Wading into the thick of February we find ourselves immersed in Gators sports — at least when the coronavirus pandemic is not spoiling our fun. Today, we have a loaded plate filled up with a recap from last night and previews for today’s competition, as well as some bad news. But first, the good stuff.
Yesterday, the No. 9 volleyball team returned from a coronavirus layoff with a 3-0 straight-set sweep of the LSU Tigers in the O’Connell Center. Florida brought a balanced attack to improve to 9-2 in their SEC-only schedule, while LSU drops to 3-6 on the year. The two will tangle again on the O’Dome court tonight for the second match of the back-to-back, with first serve slated for 6 p.m. EST on SEC Network+ and can be heard on FloridaGators.com.
Two other teams will also be in action today, starting with the No. 22 women’s tennis team traveling to Tampa to take on the USF Bulls for their 55th meeting all-time. First serve is set for 2 p.m. EST at the USF Varsity Tennis Court as Florida looks to snap its three-match losing streak.
Tonight, the women’s basketball team much like the volleyball squad will face LSU, except these Lady Gators will travel to Baton Rouge for their first game in 11 days — their longest layoff of the season. Also much like their parquet compadres, the layoff was a result of COVID-19 precautions. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
Finally, the bad news: the men’s basketball team has postponed its upcoming game against the Texas A&M Aggies this coming Saturday has been postponed due to COVID-19. This is the third-straight game obstructed by the virus for the men’s team, and with no make-up date yet determined, it is getting harder and harder to envision this squad playing out its full schedule.
Around the Swamp
- Florida holds position in latest Lunardi bracket despite COVID postponements: UF is still a No. 7 seed in Lunardi’s bracket, slated to take on No. 10 North Carolina in the first round.
- Here’s where Sports Illustrated’s latest basketball bracket has the Gators: Not much has changed in the eyes of one major media outlet in its most recent assessment of the NCAA tournament landscape.
- These two former Gators projected by ESPN to go in top 20 of NFL draft: Here is a look at Kiper’s updated opinion on the dynamic pair of former Florida Gators.
- Kadarius Toney slips a little in latest CBS Sports mock draft: Two former Florida players continue to find themselves projected to go in the first round of April’s NFL Draft.
- Where does ESPN’s college football preseason SP+ projections have the Gators?: UF lands at No. 11 on the list, tied with the Washington Huskies with a 21.2 rating.
- In or out? This is what ESPN thinks about Florida’s NCAA tournament hopes: ESPN insider John Gasaway published his updated NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch on Wednesday, with the Gators listed as a “Should Be In” team.
- Take a look at where ESPN’s Jay Bilas ranked Gators basketball: Florida comes in at No. 28 in this edition of the top 68 rankings, just behind the Drake Bulldogs and ahead of the Maryland Terrapins.
It’s great to be a Florida Gator!
Today we'll go back in the day with part 1 of our conversation with our guy, @PatricYoung4. #GoGators pic.twitter.com/vos0sBi5sb
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 10, 2021
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