For anybody who's ever watched a University of Florida home football game, the mere thought of that announcement ringing over the loud speakers in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium can elicit goosebumps. Oh, there we go.
Anyway, I'm not talking about football here but rather the return of the University of Florida to the hardwood. Technically, the Gators have already played two games this season as they opened at home against St. Peter's and Albany in the early rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. With all due respect to both of these fine institutions of higher learning, I wasn't all that worried about the Gators losing these games, and I certainly wasn't going to put alot of stock in the individual and collective performances in either of these games. That's why, for all intents and purposes, the 2005-2006 season begins tonight at 7:30 in Madison Square Garden against Wake Forest.
By now, everybody is aware that the Gators lost their three leading scorers off their SEC Tournament Champion team to the NBA (congrats to all three for making NBA rosters, something that this guy thought highly unlikely for both Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh). As a result, there are far more questions about this Gators team than answers. If you're looking any definitive answers from me then you're barking up the wrong tree. I have a feeling for what we might see but I can't pretend to know with any certainty about the squad that's going to hit the floor in MSG tonight. Truthfully, nobody knows exaclty what to expect from this team. Not even their coach, who has said as much in interviews. Other than sophomores Corey Brewer and Al Horford, there isn't a single player on this team who has proven themsleves to be a consistent performer in high-major college basketball.
With all of that said, this Florida team is much stronger inside and far more athletic than the last three squads that Billy Donovan has trotted out. I expect to see Billy return to the days of relentless full court pressure, pushing the ball on offense and ten man rotations.
Predictably, many pundits are predicting a big fall for Florida this year, but I have a different feeling about this group. What this team lacks in offensive firepower, they will more than makeup for in defense and toughness. They may struggle early, but they'll hit their stride by the time conference play rolls around. Florida will not only be competitive within the SEC but also finish near the top of their division while earning Billy D. his 8th straight NCAA Tourney berth. Their will be no star on this team (though Corey Brewer has a shot at being a big time player in the SEC if he gets more comfortable offensively), rather this will be a collection that is greater than the sum of its parts. For the first time in years, the Gators will be playing the style of basketball that Donovan envisioned when he first came to Gainesville. That alone should be enough to get Gator fans excited for the season, it certainly is for this guy.
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3 comments:
Playing Albany in college hoops is like taking the 18 year old who works the register out to the $2.99 movie theater...it's just too easy. That's right...second base boys. Second base.
From what I saw last night UF looked pretty good. They seem much more athletic this season. I think that they'll be running a lot more.
Exactly my point TJ, though I don't want you passing judgement on the women (or girls) that I choose to date. Do you think you're better than me just b/c you're married?
UF looked better than I expected last night for it being so early in the season. I'm a little worried about how the young guys will handle the Cuse Zone though. I could see them getting frustrated and settling for an awful lot of jumpshots.
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