Florida Gators Bait & Bits: NCAA Tournaments, Patric Young, and Analysis of the Newest Gator

Apr 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida Gators center Patric Young (bottom) dives to try to save the ball from going out of bounds against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during the semifinals of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Bait & Bits, a series on Hail Florida Hail that will feature one “bait” about an opposing school and some bits about the Florida Gators. Have any links that you want on Bait & Bits? Tweet it at us @HailFloridaHail or @BrettKaplan13 or email it to us at BrettKaplanHFH@gmail.com.

Bait

2014 NFL Draft. Even though only four Gators got drafted, every eligible player signed on with an NFL team. That’s pretty impressive considering starting Alabama CB Deion Belue went undrafted and has yet to sign an NFL contract. That being from the NFL factory known as the Alabama Crimson Tide. Next year should bring an interesting mix of draft-eligible players for Florida and more than four should be drafted. Time will tell.

Bits

Patric Young Gets NBA Draft Combine Invite. But Patric Young was the only draft-eligible Gator that will be going to Chicago to show off their measureables. Check out the whole list here. Young stayed all four years at UF, even after being projected as a possible lottery pick after his freshman year. His gritty play and hustle has made him one of the most beloved Gators of all time. (Chris Dortch, NBA.com)

Meet the Newest Gator Through Video. This guy makes me salivate. Tight end Jake McGee could be a missing piece in Kurt Roper’s offense and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing him in Florida’s version of Orange and Blue. (Daniel Thompson, GatorCountry)

Softball Enters NCAA Tournament as No. 5 Seed. Florida’s softball team had their share of ups and downs this season, but they managed to pull out a great seed for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Gators will be the No. 5 seed in the nation and will host the Gainesville Regional. It’s their seventh straight season UF has been a top-5 seed and the 12th year they have hosted a regional. Stetson, UCF, and Florida A&M will play in the round robin first round. If Florida can win the regional, they would also host a Super Regional. (GatorZone)

Lacrosse Advances to NCAA Quarterfinals. The match lasted over eight hours due to weather delays, but Florida beat Denver soundly, 19-9 in Gainesville. Shannon Gilroy became the first Gator ever to score 100 points in a season as she had three goals and two assists. Devon Schneider led the way with five goals. Florida next plays ALC rival and 5-seed Northwestern Wildcats, whom they beat twice earlier this season. (GatorZone)

Men’s Tennis Advances to Sweet 16. After wins over St. John’s and South Florida, Florida advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16. In the first round, the Gators swept St. John’s 4-0. It was much the same in their second round matchup with the USF Bulls. Florida won 4-0 once again to roll into the NCAA Sweet 16. The Gators will now face the No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes Friday at 7 pm in Athens, GA.

Women’s Tennis in Round of 16 for the 31st Time in 33 Years. That’s not a typo. Since the Round of 16 was created, Florida has advanced to it every year except for two. With a sweep over South Carolina State and a 4-1 win over Oklahoma State to extend their incredible home winning streak to 133 matches and advance to the Sweet 16. The Gators will face No. 9 seed SEC foe Vanderbilt in Athens, GA.

Women’s Golf Advances to NCAA Championship. It wasn’t a cinch, but Florida’s women’s golf team advanced in the Central Regional to the NCAA Championships after winning a playoff. Florida and Oklahoma State were tied in eighth after all the rounds in regulation, leading to a one hole playoff. The Gators ended up winning that, advancing to their fourth straight and 24th overall NCAA Championship. Competition starts May 20 in Tulsa, Oklahoma as Florida looks to win a national championship. (GatorZone)

Track & Field Ends Outdoor Regular Season at FSU Twilight Invitational. Stipe Zunic threw a personal record 19.92m/65-4.25 in the shot put to win the men’s title at the FSU Twilight Invitational. The top-ranked men’s and women’s squads will now compete in the SEC Outdoor Championships hosted by Kentucky Mat 15-18. (GatorZone)

For more on the Gators make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@HailFloridaHail and @BrettKaplan13).