Florida
Florida Heads to Ole Miss for First SEC Road Game – ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
After a hard-fought contest against No. 6 Kentucky to open the Gators’ SEC men’s basketball schedule last Saturday, Florida travels to Oxford on Wednesday for a meeting with the Ole Miss Rebels.
The meeting will be the first road SEC game of the season for coach Todd Golden and his group, who enter Wednesday’s 9 p.m. game with a 10-4 record. Meanwhile, the No. 23 Rebels (13-1) have started off strong but are coming off of a blow-out loss against No. 5 Tennessee.
Steve Russell spoke with Marc Dukes, a member of Ole Miss’s radio team, Tuesday to discuss the upcoming matchup.
Buying into Beard’s Culture
Ole Miss is in the midst of its first season with Chris Beard at the helm. The former Texas head coach left Austin in a cloud of controversy, but the Rebels took a chance on hiring him. So far, it has paid off.
Beard led Ole Miss to 13 consecutive wins to tip-off the 2023-24 season. The early success can in part be credited to the “buy-in” of this Rebels team to Beard’s system and culture.
Another area of success so far for the Rebels is the offense. Compared to last year’s group, Ole Miss has been shooting the ball with more confidence, which has seen the Rebels’ points per game jump by almost 10 points.
“One of the big differences, I think, is the confidence the players have offensively this year,” Dukes said. “They’re shooting the ball really well.”
While there are still several areas for Ole Miss to improve, the direction the program is heading this early into his time in Oxford is a step in the right direction.
Florida vs. Ole Miss: Keys to the Game
Among the important keys to the game for both sides will be rebounding. Ole Miss has been outrebounded in several of the team’s victories, averaging a -2.4 rebound margin. Meanwhile, Florida has been impressive on the glass, averaging a +10.6 rebound margin.
The Rebels also continue to be a work in progress on the defensive end of the floor, which should grant the Gators high-percentage scoring opportunities. However, Dukes is confident Ole Miss is improving on defense as it gets comfortable with Beard’s system.
A major area of struggle for Golden’s group has been free-throw shooting. Florida is shooting just above 65% from the charity stripe as a team, which ranks 321st in Division I. In the Gators’ home loss to Kentucky, the team went a combined 18-for-29 (.620) from the line.
Against an Ole Miss team struggling on the glass, Florida will need to take advantage of its second-chance opportunities and convert free throws to get the victory on the road.
Both Teams Looking for First SEC Victory
Both the Gators and Rebels come into Wednesday’s tilt after dropping their SEC openers.
Florida led against Kentucky for much of the game, but failed to close out what would have been a crucial Quadrant I win. Meanwhile, the Rebels fell behind Tennessee early and never really got back into the game.
The Rebels will rely heavily on a trio of players who have helped them start the year strong. Matthew Murrell has scored 10 or more points in 13 of the Rebels’ 14 games, including three contest with 20+ points. The IMG Academy product has shot the ball well and is a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. Jaemyn Brakefield has also had a strong start to the season, especially as of late. The senior has five consecutive games with 15 or more points, including a 27 point performance against California.
As for the Gators, they will need the team’s leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. and junior guard Will Richard to return to their red-hot form. The two shot a combined 3-for-18 from the field in the loss against Kentucky. While Florida does have a variety of players who are able to score, it’ll be important for two of the Gators’ stars to step up on the road.
With both teams in search of their first SEC wins of the season, Wednesday night’s game in Oxford should have a lot of intensity. The SEC Network and 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF will provide coverage.
Florida
South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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