13. Tennessee (10-4) is 27th and Georgia (11-2) is 58th.

Of the Eastern teams, only South Carolina (9-4, RPI 160) ranks low. Still, even that number would be third in the West, behind Mississippi and Arkansas (10-3, RPI 140).

So, while the rest of the West doesn’t appear to offer much in the way of resistance, Ole Miss just might.

While not quite as balanced as UF, which has all five starters averaging between 9.3 and 13.9 points-a-game, the Rebels have four starters averaging between 8.6 and 18.5 points for the season.

However, Florida has owned this series of late, winning eight of the last nine meetings, including last February’s 64-61 victory in Oxford. The Gators also have won five straight at home in the series, by an average margin of 19 points.

In fact, UF handled not just the Rebels, but the entire West last season, going 6-0. And that domination has been in effect since 2000, as UF has gone 54-16 (29-4 at home) against the other division.

If the Gators continue to play like they did in their two most recent outings – comfortable wins at Xavier and home against Rhode Island – they will get off to a great start in conference play.

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Mississippi
1. Rebels’ senior Chris Warren, an Orlando native, is one of the SEC’s best guards and is second in the league in scoring at 18.5 ppg. In order to win, Ole Miss likely needs a big game out of its point guard. Will UF be able to slow him down?

2. Mississippi enters the contest averaging 78.1 points-a-game, third-best in the SEC. Florida, meanwhile, is allowing just 59.4 ppg. Obviously, something has to give here. What will it be, the Rebels’ offense or Florida’s defense?

3. Gator senior center Vernon Macklin has nursed knee and shoulder injuries this year, yet he has remained effective. The possibility exists he will be guarded by a 6-foot-8 freshman (Demarco Cox). Will Macklin be able to dominate this matchup?

4. These are two very good rebounding teams. Florida enters with a plus-8.5 average rebounding margin, while Ole Miss is at plus-6.0. Who will win the battle of the boards?

5. Gator junior point guard Erving Walker needs just 14 points to reach 1,000 for his career. Will he reach the milestone during this game, and, if so, when?

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR/ANSWERS FROM
Rhode Island
1. Who will be the Gator called upon to defend Rhode Island standout Delroy James the most, and how will he do?
Answer: The Gators used a variety of defenders, and James finished with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds. He was pretty much all of Rhode Island’s offense.

2. Vernon Macklin had to leave the victory against Xavier with a shoulder injury. He did return to the game and participated in the Gators’ most recent practice. Will the injury hinder him?
Answer: The injury was significant enough to warrant giving freshman Patric Young his first career start at center. However, Macklin did play and contributed six points, three rebounds and a blocked shot in 22 minutes.

3. Erving Walker has scored between 18 and 21 points in each of the last three games. Can he continue his scoring run?
Answer: Walker finished with 14 points, five assists and a pair of steals. I awarded Chandler Parsons the “player of the game”, but many readers said they felt Walker deserved the nod.

4. Following UF’s two previous “biggest victories of the season”, the Gators came back with a loss. Can they reverse that trend here, just a few days after snapping Xavier’s 30-game homecourt winning streak?
Answer: The Gators looked tremendous, earning their second consecutive “A” grade from this writer. They dominated start-to-finish.

5. Florida backup power forward Erik Murphy is a Rhode Island native. He isn’t going home for this one, but no doubt he is excited. How will he fare?
Answer: Murphy missed the game with a sprained foot. He was scheduled to miss 5-10 days.

GAME 15 PREVIEW
FLORIDA GATORS (11-3)
Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics
G: Erving Walker, 5-8/171, JR, 13.9 points per game, 3.1 assists per game
G: Kenny Boynton, 6-2/183, SO, 12.3 points per game, 2.6 assists per game
F: Chandler Parsons, 6-10/218, SR, 9.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game
F: Alex Tyus, 6-8/220, SR, 9.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game
C: Vernon Macklin, 6-10/240, SR, 10.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game
Head coach: Billy Donovan (342-142 in 15th season at Florida; 377-162 in 17th season as a head coach)

MISSISSIPPI REBELS (12-3)
Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics
G: Chris Warren, 5-10/168, SR, 18.5 points per game, 4.3 assists per game
G:Nick Williams, 6-4/215, SO, 8.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game
G: Zach Graham, 6-6/210, SR, 14.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game
F: Terrance Henry, 6-10/210, JR, 8.8 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game
C: Demarco Cox, 6-8/295, FR, 2.5 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game
Head coach: Andy Kennedy (97-53 in fifth season at Mississippi, and 118-66 in six years overall)

When: Saturday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m.
Where: Stephen C. O’Connell Center
TV/Radio: CSS/Gator Radio Network/Sirius 121/XM 141
Tickets: Available. Contact the University of Florida ticket office at (352) 374-4683 ex: 6800, or visit www.gatorzone.com.

