INSIDER
Omar Payne joins growing list of players to leave Florida
Read full article: Omar Payne joins growing list of players to leave FloridaForward Omar Payne entered the transfer portal Tuesday and became the fifth player to leave coach Mike White's program since the end of the season. The 6-foot-10 Payne joined shooting guard Noah Locke, backup point guard Ques Glover and reserve forward Osayi Osifo in looking to play elsewhere next season. Star point guard and leading scorer Tre Mann entered the NBA draft with plans of hiring an agent, meaning he has no intention of returning to school for his junior season. Payne, a sophomore from Kissimmee, averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds while playing close to 16 minutes a game this season. Only Keyontae Johnson remains from Florida's 2018 class, which lost talented point guard Andrew Nembhard to Gonzaga last year and now is without Locke.
Police contacted after Ohio State's Liddell receives threats
Read full article: Police contacted after Ohio State's Liddell receives threatsLiddell received following the Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament loss on Friday. Ohio State associate athletic director for communications Dan Wallenberg told The Associated Press he contacted police on Saturday morning about the threats Liddell received after the second-seeded Buckeyes were upset by No. Liddell, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the game, revealed on his Twitter feed he received threatening messages. Liddell, while not from or representative of Ohio State fans, are vile, dangerous and reflect the worst of humanity," Holtmann posted on Twitter. AdSister Jean taught at Chicago's Mundelein College when Loyola beat Illinois in the 1963 NCAA Tournament.
The Latest: Every seed except 16 has a team in second round
Read full article: The Latest: Every seed except 16 has a team in second roundIn 2016, 2013 and 1991, seed lines 1-15 all had a team reach the second round. UMBC in 2018 is still the only 16 seed to make the round of 32, but no 15 seed won that year. Ad___8:00 p.m.Don’t expect a track meet when Villanova and North Texas play in the second round of the South Region on Sunday. The matchup between the fifth-seeded Wildcats and 13th-seeded Mean Green features two of the most deliberately paced teams in the NCAA Tournament. UNC Wilmington’s John Goldsberry holds the record for most 3-point attempts without a miss in an NCAA Tournament game.
Short-handed Florida outlasts Virginia Tech in NCAA opener
Read full article: Short-handed Florida outlasts Virginia Tech in NCAA opener10 seed Virginia Tech 75-70 in a first-round game on Friday. He finished with 30 points and scored the final 12 of regulation for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech hit 5 of its first 10 3-point attempts, but made just two the rest of the way. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said he considered keeping Aluma on the bench to start overtime. AdHINKLE'S LIGHTThe first NCAA Tournament game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 81 years was rife with history, nostalgia and ... sunlight.
The Latest: 12th-seeded Oregon State upsets No. 5 Tennessee
Read full article: The Latest: 12th-seeded Oregon State upsets No. 5 Tennessee(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)The Latest on the first round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):___6:50 p.m.Another first-round upset as 12th-seeded Oregon State defeated No. 9 seed Georgia Tech 71-60 on Friday to mark a triumphant return to the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Bubba Parham, who is 5-10, got the start instead as Georgia Tech went with a guard-heavy look. AdIllinois will face eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago or ninth-seeded Georgia Tech in the second round of the Midwest Regional on Sunday. Ad___2:10 p.m.Players from several NCAA Tournament teams took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before their first-round games.
Down 15, No. 6 Alabama rallies past Tennessee in SEC semis
Read full article: Down 15, No. 6 Alabama rallies past Tennessee in SEC semis6 Alabama rallied from a big deficit in the final 17 minutes to beat Tennessee 73-68 Saturday in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Volunteers trailed 69-68 when Davonte Gaines missed two foul shots with 25 seconds left. Yves Pons’ 3-pointer got Tennessee within 69-68 with 41.4 seconds left, but Quinerly added two free throws and Ellis two more with 3.7 seconds left to seal a tense game. Alabama: The Crimson Tide have thrived from long distance all season and weren’t about to change, even without Primo. It didn’t start well but ended better as Ellis hit a big 3 to help the Tide finish 7 of 28.
Vols beat Florida 65-54, earn No. 4 seed in SEC tourney
Read full article: Vols beat Florida 65-54, earn No. 4 seed in SEC tourneyTyree Appleby had 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting and Colin Castleton added 11 points for Florida (13-9, 9-7). 13 seed Vanderbilt in Thursday's second round. After being outrebounded 18-16 in the first half, Tennessee was plus-11 on the glass in the second. Florida had just 21 points after the break, its lowest-scoring half of the season. The Gators went into the game leading the SEC in free-throw percentage (.760, 37th NCAA), field-goal percentage (.472, 42nd NCAA) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.359, 78th NCAA).
Short-handed Florida stuns No. 6 Tennessee 75-49
Read full article: Short-handed Florida stuns No. 6 Tennessee 75-49Florida guard Tre Mann (1) and Tennessee guard Davonte Gaines (0) compete for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19. 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Noah Locke scored 14 points, Tyree Appleby added 13 and short-handed Florida stunned No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 on Tuesday night. Guard Scottie Lewis (COVID-19 protocols) and forward Colin Castleton (ankle) missed the game. But forward Omar Payne, starting for the first time in nearly a year, finished with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots for Florida (7-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference).
Short-handed Florida stuns No. 6 Tennessee 75-49
Read full article: Short-handed Florida stuns No. 6 Tennessee 75-49No one on Florida's roster has experienced a victory at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tennessee. Noah Locke scored 14 points, Tyree Appleby added 13 and the short-handed Gators stunned No. 6 Tennessee in dominating fashion, 75-49 on Tuesday night. “We proved tonight we're not good enough to go through the motions," said Vols coach Rick Barnes, who promised lineup changes moving forward. Florida: White seems to get his best from his guys against top competition.
Mann scores 19, Florida opens season by topping Army 76-69
Read full article: Mann scores 19, Florida opens season by topping Army 76-69UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Tre Mann scored a career-high 19 points, including five free throws in the final minute, and added six rebounds, four assists and five steals, to help Florida open its season with a 76-69 victory over Army on Wednesday. Mann, making his debut at point guard, secured his fifth steal in the closing seconds and made 1 of 2 free throws for a 74-69 lead. Keyontae Johnson, who averaged 14 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, added 16 points and Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appleby, who sat out last season, scored all 15 of his points in the second half for Florida. Mann, a former McDonald’s All-American, started four games during his freshman year last season, and reached 13 points twice. Freshman guard Lonnie Grayson had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Black Knights.