At least they got to the Elite Eight
by mlmintampa on Mar 29, 2011 12:48 AM EDT
in Florida Basketball
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PrintA few hours after Florida's loss Saturday, my friends and I began the acceptance level of the five stages of grief. At that point, we mentioned that if someone had told you in December that Florida would get to the Elite Eight, you would have taken it. If someone told you the Gators would win the SEC regular season, you would have taken that too.
But we also brought up this; how many Elite Eights did Matt Walsh go to? Or David Lee? Or Nick Calathes?
We have been too quick to judge these Gators on our championship seasons, which is incredibly unfair to Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and the rest of the team. During the back-to-back championships, it was obvious that Al Horford and Joakim Noah would be NBA standouts and Corey Brewer would be a serviceable role player. With this Gators team, only Parsons has a shot at getting drafted. This team never had the talent to win the title, and they only lost to Butler because another team was better than Florida in grinding out victories.
But, Parsons and the rest can take pride in that they got as far as they did. The last image of Tyus will not be what might have happened last season and happened to Walsh: having your draft night party end without you being drafted after a less than stellar junior season. Vernon Macklin might not have played in the mighty Big East, but in the SEC, he was able to grow his game and hook shot. These three seniors might join Walsh and Anthony Roberson in Europe, but at least they didn't finish with a disappointing exit in the first week of the tournament.
Judging on the impossible standard set by the Oh Fours, these Gators fell far short of the bar. But, otherwise, these Gators outperformed their predecessors. That won't make losing to Butler any easier, but it should allow us a greater appreciation and understanding for what this team has done.
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I'm not comparing these guys to the 04s at all
I am looking at their talent level compared to the teams they were matched up against. The Gators were given an absolute gift by the selection commitee with their lofty seeding. Anyone who thinks this team actually deserved a #2 seed is insane. We finished the season ranked around 15th in the nation. That projects to a low #4 seed. #2 seeds are supposed to be for top 10 teams, and while we surely could hang with most top 10 teams, I think we can all agree that we weren’t really top 10 caliber at season’s end.
Go read the Kentucky “A Sea of Blue” blog. They went on for hundreds of posts complaining that the Gators got “their seed.” They were still complaining about it even after Kentucky earned their own spot in the Elite 8.
Not only did the Gators get a ridiculously high #2 seed, but they were also placed in the weakest bracket. Sure – if you would have asked me in December if I would be satisfied with a run to Elite Eight, I would have said “hell yeah!” Then again, if you would have asked me if I thought the Gators could defeat UCSB, UCLA, BYU, Butler and VCU to get to the National Championship Game – I would have replied “Are you kidding? that’s it???! Hell Yeah!!”
The Gators may have overachieved to some extent, but they also squandered a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to another final four with a blue collar bunch of senior in the weakest basketball year any of us can remember. Remember that this team was the overwhelming preseason pick to win the SEC.
Think about the teams the 04s had to defeat in their march to their titles. If they had been given this year’s Gator seeding and competition, I don’t think anyone would have come within 30 points. How many points does Jimmer score on Corey Brewer? How many times does he drive by Brewer and NOT have his shot swatted by Noah or Horford? Do you see Howard pushing those 2 big men around the lane? Me neither. The 04s were a superteam. I didn’t edxpect this year’s group to sail through the tournament and crush other teams. But I did expect them to beat slower, shallower, less talented teams. They certainly should have.
VCU was a play-in team and they would have been our opponent in the semis. How many NBA prospects are on the VCU roster? How many on the Butler roster? If we were given Kentucky’s path, I would have been delighted with a Sweet 16 run. They had to beat WVU, Ohio State and UNC to get to where they are. That is a far cry from our path. We were given the golden paved easy street and elected to try hairpin turns in a Ferrari, instead of just drive the old dump truck through the finish line.
really surprised
at the lack of q and a on the strategic decisions at the ned regulation and in overtime
billy has really skated on this one
and yes, great opportunity squandered as a result
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
Not only did the Gators get a ridiculously high #2 seed, but they were also placed in the weakest bracket.
Yeah, they were probably over-seeded a bit. But they would have been playing in Tampa regardless of the seed I believe.
As for the Kentucky blog “Sea of Blue” it really doesn’t matter to me. If they want to cry and whine for hundreds of posts, just tell them their team should have put a little more effort into the regular season.
The Once and Future King
Anyone who thinks this team actually deserved a #2 seed is insane
So who did? Who deserved to have the number two seed? Wisconsin or BYU, I dont think so?
Maybe if we were in a different region, we would of been stuck with a #3, but that means a #3 from another region would take our #2 and I dont think any of the #3 seeds won their division, and had such a high SOS and RPI.