Notable: Entering Saturday night, these two programs have played exactly 100 times. Florida holds a 58-42 series lead. … UF is 22-2 all-time when Walker dishes out at least five assists. … Walker and sophomore shooting guard Kenny Boynton have combined for 56 of Florida’s 77 three-pointers this season. … Walker is averaging 17.2 ppg over his last five games, the best scoring stretch of the year so far for any Gator player. For the year Walker is making 45.1-percent of his three-point attempts, easily the best on Florida’s roster. … The Gators have 73 offensive rebounds combined in their four most recent games. For the year UF is averaging 13.9 offensive boards-a-game. Florida leads the SEC in offensive rebound percentage (42.2). … Rhode Island entered Monday’s game averaging 8.3 made three-pointers. The Gators limited the Rams to just 4-of-23 from deep. … Chandler Parsons’ 18 points against URI gave him 1,184 for his career, third-best among active players in the SEC. That total moves him past Taurean Green (1,174) and Parsons’ former college, high school and AAU teammate, Nick Calathes (1,170). … Parsons has pulled down nearly 10 rebounds-a-game over his last four. The 6-10 senior swingman has 39 total boards during that stretch. His 670 career boards leads all current SEC players. … Ole Miss has won nine of 10 games. … The Rebels feature nine players averaging at least 12 minutes-a-game. … Mississippi leads the SEC in team free-throw shooting (74.5-percent). … Florida has been outrebounded only once all season, by Kenneth Faried-led Morehead State on Nov. 21. … Coach Billy Donovan is 11-6 all-time against the Rebels. … If Florida wins 13 conference games this year, that will give Donovan 150 victories in conference for his career. … UF is 123-14 during the last five years when holding opponents to 70 or fewer points (11-1 in 2010-11). … The Gators are 4-0 this year when recording at least 10 steals. In 11 wins this year, UF is averaging 7.6 steals and are forcing 14.8 turnovers. … Florida has no more non-conference games remaining this regular season. … In the lifetime series with Mississippi, Florida is 2-1 in games decided by a point. Oddly, the Gators are 3-7 in games decided by two points and 2-3 in games decided by three points.

PAST EXAMS AND GATOR(GR)ADES
Game 1: Florida 77, UNC Wilmington 60. Gator Player of the Game: Scottie Wilbekin (3 points, 5 assists, 4 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Chad Tomko (15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B– . Record: 1-0.

Game 2: Ohio State 93, Florida 75. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block); Opposing Players of the Game: David Lighty (26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal) and Jared Sullinger (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C. Record: 1-1.

Game 3: Florida 105, North Carolina A&T 55. Gator Player of the Game: Will Yeguete (7 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Thomas Coleman (8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A– . Record: 2-1.

Game 4: Florida 61, Morehead State 55. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Kenneth Faried (20 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots. Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C– . Record: 3-1.

Game 5: Florida 79, Florida Atlantic 63. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist) and Kenny Boynton (21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Greg Gantt (17 points, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B-. Record: 4-1.

Game 6: Florida 55, Florida State 51. Gator Player of the Game: Erik Murphy (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Michael Snaer (15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 5-1.

Game 7: Central Florida 57, Florida 54. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (20 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 8 rebounds); Opposing Player of the Game: Marcus Jordan (18 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 5-2.

Game 8: Florida 67, American 48. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Troy Brewer (17 points, 2 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 6-2.

Game 9: Florida 65, Kent State 52. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (20 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist) and Vernon Macklin (19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, 1 steal, 1 assist); Opposing Player of the Game: Carlton Guyton (14 points, 4-of-6 on three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 3 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 7-2.

