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.

Gators' offseason has been eventful so far to say the least

Although it's the offseason, the University of Florida men's basketball team has stayed in the spotlight.  First, Rutgers transfer Eli Carter announced that he would be attending the University, giving the Gators a high-scoring shooting guard to replace departed senior Kenny Boynton.  At the moment, Carter will be required to sit out the 2013-14 season, per NCAA rules, but coach Billy Donovan remains optimistic that Carter will be granted a waiver to play immediately due to former Rutgers coach Mike Rice's firing for verbal and physical abuse against his players.  Carter averaged 14.9 points per game last season for the 15-16 Scarlet Knights and famously scored 31 points in Rutgers' upset of #10 Florida on December 29, 2011.

Second, the incoming class of freshmen are both 5-star recruits from the state of Florida.  Point guard Kasey Hill (Bronx, NY/Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida), the #2-ranked point guard in the Class of 2013 according to ESPN.com, is expected to be one of the main offensive contributors next season.  Power forward Chris Walker (Bonifay, FL/Holmes County High School), the #4-ranked player at his position in the Class of 2013, may take some time to develop but the talent is certainly there.  Unfortunately, Walker has been dealing with some academic issues that are awaiting clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse.  If he fails to qualify, his best option would be to attend a prep school, where he could improve his grades and work on his game.  Hill is 6'0" and 170 pounds and Walker is 6'10" and 195 pounds.

Third, soon-to-be sophomore shooting guard Michael Frazier II was named to the Team USA Under-19 roster, which is coached by Billy Donovan.  The FIBA Under-19 World Championships begin in Prague, Czech Republic, on Thursday.  Frazier, who shot 46.9% (52/111) from 3-point range last season, will be playing his first game for Team USA at any level.

Fourth, recently graduated seniors Erik Murphy, Kenny Boynton, and Mike Rosario have been preparing for the 2013 NBA Draft which will be staged on Thursday in New York City.  Murphy certainly has the best NBA future of the three former Gators.  He's projected to be a mid-to-late second round pick and has worked out for the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit Pistons.  Boynton, who will likely head overseas to continue his playing career, is not expected to be drafted.  He'll most likely get a tryout in the NBA Summer League so hopefully he can impress a team.  Rosario, who's in the same situation as Boynton, will likely have to take his career overseas if he wants to continue playing.  However, he'll also probably get a spot on a Summer League team.  Fans will remember Nick Calathes and Alex Tyus, who have had very productive careers in European basketball leagues and still hope to make their way to the NBA in the future.    

Fifth, Braxton Ogbueze transferred to UNC Charlotte at the end of his freshman season.  The reason was a lack of playing time, as he was playing behind Scottie Wilbekin and Boynton at the point guard position.  He played in 23 games, averaged five minutes per game, 0.8 points per game, and 0.6 rebounds per game.  He will sit out next season per NCAA Division 1 transfer rules.  I'll be wishing him the best as, hopefully, we'll be able to see him fulfill his potential.  

Sixth, former Gator Cody Larson has transferred to South Dakota State.  The campus in Brookings, South Dakota, is about 45 minutes from Larson's hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D.  Larson's UF career was mired by off-the-court issues.  Following his redshirt freshman season, he was arrested outside a St. Augustine, Fl., bar for breaking into a car.  Murphy and a team manager were also arrested.  After averaging 0.8 points per game and 0.5 rebounds per game in the 2011-12 season (his only season on the court for the Gators), Larson left the team after being told by coach Donovan that his scholarship would not be renewed because he did not fulfill his responsibilities on and off the court.  Larson then decided to focus on his academics and left the team.  I certainly hope that he's found a better balance in his life and I wish him success at SDSU.      

Seventh, Patric Young announced that he would return for his senior season.  This did not come as much of a surprise considering his desire to improve his offensive game.  NBA teams would have drafted him for his defensive skills and tireless work ethic, and would have planned on him developing his offense in his first few seasons in the pros.  However, Young plans to finish his Telecommunications degree and play his final collegiate season for Donovan.  Young averaged 10.1 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game last season, to go along with a team-leading 58 blocked shots.  He posted six double-doubles last season.  About two months ago, he had surgery to repair bone spurs in his ankle, which had given him problems since his sophomore year.  The recovery time is normally 6-8 weeks, so he should currently be fully back preparing for next season.

