Chomping at Bits: Basketball defense, Caleb Sturgis' replacement, and a little Ray Lewis

Chomping at Bits comes stocked with the best Florida Gators links and news we can find. Got a link we should check out? Email us at AlligatorArmy@gmail.com, subject line CAB

Basketball built on defense: We've talked about it a lot on here and it's still very simple: Offense wins games and defense wins championships. You think the '04s won because of their offense? Not a chance. They won because Al Horford and Joakim Noah were dominating the paint on defense and Corey Brewer could guard anybody in the country. We won't even mention the 2006 and 2008 football teams, because it's obvious and that's an entire different sport. (Jason Lieser, Palm Beach Post/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Who is replacing Caleb Sturgis?: This question has been asked many times in the comments and in the Twitter mailbag, but I'm still going to say Austin Hardin will eventually win the job. Even though he struggles from distance. (Michael DiRocco, ESPN/GatorNation)

GatorSports Notebook: Women's tennis, track and field, gymnastics, swimming and women's basketball are all discussed. (Jim Harvin, The Gainesville Sun)

SEC pushing its academics: For a conference not really known for its academics outside of Vanderbilt and Florida (and maybe Missouri, if you care about AAU status), the conference is starting to "announce" its arrival in the academic world. (John Pennington, Mr. SEC)

Best football roster in the SEC: The Gators are No. 2. That's pretty much it, but it is a rather interesting article. (Branden Gall, Athlon Sports)

Grand scheme society note of the day: Ray Lewis, the murderer. Or Ray Lewis, the rat. That's how I'll always remember him. We know he's a rat, his plea bargain proves it. As for him being an actual murderer, well, he probably just used some deer spray. But I don't know, maybe it's because I still think the Baltimore Ravens should be the Cleveland Browns and that Art Modell is a piece of trash, or maybe it's because I have a strong distaste for anything Miami Hurricane related (which is odd because I think that Sean Taylor was the greatest football player I've ever seen) but I've never liked Ray Lewis. Never have, never will. And now I'm going to have to look at him on ESPN much like I do Michael Irvin when he isn't out looking for some cocaine.

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