Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Alligator Awards: Who was Florida’s best male athlete of 2016-17?

<p>KeVaughn Allen shoots a free throw during Florida's 84-83 win over Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2017, at Madison Square Garden.</p>

KeVaughn Allen shoots a free throw during Florida's 84-83 win over Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2017, at Madison Square Garden.

In this edition of the Alligator Awards, we debate which UF male athlete was the best of the 2016-17 season. Sports writers Mari Faiello, Andrew Huang and Morgan McMullen join alligatorSports editors Dylan Dixon and Jake Dreilinger in a roundtable discussion to debate the five nominees. Debates will go in alphabetical order by the writer’s last name.

Dixon: Allen led the Gators to new heights

After back-to-back seasons of lackluster play from the Florida men’s basketball team, UF regained national prominence this year with its trip to the Elite Eight.

While the group’s success can’t be attributed to one single player, I’d be pretty remiss if I didn’t give KeVaughn Allen a good amount of the credit.

Allen was lights out for the Gators during 2016-17, leading them in both points per game (14.0) and free-throw shooting percentage (.883), as well as finishing in the top three in minutes per game (28.6), three-point shooting percentage (.370), assists (53) and steals (45).

The Little Rock, Arkansas, native scored in double digits 24 times this season as well, becoming the first player since Kenny Boynton to eclipse 900 points over his first two years at Florida.

Although their Sweet 16 victory over Wisconsin will always be remembered by Chris Chiozza’s dramatic buzzer beater, the Gators couldn’t have won the game without Allen scoring a career-high 35 points to keep them within reach of the Badgers.

My colleagues might try and convince you otherwise, but in my opinion there’s no way this award could go to anyone other than Allen. The sophomore more than backed it up with his play this season.

Dreilinger: Faedo's dominance has helped Gators continue legacy

There is only one word needed to describe junior starting pitcher Alex Faedo this season: dominant.

He is Florida baseball’s Friday night starter, the first pitcher the other team sees entering a weekend series. And in most cases this year, he left the opening contest with a win.

The Tampa native went 9-2 in 19 starts this year, and the Gators went 11-3 in the regular season in games that he started. He has also allowed one earned run or less in 13 of his 19 starts this season.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox

On top of that, he’s leading the team in strikeouts (157) and innings pitched (123.2) and has the lowest ERA (2.26), hits-allowed total (95) and runs-allowed total (39) among UF’s starting pitchers.

But what separates him from the rest is his play in the postseason, which allowed the Gators to reach the College World Series for the third straight year.

Against Wake Forest in Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regional, Faedo provided four scoreless innings before he was pulled due to a rain delay. He pitched again in Game 3, this time as coming from the bullpen as Florida’s closer to send the Gators to Omaha.

In the College World Series, he provided back-to-back 3-0 wins over TCU where he pitched at least seven innings in each, struck out 11 both times and allowed five hits combined.

Faedo was even drafted 18th overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2017 MLB Draft, a testament to his incredible season.

Faiello: Holmes never relented from the best

The difference between TJ Holmes and other athletes is that he never settles for mediocrity. This season, he has proven through his hard work and personal achievements that being the best isn’t good enough. The senior athlete has had a stellar season from start to finish with multiple highlights and records that separated himself from the rest of the crowd.

The SEC Indoor Championships meet back in February helped Holmes establish himself as a crucial part to the track and field program for this season. He set a personal record of 47.42 seconds in the 400-meter race at the SEC Championships.

The NCAA East Preliminary saw Holmes stand out with another personal best. He competed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles and claimed a time of 49.10 seconds in May. This was the best way Holmes could train for the tough competition he would face in June.

At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Holmes set more records with his teammates as they captured the second consecutive team title in Oregon at the beginning of June – just 16 days before he was announced as a member of Team USA. Holmes raced with Nick Uruburu, Eric Futch and Grant Holloway in the men’s 4x400 relay and scored a time of 3:02.16, beating their previous record and making them the No. 10 quartet in school history.

Holmes finished off his strong season at the USATF Outdoor Championships. He clocked in at 48.44 seconds in the men’s 400-meter hurdle race, shaving off 0.66 seconds from his previous personal best from the NCAA East Preliminary meet. Holmes is currently ranked No. 4 on the list of 400 hurdlers in school history. His weekend in Oregon earned him a spot on Team USA.

While others might try to persuade you as to why their athlete is the better choice, it’s clear that TJ Holmes is the athlete that never quits even when he’s deemed the best.

Huang: Jordan Scarlett made RB relevant again for UF

How can you pick an offensive player as the best male athlete?

Especially on a team known for its defense?

Here’s how: The Florida Gators football team, whether ESPN reported on it or not, were dependent on running back Jordan Scarlett all season long.

In UF’s nine wins last season, Scarlett averaged a healthy 5.5 yards per carry, over 80 yards per game, and scored five of his six touchdowns on the year.

Down the stretch, the Gators became increasingly ravaged by injuries, opening the door for someone to step up and deliver when the team needed them most.

Scarlett basically said “hold my beer” and took care of business like great players do. In the team’s final five victories, he averaged 106 yards per game, 5.6 yards per carry, and set a career-high 134 rushing yards against South Carolina.

His 889 yards and six touchdowns in 2016 were comparable to the sophomore seasons of former Gators Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones—combined. The pair of running backs collectively totalled 904 yards and eight touchdowns in their second seasons in Gainesville.

Mike Gillislee managed just 920 rushing yards in three years before bursting onto the scene as a senior, when he eclipsed 1,000 yards under then-head coach Will Muschamp.

Did I mention that all three play for NFL teams now?

See, Jordan Scarlett would be a 1,500-yard workhorse in an up-tempo offensive system. As it is, the Gators don’t play especially fast and he’s had to share touches with a loaded backfield.

Scarlett should be the feature back next season, though—and No. 25 will be instrumental as the best offensive weapon for a team on the rise.

McMullen: Jarrad Davis is Heckin’ Tougher than You or Me

To determine the “best” Florida Gators defensive player is honestly not a task for the faint of heart. Jalen Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye were all selected within 15 picks of each other in April’s NFL Draft.

For my pick, however, I have to go with the man in the middle of that Gators D: Jarrad Davis.

The 6-foot-2 linebacker was essentially another defensive coach on the field in 2016. Though he missed three regular season games and the Outback Bowl with injuries, Davis nonetheless amassed 60 tackles in nine games, good for second most on the team.

In the - ahem - “defensive struggle” against Vanderbilt last season, Davis played like a man possessed, tallying a career-high 15 tackles and three passes defensed, with the final of those tipped into the hands of Nick Washington with less than a minute left to secure victory.

Davis was the “heart and soul” of the defense, according to cliché-minded Jim McElwain. Trite as the phrase may be, McElwain is not wrong.

Take for example the Georgia game. The Butkus Award finalist gritted through a tough matchup two weeks after an ankle injury had forced him out of the Missouri contest. He finished the rivalry game with 2.5 tackles for loss and seven total tackles

Jarrad Davis was the best player on the best unit of any Florida team this year, and to deny him this right is sacrilege in a conference where defensive football used to be king.

Who do you think was the best male athlete of the 2016-17 season? Vote online at alligator.org/sports.

KeVaughn Allen shoots a free throw during Florida's 84-83 win over Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2017, at Madison Square Garden.

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.