Eighth, Will Yeguete had right knee surgery on May 22nd.  The recovery time is four months, so he should be ready to go prior to the team's first official practice.  Yeguete was hampered by knee issues for the majority of last season and had arthroscopic surgery on February 8th and missed six games.  The senior-to-be averaged 5.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game last season.  At 6'7" and 240 pounds, Yeguete will compete for minutes with redshirt junior Damontre Harris (sat out last season after transferring from South Carolina) at the power forward position.    

Lastly, in what has been the most noteworthy development in the offseason, senior-to-be Scottie Wilbekin was suspended for the second time in seven months.  Wilbekin was suspended for a violation of team rules on June 10th.  Last season, Wilbekin was suspended for the same violation and was forced to sit out three games.  Coach Donovan has declined to give the reason for the suspension, but said, "Right now, he needs to prove that he wants to be part of the team and that this is what he wants to do.  He has to take care of responsibilities.  At this point, I don't really want to address any more about his status until the season starts in October.  Hopefully, this is something he can learn from.”  Last season, Wilbekin averaged 9.1 points per game, 5.0 assists per game (second in the SEC), and was named to the All-SEC defensive team in his first season as a starter.  As one of the leaders on what will be a fairly young team next season, Wilbekin's suspension does not help the team's chemistry, but it does create an opportunity for incoming freshman Hill and Rutgers transfer Carter (if he's granted a waiver to play this upcoming season) to capitalize on Wilbekin's absence.

This year's NCAA Tournament did not disappoint

Wow.  This year’s NCAA Tournament was full of upsets, dramatic endings, and emotional stories.  A worthy champion in Louisville was crowned and you couldn’t have asked for a better National Championship game.  In the end the best team won, even though there were some bumps in the road.  Here’s a recap of the entire 2013 Tournament:   

            

The Tournament began with 68 teams, each one dreaming of making it to Atlanta for the Final Four and a chance at a National Championship.  Several teams had their journeys cut short, while others progressed farther than they were expected.  Gonzaga, a #1 seed out of the West Region, lost to eventual Final Four participant Wichita State (#9 seed) in the Round of 32.  Probably the most shocking upset came from #15 seed Florida Gulf Coast, when they shellacked #2 seed Georgetown in one of the most surprising results in recent memory.  FGCU didn’t stop there, as they beat #7 seed San Diego State to advance to the Sweet 16, the first time that a 15-seed or worse had advanced that far.  The school from Fort Myers eventually lost to third-seeded University of Florida, but it was a memorable journey that made them “America’s team.”  The East Region’s #1 seed, the University of Indiana, had their championship dreams cut short when they were outplayed by a stifling Syracuse team, who progressed to the Final Four.  The South Region’s #4 seed University of Michigan, the eventual NCAA runner-up, had to complete a miracle comeback against #1 seed Kansas in the Sweet 16 to keep their season alive.  As the Wolverines had been ranked #1 at mid-season, many fans thought they were a dangerous team and had a chance to make it to Atlanta.  Sure enough, after destroying Florida to advance to Atlanta, they fought off a huge rally from Syracuse which gave them the win and a place in the National Championship game. 

