Hows everyone's team doing in basketball this year so far???

Nice win for the Volunteers! The SEC and Big Ten conferences are killing each other.

Don

 

AQUILA, Donovan has a lot of backing at Florida. There is a lot of noise in the system right now, at least on the internet. However Donovan has tied the record for most consecutive 20 wins seasons at one school in the SEC and next year will tie Tubby for the most consecutive 20 wins by any coach and I would expect two years from now he will own the record.

Interesting you saying anyone could have won with the players we had the two championship seasons we had in a row. Those players were not all that highly ranked coming into UF but the came together as a team and Donovan had a lot to do with that.

I'm not sure why you think Calathes is over rated?

The Gator problems this year are youth and the lack of a big man in the middle. We get a lot bigger next season with 6' 10" McClain who transferred from Georgetown and will be playing next season, a couple of our bench guys will be a year older and some incoming players will add to the size. Maurice Speights leaving last year hurt a lot, but he's doing pretty well in the pros so I he made the right decision for himself.

I imagine a couple of the people on the team will leave as attrition seems to always to happen and there is some thought that Calathes might go to the NBA. Most think not but some think he will.

I think the Gators have to beat Kentucky then win a couple of games in the SEC tournament. That might not be so easy, we get a decent first round matchup but then would have to most likely face Auburn or Miss State who are both playing better than us right now.

 

Bill, good enough. I think he's a great coach but I was just wondering how many NCAA tourneys he'd have to miss before the natives grew restless. He seems to me to be a class act and a good coach but I just don't see the talent there like there's been in the past. So my question really isn't about this season but rather how many years does he have before he does get on a little bit of a hot seat because like I said I don't think the Gators are going to contend for the next couple of years. That's just my opinion. Same thing with Calathes. It's just my opinion, but he doesn't impress me that much. He's a very good college guard but not the next level star most view him as. Again, that's just my opinion.

Hmm...this made me curious. I knew Lee Humphrey wasn't all that highly rated and he did indeed develop into a very, very good college player not unlike Lofton at Tennessee. However, with a little research this is what I found on that starting 5.

Taurean Green-3*
Joakim Noah-4*
Al Horford-4*
Corey Brewer-5*
Humphrey-3*

Not too shabby. Especially when you consider that 4 of those guys were NBA draft picks, 3 of them in the lottery. I'm sure Donovan had a lot to do with molding them into the players they became but they weren't exactly chumps to begin with.

Obviously, concerning the Gators' tourney hopes, they HAVE to beat Kentucky which is doable but then I think they have to make a run to the SEC finals at the very least. I would like to see them get in as I always like for there to be some SEC teams to root for but it's going to be tough for them. I think Auburn might sneak in considering how well they're playing right now.

 

I didn't think Noah was that highly ranked.

But it was a chemistry that made those guys good together. Basketball is a bit different than football where a couple of mistakes or people leaving can affect the program.

Also they all left together plus the 6ht man who contributed a lot. 6 players left and it's been tough putting it back together. Also missing on Patrick Patterson who ended up at Kentucky hurt. The Gators thought he was coming to Florida.

I look for the Gators to be back in the NCAA next year but you are right that the natives can get restless. It's amazing how quick fans can think they have become entitled to winning the SEC and/or the national championship every year, whether it's football or basketball.

Sometimes I wonder why fans can't just enjoy their team instead of thinking they are failures because they don't win it all.

 

Agreed.

 

Leaving after his soph year and the loss of Patterson to Ky....those are the reasons this isn't an NCAA team.

 

Who was it a few weeks ago asked who I thought would win the east and I said Tennessee due to experience? I guess I was right.

 

It was a very exciting game, Gamecock Outlaw. Carolina has a nice team and will be a force in the future. For what it's worth, I thought the game was called evenly but the style with which it was called benefitted Tennessee I thought. The refs really let 'em play on both ends.

Tennessee versus USC should be a good matchup for a few seasons into the future. I don't know if anyone else saw the graphic or not but Tennessee, this season, has had 0.002% of their scoring come from seniors. Of course, that's a little deceiving as it's likely that Tyler Smith will go pro after this season.

 

Outlaw... How about coming out right now and say Tennessee will win the SEC tourney and follow up with the NCAA win. I like your abilities!!! :wink:

 

Them winning the SEC Tournament is a great possibility. I give them a 85% chance. South Carolina a 50% chance due to our depth, we will tire quickly. Tennessee should get at least 1 NCAA Tournament win but I can't promise anything after that. I will say the same for South Carolina depending on our seed.

 

Florida is playing lights out against Kentucky. They hit their first 4 shots from 3 point range. Kentucky looks to be in big trouble.

 

This game might have a chance to become interesting. After my last post, Florida went cold and Kentucky went on a 6-0 run... make that walk. It took them 6 minutes to score those 6 points while Florida couldn't hit anything. Then in two possessions in less than 45 seconds, Florida scores a 3 and a 2. Kentucky is chugging and Florida is hitting in spurts. Who has the most heart?

 

Gators finish the regular season with a nice win against Kentucky and are 9 - 7 in conference play and get the 3rd seed in the East. We play the last place team, Arkansas, in the West in the opening game on Thursday.

A win would put us up against Auburn in the 2nd round and we are in the same bracket as Tennessee.

We need at least two wins for the NCAA and the announcers today said we may have to win the tournament. I don't think that is correct, I think two wins in the SEC playoffs gets us in.

 

The Gators won that game this afternoon with some terrific defense.

Pitt played a great game against #1 UCONN as well.

Don

 

PHEW!!!
I've been too superstitious to post on this thread til now.
3 weeks ago the Aggies were 3-7 in Big XII play.
After taking down Mizzou today, we finished 9-7 and surely putting on our dancing shoes.

What a run. I just hope it continues a few more games!

 

South Carolina finished the regular season with a 17 point win over Georgia.

 

I knew the Aggies would beat Mizzou today, they are undefeated at home but when they go on the road they aren't nearly as good.

Congrats.

 

SEC Tournament starts Thursday. 8 teams play and 4 get byes. Tennessee and S. Carolina from the East and LSU and Auburn from the West. Auburn started very slow this year but finished strong at 10 - 6, at one time they weren't considered a possibility to go to the NCAA, now it is very possible.

Gators play Arkansas first then would play Auburn if we win. We beat Auburn at Auburn earlier in the season, but since them they have played strong while the Gators faded.

I think Tennessee is the best team in the conference but they have a way of not doing all that well come tournament time. LSU has the best record and Auburn is the hottest.

At one time I thought S. Carolina was the best but I think Tennessee and LSU now have that look with Auburn close. My picks for the semi final games are Tennessee vs Florida, who upset Auburn, and S. Carolina vs LSU.

 

Just found out that South Carolina will still earn a share of the SEC east title if Bama beats the Vols on Sunday.

It's screwed up that can take place but I guess we'll take it if Bama does win.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200903050525&prov=ap

 

I can see that we would have the same SEC record with a loss to Alabama, 10 - 6. I guess there are no tie breakers then. Head to head the Vols swept. SEC East record, the Vols are 8 - 3 with a loss to Alabama and SC is 7 - 4.

Oh well, maybe this is what the team needs to motivate a win against Bama today.