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USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Olivier Rioux stats from Game 2 of FIBA U19 World Cup vs. Slovenia
Team Canada was at its best while Florida big man Olivier Rioux was on the court Monday morning in an 82-63 win over Slovenia at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Rioux played just five minutes and didn't put up any meaningful numbers in the group stage opener on Sunday, but he had one of the top five plus-minus performances (plus-15) of anyone on the court Monday. Rioux doubled his playing time with 11:20 of action in Game 2. He grabbed three defensive rebounds and scored two points, both on free throws. Rioux also got tagged for a personal foul and turnover, but maintained a positive efficiency rating of four. The 7-foot-9-inch redshirt freshman runs the floor surprisingly well for his size, but Rioux is still learning to control his body on the court. The foul he was called for came on an errant elbow during a rare moment of possession. He's so much bigger than everyone that a careless spin can easily turn into a flagrant foul, especially with most guards and wings standing about eye level with his elbows. Rioux boxes out well, but he's not too aggressive or explosive on either side of the glass. Still, He's an obvious presence down low that opposing teams have to plan around. Quick guards will be able to create space and loft a high-arcing shot over Rioux, though. His free-throw shot is pretty for a big man. Rioux and Team Canada face fellow Group B undefeated Germany on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET. The two 2-0 teams are among the five undefeated remaining in pool play. Mathematically, only four can exist at the conclusion of the group stage. Round of 16 games are scheduled for Wednesday, and the rest of bracket play continues on Friday through the weekend. 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.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
EA Sports ranks the Swamp just outside the top five in their toughest places to play
The Swamp is one of the loudest, rowdiest, most intimidating environments in all of college football–so why isn't it ranked higher? In its latest College Football 26 "Dynasty Deep Dive" feature, EA Sports unveiled the top 25 toughest stadiums to play in, with Ben Hill Griffin Stadium checking in at No. 7 overall. Advertisement The ranking puts the Florida Gators behind other SEC schools like the LSU Tigers (No. 1), Georgia Bulldogs (No. 4) and Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 5). While that's respectable company, many Gators fans would argue that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium deserves to be higher–especially considering its reputation for shaking with noise during prime-time games and high-stakes SEC showdowns. Night games in the Swamp, especially during rivalry weeks or title chases, have produced unforgettable moments and collapses by opposing quarterbacks. It's why coaches, players and media alike consistently rank Florida among the most brutal road trips in the nation. Here are the top 10 toughest places to play according to EA Sports. Top 10 toughest places to play according to EA Sports EA Sports College Football 26 release date information EA Sports College Football 26 releases July 10, with early access beginning July 7. The game marks another season of the beloved college football franchise, complete with real player likenesses, coaches and realistic stadium atmospheres. Advertisement 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. This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: EA Sports ranks the Swamp No. 7 in toughest stadiums list
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ben Shelton's French Open run ends in Round 4 against Carlos Alcaraz
Ben Shelton's French Open run ends in Round 4 against Carlos Alcaraz Ben Shelton made his first trip to the fourth round at Roland-Garros over the weekend, but he ran into a buzzsaw in World No. 2 and reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. Shelton stole a set, delaying a relatively easy win for Alcaraz by 45 minutes, 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The former Gator played the Spanish phenom evenly for most of the first two sets, losing the tiebreak in the first and a late break point in the second. Shelton broke Alcaraz twice in the third set before falling in the fourth and final set. Despite the loss, it's the best Shelton has felt coming out of a match against Alcaraz, who now holds a 3-0 lead in the head-to-head series. 'The most pressure that I thought I've applied," Shelton said. "The most comfortable that I felt in the baseline exchanges. The best I've hit my open-stance backhand when he's put pressure there.' Alcaraz showed some love for the former Gator after the match as well. Both are 22 years old, but Alcaraz has four more years of pro experience. They are both considered future stars of the sports, with Shelton playing catchup after taking the collegiate route to develop. 'I think we played really complete tennis, with the drop shots, coming to the net, big shots, he stayed there the whole match," Alcaraz said. "It's great having Ben around in these matches, it's great energy for the people. I love watching him play. I want to appreciate the moments I shared with him today.' Even though Shelton didn't make it into the quarterfinals or further at the French Open, his Round 4 appearance is an improvement on last year's Round 3 exit. He's already taken a step forward in half of the year's Grand Slams, making the semifinals at the Australian Open in January. Wimbledon (Round 4 in 2024) is up next at the end of the month, and the US Open (Round 3 in 2024) at the end of August. With the results of the French Open, he'll jump back up a spot to the No. 12 spot in the world, tying a career-high ranking set in March. Shelton's next step is to begin competing with the Alcarazs and Jannik Sinner's of the world. He won't hold a top-10 ranking without beating top-10 talent. Shelton begins his grass court season in June with possible appearances in Germany (Stuttgart), Great Britain (London) and Spain (Mallorca) before Wimbledon. 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
30-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
SEC changes fines for field and court storming if schools don't enact safety measures
SEC changes fines for field and court storming if schools don't enact safety measures The SEC conference has officially changed its policy on field and court storming events ahead of the 2025-26 academic year, according to conference commissioner Greg Sankey in his final press conference at the league's spring meetings. According to his announcement, violations of the SEC's access to competition area policy will incite a flat fee of $500,000, instead of the escalating fee schedule set in 2023. However, the caveat is that if schools allow visiting teams and officials to exit the field of play before fans rush the field or court, a fine will not be handed out. "We'll welcome your celebration," Sankey offered. "Let's let the team, the visiting institutions depart." The commish noted that the increased frequency of court and field rushes in the past three years invoked "meaningful conversation" about a policy change. "If you are the one rushed, no matter how problematic the situation is, if it's only the first time on campus, it's $100,000," he said. "It may be a lot more. So the motivation was field rushing is field rushing, the first time or the 18th time. We'll offer an outlet of a delayed field rush where (we) let the visitors exit, let the officials exit. Then you go. That goes to zero." Sankey said that in order to avoid the fines, there must be a no-interaction "period" between a visiting team and the rushing team's fans. The $500,000 fee will continue to go to the visiting team if incurred. If the field or court storm happens during a non-conference game, Sankey said the fine will continue to go to the conference's post-graduate scholarship fund. In a May 28 press conference, Sankey said football field storms could be harder to police than basketball, which he still called not easy. "I don't think any of it is easy," Sankey said. "It has to be done with intent." 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
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
University of Florida student-athletes set numerous academic records in Spring 2025
University of Florida student-athletes set numerous academic records in Spring 2025 The University of Florida continues to lead the way in both collegiate academics and athletics, as evidenced by the recent news from the registrar. This spring, a few overall and team grade point average records were set. More than 400 student-athletes earned a 3.0 or higher GPA for the fourth-straight semester, and the collective 3.42 GPA by Gators reached an all-time high, replacing the 3.39 GPA set in the fall term of 2024. During the 2023-24 academic year, 75 members across all of Florida's athletics programs graduated with a bachelor's degree, while another 17 earned a graduate degree; 33 graduated with honors. The five programs that set or equaled GPA records this past semester were baseball (3.26), football (3.48), gymnastics (3.73), lacrosse (3.67) and men's track and field (3.08). UF Student-Athlete Spring 2025 Semester Highlights 18 programs earned a 3.0 or better spring semester GPA 18 programs earned a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA Overall Male Term GPA – 3.35 Overall Male Cumulative GPA – 3.31 Overall Female Term GPA – 3.51 Overall Female Cumulative GPA – 3.48 (New Record) 4.0 spring 2025 GPA by 54 student-athletes 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.