Louisville’s journey was going according to plan as they breezed through the first three rounds, eventually going up against #2 seed Duke University with a spot in the Final Four on the line.  What happened during that game would prove, unfortunately, to be the lasting image from the entire tournament.  Midway through the first half, Louisville reserve guard Kevin Ware jumped to contest a Duke 3-pointer.  He came down awkwardly and immediately collapsed.  Then, his teammates and coaches fell to the ground, some crying and covering their eyes.  What they had just witnessed was what CBS analyst Clark Kellogg called the most gruesome injury that he had ever witnessed and was one of the most visually unappealing sights seen on television in recent memory.  His right tibia was broken and the bone actually came through the skin.  CBS showed the replay of the injury, but decided that they would cease showing it due to its graphic nature.  In total, 10 minutes passed from the time the injury occurred until play resumed.  At the time, Duke was leading and had the momentum.  The Cardinals had two options: they could rally and use Ware’s injury as motivation to win the game for their teammate or they could come back from the stoppage of play still in shock from the injury and not ready to play.  They came out with the inspiration and passion that was unmatched by Duke.  After leading 35-32 at halftime, Louisville outscored Duke 50-31 in the second half to post an emotional win.  On a personal level, Louisville coach Rick Pitino was able to get some revenge on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose team had beaten Pitino’s Kentucky team in the 1992 Elite Eight on the famous Christian Laettner buzzer-beater.  As an added bonus, what made the win special was that Ware went to high school near Atlanta, so the Cardinals wanted to win the game especially for him.

          

The Final Four included #1 overall seed Louisville, who was riding plenty of emotion and confidence; #4 seeds Michigan and Syracuse, who were both extremely confident after posting emphatic wins in the previous round; and #9 seed Wichita State, the champions of the West Region and the surprise of the Final Four, but certainly worthy of being there based on their performance throughout the season.  Louisville and Wichita State opened up on Saturday, with the Cardinals staging an impressive comeback after trailing by double-digits in the second half.  Michigan and Syracuse met in the second game and the Wolverines’ offense proved to be too much for the Orange, despite a valiant comeback by Syracuse. 

 The stage was set: Louisville and Michigan would be competing for a National title on Monday night in front of 70,000+ fans in the Georgia Dome.  Michigan came out firing on all cylinders to begin the game, with backup guard Spike Albrecht scoring 17 points, a career-high, in the first half.  However, Louisville’s Luke Hancock made three consecutive 3-pointers to get the Cardinals back into the game.  At the half, Michigan led 38-37.  It was a see-saw affair for the first 10 minutes of the second half as neither team could separate itself.  Then, with Michigan guard and National Player of the Year Trey Burke sidelined with four fouls, Louisville made its run.  The Cardinals held onto the lead for good, eventually prevailing 82-76.  CBS analyst Greg Anthony called it the best National Championship game that he had ever watched.  Louisville earned its third National Championship in school history (first since 1986) and Coach Pitino became the first coach in NCAA history to win a title at two different schools (he won his first title with Kentucky in 1996).  Hancock was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, after scoring 20 points against Wichita State and 22 against Michigan, while coming off the bench in both games.  After receiving the trophy, each Cardinal player cut a piece of the net as a memento and even Kevin Ware was able to cut a piece of the net after the basket was lowered for him.  It was a storybook ending after such a tragedy was witnessed only eight days earlier. 

All in all, the NCAA Tournament proved why it’s the greatest three weeks in sports.  The Tournament was a direct resemblance of the regular season, in that it was unpredictable and there was some uncertainty as to who the best team was going in.  Fortunately, Louisville made a profound statement and proved why they were worthy of their overall #1 seed.  They proved to the country that they were truly the best team. 

            

So now college basketball fans can take some much-needed time off and recharge the batteries after an exhilarating, yet long, season.  The 2013-14 season commences on October 15^th with the first day of practices.  Teams are already thinking about winning the title at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.  Let’s hope it will be as good as this year’s.  And let’s also hope my bracket-picking improves, as I think most of you do as well!   

