Where Sports Illustrated ranks Florida among NCAA Tournament field

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde ranked all 68 teams in the Big Dance in order, putting Florida at No. 21 overall.

Todd Golden got his Florida basketball program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years after building his roster from the ground up during the offseason.

The mix of freshmen and transfer players, as well as the few holdovers who remained from before, was enough to put the Gators in prime position for postseason play. A successful run through the SEC Tournament earned the Orange and Blue a No. 7 seed in the South Region.

Ahead of the start of play, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde ranked all 68 teams in the Big Dance, putting Florida at No. 21 overall. This is what he had to offer.

“It took a while for Todd Golden’s transfer-intensive roster to mesh, but when it did the Gators improved considerably. They won 13 of their last 18 games, including victories over Kentucky, Auburn and Alabama twice,” Forde begins.

“Reaching the SEC tournament final was the final indicator of Florida’s upward trajectory (although losing backup big man Micah Handlogten to a broken leg in that game was a jarring development). Florida specializes in smashing the offensive glass, with Seton Hall Pirates transfer Tyrese Samuel the leader in that department,” he continues.

“Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Zyon Pullin are a productive perimeter trio, but sophomore guard Riley Kugel’s slide from the rotation is puzzling. (A one-time starter, he didn’t get off the bench in Florida’s last two games.)”

Florida will open up tournament play against the winner of Wednesday’s Boise State Broncos-Colorado Buffaloes play-in game on Friday, March 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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Florida moves up in SI’s bracket watch ahead of Alabama game

The Gators are now a No. 6 seed in Sports Illustrated’s bracket watch.

Once an afterthought in the postseason projections, Todd Golden’s Florida basketball team is now well in the thick of the NCAA Tournament discussion after a torrid stretch over the past month.

The prognosticators have taken notice of the Gators as their stock continues to rise, including Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney who recently released his updated bracket watch. In it, he lifted the Orange and Blue up a seed to No. 6 while also moving them over to the West Region, where Golden’s gang is now paired up with either the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs or Butler Bulldogs.

Previously, Florida was a No. 7 seed in the South Region, lined up with the then-No. 10 Michigan State Spartans. Before that, the Gators were among Sweeney’s “last four in” with a No. 11 seed.

Looking around the Southeastern Conference, the overall bracket includes the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 2), Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3), Auburn Tigers (No. 4), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 5), South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 7), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 9) and Texas A&M Aggies (No. 10). The Ole Miss Rebels are among the first four out of the bracket.

Florida travels to Tuscaloosa for its next matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 21, against Alabama. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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Dan Mullen among reasons 2018 coaching hire cycle was a mess

Dan Mullen may have suffered from the COVID more than any other coach in the cycle.

Six years have passed since the 2018 college football head coach hiring cycle and looking back on a season that saw 21 positions replaced — including 13 at the power-conference level and five at programs that had won national championships or played for one within the previous 20 years.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde took a look back on what has turned into a disastrous cycle in retrospect, including Florida’s hiring of now-departed [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]. He opens up with his immediate reaction to the hire.

“Mullen was not first on Florida’s list, but was still lauded as a quality hire after excelling in a much more difficult SEC locale, Mississippi State,” Forde begins. “Mullen went 69–46 in Starkville, Mississippi, including a 10–3 season in 2014. That team earned a historical footnote by being the first No. 1 in the College Football Playoff selection Top 25, starting the season 9–0. He also had history at Florida, having been Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator.”

Forde continues with how things worked out for the Gators and Mullen.

“Mullen’s tenure might have been as much a victim of the pandemic as anyone’s,” he notes. “He was 21–5 in his first two seasons, then started 8–1 in ’20 before a playoff-busting upset loss to the LSU Tigers triggered a three-game losing streak.

“Florida was 5–6 in ’21 when the plug was pulled, the end coming on losses to the South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers sandwiched around a 70–52 win over the FCS Samford Bulldogs that Mullen weirdly tried to spin as a triumph.”

As for the high point of Mullen’s tenure, Forde’s example was certainly a big moment: “Thumping the Georgia Bulldogs in mid-2020 to take control of the SEC East. Then a thrown cleat against the Tigers somehow altered the course.”

Of course, we know how things ultimately panned out: “Florida hired Billy Napier and the record has gotten worse.”

