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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
College World Series home run record-holder, former Gator Ty Evans retires from baseball
A storied baseball career came to an end for former Florida Gators outfielder Ty Evans. On Saturday, the 22-year-old from Winter Haven, Florida, decided it was time to explore other avenues in life, announcing his decision to hang up the cleats on his social media account. Having used up his collegiate eligibility while going unselected in the most recent draft, the young man finally reached the end of his road. "Gator Nation, thank you for the four most amazing years of my life. I spent my childhood dreaming of playing Division I baseball, and being able to play at the University of Florida has made that dream come true," Evans' social media post begins. "Being able to wear the orange and blue is something that I will cherish forever. The support that I have gotten from all of you over my time here has been a true blessing. I wouldn't trade any of these moments for the world." He continues, "To the staff, I can't thank you all enough for everything that y'all have done for me. You guys helped me not only become a better baseball player, but also a better man. Through the ups and downs, y'all stuck with me through it all, and I am forever grateful for that. "To my teammates, it has been a blessing to play with you all over the last four years. I couldn't imagine going through the grind with any other group of guys. I can't thank y'all enough for all of the amazing memories and for the life-long friendships that were made. "With that being said, I have decided to move on from my playing career. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have started and finished my career at the University of Florida. Words can't express what this place has meant to my family and me. I can truly say that I gave everything I had to this program and am leaving with no regrets. It's been one hell of a ride." Ty Evans' accomplishments at Florida Prior to his arrival in Gainesville, Evans was drafted out of Lakeland Christian School by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft. His decision to enroll in college rather than starting his professional career in the minor leagues proved to be fortuitous for the Gators. Evans primarily played right field, batting .270 with 31 home runs and 128 RBIs over the course of his four-year career, which stretched across 174 total appearances. He played in 49 games during his sophomore campaign and hit a record five home runs while making the Men's College World Series All-Tournament Team at the 2023 CWS, which foreshadowed his breakout in 2024. For his junior season, Evans once again appeared in 49 matchups, batting a career-high .316 while also slashing a .406 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging percentage, adding up to a robust .987 OPS. He tallied 61 hits, 13 home runs, 10 doubles, 44 runs scored and 43 runs batted in. Unfortunately, an arm injury in the 2024 MCWS ended his breakout effort and may have contributed to his senior decline. In 2025, Evans played in 41 games but saw his slash line regress to .263/.322/.451, though he did set his career high in doubles with 11. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Draft experts offer fresh predictions for Walter Clayton Jr. based on new intel
The 2025 NBA draft is nearly here, and ahead of the big event, the sports media have been scrambling to submit their final predictions before things kick off on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET. The biggest question for the Gator Nation has been where its star guard, Walter Clayton Jr,. will land this summer. It is a foregone conclusion that he will be among the first 30 players selected in the draft, but by whom? ESPN's draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo published their final mock draft based on recent trades and new intel, and have Clayton going to the New Orleans Pelicans with the 23rd pick via the Indiana Pacers. "Clayton has showcased his dynamic shotmaking in workouts and worked his way up boards in a first round that has shaped up somewhat light on point guard options. He has fans in front offices selecting higher than this, with scenarios in play in which he lands in the top 20. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot are strong calling cards that should give him a pathway to being a useful bench scorer, at worst," Woo begins. "Minnesota, Miami and Atlanta are considered potential suitors. If Clayton becomes available here, he would be a potential plug-and-play option for a team that could use additional backcourt shooting," he continues. "The Pelicans have been highly active under Joe Dumars thus far, trading CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to the Wizards on Tuesday in a deal that brought back Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in this draft. They acquired this pick from Indiana last week, sending the Pacers' 2026 first-rounder back to them to move back into the draft. That decision to trade with the Pacers raised the question among rival teams as to whether the Pelicans would dangle this pick to try to move up from No. 7, but New Orleans is thought to have genuine interest in several players in this range." The 6-foot-2-inch, 199-pound senior guard amassed 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last season, while posting a 44.8% mark from the floor overall, 38.6% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the charity stripe. Clayton's teammate, fellow guard Alijah Martin, is projected to be selected with the 52nd pick acquired from the Denver Nuggets in the second round by the Phoenix Suns. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Gator Alijah Martin among college hoops coaches' 2025 NBA draft sleepers