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: Keys to the game

#3 seed Florida Gators (28-7 overall) vs. #15 seed Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (26-10 overall)
Cowboys Stadium (capacity: 100,000), Arlington, TX, 10:38 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: TBS; Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), and Craig Sager (sideline)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: March Madness on Demand

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (414-165, 17th season at Florida; 449-185 overall, 19th season)
Florida Gulf Coast: Andy Enfield (41-27, 2nd season at FGCU/overall)

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

Quality wins: Miami, Mercer, Georgetown, San Diego State

Projected starting lineup

#0 Brett Comer (6'3", 192 lbs SO) Season stats: 8.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 steals per game
#2 Bernard Thompson (6'3", 166 lbs SO) Season stats: 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.8 steals per game
#25 Sherwood Brown (6'4", 200 lbs SR) Season stats: 15.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg
#20 Chase Fieler (6'8", 205 lbs JR) Season stats: 12.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 blocks per game
#12 Eric McKinght (6'9", 210 lbs RS SO) Season stats: 6.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Bench

#23 Eddie Murray (6'8", 205 lbs RS SR) Season stats: 3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#5 Christophe Varidel (6'2", 170 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg
#15 Filip Cvjeticanin (6'9", 218 lbs SO) Season stats: 3.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg
#35 DaJuan Graf (6'0", 170 lbs FR) Season stats: 2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg

Keys to the game:

1.  The Gator defense has to keep Brett Comer out of the lane so that he can't drive in for a layup or find an open teammate.  Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin said this during an interview yesterday, and it's probably the most important objective.  I'm almost certain that Wilbekin will start out on the Eagles' point guard so that should be quite a matchup to watch.

2.  FGCU forward Chase Fieler is a "stretch-four" that senior forward Erik Murphy will have the pleasure of handling.  Fieler has made 32/85 3-pointers this season so he's someone we need to keep an eye on.  Along with his perimeter play, he also has the ability to leap.  His alley-oop in the upset of #2 seed Georgetown in the second round has probably been the most memorable play of this year's NCAA Tournament so far.

3.  The Eagles do not have a player that weighs over 218 pounds.  Their tallest active player is 6'9", so the Gators will obviously have the advantage strength-wise in the post.  Their lack of girth makes their big men sort of hybrid players, meaning they can mix it up inside and also take their defender out to the perimeter.

4.  The Eagles have virtually no post presence, so our guards will need to pound the ball inside to our big guys as we have the advantage inside.  The same thing is true when the Eagles have the ball inside.  Unless one of their big men is having a stellar game, there would be no reason for us to double-team in the post.  Doing this would give their big men the easy decision to find a guard on the perimeter for a shot or drive.

5.  Coach Andy Enfield's team plays an uptempo style, are extremely athletic, and like to push the pace.  To the Gators' advantage, that's the kind of pace that we prefer as well.  However, the Eagles may try to slow the game down if we find ourselves in a deficit.  

6.  Lastly, the only way that I see the Gators losing is if either FGCU begins the game hot by hitting some three's to get the pro-FGCU crowd into the game or if the Gators beat themselves (i.e. turnovers, bad shots, foul trouble).

Facts

• Junior forward Will Yeguete has not practiced all week due to some discomfort in his right knee, which he just had surgery on.  He's cleared to play tonight, but it's uncertain how much time he'll get on the floor.
• Murphy and freshman guard Michael Frazier have missed a few practices this week due to bouts of the flu, but both players participated in practice yesterday and shootaround today so it'll be interesting to see how their stamina is.  Both need to stay hydrated most importantly.
• Florida's +18.2 scoring margin is the best in the nation.
• The Gators have won five consecutive NCAA regional semifinal games.  Under Donovan, the Gators are 5-1 in the round of 16.
• Senior guard Mike Rosario had his biggest scoring output as a Gator on Sunday against Minnesota when he scored 25 points.
• Florida is one of four teams to advance to the last three Sweet 16's, joining Marquette, Ohio State, and Kansas.
• According to @ESPNStatsInfo, Trey Burke became the "1st player with 20 points and 10 assists in a Sweet 16 game since Billy Donovan for Providence in 1987."  Burke led the Michigan comeback from a 14-point deficit late in the second half for the overtime victory.  
• The winner of the UF/FGCU Sweet 16 game plays Michigan on Sunday for a chance to go to the Final Four in Atlanta. 