Game 10: Florida 57, Kansas State 44. Gator Players of the Game: Kenny Boynton (15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 1 assist, helped limit Pullen to 6-of-17 shooting); Opposing Player of the Game: Jacob Pullen (19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 8-2.

Game 11: Jacksonville 71, Florida 68 (OT). Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Keith McDougald (team-high 18 points – 15 in the second half/overtime, 2 steals, 1 rebound). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D+. Record: 8-3.

Game 12: Florida 66, Radford 55. Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 20 points, including 5-of-7 on 3s, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Johnathan Edwards (team-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 9-3.

Game 13: Florida 71, Xavier 67. Gator Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (16 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal); Opposing Player of the Game: Tu Holloway (game-high 26 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 10-3.

Game 14: Florida 84, Rhode Island 59. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Delroy James (game-high 23 points, 6 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 11-3.

Tags , , , , ,
Comments: #1
1

MSU Guard expected to transfer

January 5, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories

Mississippi State is prepping for SEC play to begin this weekend and as of Wednesday they’ll be doing so without the services of point guard Twany Beckham. The sophomore has requested his release from the program in order to find a more suitable place to play basketball.

Sources have confirmed the Bulldog guard will leave MSU immediately in search of more playing time and a better situation for him.

Beckham has played in all 14 games this season for the Bulldogs averaging 2.9 points per game in 15.7 minutes of play. And while not having the season he was expecting he served a crucial role for his team as they navigated the nonconference slate of game with out Dee Bost, who will return this weekend.

While the Bulldogs could certainly use Beckham the remainder of the season to help with depth concerns, the move is likely in his best interest.

Looking forward to the likely return of Bost and the addition of signee Deville Smith, Beckham’s time would be limited in the future. By starting the transfer process now he could ease the transition into a new program.

At this point it is unclear where Beckham will land.

Stay tuned to more on this and other MSU news as the Bulldogs host Alabama on Saturday.

Tags , ,
Comments: #1
0

Parsons Leads Gators Past URI

January 4, 2011
Filed In Basketball, Feature Stories

Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan has said more than a few times this year that one of the keys to the Gators’ success is Chandler Parsons fully grasping the role of a point forward.

It hasn’t gone perfectly. The truth is, there have been many moments this season where members of the Gator Nation have wondered aloud why Parsons has been so passive.

Those days appear to be coming to an end after his performance in UF’s 84-59 beatdown of Rhode Island in front of an announced crowd of 8,016 on Monday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

There, Parsons did it all, scoring a season-high 18 points, dishing out a team-best five assists and pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds.

He then said a sentence that no doubt will excite Gator fans.

“I’m trying to be aggressive,” Parsons said.

If there have been issues with Parsons’ play this season, it hasn’t been with assists (he leads the team) or rebounds (passed Vernon Macklin on Monday for UF’s lead). It has been with his lack of scoring. Lack of shooting to be more precise.

Prior to his 7-for-12 effort against the Rams (9-5), Parsons hadn’t reached double figures in shot attempts since Nov. 21 against Morehead State, a span of 10 games. During that stretch, he had more than 10 points just once – when he put 13 up against American – and his scoring average steadily dropped from 14.5 ppg to 9.3 ppg.

Now, though, he appears to be playing with more confidence than he has all year. And that’s perfect timing, considering the Gators (11-3) open Southeastern Conference play on Saturday night against visiting Mississippi.

Even with all that, after recording his second double-double of the season and ninth of his career, Parsons says he is no different now than he was last week.

“I did the same thing yesterday, woke up in the same bed today,” Parsons said. “(I) just made shots. I’m going to keep shooting the ball. I’m a shooter.

“I’m going to keep shooting and I was fortunate enough to hit some (against URI). I’ve been getting in the gym, getting some shots up.

“I’ve got four more months here, so I’m just trying to be the best player I can be and help my team the best way I can.”

Parsons might have had the biggest game, but he wasn’t the only one who delivered a strong performance for the Gators.

Erving Walker continued his solid play with 14 points and five assists (though he did have four turnovers). In his first career start (Macklin’s shoulder injury limited him to 22 minutes off the bench), freshman center Patric Young was perfect from the field and foul line en route to eight points and five rebounds. And fellow freshman Scottie Wilbekin played a productive 22 minutes, scoring six points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out two assists, collecting a steal and having no turnovers.

