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Billy Donovan turned down the Orlando Magic job and tradition-rich Kentucky once, possibly twice. So he’s going to jump at the St. John’s job? Not sure about that one.

But since the coaching carousel has been known to shake what you think are safe assumptions, it’s certainly noteworthy that Billy Donovan has become the ideal candidate for the St. John’s job, according to the New York media.

The New York Post is reporting that Billy Donovan has spoken to a St. John’s supporter about the position. The Post’s Lenn Robbins reports that Donovan came away from the converstion “intrigued.” The next St. John’s coach will replace Norm Roberts.

“I am very happy here, and we have a very good team coming back next season,” Donovan told the Post in a text message. “St. John’s has a great tradition, and I have great respect for that program.”

The New York Daily News’ Dick ‘Hoops’ Weiss says St. John’s search should start and end with one name: Donovan. Newsday lists Donovan as a top candidate for the job.

No word yet on whether St. John’s has asked Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley for permisssion to speak with Donovan, who is one of the country’s highest-paid coaches at $3.5 million per year. St. John’s would have to muster up some serious coin to sniff Donovan.

Donovan also has been linked to the Oregon job since the Nike boosters are willing to spend money on their next coach. Just not sure if I see the logic in leaving for a rebuilding job.

In other Gators basketball news, guard Ray Shipman and center Kenny Kadji are expected to stay at UF, according to Matt Ramker, their former AAU coach.

Players have not been afraid to transfer from Florida when playing time is hard to find, and Shipman and Kadji, who signed with Florida as highly-rated recruits in 2008, haven’t exactly started decorated careers at UF.

Shipman regressed as a sophomore, averaging less minutes (12.4 per game) and points (2.7 per game) than from his freshman season. Kadji  missed most of the season with a back injury that required surgery in early 2010. Shipman showed glimpses late in the season, and Kadji could bolster next year’s front line.

“They are happy at UF and are looking forward to next season,” said Ramker, who keeps in touch regularly with the two players.

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Chris Rainey, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards in a Florida Gators uniform, is taking over Percy Harvin’s old role as a hybrid playmaker. Since Rainey knows all the running backs plays,  he’s working out exclusively at wid receiver this spring. So far, he’s looked good…when he’s not nursing a sore hamstring. But his elusiveness could come in handy from the slot position.

Here’s what Rainey had to say about the adjustment.

On the new position: “It’s fun, it’s tougher, ti’s a lot of running.”

On how Rainey and  Florida decided on the position change: “Probably went both ways.  When I saw Percy do it, I was like, ‘I can do that.’ ”

His strength at the position: “Speed, catching the ball, stuff like that.”

On the difference between running back and wide receiver: “Running back, all you have to do is listen to one play. At wide receiver, you have to listen to the whole play. You have to pay attention the the safeties, linebackers. You have to know what the other receivers are doing or you’re going to run into them.”

On his excitement to play WR: “I feel like I’m back in high school.”

On this year’s RB crew: “Whoever you put in there, you’re going to see something amazing.”

On the return of RBs coach Stan Drayton: “It’s a relief, man. That’s my favorite coach. I can’t talk much about that there.”

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There’s your new quarterback, folks. Isn’t he dreamy? Looks like a guy who can replace Tim Tebow to me. This is one of the many great photos of the Florida Gators at spring practice courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel.

I just got back from Oklahoma City a little while ago, but Sentinel correspondent Bobby Callovi told me that Urban Meyer is in attendance at today’s session, cornerback Adrian Bushell is still  nowhere to be found (curious: He should be competing for starting job) and WR Andre Debose is not participating in one-on-one drills. Also, freshman Robert Clark and Solomon Patton are tearing up workouts today, per Callovi.

Stay tuned.

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With Day 2 of spring drills just a few hours away, I finally got the video I shot of Urban Meyer returning to the Gators on Wednesday working properly on YouTube. He was pretty involved in some of the special teams drills. In case you cannot see him, he is in the middle in the white jacket.