Final score prediction: Florida 77 - Florida Gulf Coast 64

NCAA Tournament Round of 32: Rebounding will determine who moves on between Florida and Minnesota

All pre-game notes courtesy of Scott Carter and Kevin Brockway:

• Minnesota leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 43.9 percent of their misses
• Donovan stressed to the Gators that to advance to the Sweet 16 for a third consecutive season -- something the program has never accomplished -- limiting Minnesota's second opportunities is a good place to start.
• "He chased balls," Donovan said. "That's what we need from him. We need him playing with a motor. When he doesn't do that, we're not the same team."
• Minnesota is ranked 267th in the country in turnover percentage, coughing up the ball on 21.7 percent of its possessions.
• The Gophers had not won an NCAA Tournament game since making the Final Four 16 years ago prior to Friday night's 83-63 win over UCLA
• They played 11 ranked teams during the regular season and entered the tournament with the second-best strength of schedule in the country.
• The Gators have only played the Gophers once in school history, a 74-66 loss in the first round of the 1993 NIT.
• "It didn't really bother me at all or bother coach. He was like ... 'If you get bit, I'll pay for your medical bills.'' Gators center Patric Young on a bat flying around at Florida's practice
• "I wasn't mad at him to the point to the point I was going to bench him the whole game,'' Donovan said. "But the game was going well while he was on the bench, that was probably part of it."
• The two coaches have known one another for nearly 25 years, and when Donovan's Gators face Smith's Gophers on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16, it will be their 25th head-to-head meeting.
• The first one came on Jan. 22, 1997, when Smith was in his second season at Georgia and Donovan his first year at UF. Georgia won 77-70 in overtime in Athens.
• The following season Smith went to Kentucky and for the next decade, they squared off regularly as leaders of the SEC's two premiere programs. Smith owns a 14-10 advantage in the rivalry but Donovan has won the last six.
• "Tubby's always going to put an emphasis on defense,'' Donovan said. "His teams have always been very good defensively. He always utilizes and takes advantage of the personnel he has on offense. They're always a tough and disciplined team."
• Florida made 14 of 23 from the foul line on Friday and is now shooting 45 of 80 (56.2 percent) in three SEC Tournament games plus the victory over Northwestern State.
• Boynton (2,006 points) joined former UF standout Ronnie Williams as the only players in school history with more than 2,000 points. Williams, UF's all-time leading scorer, finished with 2,090 career points during his career from 1981-84.
• He knows Minnesota leads the rough-and-tumble Big Ten with a rebounding margin of plus-8.8. Florida's rebound margin of plus-5.1 is respectable. But prior to Northwestern State, Florida had been outrebounded in six of nine games. The Gators went 5-4 during that stretch.
• Mbawke leads the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.8 per game.
• “That's something internally he needs to be more accountable and responsible for. He's got to take ownership of it and make the decision ‘this is what I need to do.' And he's got to go out there and do it as hard and as aggressively as he possibly can.”
• The Gators rank first in the SEC and second in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.5 points per game. The Gators have held 13 opponents under 50 points and 24 opponents under 60 points. 

NCAA Tournament Round of 64: Keys to beating Northwestern State

#3 seed Florida Gators (26-7, 14-4 SEC) vs. #14 seed Northwestern State (23-8, 15-3 Southland)

Erwin Center (capacity: 16,292), Austin, Texas. 7:27 p.m.

TV: truTV 

Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network 

1.  3-point shooting

Throughout the season, our bread-and-butter has been the ability to make 3-point shots.  The Gators have made 277 out of 728 shots from behind the arc this season, good for 38%.  That amounts to about 22 3-point attempts per game.  Senior guard Kenny Boynton has started to get back on track these last two games, while senior guard Mike Rosario regained his shooting touch in Sunday's SEC Championship loss to Ole Miss.  The big question is senior forward Erik Murphy.  Ever since his career-high performance against LSU on Friday, he has gone 1/9 from deep in the two games since.  Murphy is the best shooter on the team and it's really the first time all season where he's been in a little funk as it pertains to shooting.  I look for the First Team All-SEC performer to get back to his old ways in today's game.

