My reflections after the first 10 games

The Gators are in the middle of final exams week, which is the perfect time for a reflection following the team's first 10 games.  The Gators are 6-4, after playing an extremely tough schedule so far.  Losses to Miami (FL), Georgetown, North Carolina, and Kansas have been acceptable defeats.  Over the last few seasons, coach Billy Donovan has beefed up the Gators' non-conference schedule in preparation for the grueling SEC season and eventual NCAA Tournament.  Donovan recently said that these early season losses have helped this year's team because it has forced the players to address issues quickly and have adversity hit early on rather than later in the season.  Had Donovan's team been undefeated right now after having played low-tier Division 1 opponents, it might not have served the team well in the long run.  So, the fact that Florida is unranked at present is not particularly alarming.

Lack of depth is really plaguing the Gators.  Only having eight scholarship players is hampering them.  The transfer of Dillon Graham (will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) and the injury to DeVon Walker (torn ACL) in the offseason have been bigger losses than expected.  Senior walk-on Jacob Kurtz has been the unsung hero through the first 10 games, as he is averaging nearly 24 minutes per game and contributing almost five points and five rebounds in those games.  

Health has played a large part in the Gators' slow start.  Redshirt junior Dorian Finney-Smith's hand injury probably cost the Gators against UM and redshirt junior Eli Carter's foot injury has kept him out of four games thus far.  Add in sophomore Chris Walker's two-game suspension to start the season and there are three losses that have contributed to the four losses the Gators have suffered so far.

The team's offensive statistics have not been impressive so far:

Points per game (68.5): 179th in Division 1
Rebounds per game (36.1): 143rd in Division 1
Assists per game (14.3): 100th in Division 1
Field goal percentage (.450): 128th in Division 1

On the flip side, and it comes as no surprise considering Donovan's reputation as a defense-first coach, the Gators are 15th in Division 1 in points allowed at 56 per game.  The players just need to bring the same defensive mentality to the offensive end and the whole rest of the season could be different.

The Gators return to action Saturday when they face Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Florida.  While the Demon Deacons are not the formidable opponent they were three or four years ago, they are an ACC team with plenty of young talent.  And whenever your coach is Danny Manning, you know that you will be successful eventually.  Following Saturday's game, the team will be off until the 30th when they play in-state rival Florida State in Tallahassee.  Then, defending national champion Connecticut visits Gainesville on January 3 before the conference season begins four days later.

Offseason catchup

Compared to the Kentucky Wildcats' offseason, it has been a lean one for the Gators.  However, there has been one addition to the roster for next season.  And his last name might ring a bell with Florida fans: Jon Horford.  The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Michigan transfer will be able to play immediately for the Gators because Michigan did not offer a graduate program for his major.  Horford's career has been cut back by injuries, but he will provide an experienced body in the paint, having played in 107 games for the Wolverines.  Last season, he averaged 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while playing 13.8 minutes a game.  A good article by the Gainesville Sun's Kevin Brockway   details how Al's little brother is not worried about following in his footsteps.  I had been wondering if the Gators would be able to land a transfer/late recruit and they certainly scored on this one.  In terms of frontcourt depth, with the addition of Horford, the Gators now have Dorian Finney-Smith, Damontre Harris (assuming he is eligible), Alex Murphy (eligible in the spring), Chris Walker, and incoming freshman Devin Robinson.

In my opinion, Billy Donovan will either finish his career with the University of Florida or take an NBA head coaching job.  With five NBA teams without coaches (New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, and Los Angeles Lakers) and possibly more, it is hard to speculate if Donovan has considered any of those positions.  Other college coaches discussed for these jobs include Kentucky coach John Calipari and Connecticut's Kevin Ollie.  I do not expect those two to leave their present situations.  Donovan loves the University of Florida, has a great relationship with the athletic director, Jeremy Foley, and has been able to raise his family in the area.  Being at a place for 18 years, like Donovan has, will make it tough to leave.  But Donovan does like the 24/7 focus on basketball that the NBA provides.  He would not have to worry about players going to class or be hindered by the 20-hour-a-week practice schedule put in place by the NCAA.  Growing up a Knicks fan on Long Island, Donovan probably would strongly consider the Knicks job if they came asking.  With Steve Kerr likely New York's choice, I just do not see Donovan leaving this offseason.  People might say that since he lost four senior starters and that the squad might take a few seasons to get back to competing for Final Fours and National Championships, it is the right time to leave for the NBA.  I just think that his love for the university and program is too much.  As far as I have heard, no NBA team has an offer or even contacted him.  I firmly expect Donovan to be coaching in Gainesville next season.

My reflections after a heartbreaking Final Four loss

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.        

Gators travel to MSG to take on Memphis in the Jimmy V Classic

The Gators return from an extended break to take on the Memphis Tigers at Madison Square Garden. The game is part of the Jimmy V Classic, named in honor of the famed North Carolina State coach, Jim Valvano, who succumbed to cancer. The Gators received good news on Saturday when 2013 recruit and McDonald's All-American, Chris Walker, became eligible to join the team following his completion of course work.  Walker had to wait until the end of the fall semester in order to seek enrollment. At 6'10", he would give the Gator front line much-needed depth. He will not, however, be eligible to play tonight due to his status with the NCAA. The governing body needs to clear him before he can be eligible for games. While the announcement of Walker is positive, there continues to be negative news surrounding Damontre Harris, who has been suspended from all team activities since the off season. Coach Billy Donovan said Monday that he cannot see Harris ever playing for Florida. The transfer from South Carolina sat out last season per NCAA regulations and did not have any incidents. The former All-SEC Defensive Team selection was supposed to provide a big presence in the paint, with his shot-blocking ability.