I wrote a column today wondering why Meyer was not more forthcoming about how he felt, what changes he made to relax and why his leave of absence ended so quickly. Needless to say, this column is not popular among Gator fans because I bluntly said he owes us all an explanation.

It is clear we are not going to get one, and Gator fans are just happy he is back. So what to expect out of Day 2 of spring drills? Let us go back to Day 1 observations for some clues.

– John Brantley had a nice debut as the starting QB. He fired his passes like lasers. Some of them were thrown so hard, a few receivers had them bounce right of their hands. This is no slight on Tim Tebow, but the WR are probably not used to having balls thrown at them that hard. Brantley has a rocket for an arm, there is no question about that.

– WR Carl Moore looked really good. His return from a back injury is a huge key for the Gators going into 2010. They  need him to be healthy and to emerge as one of their top WRs with Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez gone. Deonte Thompson also MUST emerge, and Meyer said as much after Wednesday: “Him and Carl Moore have got to be the main guys. We’ve got some numbers, but it’s time Deonte becomes like he was the No. 1 receiver (recruit) in America.”

– It was a welcome sight to see Boone product Jeremy Brown returning at CB. Though he is being held out of contact for the spring, Brown looked great during individual drills. Brown has yet to play a down for the Gators because of a back injury. But remember, this is a player who started drills in 2008 ahead of Janoris Jenkins on the depth chart.

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Due to technical difficulties, I was not able to post this video of Alex Tyus in the Florida Gators’ postgame locker room after the 99-92 loss to BYU. I also have one with point guard Erving Walker that I will hit you up with later.

Tyus talked a little about how the team will be hungry next year while returning the entire nucleus. Only senior forward Dan Werner is expected to depart from Florida’s eight-man rotation.

Center Vernon Macklin, who finished with 16 points Thursday, said he has no reason to believe anybody will leave for a transfer or the NBA.

“We’re going to be a great team next year,” Macklin said.

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Despite a valiant effort to crawl back from a 13-point deficit, Florida couldn’t finish plays that will stick with them all offseason.

And not just the two buzzer-beating chances.

BYU’s Jackson Emery hitting a 3-pointer with 1:22 left in regulation.

A charge on Vernon Macklin with 1:08 left, then Macklin making one of two free throws in the closing minute.

Turnovers and bad shot selection in overtime.

Florida was up by four points in both the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, when BYU missed its first four shots.

“We let them hang around too much instead of putting the game away,” Alex Tyus said. “They finished it for us.”

Chandler Parsons’ 15-footer at the end of regulation is,  by all accounts, a pretty good look at the basket. Hard to complain with that look. Parsons hit two buzzer-beaters earlier in the year, even prompting BYU’s Jimmer Fredette to tell him before the game not to hit one.

Parsons drove to the right on the smaller Michael Loyd Jr. and pulled up for a fadeaway. He could have driven all the way to the hoop, but that’s being particular.

“I felt like I had a good look,” said Parsons, who finished with 20 points. “I shot it and it felt really good. I thought it was going to go down. I’d like to have that shot again.”

At the end of the first overtime, Florida gave the ball to Boynton, who got double teamed deep in the backcourt and threw an errant pass toward the basket. Dan Werner tried to push the ball in but missed terribly.

“It wasn’t probably the best possession that we could have had,” UF coach Billy Donovan said. “We don’t have coming out of those situations a guy you can just put the ball in his hands and ask him to break them down. We ran two guys at Boynton trying to create space. We had two guys on them. He was trying to get it back to the post there and he wasn’t able to do it.”

Florida had plenty of chances to finish, but this game was indicative of its entire season — fall behind, climb back, but not enough firepower in the closing minutes.

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Orlando Sentinel sports topic manager Tim Stephens and crew are chatting about the March Madness NCAA Tournament opener between the Florida Gators vs. BYU live. Join us below.

NCAA Tournament: Florida Gators vs. BYU postgame chat

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Florida should probably be up right now, but the Gators are down 49-46 with 11:46 to play because they’ve committed seven turnovers in the first eight  minutes of the second half. BYU is double teaming down low, and the big men are caving under the pressure. Guards are leaving their feet way too early and are getting stuck in the air with nowhere to pass. Gotta clean that up to have a chance.