2.  Experience

Nearly everyone on this year's active roster has seen action in an NCAA Tournament game, excluding junior forward Will Yegeute, who missed both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments last season after suffering a broken foot against Auburn late in the regular season, sophomore Jacob Kurtz, and the four freshmen (Michael Frazier, Braxton Ogbueze, DeVon Walker, and Dillon Graham).  While there may be first half jitters for everyone, the experience shouldn't be as unbearable as it would be if this was their first time playing in the Tournament.  The classic saying, "You can't teach experience," is very true.  For example, the University of Miami has been one of the best teams all season and is favored by some to win it all, but not one of the their players has played in an NCAA Tournament game.  Experience can go a long way in determining how far you go in the Tourney and I think it will benefit the Gators immensely.  

3.  Shot selection

Shot selection has been an issue with only two players, Boynton and Rosario.  At various points during the season, either guard has taken an ill-advised shot at the most crucial times.  The loss at Tennessee was a prime example of this.  During the first half, the Gators settled for too many 3-pointers instead of getting the ball inside.  I've found that when the Gators find themselves taking too many three's, it's going to be a dogfight until the final whistle with Florida struggling to put opponents away.  With junior center Patric Young's improved offensive play around the basket, it's essential that the ball finds its way to him.  He's playing with supreme confidence and we need to utilize that.  Young's shooting 60% so he should start to become a prime offensive target.  

4.  Enjoy the moment

The easiest way for players to relax is to enjoy the moment.  Take pride in the fact that you're a number three-seed in the NCAA Tournament.  You're given a clean slate as every team is equal now, 0-0.  Records and stats are thrown out the window because the NCAA Tournament helps to determine a true champion.  Don't underestimate any team because that's how you get beat.  Savor the moments, whether good or bad, because you'll remember them for the rest of your lives.  It truly is a wonderful experience to know that all the hard work the players put in over the offseason and during the regular season has come to fruition with a berth in the Big Dance, not to mention being the third-seed in the South Region with a legitimate chance to make it to the Final Four in Atlanta.  True champions make their names in March and that's how players will be remembered.  With all the experience that the Gators have, that could go a long way to determining their fate.

Final score prediction: Florida 83 - Northwestern State 52

SEC Final: Boynton's confidence and free throws will be key factors in today's game against Ole Miss

Keys to the game:

• Senior guard Kenny Boynton was scoreless in the first half of yesterday's 61-51 win over Alabama.  What he did in the second half is what has made him the second all-time leading scorer in Florida history.  He scored all of his 16 points in the second half, all started by getting fouled and hitting both free throws.  Seeing the ball go through the net can do a struggling player's confidence a world of good.  He hit 2/6 from 3-point range, but he seemed to be shooting the ball at the apex of his jump, not on the way down (which has been the reason for his struggles of late).  If he continues to play with confidence, he could be making his usual late March move towards being one of the nation's top performers.
• The Gators shot 12/18 (66.7%) from the free throw line yesterday.  For the season, they're shooting 68.8% from the charity stripe.  While that percentage isn't a major concern, as the games become single elimination, making free throws becomes an essential ingredient for advancing.  The problem is that the Gators don't get to the line enough.  In the Gators' only meeting against Ole Miss on February 2, the Gators went 3/3 from the line.  For the season, the Gators average 15.84 attempts per game.  As long as Boynton, Rosario, Wilbekin, and Frazier are the ones taking the free throws, we should be fine.

Final score prediction: Florida 73 - Ole Miss 68

SEC Semifinals: Expect a tight game when Gators take on Crimson Tide

(1-seed) #13 Florida Gators (25-6, 14-4 SEC) vs. (4-seed) Alabama Crimson Tide (21-11, 12-6 SEC)
Bridgestone Arena (capacity: 18,160), Nashville, Tn. 1:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: ABC; Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst), and Shannon Spake (sideline)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (411-164, 17th season at Florida; 446-184 overall, 19th season)
Alabama: Anthony Grant (84-50, 4th season at Alabama; 160-75 overall, 7th season)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 10.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 blocks per game

Bench

#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 208 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 5.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Alabama Crimson Tide

