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.

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.

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.