Jimmer Fredette has scored 10 of his 18 points in the first eight minutes, mostly off scoop shots in the lane. He’s no Steph Curry, but he’s got incredible balance with the ball. He’s always moving and shaking and faking adn jittering. Just has a scorer’s knack

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Florida was having a great start.

Until Michael Loyd Jr. showed up.

The BYU guard scored 10 consecutive points to negate Florida’s momentum and give BYU a three-point lead in the closing minutes of the first half. And he did all with Jimmer Fredette on the bench.

The Gators held a 28-21 lead before Loyd Jr.’s explosion.

*Florida started nervous offensively with plenty of bobbled passes, missed free throws and a couple of turnovers, but the Gators are ready to play defense. Fredette isn’t really getting his (8 points on 4-of-9 shooting), and he’s got to work for everything. He’s had nothing easy. Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons and Erik Murphy have each blocked a layup in the lane.

Florida has gotten killed by the 3-pointer in recent weeks, but the Gators kept BYU quiet from behind the line. The Cougars are shooting 3-of-5 from 3.

Florida missed its last five shots of the half, last scoring on an Alex Tyus hook shot with a little less than 4 minutes to go. Parsons had a nice look at 3 in the closing seconds but missed short.

The Gators couldn’t avoid foul trouble in the first half, which is bad news for an already-thin front court. Vernon Macklin picked up two quick fouls after starting with a nice rhythm on four points. Then Murphy, the backup center, picked up two fouls, and it’s no coincidence that BYU made its run while both were on the bench. No size.

Florida keeps trying to go down low, but Tyus is having trouble creating on the low block.

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Just watched BYU’s Jimmer Fredette hit about 14 straight midrange jumpers without much effort, just a quick flick of the wrist with no leg explosion (see video below). If he scores 22 points or less today, that’s a success for the Florida Gators’ defense.

We’re about 50 minutes from tipoff, and since this is the first NCAA Tournament game, Florida could essentially be one of the last teams in the NCAA Tournament and the first one out. Providing us with key analysis is the voice of the Gators, Mr. “Oh my” Mick Hubert. Mick, on the job for his 21st year, took some time with Swamp Things to analyze the game.

1. Play mentally and physically tough: “Chase loose balls, rebound, get the 50-50 plays,” Hubert said. “You can’t have much margin for error against a disciplined team like BYU. The front court must be active. Macklin, Tyus, Werner and Murphy will be key. It’s not going to be a game where our backcourt needs to take over.”

2. Can’t be soft: “The way they run through screens and cuts. you can’t be soft,” Hubert said. “This team will get you with precision. Our switching on 3-point defense is huge. And if we’re down 10 with 4 to go, it’s not going to be a good deal because they are such a good free-throw shooting team.”

3. Have the right mentality: “You have to play like your backs are against the wall. Not to play with pressure, but with the mentality that no one expects you to win. Florida doesn’t need to always press, but they need to play defense wall to wall.”

2.

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Tim Tebow wasn’t the only one who worked out for NFL scouts on Pro Day. Fourteen other players were there hoping to improve their fortunes and make an impression on the 75 NFL executives, coaches and scouts in attendance at the Swamp.

Pro Day was crucial for CB Joe Haden, who ran a poor time in the 40 at the combine. Haden had times in the 4.5s, totally uncharacteristic for him. Haden explains why in this video, and how important it was for him to get redemption.

Despite the wet field, Haden ran a 4.39 and 4.41, and may have solidified himself as a Top 10 pick. He said Cleveland, Oakland, Jacksonville and San Francisco have shown an interest in him. In fact, he was meeting with the 49ers over lunch on Wednesday. Haden also said he would be in NYC for the draft, potentially joining Tebow, who also was invited — even though it is unknown where the QB will be drafted.

