What Is Florida's Problem?
by mlmintampa on Mar 8, 2010 1:59 AM EST
in Florida Basketball
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PrintFor the third consecutive season, the Gators could have sealed an NCAA bid by winning 10 conference games but failed. Why does this keep happening? Here are our theories;
Expectations are too high: Coming into 2008, UF had made nine straight NCAA appearances, won three straight SEC Tournaments and two straight NCAA Championships. Oh and Billy Donovan came back to supposedly coach this great incoming class. We don't know if the pressure was too much to handle, but you'd think after tarnishing the program, the players would have gotten over the expectations and just played ball in 2010.
Not talented: Looking at Florida's starting five, could any of them play in the NBA? Could any of them play in the Big East? (Remember, Vernon Macklin left Georgetown because he wasn't playing.) Chandler Parsons could contribute off the bench, but none of the Gators would be a game changer like John Wall or Patrick Patterson. You need good guards and Erving Walker does not matchup with Devan Downey, Scotty Hopson or Jermaine Beal. Kenny Boynton and Ray Shipman may get there, but not with Walker standing in the way. UF also has pillow soft forwards in Dan Werner and Alex Tyus. In his defense, Werner had the same identity crisis as David Lee, in that he didn't know to bang inside or shoot the j. The difference is that Lee could be successful in both roles. Werner was never successful in either. However, Werner is impressive in taking charges.
Bad coaching: It hurts me to say this, but Donovan has to take a lot of blame for this. UF does not have a set offense or defense, so they can't have average talent and turn them into an annual contender (like Syracuse and the zone defense). Before you say, "Well, they don't have big men," or "A lot of guys left early," remember that Donovan put this team together. He knew who would jump ship and who needed to be cuddled and told sweet things in order to keep them in Gainesville (like Tyus after nearly leaving last summer). While Donovan does not seem as frustrated with the 2010 Gators as he was with the 2009 Gators (when he wouldn't let them wear UF gear or practice in the nice gym), something is missing and it has to start at the top.
All the good players left or got hurt: 2008 should have had Brewer, Green, Horford and Noah. 2009 should have had Marreese Speights, Jai Lucas and Jonathan Mitchell. 2010 should have had Nick Calathes and Kenny Kadji. With that in mind, losses happen to everyone, but UF seems especially hit hard. When you consider the talent that left, it makes the remaining Florida guys seem like the second string.
Other: Changing jerseys to the stupid alligator print with duct tape? Donovan losing recruiting battles? The O'Dome smelling like chlorine and plastic? Let us know what else could be the problem.
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Everyone wants to blame it on lack of talent…Its time to grow up and face the facts. Donovan is struggling and maybe not as much as in coaching, but in Keeping Talent and recruiting talent. Excuses are running short and if we Lose players like Macklin or Tyus this summer Florida will once again be tagged with having “nit” talent. That is where the blame HAS to fall on Donovan. But the players deserve it too. Fans have Continued to say “o its not a lack of heart there just not talented enough, there just not deep enough.” Im sorry, but if you fall behind each and every game by 15+ points to good teams like Georgia and Xavier, let alone GREAT teams like Kentucky & Vandy then i dont care HOW deep the team is your probably going to lose. This team, down the stretch, has not jumped out with the heart and desire and FIGHT bubble teams need to have from START TO FINISH. Something that has not happened ONCE over the last few weeks. Florida has More than enough talent to make it to the NCAA tourney even if its one and done. You dont beat teams like Mich. State on a neutral floor and be ranked in the top ten and be “not talented enough”. Its a crutch for the team’s lack of fight. And all crutch does is make it OK to be in the N.I.T…Im not getting greedy and expecting a final four or even a sweet 16 but this is an NCAA tourney team. and the Excuses are running out for Donovan, the players and us fans.
You're Right.
I think the expectations business might have affect them earlier, but certainly not after all the NITs. I think the lack of talent and the missing players go hand in hand, but it’s certainly true. Parsons is the only guy on this team that looks like a player, with Macklin, Boynton and Shipman as “maybes”; they need a legit PG and a true PF. Donovan certainly hasn’t elevated his teams these past few years and the Oh Fours looked like they were on auto-pilot…
MileHighReport.com member since 02/06/07, promoted to "Position Coach" (i.e. new staff writer) on 02/16/10!