The 2025 NBA draft is just a few days away, and while the Gator Nation feels confident that at least one of the members of this season's men's basketball national championship team — guard Walter Clayton Jr. — will be among those selected, there is another who lurks in the shadows who should be selected as well. Florida's guard Alijah Martin, who transferred to UF from the Florida Atlantic Owls during the previous offseason, is the other former member of the program expected to be picked at the end of this week after Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon decided to return to school. There is also fellow backcourt swingman Will Richard who is hoping to hear his name called, but Martin appears to be a better bet. Well, at least according to a handful of college basketball coaches surveyed by The Athletic's CJ Moore, who suggested that the title-winning Gators guard could go at No. 43 in the draft. However, the overall outlook for Martin is not terribly optimistic. Florida guard Alijah Martin (No. 43) "He's going to be a G-League guy. He's a 6-2 small forward, and I just don't think that really translates in the NBA," Moore offers. "The one thing that could be said about him is that he's a winner. He's been to two Final Fours, won a national championship, and so he impacts winning on both ends of the floor." Alijah Martin's 2024-25 campaign highlights Martin was a key member of Florida's roster during his lone season in Gainesville, averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, 82 assists and 79 3-point field goals. He started 36 of his 38 appearances with the Orange and Blue, and his 546 points rank 17th in Florida history in a single season and the third-most by a transfer. His efforts helped him become the first player to start in a Final Four for two different teams. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Where will Florida's star guard Walter Clayton Jr. be selected in 2025 NBA draft?
Where will Florida's star guard Walter Clayton Jr. be selected in 2025 NBA draft? The 2025 NBA draft is merely weeks away, and now that the deadline for those who want to return to college has passed, the outlook for this summer's selection process is ostensibly crystal clear. For the Gator Nation, it has been a tense few weeks leading up to that deadline as star sophomore forward Alex Condon, along with center Rueben Chinyelu, explored their options in the upcoming draft. Fortunately for Florida, they both decided to return to Gainesville, teaming up to give the Gators a run at a possible two-peat. However, one former member of the Orange and Blue is locked into the NBA draft after a prolific senior campaign that carried Todd Golden's team to the promised land. That player is point guard Walter Clayton Jr., who is projected nearly unanimously to be taken in the first round later this month. Where will Walter Clayton be picked? Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney recently updated his 2025 NBA mock draft following the NCAA deadline, projecting Clayton to be selected by the Phoenix Suns with the penultimate pick of the first round at No. 29. "Plug-and-play rotation pieces on controllable contracts are like gold to the Suns, so getting Clayton at No. 29 would be huge. The Final Four's Most Outstanding Player is among this draft's best shotmakers." Walter Clayton's senior year stats The graduating senior out of Bartow, Florida, averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 campaign. He earned First-Team All-SEC and All-American honors while being anointed Most Outstanding Player in the 2025 Final Four for his title-winning heroics. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Former University of Michigan President Santa Ono gets initial approval to lead University of Florida
University of Michigan president expected to take same role in Florida University of Michigan president expected to take same role in Florida University of Michigan president expected to take same role in Florida The University of Florida's board of trustees on Tuesday approved Santa Ono to be the next leader of Florida's flagship university, though one more vote is required before it becomes official. Ono, the past president of the University of Michigan, needs approval by the governing body of the state university system before he becomes the 14th president of the University of Florida. "The energy here at the University of Florida is palpable, and I am eager to join the wonderful students, faculty and staff of the Gator Nation," Ono said in a statement. The school's board of trustees selects the president, and, per state law, the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors. Ono is set to replace Kent Fuchs, who became the school's interim president last summer after ex-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down. Sasse left the U.S. Senate, where he had represented Nebraska, to become the university's president in 2023. Sasse announced in July that he was leaving the job to focus on his family after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy. Soon thereafter, there were reports that Sasse hired six former staffers and two former Republican officials with salaries that outstripped comparable positions and spent over $1.3 million on private catering for lavish dinners, football tailgates, and extravagant social functions in his first year on the job. The amount was about double the spending of his predecessor, Fuchs, who was brought back to head the university temporarily. Ono was appointed the 15th president of the University of Michigan in July 2022. At that time, he agreed to a five-year term. Ono said the decision to step down was not made lightly, and he would work with the chair of the Board of Regents to "ensure a smooth and seamless transition." Before becoming Michigan's president, he served six years as president and vice-chancellor of the University of British Columbia and as president and provost of the University of Cincinnati. On May 8, Michigan named Domenico Grasso its interim president. Grasso will lead the university's search for its next president, which is set to begin in the coming weeks.
