Last night's 63-53 loss to the UConn Huskies was an extremely tough one to take. The Gators had won 30 straight and all the stars were aligned to win another two to capture the NCAA title. But, it wasn't meant to be. Back on December 2, Florida lost on a buzzer-beater by Shabazz Napier in Storrs, Connecticut. That was our last loss before last night. So in some ways, it's a tougher loss to accept because we lost to the Huskies earlier in the season. UConn coach Kevin Ollie, in his first NCAA Tournament, looks to be a worthy successor to legend Jim Calhoun.
After spending over 100 hours watching and preparing for Gator games this season, it's hard for me not to take it more personally than other fans. This Florida team was special. Four senior starters is unique in today's upper-tier college basketball landscape. These four seniors all had their ups and downs during their careers. Patric Young steadily improved each season on all fronts and will go down as the greatest hustler in Gator history, but disappointed many scouts because he came in with such high expectations. Scottie Wilbekin became a starter following his sophomore season and made himself into the SEC Player of the Year this season, but was suspended twice at the beginning of the last two seasons. Casey Prather increased his points per game by nearly seven points this season, but struggled with injuries and concussions throughout his career. Will Yeguete was a defensive force and, like Young, provided great effort, but, like Prather, struggled with injuries and was never really able to maximize his potential.
Next season, the Gator rotation will look drastically different. Presumably, Kasey Hill will take over the point guard spot, Michael Frazier II will keep his 2-guard spot, Dorian Finney-Smith will move from sixth man to starting small forward, Chris Walker (assuming he returns) will start at the power forward position, and the center spot is up for grabs with Damontre Harris (assuming he gets back on the team) looking to be the favorite. Or they could go with Hill, Frazier II, DeVon Walker, Chris Walker, and Dorian Finney-Smith. With Dillon Graham and Eli Carter coming back from medical redshirts, the backcourt is, once again, filled. Jacob Kurtz will play a big role in the frontcourt next season.
The recruits coming in are: Devin Robinson (6'8", 180 pounds) from Chesterfield, Virginia; Brandone Francis (6'5", 205 pounds) from Jacksonville, Florida; Chris Chiozza (5'11", 180 pounds) from Memphis, Tennessee; and Zach Hodskins (6'2", 175 pounds) from Alpharetta, Georgia.
Two glaring weaknesses of Hill are his shooting and strength. The solutions are to shoot hundreds of shots per day and to get himself in the weight room.
All in all, well done to the guys for giving us Gator fans a season to remember. Coach Billy Donovan produced, arguably, his best coaching job. The way the Gators were able to rebound from all the distractions at the beginning of the season, with Wilbekin's suspension, Hill and DeVon Walker's injuries, and Chris Walker's uncertainty, was remarkable.
The offseason will be key for many returning and departing Gators. For the four seniors, they will be training and preparing for their professional basketball careers. Young and Wilbekin are likely to be on NBA rosters next season, while Prather and Yeguete are destined for Europe.
Thanks for all the memories not just this season, but the previous three. All the best.
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