Meanwhile, Wednesday was also a big day for DE Carlos Dunlap, who has had to live with his inexplicable DUI days before the SEC championship game. Dunlap also had a poor time at the combine, running a 4.71. Amid speculation on mock drafts that he had slipped out of the first round, Dunlap took the field in Gainesville hoping for a better 40 time. He said he was clocked at 4.57 and 4.59 — a huge triumph indeed.

Dunlap also had some good one-on-one time with Panthers defensive line coach Brian Baker, spending at least half an hour working on individual drills with him. Baker said:

My concern was flexibility, his ability to bend and explode, would his knees bend, drop his hips … so I did a lot of drills to get a feel for that. The other thing I want to do is get a feel for a guy’s ability to take instructions and then quickly get down and apply it and also to see if he has an understanding of why it’s being done. I’m OK with the kid. He’s a bright eyed guy, seems to have a decent understanding of what’s being told and what needs to be done.

 As for the character questions about his DUI, Baker said, “I know that young kids are young kids, they make mistakes. There’s so much exposure on these kids. Back when I played you never heard of a kid getting a DUI. As long as a guy’s a good guy, and I don’t think a DUI makes him a bad guy. He made a bad decision. If a guy’s a good guy I’m OK with it. If a guy’s a turd, I don’t like it.”

In this video, Dunlap talks about overcoming his one mistake in the eyes of the NFL:

ESPN.com draft analyst Todd McShay was in Gainesville, and said both Haden and Dunlap helped themselves.

McShay on Haden: “I think Joe Haden helped himself the most. On tape he plays as if he’s a cornerback who runs in the 4.4s. He ran that 4.62 and 4.65 official times at the combine, and it was kind of a head-scratcher, like ‘How in the world?’ He said he had a strained back, and he looked more like himself today and solidified himself as a top corner.”

McShay on Dunlap: “Physically, he’s in the elite category in terms of the gifts he has. He ran a 4.63 today, and he’s 270 pounds and 6-foot-6. He’s freakish physically, it’s just a matter of maturity level and growing up. If he grows up in a hurry, realizes the gifts he has, puts the time in and wants to take advantage of them, he could have a special career in the NFL.”

McShay on LB Brandon Spikes, who ran his 40 in 5 seconds: “Physically, he’s in the elite category in terms of the gifts he has. He ran a 4.63 today, and he’s 270 pounds and 6-foot-6. He’s freakish physically, it’s just a matter of maturity level and growing up. If he grows up in a hurry, realizes the gifts he has, puts the time in and wants to take advantage of them, he could have a special career in the NFL.”

One other note: LB Ryan Stamper, RB/KR Brandon James and DE Jermaine Cunningham did not work out because of injuries. They will work out for scouts in the Swamp on April 7.

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It’s no surprise Tim Tebow has been invited to attend the NFL draft in New York. ESPN can bolster its already-strong ratings for the April 22-24 event in New York City.

Tebow will be the story on day one if he’s drafted in the first round. He’ll also be the story on day two if he must wait uncomfortably in the green room while teams pluck other quarterbacks out of the field.

Tebow will likely show up in New York because the Tebow family always embraces the chance for a platform. But many feelings have been damaged while wearing a suit and tie on draft day.

Look no further than Rashard Lewis, the Orlando Magic forward who slipped to the second round of the 1998 NBA draft out of high school. His hometown Houston Rockets passed on him three times, picking scrubs instead of the two-time All-Star.

Is Tebow willing to handle the potential embarrassment of being the last player left in the room?  Or will he be brought to tears, just like Lewis? Watch after the 2:00 mark for Lewis’ meltdown.

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Urban Meyer returned to the Gators practice field as they kicked off spring drills Wednesday, saying he feels great and is the full-time head coach again.

“I feel fine, and I feel good,” Meyer said.

Meyer said he actually returned a few weeks ago as the head coach. He declined to talk about the battery of tests he underwent in February, reiterating that he felt good.

When former interim coach Steve Addazio was asked how it felt to be the ex-head coach, he said, “Hey I’ve always been the ex-head coach. I’m a solider here doing my job whatever I can do to help. I’m the offensive coordinator here and the offensive line coach and I’m here to help coach in any way I can help.”

