Gators

LEXINGTON - Derrick Jasper said he heard it's "crazy," and Jodie Meeks isn't sure what to expect. But the two Kentucky freshmen say they're ready to head to Florida for the first time to take on the Gators in Sunday's regular season finale. "I expect the atmosphere to be crazy. I expect to win the game, come out and play hard," Jasper said. "The players that have already played there said it's like a big party, they're playing music and stuff, and they're really into the game.

The first time Georgia played Florida, the Bulldogs had 22 turnovers and lost 67-51 to the host Gators. Wednesday night, Georgia limited its turnovers to nine and had a raucous home-court crowd. But it didn't matter. The No. 1 Gators still won 71-61 to remain unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play going into Saturday night's game at No. 20 Kentucky. "They're so good that they can be overwhelming with all the ways they can beat you," Georgia coach Dennis Felton said Thursday.

He's not scoring in double figures, but junior point guard Scottie Wilbekin could be Florida's most important player because of his defense and on-ball pressure that disrupts opposing teams' offenses. “He is the best in the league. I told (Florida coach) Billy (Donovan) when he was a freshman I¿thought he was a terrific player,” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. “He just is tenacious. He is tough. It's every game, every possession. He does a great job on the ball. It looks to me like he just sells out to do what his team needs him to do and he is great at it.” Donovan says the Gators had a small point guard, Earvin Walker, the past three years who was a terrific outside shooter but didn't have the size to rebound or defend like Wilbekin, who had eight points and four assists in Wednesday's 66-40 win over Vanderbilt that clinched the SEC title for the Gators.

ATLANTA - Florida has won six of its last seven games, including Saturday's 91-69 decision over Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals. Still, Kentucky players feel like they know what it will take to beat the Gators in today's championship game. "The scouting report last time was just to play them tough and that they would eventually back down," said Kentucky point guard Cliff Hawkins. "I don't think what we do will change a lot. " Kentucky has beaten the Gators six straight times and eight of the last nine going into today's game.

LEXINGTON - His team rallied for a dramatic win last week against Arkansas, but Kentucky coach Rich Brooks knows what lies ahead for his Wildcats. "Florida has probably the best offensive talent and defensive speed in the league. They are as good as anybody, and maybe better as far as playmakers and speed," Brooks said. The Wildcats play at Florida on Saturday, and if they had any reason to be encouraged about this game after Mississippi won 31-30 in Gainesvile recently, they have even more reasons to be leery because of the Gators' 51-21 romp over LSU two weeks ago. "They exploded on LSU. It is almost incomprehensible to think anybody can score 51 on LSU. It is scary," Brooks said.

Before the season started, Florida junior center-forward Al Horford noted that he thought the Southeastern Conference had the "best bigs in the nation" because almost every team had at least one quality interior player. Horford is one of three Florida "bigs" - Joakim Noah and Al Richard are the other two - that will present problems for Kentucky center Randolph Morris when the teams play tonight in Rupp Arena. "He definitely is among the best in the country," Horford said.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has shelved the game tape from his team's loss to Florida last weekend. Brooks said the 41-7 setback to the Gators ranked "right up near the top" on his list of losses as a head coach and said there were "absolutely" no positives his team could build on heading into Saturday's showdown against No. 3 Alabama at Commonwealth Stadium. The loss reminded Brooks of the past, instead of the wins that helped change the culture over the past three years. The loss still stung during his weekly press conference Monday at Wildcat Den. "I believe that we're a much better football team than that ?

LEXINGTON ? Kentucky and Tim Tebow both took knockout blows here Friday that they couldn't come back from. Tebow, Florida's 2007 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, was knocked out of Saturday's game here when he took a big hit from UK defensive end Taylor Wyndham in the third quarter. However, by then he had the No. 1 Gators safely in front 31-7 and on their way to a 41-7 win thanks to a 31-0 haymaker Florida threw at the Cats in the first quarter. Any thoughts Kentucky had of another miracle turnaround like the Wildcats had in 2007 when they beat eventual national champion LSU here in three overtimes after losing to the Tigers 49-0 a year earlier disappeared quickly.

BIRMINGHAM - Lee Humphrey knew winning the national championship last April would probably make some big changes in his life. However, he wasn't quite prepared for what happened just two days after the Gators won their first national title. That's when Boyle County students T.J. and Elizabeth Lyons found him in the campus bookstore and eventually posed for a picture with him. "I do remember that," Humphrey said here Wednesday when he saw a copy of the photo. "They were so nice and polite.