Meanwhile, the Gators finish their gauntlet of challenging games, complete with wins over Florida State and Kansas, and a buzzer-beating loss at UCONN. To go 3-1 over that stretch would be more than commedable; 2-2 would be slightly disappointing. The team is getting healthier, with Kasey Hill (ankle) and DeVon Walker(foot) being the biggest concerns in recent weeks. Both suited up for the Kansas game, but Walker did not play and Hill played a limited amount of minutes. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Jacob Kurtz receives tonight, as Donovan said in his post-game remarks that he felt that he should have played the walk-on more against Kansas. Tonight's game will be a special one for Casey Leather, who is from Jackson , Tennessee, and played against many of the Tigers in high school. This game also holds special significance for Donovan, who is from Long Island and played for the New York Knicks, and assistant coach, Rashon Burno, who hails from Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the river from the Big Apple.

The tip is at 9:30 (tentatively) and will be broadcast on ESPN.

What you need to know: University of North Florida

Game 1: University of North Florida Ospreys (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) at #10 University of Florida Gators (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 3:00 p.m.

Another college basketball season is upon us.  The Gators played one exhibition game, last Friday against Florida Southern (won 110-88).  Ranked 10th in the AP Poll, Florida opens with the University of North Florida.  The Gators have been highly overranked to begin the season, in my opinion.  There is so much uncertainty surrounding this team that, as fans, we might need to be patient over the first month or so as the the roster gets back to 100%.  Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin, who was suspended indefinitely in the offseason for a violation of team rules (was suspended for same violation last season), did not play in the exhibition game and there is no timetable for his return.  Two transfers are also suspended indefinitely: redshirt junior center Damontre Harris and redshirt sophomore guard/forward Dorian Finney Smith.  In addition, senior forward Will Yeguete (offseason knee surgery) and junior transfer Eli Carter (broken leg last season at Rutgers) are still not at full strength, but have been practicing.  Freshman point guard Kasey Hill has been dealing with back issues this week, but will play today.  To make matters worse, sophomore guard Michael Frazier has been dealing with mono and he hasn't practiced except for non-contact drills in recent practices.  Fortunately, he will be available to play today but I'm not sure how much action he'll see considering his limited practice time and recovery from the illness.  Assuming Frazier dresses, the Gators will have 10 active players (three suspended players) for this afternoon's contest.

In the news conference yesterday, senior center (and likely team captain) Patric Young said that he's continuing to work on his free throws (55% shooter over his career).  He made seven out of ten in the exhibition game and his form looked more natural and free-flowing.  Young has also slimmed down ten pounds which will hopefully help with his stamina.  Bringing a consistent energy and intensity level has always been a struggle for him, and we've all seen the differences when he's playing at a high level and so-so level.  He can be a complete game-changer depending on which Patric Young shows up.

Sophomore guard/forward DeVon Walker has improved his shooting dramatically during the offseason.  Head coach Billy Donovan sees him contributing as a member of the perimeter rotation.  Donovan actually gave him the option of redshirting, but Walker trusted Donovan that there would be minutes available if he kept playing well.  Due to the injuries/suspensions, Walker will find himself in the starting lineup today.  He only made one out of five 3-pointers in the exhibition game, but don't expect that to be the norm after all the reports from Walker and his teammates regarding his improved shooting.

Projected Florida starting lineup for this afternoon's game:

#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR)
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO)
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR)
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR)
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR)

Broadcast Information

TV: Sun Sports; Larry Vettel (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Eli Carter now eligible but many uncertainties lie ahead before season starts

Former Rutgers guard Eli Carter will be able to play immediately this season after being granted a waiver by the NCAA on Monday.  The Patterson, New Jersey, native averaged 14.3 points per game in his two seasons in the Big East.  The junior played in 56 games (46 starts) and hit 94 3-pointers.  Head coach Billy Donovan said, "We are happy to have Eli available to play this season.”  Carter originally transferred from Rutgers following the firing of former head coach Mike Rice, who was caught on tape physically and verbally abusing players.  Carter chose Florida over Maryland.  At 6'2," 200 pounds, he gives the Gators another weapon on the perimeter.  With senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin still suspended for an unspecified rules violation, Carter's addition to this year's squad is welcomed.  However, the transfer suffered a broken leg in February and has not been cleared for basketball workouts.  

Meanwhile, the Gators will continue to focus on individual workouts until they officially begin practice on October 11.  According to Kevin Brockway, the Gators' beat writer for the Gainesville Sun, Donovan said, “We just felt like it would be a great opportunity to work with our guys individually, help them continue to get better and focus on strength and conditioning.  Also, starting on Oct. 11 gets us more into a flow instead of practicing three days, then taking two days off.  This way we can get a little bit of consistency.  Based on our first game and where we're starting, we really felt like we had plenty of time to get ready.”  Senior forward Will Yeguete is still not cleared to play after undergoing knee surgery in May.  

So that leaves Carter, Wilbekin, and Yeguete as uncertainties heading into the last week before practices start.  In addition, freshman forward Chris Walker is academically ineligible for the fall semester.  Assuming he complies with NCAA regulations, he will enroll and join the team in December.  

Florida plays their only exhibition game on November 1 against Florida Southern.  The first regular season contest is November 8 at home against North Florida.