In practice, Meyer played the role of observer, and also was hands on during a few special teams drills. He blew the whistle pretty good, too.

As for other players:

Andre Debose was at practice and participated in individual drills after redshirting his freshman season with a torn hamstring. He is about 70 percent. CB Jeremy Brown was back out there but will be held out of contact drills.

Early enrollee Freshman Matt Elam was out there as well and had a few good plays. WR Carl Moore looked fantastic, and is expected to be a big target for John Brantley. As expected, Jeff Demps was just a bystander, choosing to focus on track this spring.

Speaking of Brantley, it was obviously a different feeling at practice with him leading the charge. His father, John, was also at practice, one week removed from prostate cancer surgery. The senior Brantley said he felt great.

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Just some straightforward analysis to get you ready for tomorrow.

WHO: No. 7 seed Brigham Young (29-5) vs. No. 10 seed Florida (21-12) in first round of the NCAA Tournament West Region

TIPOFF: 12:20 p.m. in the Ford Center in Oklahoma City

TV: CBS; RADIO: 540 AM (WFLF)

THREE POINTS:

*3-point defense: To have a chance against the Cougars, Florida must defend the 3-point line valiantly. BYU shoots 41.9 percent from 3 as a team, while Florida doesn’t have one player with 10 or more 3-point attempts who shoots with such accuracy. Guarding the 3 has been troublesome for Florida, which has given up 28-of-58 3-pointers (almost 50 percent) in their last three losses to Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Mississippi State. Don’t be surprised if Florida mixes up its defenses, possibly to put Chandler Parsons at the front of the 2-3 zone to provide length on the wing.

*Keep Jimmer under control:  Jimmer Fredette can score in a variety of ways that will make life difficult for Gators G Kenny Boynton, who will likely guard Fredette consistently. At 21.7 points per game, Fredette shoots 44.8 percent from 3 and 89.6 percent from the free throw line, where he appears almost seven times per game. The key for Florida is staying out of foul trouble and keeping Fredette on the perimeter.

*Feed the big guy: Florida must get C Vernon Macklin going early to take advantage off BYU’s lack of presence inside. When Macklin scores 14 or more points, Florida is 9-1. Boynton’s streaky shooting is starting to come around after making 7-of-15 3s in his last two games.

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President Barack Obama might like Florida State in the NCAA Tournament, but Obama’s braket has Florida out in the first round at the hands of BYU.

Obama has Kansas, Kentucky, Kansas State and Villanova in his Final Four.

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Jimmer Fredette, who will probably pour buckets all over Florida on Thursday

The most dangerous guard Florida has faced all season doesn’t have the acclaim of John Wall, barely got recruited out of Glens Falls, N.Y., and looks as unassuming as the point guard on your local rec league team.

But in Billy Donovan’s eyes, Brigham Young point guard Jimmer Fredette possesses more weaponry than any guard out of the Southeastern Conference.

“Those guys can’t get 50 in the college game like this guy can,” Donovan said.
“This guy, to me, really Fredette is one of the best kept secrets in college basketball.”

Donovan was rounding up on the 50, but barely. Fredette torched Arizona for 49 and Texas Christian for 45.

The Cougars sophomore shoots 44.8 percent from the 3-point line, 89.6 percent from the free-throw line and sprinkles in 4.7 assists per game.

Maybe he mustered some of that toughness out of his prison-balling days in upstate New York. He played pickup ball in prisons with a friend who had a hookup.

It’s doubtful Florida can keep Fredette behind bars on defense Thursday (lame pun, I know). Get to know Fredette in this Q&A.

The key to the game: “We need to rebound the basketball. They are a very good offensive rebounding basketball team, and they get a lot of energy off their rebounds and putbacks and transition easy baskets. We need to limit their transition.”

On being patient against gimmick defense: “You just take what the defense gives you. You see how they are playing you. Whatever they give, that’s what you take. Capitalize on that, be aggressive and try to get to the basket. Just be aggressive. If you don’t’ got the basket and get aggressive, (officials) are not going to give you any calls.”