If it is any consolation, plenty of Florida rivals and SEC peers also suffered similar fates, though many of them have rebounded from 2018 much better. Nonetheless, it is still an ugly blemish on the history of the Orange and Blue.

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Where Sports Illustrated’s bracket watch had Florida before LSU win

The Gators are very much in the thick of the NCAA Tournament discussion.

Florida basketball has seen its postseason stock rise in recent weeks thanks to some big wins in Southeastern Conference play — particularly on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats and at home against the Auburn Tigers.

The Gators have since earned another victory — albeit despite another late-game collapse — against the LSU Tigers inside the O’Connell Center on Tuesday night, but that one did not figure into Sports Illustrated’s latest bracket watch. Nonetheless, the Orange and Blue received a favorable seeding that should not be affected much by the near-loss.

Kevin Sweeney, who has taken on the task of following the NCAA Tournament landscape this season, has Todd Goldens’ team as a No. 7 seed in the South Region, lined up with the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans.

Previously, Florida was among Sweeney’s “last four in” with a No. 11 seed.

Looking around the Southeastern Conference, Sweeney’s bracket includes the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 2), Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3), Auburn (No. 4), South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 4), Kentucky (No. 8), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 8), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 10) and Ole Miss Rebels (No. 11). Mississippi State is also among the last four byes while Ole Miss is one of the last four in.

Golden and the Gators next travel to Athens for a rematch with the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is slated for an early 1 p.m. start and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Florida ‘last four in’ Sports Illustrated’s bracket watch ahead of Auburn

The Gators are on the inside of Sports Illustrated’s tournament bubble.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is not too far off in the future but there are still plenty of games left to play in the 2023-24 campaign. However, the postseason picture is getting clearer and clearer with each passing day.

The Florida Gators have been fighting hard to earn their ticket to the Big Dance and are currently either on the bubble or just inside the major bracket predictions. That includes Sports Illustrated, which had its bracket watch drawn up by Kevin Sweeney.

The Orange and Blue are among the last four in, joining the Ole Miss Rebels, Virginia Cavaliers and Washington State Cougars in that distinction. That puts Todd Golden’s team at a No. 11 seed.

Looking around the Southeastern Conference, Sweeney’s bracket includes the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 2), Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3), Auburn Tigers (No. 4), South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 5), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 6), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 9), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 10) and Ole Miss (No. 11). Mississippi State is also among the last four byes.

The Gators will return home to host Auburn inside the O’Connell Center on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Remembering when Eric LeGrand was on the cover of Sports Illustrated

Rutgers football star Eric LeGrand’s Sports Illustrated cover is remembered.

On the day when it appears that, for the time being at least, that Sports Illustrated is going to cease operations, it is fitting to remember when a Rutgers legend made the cover.

The iconic magazine appears to perhaps be no more, given the news on Friday that much (if not all) the newsroom had been let go.

Eric LeGrand is the last Rutgers football player to make the cover of the magazine. His return to the field and High Point Solutions Stadium (now SHI Stadium) was the cover for the ‘Best Moments of 2011’ issue.

LeGrand led the team out on the field for their game against West Virginia.

The year prior to making the cover, LeGrand suffered a spinal cord injury in a game against Army at MetLife Stadium.

The cover shot was nearly a year after the injury.

 

Jason Baum, who posted the cover moment on Friday via X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), was the sports information for Rutgers at the time. He is now the chief communications officer for Tennessee athletics.

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LeGrand, however, was not the last Rutgers alum to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 2019, United States women’s national team midfielder Carli Lloyd, a former Rutgers standout, appeared on the cover following the winning of the World Cup.

Lloud was the captain of the team and enjoyed a stellar tournament.

Sports Illustrated’s reported teardown is leaving journalists and sports fans utterly devastated

This is devastating news for sports fans everywhere.

If you’re someone who grew up claiming to love sports, then you’re probably more than familiar with Sports Illustrated. 

Chances are SI Kids was your jam back in the day. Maybe you’re like me and you used to sneak issues from out of your school library into your middle school classes to read during your downtime.

Many of us grew up on Sports Illustrated as a brand. It introduced so many of us to what legitimately great sports journalism looked like. And it inspired us to want to be part of that world.

As of Friday, it seems the publication’s run might be over.

The Arena Group — the company with the license to publish SI — is reportedly laying off a significant portion of the publication’s staff.