I guess if you think the APs top 25 is all that matters in seeding and winning your conference shouldn’t count for much, than yea we didn’t deserve the #2 seed.
"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor
When skigator said the “#2 seed insane” comment, I think he just meant that the Gators in his opinion were over-seeded. I tend to agree with that.
But like I said, we would have played in Tampa regardless of the seeding. We had Tampa secured before the SEC Tournament even started.
The Once and Future King
Well I agree that there has been much better teams in the past and not get that high of a seed.
But you gotta do your thing in the regular season, in your own conference. The SEC was down this year, but they did what they had to do to earn the #2 seed.
But I do agree that not all #2 seeds are at the same level of talent, and this years team was probably on the lower end of typical #2 seeds. But as I said, they still deserved it. Just like VCU deserves to be in the Final Four even if they are not one of the best four teams in the nation.
"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor
Butler did beat Pitt and Wisconisn. So playing Butler wasnt as easy as it sounded.
If we had lost to Pitt, would that make you feel better?
"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor
Ranked 15th huh?
obviously you’re not looking at the same rankings the selection committee is … like the RPI which ranked them 8th. then throw the strength of schedule and you’ll see that the worst the Gators would’ve done is a 3 seed, and since the y were going to Tampa, I think that would’ve given them an even easier route. Basically you would’ve switched BYU and Florida, for the first two rounds, which means they would play Wofford and Gonzaga, instead of UC Santa Barbra and UCLA. Personally I’d rather play Gonzaga over UCLA, they don’t have a hippo manning the middle like UCLA does.
As a whole there was no great team this year. Good teams, yes, middle of the road teams, yes. But no great teams. The 04’s were a great team, and it was accentuated when you watched them play.
I think we should all be proud that they made it past the first weekend and gave the fans something extra special.
Get out of my House!
Strangely,
the Brad Stevens “you just outcoached me to death” video helped the healing process the most for me. Looking at the video, he really really meant it. The thought of the kid holding on with his fingernails for 60 minutes of a true matchup of great coaches—and realizing how lucky he got—was really endearing.
It took a couple days—but Go Butler.
Yeah, it was a good video.
As for rooting for Butler. I’m not so sure. First and foremost though, I’m against anyone playing Kentucky. But I really like how VCU plays, Shaka Smart and just the fact that people were down on them just for making the First Four. I’m rooting for VCU to win it all.
The Once and Future King
It's hard not to pull for Shaka Smart,
but I’d love to see Butler get another crack at the title they were SOOOO close to last year. And honestly, I think Butler has a much better shot of taking down UK/UCONN.
Also, I hate the “this validate’s VCU’s selection to the tourney!” line of thought. No it doesn’t. Neither did George Mason’s run. They either earned their spot with their regular season/conference tourney or they didn’t.
Yeah. Butler had their shot. Let’s let VCU get their chance. That is just my view of the situation anyway.
And yeah, I agree with you with the validation of the VCU, George Mason..et al. It is what it is, and I generally don’t get mad and angry over any teams inclusion/exclusion into the bracket. Take care of business during the regular season/conference tourney and you don’t have to worry about it.
The Once and Future King
For me personally, that only works in football for the most part. Had it been say Vanderbilt, Arkansas….pretty much anybody but Tennessee or Kentucky and maybe Georgia…I’d root for them.
In basketball…Kentucky bothers me quite a bit (the same way that "Bama and Notre Dame football do) because they think they are entitled to things such as championships, wins…etc because of the name on the front of their jersey.
The Once and Future King
I'm pulling for the Gator spring sports!!!
Basketball is over as far as I am concerned.
And while I really don’t think much of Coach Cal, I do like Kentucky’s players (especially Knight – if he’s cool with Boynton, then he’s cool with me, plus he’s a tremendous student athlete, which I always love to see) and in the end, it’s about the players.
So what if they’ll have their name stricken from the record books in a few years – nobody can take away the memory of cutting down that net!
I realize not everyone agrees with my point of view above, but I hold our boys up to a lofty standard and they’ve done a damn good job coming through for me this season. I would have loved for this team to cut down the nets together in the regional, regardless of what would have or could have happened in the Final Four. They don’t have anything to be ashamed of, but I hope that Coach D learned something from the loss and that we can make the tournament next season (see – I AM realistic!).
So what if they’ll have their name stricken from the record books in a few years – nobody can take away the memory of cutting down that net!
Very true.
As for our team next year, very guard heavy. As pointed out by The Alligator.
The Once and Future King
I know, I been looking at the incoming recruits and the Rosario transfer.
Not sure how thats gonna work out.
"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor
don't worry
it won’t work out
live by the 3, die by the 3
will be the call next year
and we won’t out rebound anyone
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
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