Playing prison ball while in high school: “Upstate New York, Mount McGregor prison was one of them…one was in Saratoga. They would yell stuff to you , they would try to get into your head. They didn’t like some guys coming in being your friends.”

On improving his game at a young age: “It was shooting. I had an older brohter who was seven years older than I was, and I was always playing with him. I couldn’t really get into the lane, and I would just have to shoot from the outside and get my shot off quick. Then as I got older, I learned dhow to get to the basket.”

On Syracuse: “They recruited me some, I went and visited there a couple of times. I wasn’t really highly recruited out of high school. Coach Boeheim already signed Scoop jardine and Jonny Flynn my year, they already had their point guard spot signed up.”

On Florida PG Erving Walker, who played against Fredette in AAU ball: “I just remember him being a really good shooter, getting into the lane, shooting that little floater, a tough, athletic point guard. I was on a small AAU team, so I’m sure he didn’t remember that much about it. Me being from Upstate New York, it’s not a really big market.”

On BYU not winning an NCAA Tournament game since 1993: “It’s not a big deal to us. We weren’t a part of those teams. We were real young. It’s a different time.”

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[video  ]

Check out our video of former Florida QB Tim Tebow’s new throwing motion.

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Tim Tebow got through Pro Day on Wednesday with his revamped throwing motion. A couple things I noticed — he is pulling the ball up high near his ear, which is good, but he still is dropping it down low when he goes to pass. He definitely made a good show of his footwork, and also threw some bullets. His release looked much, much quicker.

Afterward, Tebow talked about feeling comfortable with his new motion. Browns president Mike Holmgren said he didn’t think Tebow needed to change his throwing motion.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris thought Tebow did a great job.

“He didn’t miss many throws. He came out, did what he had to do,” Morris said.

When asked whether he noticed any changes to his throwing motion, Morris said, “I’m not the quarterback guru that you guys should be talking to but like everybody knows he’s a talented guy, he’s a popular guy, he’s a sharp guy, he’s a smart guy, he’s had success all his career and I’m sure nothing will be different when he goes to the next level.”

Other NFL head coaches in attendance: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Panthers coach John Fox, Browns coach Eric Mangini and Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

The Browns were there in full force to get a glimpse of Joe Haden, who vastly improved his 4o-time from the NFL combine. Haden ran a 4.41 and 4.39. At the combine in Indianapolis, he ran a 4.57. Haden explained that he had tweaked his back muscle but didn’t think it would affect him that badly. He joked that he ran such a poor 40 time so more scouts would come to the combine.

Haden also said the teams most interested in him are the Browns, Raiders and 49ers. He was in fact going to lunch with the 49ers after Pro Day. Haden also said he would be in NYC for the draft.

Brandon Spikes had a disappointing day, running his 40 in 5 seconds flat. He did not stop to speak to reporters.

Carlos Dunlap said he ran a 4.57 and 4.59, and was eager for a shot at redemption.

These are some quick hitters. I will have more for you as soon as I can. We have about an hour until spring practice begins.

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Here is what Browns president Mike Holmgren said about Tim Tebow: 

“Clearly, he’s a special young man. I got a chance to visit with him for the first time and I thought he worked very very hard. You can tell he’s trying to make adjustments to his motion. That seems to be what people are fired up about, and he’s working very hard to do that. and it showed today. I thought he had a pretty good workout.

It appears to be that he’s made some adjustments in a very short period of time, and he’s got good guys working with him. I would say this, though. If you look hard enough at anybody … we can be really pick about stuff. You’ve got to be careful about losing sight of the big picture and what kind of a player he is, what kind of a winner he is and what kind of a person he is. There’s a lot of good about this young man. We’ll see how it goes.

success as QB: “I’m going to steer clear of that one. I think Tim Tebow is one of those guys you root for, and it’s my opinion if he’s on your football team you have a better football team. I’ll leave it at that.”