The exact number isn’t clear at this point. The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch obtained this email employees were sent detailing the layoff process. It says the company will be “laying off staff that work on the SI brand.”

This statement from the SI Union says the company “is planning to lay off a significant number, possibly all, of the Guild-represented workers at SI.”

Regardless, what’s clear is that there’s a lot of people losing their jobs today. That’s a devastating blow for sports journalism as an industry and for sports fans everywhere.

Journalists and fans, alike, shared their reactions via social media. Everyone is devastated by this news.

2023 Power Rankings Roundup, Week 18: Where Chargers stand after loss to Broncos

Here is what the national media thinks of the Chargers after their loss to the Broncos.

The Chargers are coming off a loss to the Broncos.

Here is what the national media thinks of the Bolts ahead of the final week of the regular season:

USA Today: 30 (Previous: 30)

“Given how little went right for this team, credit veteran OLB Khalil Mack. Not only did he surpass 100 career sacks, he managed a career-best 16 in 2023 to do it. A guy who might be a cap casualty in 2024 should have several suitors if so.”

Touchdown Wire: 28 (Previous: 27)

NFL: 27 (Previous: 27)

“It was interesting hearing the CBS broadcast crew continue to talk about the Chargers being a talented team, albeit one that has been ravaged by injury this season. That might be true, but even taking the injuries into account, I’ve started to question whether the Chargers actually are among the league’s more talented clubs. Especially considering the high-priced veterans who might not be back, along with a host of young players who have yet to fully realize their potential — or, as in the case of some offensive linemen, who have taken a step backward in their development. I still think that whoever ends up running this team will be taking on a relatively attractive job, with Justin Herbert and a few other pieces in place. But when one considers their salary-cap situation (projected to be almost $35 million in the red in 2024, per Over The Cap) and the veterans who might be lost this offseason, the roster might not be as stacked as some assume.”

CBS Sports: 30 (Previous: 30)

“So much for the interim coach boost. That lasted a week. Now it’s on to finding the right guy for the long term.”

Yahoo Sports: 27 (Previous: 27)

“The Chargers need the season to end. Sunday’s loss to the Broncos was an ugly one, especially on offense.”

The Athletic: 29 (Previous: 28)

The lesson: Coaching hires are a crap shoot

“This is not a new lesson. The Chargers are just the most recent team to highlight it. They hired Brandon Staley in 2021 because he was the hot defensive name. They fired him after 14 games this year because he was 5-9 and his defense stunk. The coaching change hasn’t changed the team’s luck. The Chargers have lost four straight and seven of their last eight heading into the season finale against the Chiefs.”

ESPN: 28 (Previous: 29)

Biggest offseason contract to watch: WR Keenan Allen

“There are many players to choose from, including Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Mike Williams, who all will have cap hits upward of $30 million next season. But Allen is linked to the Chargers in a way those other players aren’t. Drafted in the third round in 2013, Allen is the longest-tenured Charger, having been part of the team from Philip Rivers in San Diego to Justin Herbert in L.A. and for everything in between. But Allen is 31 and has a cap hit of $34.7 million next season. With a new regime, Allen could be playing elsewhere in 2024.”

2023 Power Rankings Roundup, Week 17: Where Chargers stand after loss to Bills

Here is what the national media thinks of the Chargers after their loss to the Bills.

The Chargers are coming off a loss to the Bills.

Here is what the national media thinks of the Bolts ahead of Week 17:

USA Today: 30 (Previous: 31)

“A team that was supposed to wrest the Hollywood spotlight from the Rams will not only be getting a new script in 2024 but is facing huge cast turnover.”

Touchdown Wire: 27 (Previous: 25)

“They made the Bills sweat, but this team has its eye on finding its next head coach and figuring out how to surround Justin Herbert with talented players.”

NFL: 27 (Previous: 27)

“There still can be interesting developments in lost seasons, and the reduced role of Derwin James in Saturday’s tight loss to Buffalo certainly opened my eyes. In essence, he was a nickel corner in the game, taking only a few snaps at safety and playing just 40 of the 52 defensive snaps. James has been an impact player for the Chargers since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2018, rarely coming off the field when healthy. But interim coach Giff Smith apparently has a different vision of James’ role down the stretch, which could raise questions about his future with the franchise, seeing how he carries a salary-cap hit just south of $20 million in 2024. Now, Smith probably won’t be the Chargers’ head coach next season, and a new front office is set to take over, so it’s impossible to project future personnel decisions. Even still, I’ll be keeping an eye on James once the new regime settles in.”

