Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By JOANNE KORTH and BRIAN LANDMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 28, 2001
Tonight: No. 6 Florida at Vanderbilt
WHEN/WHERE: 8; Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tenn.
RADIO: WDAE-AM 620.
RECORDS: UF 20-5, 10-4 SEC; Vanderbilt 15-12, 4-10.
COACHES: UF -- Billy Donovan (98-54, fifth season; 133-74 overall). Vanderbilt -- Kevin Stallings (34-23, second season; 157-86).
KEY PLAYERS: UF -- Matt Bonner, F, 6-9 So. (13.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Udonis Haslem, C, 6-8 Jr. (16.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Brett Nelson, G, 6-3 So. (14.8 ppg, 4.4 apg); Teddy Dupay, G, 5-8 Jr. (14.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg). Vanderbilt -- Matt Freije, F, 6-9 Fr. (10.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Greg LaPointe, C, 6-10 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Chuck Moore, G, 6-3 Jr. (12.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Russell Lakey, G, 6-0 Fr. (5.1 ppg, 3.1 apg).
NOTES: Florida has won nine of 10 since losing to Vanderbilt 63-61 at home on Jan. 20, when the Gators played without injured starters Brent Wright, Teddy Dupay and Justin Hamilton. Dupay is back for the rematch, a must-win game for UF to stay in the conference title chase. Wright is out after aggravating his injured right foot Feb. 21, with X-rays scheduled for Thursday. Hamilton is out for the season with a torn ACL. ... UF can clinch second place in the Eastern Division with a win or a Georgia loss against Mississippi State. The top two teams in each division receive first-round byes in the SEC tournament. ... UF is 9-39 at Memorial Gymnasium, where it won once in the 1990s. ... Since beating Florida on Brandon Plavich's three-pointer with less than 30 seconds left, Vandy has lost eight of 10, including five straight. The Commodores' six newcomers have accounted for more than 60 percent of their scoring.
WHEN/WHERE: 7; Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.
RADIO: WWBA-AM 1040; WZHR-AM 1400; WAMR-AM 1320. RECORDS: Georgia Tech 16-10, 8-7 ACC; Florida State 7-20, 2-12.
COACHES: Georgia Tech -- Paul Hewitt (first season; 82-37 overall). Florida State -- Steve Robinson (50-68, fourth season; 96-86).
KEY PLAYERS: Georgia Tech -- Alvin Jones, C, 6-11 Sr. (13.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.4 bpg); Tony Akins, PG, 5-11 Jr. (14.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 62 of 151 3pters); Shaun Fein, G, 6-3 Sr. (14.0 ppg, 67 of 157 3pters). Florida State -- Delvon Arrington, PG, 5-11 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 spg); Monte Cummings, G, 6-4 Jr. (11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg); Michael Joiner, F, 6-7 Fr. (9.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Adrian Crawford, G, 6-5 Sr. (10.1 ppg, 50 of 151 3pters).
NOTES: The Seminoles play their final home game, and second-to-last regular-season game, looking to snap out of a funk. They lost by 28 at North Carolina on Thursday and played their worst game in a month Sunday, losing by 25 at North Carolina State. ... In their first meeting, a 77-68 Yellow Jackets win Jan. 27, the Seminoles shut down Tech's vaunted three-point attack. The Yellow Jackets shot a season-low 21.1 percent (4-for-19) from beyond the arc. Jones, a former Lakeland Kathleen star, scored 26 on 8-for-11 shooting to carry his team. ... Although the teams have split their past eight meetings, the Yellow Jackets have won four of the past six in Tallahassee and lead the series 25-19. ... The Seminoles will recognize Crawford on senior day. Arrington won't be honored. He's expected to graduate this semester, regain a lost year of eligibility as a partial qualifier and return next season. ... There will be a moment of silence in memory of FSU freshman linebacker Devaughn Darling, who died Monday. The basketball team also is trying to obtain a patch with Darling's No. 53 in time for the game.