It’s clear that he’s made some adjustments already. The challenge for anybody, not just Tim, who plays the position is you make the changes and you do it in a workout and in a combine. But what happens when you’re playing, what happens when you’re competing and it’s happening fast? Can you do it then if it’s necessary? Listen, I’m still on the bench here about deciding whether it’s necessary. He’s done a lot of great things. But if that’s his goal and that’s what he wants to do. The next challenge will be to see how he does it in game conditions.

on comparisons to Steve Young: “They’re both left-handed. That’s where I’ll stop the comparisons. I would steer clear of that comparison. Steve was a very polished passer. with the great athletes, the quarterback that can run, sometimes it takes a little off their throwing ability. People say, ‘Well, he’s a great runner and a good passer’ or whatever they say. That’s not always the case. Steve was a great runner at the position, but Steve could really throw the ball. He didn’t have to do much to improve that.”

on being able to read the field: “Oh sure. He has to. He’s a bright guy, a willing guy, he’s very coachable. He’s exactly what you want. But there’s a learning curve. He’s been in a system offense his career here and done very, very well. It’s a very successful offensive philosophy. When you come into the NFL, you see people are trying to do it a little bit at times, but really you’re asking the quarterback to do different things.”

on his changes: “I think there are still some questions about that. I don’t think everybody in the room thinks he needs to change dramatically, so we’ll see where it goes.”

on pro day: “This is a little different. I think if it had been a sunny day, we might have filled this place.”

on his new mechanics: “I wouldn’t call it dramatic. There are subtle differences, and those of us that know the position a little bit and watch the position and have coached the position, you saw it. You saw he’s worked hard on changing some of his technique, and I root for him. He’s a wonderful young man. I pull for guys like that, and he’s going to make some team very happy.”

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Here are a few video clips of Tim Tebow talking about Pro Day.

Clip One: Tebow talks about feeling comfortable with his throwing motion.

 
Tebow talks about why he decided to revamp his throwing motion.

Here is some raw video footage I took of Tebow throwing.

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Follow me on a journey through the Ford Center, where Florida’s preparing to rip through the NCAA Tournament and appear in Billy Donovan’s fourth Final Four. And by that I mean they are hopeful just to beat BYU.

The Blackberry photos aren’t exactly Orlando Sentinel photography Gary Green quality, but hey, it gives you an idea.

BTW, apparently Vernon Macklin does a great Billy Donovan impression, but when I got out the video camera, he froze.

Here's where it's all going down…home of Kevin Durant

I'm feeling welcome…until they try to charge for wireless internet

Chandler Parsons and Dan Werner being quizzed by the Gainesville Sun's Pat Dooley

Erving Walker takes the pass

Billy Donovan, uh, teaching stuff

Vernon Macklin dunked ferociously just for me (this is my best pic, thank you very much…though the quality sucks)

Kenny Boynton, doin' work

Donovan tells his team "I've been to three Final Fours, now listen to me." Or something like that.

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Just getting set up here at the Ford Center, where Billy Donovan is about to take the podium. Just wanted to drop you a note that we will have updates, instant analysis and pictures of the scene here from the Florida Gators perspective.

Check back with us, and don’t forget to follow twitter.com/osgators.

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Here we are, a few hours away from NFL Pro Day at UF, where Tim Tebow will show off his new and improved throwing motion for pro scouts, the media and fans.

The on-field portion of Pro Day kicks off at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. With Jeremy off to Oklahoma City for the NCAA tournament, I will cover Pro Day and the first practice of the spring at 3:45 p.m., featuring the return of coach Urban Meyer.

Tebow at the Senior Bowl

It will be a busy day in Gainesville today. I will try to update this blog as much as I can with reports and video, and will definitely be on Twitter @osaadelson. Tebow, of course, is not the only player who will be working out for scouts. Riley Cooper, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes and company will be there as well. (This is a big day for Haden, too. He must run a faster 40-time than his very underwhelming 4.57 he ran in Indianapolis).

But Tebow is obviously the man of the hour. He did not throw at the scouting combine last month in February as he worked to revamp his motion. He will throw today, and everyone will be eager to see how he looks.

To get you started this morning, here are some quick links about what people are saying as we head into Pro Day.

