Florida
Mark Pope doesn’t expect emotions to impact Denzel Aberdeen in Florida reunion and homecoming
Denzel Aberdeen is in a unique spot going into his first trip back to Florida since his controversial departure last portal cycle. On one hand, he was on the floor at the final horn during the Gators’ national championship win and a key figure of that run, a lifetime dream as a hometown kid from Orlando with a ring that can never be taken away from him.
“It’s been surreal. The past couple of months, just reaching one of my goals in life, winning the national championship, it’s been nothing but amazing,” Aberdeen said at SEC Tipoff ’26.
On the other, Todd Golden likely won’t be waiting for him at the airport with a Valentine’s Day card, flowers and chocolates upon his return to Gainesville. His former coach got testy on multiple occasions when asked about the breakup — the two sides not seeing eye to eye during negotiations in terms of valuation.
“We love Denzel,” he told KSR. “Incredibly grateful for the contributions he made to our program. He was a huge part of our national championship team. He was a guy that came with us right when we got the job. The reality is, we would have loved to have Denzel back, and there were other things that were more important to him than what we had to offer at this point. … Every person — whether you’re a player or coach — has different things that are important to them when making decisions. Unfortunately, ours didn’t align. We would’ve loved to have him back.”
His old teammates are excited for his return to the O-Dome — nothing personal on their end, Alex Condon adding, “It’s going to be really fun” to play him, though it “was a shock” to see him go. He grew up 111 miles away, so Aberdeen will undoubtedly have all of the friends and family in the stands that he can handle. It’s not just a Gator reunion, but also a homecoming with all of his loved ones.
How will he respond to all of the extra stuff that comes with this trip? His new head coach, Mark Pope, doesn’t think anything can push him off his path of growth and the current production he’s earning in the SEC. He’s playing the best basketball of his career, and Pope expects him to continue doing just that in Gainesville.
“I think D.A. is pretty steady right now. His play over the last month has been phenomenal,” he said Thursday. “He’s had a huge number of games where he went on a four- or five-game tear where it was just — his numbers were outrageous, his decision-making, he just is getting more and more comfortable.”
Aberdeen is averaging 13.0 points and 3.1 assists during SEC play while shooting 39.1 percent from deep, six games with 15-plus dating back to January 10, no performance bigger or better than his 22-point night in Knoxville, scoring 18 in the second half alone to help the Wildcats storm back from down 17 points to beat Tennessee 80-78.
Kentucky appeared to be, for lack of a better term, screwed when Jaland Lowe underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Since then, though, Pope’s team has been among the hottest in all of college basketball, and Aberdeen is a big part of that. He’s owned that starting point guard role and is only getting better with time and experience.
“You can see him making the transition from doing his job, to playing the game. From doing the game to playing the game, like, we’ve seen that happen in real time over the last month, where in practice, too, now you see him just feeling so comfortable with what we’re doing, and so confident,” Pope continued. “Such a believer now in trying to attack the game how we attack the game. It’s been fun to watch him grow. He’s going to be — he’s just a solid dude, man.”
So, yeah, a top-25 battle in front of the people most important to him, familiar faces and a coach ready to punish him for seeking greener pastures? He’ll be ready.
Because this is what he does.
“He’s a competitor, competitor, competitor. The brighter the lights, the more excited he gets, the more capable he gets,” Pope said. “He functions well there, so I expect him as the season progresses to just get better.”
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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