The return of chilly temperatures brought a bitter result to West Jessamine High School on Friday in the Colts' return to the diamond. The game's back-and-forth dynamic in the line score concluded with the Greenwood Gators edging out West head coach Jody Hamilton's ball club, 9-8. Greenwood's five-run second inning created a troubled pattern for Colts pitchers. Junior Daulton Peters, who got the start for the Colts, opened the second inning by walking Gators senior Trevor Brewer.

He's not scoring in double figures, but junior point guard Scottie Wilbekin could be Florida's most important player because of his defense and on-ball pressure that disrupts opposing teams' offenses. “He is the best in the league. I told (Florida coach) Billy (Donovan) when he was a freshman I¿thought he was a terrific player,” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. “He just is tenacious. He is tough. It's every game, every possession. He does a great job on the ball. It looks to me like he just sells out to do what his team needs him to do and he is great at it.” Donovan says the Gators had a small point guard, Earvin Walker, the past three years who was a terrific outside shooter but didn't have the size to rebound or defend like Wilbekin, who had eight points and four assists in Wednesday's 66-40 win over Vanderbilt that clinched the SEC title for the Gators.

LEXINGTON - Anthony Davis set a Kentucky single season record for blocked shots last year when he led the nation in blocks and helped UK win the national title. However, this year freshman Nerlens Noel has 103 blocks and leads the nation with 4.48 per game - and UK leads the nation with 7.7 blocks per game.  “I think he is just as good as Anthony Davis as a shot blocker, I don't think there is any question about that,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said of Noel as he gets set to face UK tonight.

Florida has proven to be unbeatable at home this season. The seventh-ranked Gators (19-3, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) won their first eight games in the conference before dropping an 80-69 loss at Arkansas last week in Fayetteville. Despite the setback to the Razorbacks, Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari knows extending his team's five-game winning streak won't be an easy task when the two teams meet tonight in Gainesville. “It will be a hard game for us to win,” Calipari said.

LEXINGTON - Knowing Florida is not throwing the football as much this season would have seemed to benefit Kentucky considering the Wildcats went into the season believing the defensive front would be the team's biggest strength. However, going into Saturday afternoon's game at Florida, UK¿has allowed 188 yards per game rushing - 13th in the Southeastern Conference - and now must face the league's top rusher in Mike Gillislee. He has run for 346 yards and four touchdowns in three games, including victories at Texas A&M and Tennessee.

LEXINGTON - South Carolina coach Darrin Horn said every team is different and comparisons between Kentucky and Florida are hard. His team narrowly lost on the road to Florida last week before being destroyed at home by Kentucky on Saturday. No. 1 Kentucky hosts No. 8 Florida tonight. “Florida obviously is very good, extremely talented on the offensive end,” Horn said. “Very hard to guard and matchup with because of their ability to pass. Billy (Donovan) is not getting near the credit he deserves for the growth and development you see in his players, especially Earvin Walker and Kenny Boynton who seem to make every right play.

LEXINGTON¿ - Kentucky's defense had been one of the bright spots to open the season, but was brought back to its knees Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats had given up a combined total of 40 points in their first three games, but 15th-ranked Florida eclipsed that plateau in four quarters with a 48-10 rout over Kentucky. The blowout extended the Gators' winning streak over the Wildcats to 25 games. Although a change in the Cats' defensive approach with the hiring of co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter brought renewed enthusiasm, the excitement wasn't enough to end the long trend against Florida.

LEXINGTON¿- Kentucky's defense had been one of the bright spots to open the season, but was brought back to its knees Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats had given up a combined total of 40 points in their first three games, but 15th-ranked Florida eclipsed that plateau in four quarters with a 48-10 rout over Kentucky. It blowout extended the Gators' winning streak over the Wildcats to 25 games. Although a change in the Cats' defensive approach with the hiring of co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter brought renewed enthusiasm, the excitement wasn't enough to end the long trend against Florida.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky receivers coach Tee Martin followed Peyton Manning as quarterback at Tennessee and led the Vols to a 13-0 record and national championship even though he threw for just 2,317 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing about 54 percent of his passes. Martin, who completed 24 straight passes in one stretch in 1998, led the Vols to a second straight BCS bowl in 1999. During Martin's two years as a starter at Tennessee, the Vols were undefeated against Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Kentucky, and went 1-1 against Florida.

As Winston and I were sitting on the porch recently, I was holding him in my arms (he is not spoiled) and my mind wandered to years past when we kids were all at home and had pets ranging from dogs, cats, a horse, a goat and an alligator. You can see we had a good variety and we loved them all except me and I didn't care for the alligator. My parents were going on vacation to Florida and my Mother asked Mike what he wanted her to bring him. About four years of age, he was quick to respond “Bring me an alligator.” Little did I realize that she would grant his request, but on their return she had it ... a little alligator.