#12 Trevor Releford (6'0", 195 lbs JR) Season stats: 15.5 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 steals per game
#5 Trevor Lacey (6'3", 215 lbs SO) Season stats: 11.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg
#20 Levi Randolph (6'5", 205 lbs SO) Season stats: 7.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
#21 Rodney Cooper (6'6", 215 lbs SO) Season stats: 10.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#14 Moussa Gueye (7'0", 255 lbs JR) Season stats: 1.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Nick Jacobs (6'8", 265 lbs SO) Season stats: 7.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
#24 Devonta Pollard (6'8", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 4.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg
#32 Retin Obasohan (6'1", 210 lbs RS FR) Season stats: 3.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg
#22 Andrew Steele (6'4", 225 lbs RS SR) Season stats: 3.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Senior forward Erik Murphy injured his knee in practice on Wednesday and there was doubt that he would play yesterday against LSU.  Instead, Murphy scored a career-high 27 points on 11/15 from the field (5/7 from 3-point range) to go along with 12 rebounds, for his third-career double-double.
• Although senior guard Kenny Boynton only scored two points (1/7 fg, 0/4 3pt) yesterday, he helped the team in other ways.  He dished out seven assists and played solid defense on Andre Stringer and Anthony Hickey.  I'm confident that if he keeps getting open looks, he'll start knocking down shots with regularity.  He always seems to get hot from the perimeter at this time of the season.
• Junior center Patric Young made 4/6 free throws in the second half after going 0/4 in the first half.  He's constantly working on his form and knows that he can make a huge difference in the Gators' scoring output if he can improve his charity stripe shooting.
• Alabama wants to make this game ugly, slowing down the pace, running their offense, and getting the shot clock down to 15 seconds or less.  I feel that that's the only way they can keep this game close because they don't have the offensive firepower to compete with Florida's offense if the game gets into a shootout.
• Florida has won the last six meetings with Alabama.  
• The Gators are 5-7 all-time versus Alabama in the SEC Tournament.  Florida is 4-2 against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament under Coach Donovan.
• Donovan is 11-2 against past assistant coaches, including 5-0 against Anthony Grant (assistant from 1996-2006)

What I'm Wondering

1.  Trevor Releford is on quite a hot streak, averaging 19 points per game in his last seven games.     He is Alabama's most important player and he's their heart and soul; if he's not playing well, the Tide doesn't play well, and vice versa.  I expect Boynton or Wilbekin to have the task of defending Releford.  How will Releford's play impact the game and Alabama's execution?   

2.  Florida's free throw shooting has been an issue the entire season.  The Gators shot 11/22 from the line yesterday.  In close games, free throw shooting determines the final result.  How will the Gators shoot from the line?

3.  Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario have been really struggling with their shooting.  Will either of them be able to get back on track today?

Final score prediction: Florida 69 - Alabama 64

Donovan named SEC Coach of the Year, six Gators earn All-SEC honors

Gator head coach Billy Donovan was named SEC Coach of the Year on Tuesday for the second time in his career.  He also won the award in 2011, when, coincidentally, the Gators also won the SEC regular season title.  It's a duly deserved award for a coach whose team has undergone a rash of injuries this season, yet the 13th-ranked Gators finished the regular season with a 24-6 overall record, and went 14-4 in the SEC.  Florida is the #1 seed in the SEC Tournament which got underway yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Gators play Friday at 1:00 (TV: ESPNU) against the winner of Georgia and LSU, who play this afternoon.