Recruit Athletes
The current Gators squad lacks pure athletes. They are being outrun and outhustled game after game. I don’t expect 5 star McDonalds All-Americans at every position but the recruiting has to improve drastically for the Florida Gators to become an NCAA tournament team again.
Something I did not include; this team lacks toughness.
the only McDonald’s All-American on the Oh Fours was Brewer. Noah was so goofy that he rarely played as a freshman, Green came to UF because of his father’s relationship with Donovan, and Horford was an unknown quantity (he only played high school ball in the US). But those guys, and include Humphrey, were tough. None of them would take a punch without throwing one back immediately. Even Humphrey, with his cold blooded shooting and decent defense, was a bad ass. Noah once lost a tooth against South Carolina and kept playing! Aside from Parsons, could any current Gator matchup with past teams? Also, Matt Bonner and Udonis Haslem were some tough dudes, too.
mlmintampa
UF C/O 06
http://www.alligatorarmy.com
I've said it before, but I think we're still a year away
I would like to see this team win a couple in the SEC so they can make the Big Dance. Even a one and done will give them a taste of it and likely keep everyone else around for next season (although I am not sure where Tyus and/or Macklin would be headed as indicated in the above).
I think Werner is killing this team. He plays over half the game and is terrified to shoot, freeing up an extra defender to double team whomever they want. I think Boynton & Parsons are both prime time players. Remember that Boynton is a true freshman, It is true that we are in bad need of a point guard (thanks Calathes!), which would make Walker a lot better because he could be like Humphries….imagine if Humph had to bring the ball up – his shooting skills would have been negated as well.
This was a different team than the one that beat Mich State and FSU. If you check out the boxes from those games, you’ll see that Shipman played significant minutes. I am not sure why Donovan doesn’t play Ray more. He can contribute more than Werner, that is for sure. Against Mich State – 9 players logged minutes. When was the last time 9 Gators were in the boxscore?
All that said, Murphy is starting to show signs of having a pulse – he needs some strength but should be able to contribute next season. Enter Patric Young – another big body that supposedly likes to bang inside and is supposedly very physical – a Gator weakness. That would add some much needed depth, and dare I say Kadji might even be able to play next season????….now, if we could just get that point guard.
It’s unfair to say “we don’t have a guy like John Wall or Patrick Patterson”….well, who else does besides Kentucky? Wall is projected by many to be the top pick in the NBA draft after his freshman season. If you look at the 2011 rankings, Donovan already has verbals from the #8 and #9 ranked players in the country. I know it’s early, but he is still recruiting names….it’s hard to blame a coach for what the 18 and 19 year old kids do once they are in school.
This year’s team might be the most painful team to root for in UF hoops history…and I had student season tickets to the 1989-90 debacle with Don Devoe. Ouch, I know next year’s team will be better simply because Werner will not be on it.
i think a lot of the anaysis here is too emotional...
these guys are obviously playing hard. why do folks confuse not playing (shooting) well with not playing hard? sometimes you just arent good as the other team.
i would agree with atlgator about why its been hard to recruit and retain talent. there might be a decent reason i just dont know what it is…. injuries/defections?
remember these are just college kids.
also i think coach donovan is very realistic about his team. when you hear his analysis it’s usually spot on. and i also think he’s a fantastic coach. that said like skigator93 said, i dont understand why he played werner that much. i know he does some things well and hustles but the team really needs help with shooting.
Not enough talent to run Billy Ds system
I love the blame Billy Donovan talks coming out, who else would you prefer? The last few seasons suck, but every school goes through down years. Even Florida.
"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor
I’m not saying the guy should be fired. But the last three years are so unlike his other seasons. In college sports, the coach takes a larger share of the blame because he works as the General Manager and Director of Scouting too.
mlmintampa
UF C/O 06
http://www.alligatorarmy.com
in part
it’s billy’s and all coaches strategy of trying to recruit a team with a star or 2 and some complimentary players. for example, walker was supposed to complement calathes. the biggest problem we face on offense is that teams have figured out walker’s game and now how to keep him from initiating the offense. he can’t adjust because he is what he is—too short. despite the difficulty on getting kenny to dribble less, he needs to move to point and walker to shooting guard. when walker spells him at point, ship needs to step in for him. it all starts at guard,and nick left us short. too bad rod tishman was not more ready.
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
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