Jeremy wonders whether Tebow has overshadowed John Brantley and Meyer, what with Pro Day and spring practice being held on the same day.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com breaks down the five points scouts will be looking for when they see Tebow today.

Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com writes that the Tebow pressure cooker is growing.

Tim Graham, ESPN blogger, describes the unveiling of Tim Tebow 2.0.

Andy Staples of CNNSI.com plays a pretty clever matching game with other QBs who were also doubted.

Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post puts it simply, “The circus is coming to town.”

Content provided by Swamp Things – Gators Blog.

Before we deem today Te-Pro Day, let’s remember that the Florida Gators will have more than 15 prospects working out in front of the NFL today.

Tim Tebow is the thrust of the workout with his new throwing motion. We all know his attention is only growing. But there will be players working out such as Joe Haden, who still considers himself the best corner.  Linebacker Brandon Spikes could use a big day.

Carlos Dunlap’s stock appears to be falling.

Here are the five non-Tebow prospects who have the most to prove today.

UPDATE (10:06 a.m.): Just got word from colleague Andrea Adelson that Pro Day has been delayed until around 11 because of rain. Can’t imagine players want to work out on a wet field, so we’ll see.

CB JOE HADEN: Nothing else matters today except Haden’s 40-yard dash time. He translates well on tape. He can cover elite college receivers. He can jump and stop and move his hips. He’s strong.

But his 40 times of 4.57 and 4.6 at the Combine have jeopardized his top-10 status in the draft. Haden is making a lot of promises in an interview with the Sporting News, saying he expects to run somewhere in the 4.33 range and was hindered at the combine because of a back strain. Haden’s worst nightmare would be logging something worse than a 4.6, though I don’t see that happening. I also don’t see a 4.33. Maybe somewhere in between. If he gets high 4.4s, he should be happy.

LB BRANDON SPIKES: Spikes is a great player. We all know that. But what has he really proved in the last year. His senior season was marred by injuries and uninspired play. He looks a tad slower and heavier than his first two years in Gainesville. And his combine performance was lackluster, opting out of the 40 and not wowing scouts in any of his drills. Spikes can still be an integral piece to a team’s 3-4 scheme because of his size, but he must come out with a spirited effort today.

DE CARLOS DUNLAP: His 40 time of 4.71 is solid for his size (6-6, 277), so he’s good to go there. Dunlap needs to show a little more agility in his footwork drills and try to showcase a personality to the NFL types. The reviews on Dunlap’s interview process at the combine were not positive. Maybe he acted indifferent. Maybe he didn’t and the reports are bogus. After covering Dunlap for a couple of years, he has personality, but you have to get it out of him. Speaks softly,  often looks lethargic. That must change. Get him talking about football schemes, and he must look excited while doing it.

WR RILEY COOPER: Any critique on Cooper is pretty nit-picky since Cooper has had a solid Senior Bowl and combine. He’s shown he can make tough catches, get physical with corners and his 4.52 40 time is respectable for his size (6-3, 230). Cooper’s biggest problem is drops. Every workout, he seems to have at least a couple. Shore up those hands, buddy.Working out with Tebow today  should help.

DE JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM: Cunningham could be a force at the next level, but he hasn’t shown much. He’s too soft-spoken to project in team interviews, and his workouts at the combine were scarce. Like Spikes, Cunningham also didn’t run the 40. An inspired performance today could bolster his stock.

Content provided by Swamp Things – Gators Blog.

At the Sanders Practice Fields at UF, Urban Meyer and company await you. Free admission to Gators practices for the next four weeks, as long as you don’t shoot video.

Here’s the master schedule.

Wednesday, March 17 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Friday, March 19 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 – 10:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Monday, March 22 – 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 24 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Friday, March 26 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 27 – 10:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Monday, March 29 – 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 31 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Friday, April 2 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Saturday, April 3 – 10:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Monday, April 5 – 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 7 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Friday, April 9 – 3:45-5:45 p.m.

Saturday, April 10, 1 p.m. – Orange and Blue Debut