CBS Sports: 30 (Previous: 29)

“The decision to fire Brandon Staley gave this team some life against the Bills. Now let’s see if it carries over the last two games.”

Yahoo Sports: 27 (Previous: 28)

“It was good for the Chargers to compete like they did against the Bills, even in a loss. You don’t want to finish the season being that team, the one that doesn’t show up for the final month. That makes for a long offseason and (more) people lose their jobs that way.”

The Athletic: 28 (Previous: 28)

MVP: Justin Herbert

There’s one reason the Chargers’ job opening will be the most coveted in the league this offseason, and it’s not the Spanos family’s history of throwing money around. It’s Herbert, who was 11th in the league in passing yards (3,134), 13th in EPA per attempt (.14) and 14th in passer rating (93.2) before a finger injury ended his season after Week 14. The numbers don’t tell Herbert’s story, though. The tape does, and if the right coach lands in Los Angeles, look out.

2023 Power Rankings Roundup, Week 16: Where Chargers stand after loss to Raiders

Here is what the national media thinks of the Chargers after their loss to the Raiders.

The Chargers are coming off a loss to the Raiders.

Here is what the national media thinks of the Bolts ahead of Week 16:

USA Today: 31 (Previous: 29)

“And Brandon Staley wondered why he kept getting asked if he would relinquish defensive play-calling duties. At least he managed to surrender a team-record 63 points on his way out the door.”

Touchdown Wire: 25 (Previous: 21)

“Watching the Chargers without Justin Hebert is cruel and unusual punishment. At least we’ll see him with a new, hopefully competent, head coach the next time we see him take the field.”

NFL: 27 (Previous: 26)

“It doesn’t feel like the Chargers wanted to make an in-season firing, but last week’s thrashing by the Raiders necessitated a move on head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. It just wasn’t working, pretty much from the playoff meltdown last January on, but there were signs before that, too. The entire season is a loss now, with several key players now facing offseason rehab, including QB Justin Herbert. Having Herbert in tow for the prime years of his career will add to the appeal of the job, and the roster isn’t in awful shape, even with some major contract decisions looming. The Bolts are also cruising toward a top-10 pick in April, and if this season has shown us anything, it’s that Patrick Mahomes might not be immortal. Even still, those are wound-licking consolations right now that the Chargers hope might, mercifully, pay off one day.”

CBS Sports: 29 (Previous: 29)

“They had no choice but to fire head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. It’s hard to believe this was a playoff team last year.”

ESPN: 28 (Previous: 25)

We’re No. 1 … in attempts on third-and-short.

“The Chargers are tied for the league’s best in attempts on third-and-short (63), which is defined as third-down plays with less than or equal to 3 yards to the first-down marker or end zone. But the Chargers are also 29th in third-and-short conversion percentage (49.2%). This stat is likely reflective of the Chargers’ ineffective run game, which they have tried to spark all season but still ranks 27th in rushing yards per game (95.7). The Chargers’ ineffective rushing attack makes them somewhat one-dimensional in these scenarios, relying on short passes that the defense can predict. Against the Broncos, for example the Chargers were 0-for-12 on third down. This stat, like many for the Chargers this season, is reflective of missed opportunities.”

Yahoo Sports: 28 (Previous: 27)

“Everyone knew by halftime last Thursday that Brandon Staley was getting fired. That no-show by the Chargers was an embarrassment to the entire franchise. What’s next? You’d probably prefer an experienced coach who can win right away with a talented roster. And yes, Bill Belichick’s name is probably going to come up with this opening a few times.”

The Athletic: 28 (Previous: 27)

Surprise: That it took this long

The Chargers finally fired Brandon Staley, who fell to 24-24 in three seasons with Thursday night’s embarrassing loss. It was the fifth loss in the last six games for Los Angeles, which entered the season with playoff hopes and now is the second-worst team in the AFC, ahead of only the Patriots. Staley was hired because he was supposed to be an up-and-coming defensive guru, but the Chargers are 27th in points (24.6) and yards per play (5.6) allowed.