But perhaps the most pleasant surprise for UF was the play of Casey Prather.

The athletic 6-foot-6 freshman swingman has had trouble keeping the coaching staff’s faith in him and also has been dealing with a painful bone bruise. However, he had arguably the best game of his young Gator career on Monday night.

After not playing in Florida’s 71-67 victory at Xavier last Friday, Prather scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting. He added five rebounds, three assists and just one turnover in 10 quality minutes.

Walker liked a lot of what he saw from his team.

“I think that (performance) was good,” Walker said. “It gives (the young players) confidence and lets them know that we need them.

“We’re going to need every man on this roster to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”

FREE THROWS
*Backup power forward Erik Murphy did not play against his home-state team. He has a mild foot sprain and is expected to miss five to 10 days.

*The Gators walloped the Rams on the boards, finishing with a 49-31 rebounding advantage. Rhode Island had just two more total rebounds than UF had defensive rebounds.

*Freshman power forward Will Yeguete injured his groin/hip flexor and will be evaluated on Tuesday.

PATTON’S PICKS
Gator(Gr)ade: A (back-to-back games)

Gator Player of the Game: Parsons finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, a blocked shot and a steal. It was his finest performance of the season.

Opposing Player of the Game: Delroy James scored a game-high 23 points, while also grabbing six rebounds. For a while it seemed like he was Rhode Island’s only offensive threat.

Play of the Game: With around 5:25 remaining in the first half, Parsons drove into the lane from the top left of the key. He delivered a nifty bounce pass in the lane to Young, who dunked the ball.

Stat of the Game: UF had a 12-0 advantage in fast-break points.

Next Up: The Gators will host Mississippi (11-3 heading into Wednesday’s game against Southern Methodist) to open Southeastern Conference play on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Comments: #0
0

Stitt leads Tigers over Citadel

January 3, 2011
Filed In Basketball

Demontez Stitt lead four Clemson players in double figures as Clemson (11-4) defeated The Citadel (5-9) 69-54 in front of 7,613 fans Sunday afternoon in Littlejohn Coliseum.

“I was pleased with our first half. We controlled the tempo and played fast. The second half we did not play quite as well, we had a few slip ups, but to the credit of The Citadel they played very well. It was a reasonably solid performance; we did what we needed to early in the game. We didn’t do as well in the second half, but it was a good win and now it’s time to move on.”

Stitt scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half for the Tigers. Jerai Grant and Devin Booker each had 13 points, and Milton Jennings scored 10 while also grabbing 10 boards. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Zach Urbanus with 17 points, while Mike Groselle (14) and Cameron Wells (12) were also in double-figures.

For the game, the Tigers shot 46.3% from the field while holding the Bulldogs to only 33.3%. However, The Citadel out-rebounded the Tigers 47-32, including grabbing 20 boards on the offensive end.

The Tigers won the opening tip, Booker hit the first of his three first-half three-point baskets, and Clemson never really looked back. The Citadel hit a bucket to cut the lead to 3-2 but that is as close as they would get for the entire game as Clemson built its lead up to as high as 17 points in the first half en route to a 15-point halftime lead. For the half, the Tiger defense played great as they limited the Bulldogs 26.9% shooting on only seven made baskets.

The Tigers kept their lead in double-digits the entire second half, although the Bulldogs never gave up and kept battling the entire time. For the game, the Tigers forced 18 turnovers while only committing seven and had 15 assists.

“Our guys are sharing the ball and committing fewer turnovers. On defense we are making it difficult for the other team. We have held five of our last six opponents under 60 points. It was good for us to have a competitive game. To be able to play a guard like Cameron Wells and a team who plays physical and beats you around was good for our guys.”

After three games in six days, the Tigers will have the week off before hosting their first ACC contest of the year next Saturday at 4PM against Miami (FL).

Tags ,
Comments: #0
« Older Entries

Publishers Wanted!

Tired of the same old, same old in the sports network business where a group of fat cats get rich off the backs of hard working, honest publishers?

At ISN, we're an upstart network of independent, fearless publishers who love being on the bleeding edge of technology and sports coverage... We're looking for like minded folks to join us. Interested in being part of a revolution? Contact us!

test

test

Featuring YD Feedwordpress Content Filter Plugin