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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 5, 2003
GAINESVILLE -- Florida's whirlwind recruiting season concludes with today's national signing day, and it remains in the hunt for three touted high school players.
Jefferson receiver Andre Caldwell and Palm Bay defensive end Joe Cohen will announce their decisions today with the Gators among the top choices for both. Caldwell's decision will be broadcast live on ESPN at 6 p.m.
Florida's recruiting class is shaping up to be among the top 5 in the nation, possibly No. 1, according to several analysts. The Gators have 25 commitments, including five junior college players who signed last month. Because three junior college players will count toward last year's recruiting class, Florida could sign as many as 28 this year.
Florida coach Ron Zook picked up another big-name recruit when Denton (Texas) Ryan defensive end Jarvis Moss orally committed Tuesday. Ross is considered the fourth-best player in Texas and ranked No. 24 in the nation by Rivals.
The Gators await word on Cohen, Caldwell and Tallahassee Lincoln cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
PLAYING FOR A TITLE: Fifteen of the top 20 women's tennis players and 13 of the top 16 teams will participate in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship this weekend at the University of Wisconsin. The four-day tournament features defending national champion Georgia and outdoor champion Stanford.
Florida's last title came in 1999, also the last time the Gators competed in the event.
Top-ranked Stanford, No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Georgia have combined to win all 15 titles. Stanford and Florida have won a record six national women's indoor titles. Georgia won its third title last year, handing Stanford its only loss of the season in the semifinals and beating Vanderbilt in the final.
Florida plays Tulsa in the first round Thursday. Florida coach Roland Thornquist said it will provide an opportunity to see where the Gators stand.
"My goal for the tournament is not just to win it. That would be nice, but I really want to find out a little bit more of where the top six (players) are mentally," Thornquist said. "With four new players this year, they are all pretty good, but we've got to find out who can play at the top of the lineup mentally.
"We need to find out who are the toughest competitors so when we come back here in Gainesville in May to play for the real enchilada, I want to make sure we have the right kids at the top."
The USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championship is the nation's premier indoor tournament and generally serves as a preview to the NCAA Championships, which Florida hosts in May.
TEACHING THE GAME: Florida baseball coach Pat McMahon and his staff will host a coaches clinic from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at McKethan Stadium on campus.
McMahon and assistants John Cohen, Ross Jones and Brian Fleetwood will host the free clinic. Registration will be at the Lemerand Center next to the Florida track.
The coaches will cover all aspects of the game, including pitching, hitting, basestealing and defense. Florida opens the season at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Mercer.
-- Antonya English covers Florida athletics. She can be reached at (813) 226-3389 or english@sptimes.com.