The Gators also had six players earn All-SEC honors:

Senior forward Erik Murphy: 1st team All-SEC
-Season stats: 12.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 62/133 3pt (46.6%)
-Needs 27 points to reach 1,000 for his career
-18-straight games with at least one 3-pointer, good for the ninth-longest streak in school history
-133/249 fg (53.4%) this season
-Fourth all-time in career 3-point field goal percentage (43.9%)
-Ranks 12th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage this season; Second in the SEC in that category behind Frazier- 48.4%
-Ranks fifth in the SEC in 3-point field goals made this season

Senior guard Kenny Boynton: 2nd team All-SEC and All-District IV Team
-Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 apg
-Second on the Gators' all-time scoring list (needs 36 points to reach 2,000 for his career)
-UF's all-time leader in 3-point field goals made with 324.
-Fifth in field goals made (643) in Florida history
-First in minutes played (4,482)
-First in games started (135)
-Seventh in games played (138)
-Tenth in assists (378)
-Ninth in free throws made (354)
-Ranks first among active SEC players in career points (1,964) and 3-point field goals
-Ranks sixth on the SEC's all-time 3-point field goals made list
-One of 15 active Division-1 players to score over 1,950 points (only player on list to play all four years in a Power Six Conference-SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big East, Big 12, Pac 12)
-3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in SEC play (57 assists, 19 turnovers)
-His third-straight season earning all-conference honors

Senior guard Mike Rosario: 2nd team All-SEC
-Season stats: 12.3 ppg, 2.2 apg, 57/67 ft (85.1%)
-Leads UF in scoring in SEC play at 12.8 ppg
-Has scored 1,614 points in his career (including 1,051 points in his two years at Rutgers)
-Scored in double figures 19 times this season, including 17 games with 13 or more points


Junior center Patric Young: 2nd team All-SEC, All-SEC Defensive Team, SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, and 2013 SEC Men's Basketball Community Service Team
-Season stats: 10.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 blocks per game
-Won Scholar-Athlete award for the second straight year; 3.38 GPA (Major: Telecommunications)
-Ninth all-time in blocked shots (113)
-Third all-time in field goal percentage (60.4%)
-Sixth all-time in dunks (112)*unofficial stat
-Ranks first in the SEC in field goal percentage (60.6%); 14th in the NCAA in that category.
-Ranks fourth in the SEC in blocked shots (52)
-SEC's active leader in field goal percentage
-Six double-doubles this season and has nine for his career


Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin: All-SEC Defensive Team
-Season stats: 9.0 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.1 rpg
-143 assists this season, four away from breaking into the top-10 for most assists in a season
-First in the SEC (25th in the NCAA) in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5); 143 assists vs. 58 turnovers
-Second in the SEC in assists

Freshman guard Michael Frazier: All-SEC Freshman Team
-Season stats: 6.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 45/93 3pt (48.4%)
-Ranks first in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (48.4%); seventh in the NCAA in that category
-Ranks fourth on the Gators' all-time single-season list for 3-point field goal percentage
-Named SEC Freshman of the Week twice

Boynton, Murphy, and Rosario look to deliver outright SEC title on Senior Night versus Vanderbilt

Well, I cannot believe that Florida seniors Kenny Boynton, Erik Murphy, and Mike Rosario are putting on the white and blue home jerseys for the last time tonight. It's amazing to think how far these three players have come in their careers at the University of Florida. Boynton, from Pompano Beach, Florida, became a high school legend while competing at Blanche Ely and American Heritage. His matchups against former Pine Crest School, University of Kentucky, and current Detroit Pistons-star Brandon Knight were some of the most anticipated matchups in South Florida high school history. Although he was unsuccessful against Knight's Panthers on many occasions, Boynton proved that he was destined for success in college and pro ball.

Boynton is now the second-leading scorer in Gator basketball history and, although he has frustrated Florida fans with his unorthodox shooting motion and inconsistent performance, he will finish his career as one of the best to put on the Gator jersey. As someone who's from the state of Florida, Boynton's career is all the more significant.

Erik Murphy has been one of the most improved players in the country, in relation to his freshman to senior seasons. His first two seasons now seem like a blur compared to his productive third and fourth seasons. His playing time was sparse and outside influences questioned if he should transfer. Then, in the offseason after his sophomore season, he was arrested for breaking into a car along with former Gator Cody Larson and a former team manager. He was suspended from all basketball-related activities and had to do some real soul-searching. Ever since that incident, he's become one of the premier "stretch-fours" in the country, combining his remarkable perimeter shooting with his deft post play, displaying crafty moves around the basket.