In this edition of the Alligator Awards, we debate which male athlete was the best of the 2015-16 season. Sports writers Ray Boone, Matt Brannon and Alejandro López join alligatorSports Editors Ian Cohen and Ethan Bauer in a roundtable discussion to debate the five nominees. Debates will go in alphabetical order by the writer’s last name.
Bauer: Grier kickstarted dormant Florida offense
Yes, he’s arguably Florida football’s biggest disappointment of the last decade because of his untimely suspension and subsequent transfer.
And yes, the fact that those things happened tarnished his reputation at UF beyond repair.
But think back to before the suspension, when the Gators mounted their now-legendary comeback against Tennessee, their 28-point shellacking of No. 3 Ole Miss the next week and their vengeance win over Missouri the week after that.
Now think back to those games and imagine if Treon Harris had been under center.
Yeah. Not so good.
After Grier’s suspension, the Gators lost their next game, a 28-35 thriller in Baton Rouge. They won their next game in convincing fashion over Georgia 27-3, but after that, things went south.
Florida limped to wins against Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida Atlantic by a combined 18 points before three consecutive losses to finish the season.
The team deteriorated without Grier at quarterback.
Some might say that with or without Grier, the results would have been the same.
The fact remains that as UF’s starter, Grier went 6-0 with a blowout of the nation’s No. 3 team.
The other games were closer than fans were comfortable with, but Grier seemed to have the “it” factor and pulled the Gators out of funks late in games. What made Grier special wasn't his physicality of arm strength, but his poise and confidence. Exactly what Harris lacked.
Think about this: Grier was the first quarterback since Tim Tebow — that’s six years — who provided the Gators with some semblance of a threatening passing game.
And because he was able to do something that eluded his predecessors for so long, he’s deserving of being named UF’s best male athlete — screw up or not.
Boone: Dressel sets new benchmark for Florida swimming
Florida swimmer Caeleb Dressel was outstanding all season long for the Gators.
Going into the NCAA Championships in March, the 14-time All-American had already won three individual titles at the Southeastern Conference Championship meet.
To cap off the year, Dressel won the NCAA Championship in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle with times of 18.20 and 40.46, respectively, smashing the previous UF, American, NCAA and U.S. Open records.
In addition, Dressel was named the 2016 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year and earned First-Team All-SEC honors. But his most notable accolade came as a result of his performance at the NCAAs. Dressel was named NCAA Co-Swimmer of the Year.
And he’s not done.
The 19-year-old from Green Cove Springs will have his first shot at an Olympic medal, as he is set to compete for Team USA in the 100-meter freestyle and 4x100 free relay in Rio.
The rest of the world should be scared when the Gators’ best male athlete takes his talents abroad.
Brannon: Baseball team owes its offense to Alonso
In a year where no basketball or football players separated themselves as a cut above the rest, the Florida baseball team's offense revolved around one first baseman.
No Gator performed at a higher level in 2016 than Florida’s premier slugger, Peter Alonso.
The man took a upper-90s fastball to his hand and hit two home runs in his first game back from injury. He hit a ninth-inning two-run homer in the Gators’ last College World Series game to put them within one run.
It’s not just that Alonso leads Florida in nearly every offensive category — it’s that he leads them each by ridiculous margins. The junior finished with a .374 batting average while the next best Gator hit .305. He hit 14 home runs while the next Gator hit nine. No one got near his .469 on base percentage, and he topped the SEC with a .659 slugging percentage.
Alonso’s play even tightened under the bright postseason lights.
After returning from a fractured hand, Alonso carried the Gators through the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. In six games, the first baseman hit .520 with four home runs, four doubles and 11 RBIs before UF was upset by Coastal Carolina in the College World Series.
Alonso’s season was an offensive overture making music to scouts’ ears. But don’t take it from me, take it from the New York Mets, who selected the slugger in the second round of the MLB Draft.
Cohen: Amid change, Finney-Smith carried UF basketball
Of all the changes within the men’s basketball program last season, one thing remained constant — the play of Dorian Finney-Smith.
While the 6-foot-8 forward didn’t record the flashiest numbers last season — he averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds on his way to second team All-SEC honors — he was one of the only reasons Florida even earned a National Invitation Tournament bid.
Finney-Smith was forced to adapt to a new role, adjusting for the loss of three-point specialist Michael Frazier and an injury-plagued Alex Murphy while taking on more of an offensive load than he ever had before.
At times, he single-handedly willed Florida, mentoring a young, inexperienced team that distributed heavy minutes among four underclassmen and a Junior College transfer.
Finney-Smith recorded back-to-back 20-point games in wins against Vermont and Florida Gulf Coast early in the season and did it again versus Mississippi State and Auburn in the thick of conference play.
But maybe the most dominant display of Finney-Smith’s scoring and leadership came when the unranked Gators upset then-No. 9 West Virginia in the O’Connell Center in January.
Before the game started, WVU players interrupted Florida’s huddle at half court, intentionally disrespecting a team that was trying to win its first game against a ranked opponent that season.
Finney-Smith finished with 24 points, including a ferocious dunk from the baseline during the first half.
“It made Dorian a little mad,” Chiozza said after the win. “He said, ‘We’re not going to let them come into our house and do that, so we gotta be ready for war.’”
López: Logan always a Shore thing on the mound
Just how good was Logan Shore this year?
Good enough to strike out about five batters for every walk he allowed, stifling offenses to the tune of a 2.31 ERA.
Good enough to keep the basepaths clear, holding the opposition to a .215 batting average and a team-best WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) of 0.96.
Good enough to merit head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s trust, appearing in a team-high 105.1 innings as the team’s Friday night starter and hurling three complete games.
When you glance at the stat sheet, though, you might be surprised to not find his name at the top of every category.
A.J. Puk served as the team’s resident fireballer. Dane Dunning exhibited just a hair more control. And while Shore’s 12 wins were tied for fifth in the nation, Alex Faedo’s 13 were tied for second.
And yet, he clinched SEC Pitcher of the Year honors, adding to a trophy case that already features All-America nods.
Here’s the thing about Logan Shore: He doesn’t just do one thing well. His dominance stems from his ability as a well-rounded pitcher.
Who do you think was Florida's best male athlete? Vote online at alligator.org/sports.
Florida's Caeleb Dressel reacts after winning the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA men's swimming and diving championships Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Atlanta. The initials on his face are in honor of a former teacher. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
