OXFORD, Miss - Just about the only thing Nick Calathes can't do on the hardwood is dunk.
Dan Werner - much to my shock - has become the ultimate garbage man and is the toughest player on this team (even though Marreese Speights should be). I never thought I'd see the day when Dan 'The Freak' Werner had a chant of "Bull****" yelled at him by opposing fans for out-muscling and knocking down an opponent like he did late in the second half Wednesday night.
Walter Hodge is the veteran leader on a baby Gators squad.
But none of them are the key to the rest of UF's season.
Coach Billy Donovan doesn't want to have to depend on a freshman point guard for success - and you can't blame him - but too bad, coach.
Jai Lucas is officially the most important player on UF.
He isn't the Gators' best player and isn't as talented as Calathes or Speights. However, if his value to this team equaled his talent, we'd think that Joakim Noah or Al Horford was still in playing in Gainesville.
In the first two conference games, Lucas combined for 35 points. Wednesday night he had just 8. Despite Speights - who was averaging 14 points per game as of Wednesday - attempting just three shots and scoring just 4 points, he wasn't the missing link in the loss.
It was Lucas's firepower that they missed. Against Auburn on Saturday, he sealed the game by scoring 7 of his 16 points in the last 3:30.
The Gators can't depend on Speights to carry them. He isn't ready and doesn't have the mental or physical toughness. It would also help if Speights had the stamina to stay on the court for more than five minutes at a time.
One of the best plays Speights made Wednesday was when he took a charge early in the first half. Something about your tallest and biggest player falling down doesn't scream intimidation.
Calathes has proven he's talented enough to have some sort of effect on the game, even if he doesn't score. UF still needs consistent scoring from somewhere, and I'd rather not bank on Chandler Parsons, Adam Allen or Jonathan Mitchell - at least not this season.
Speights showed Wednesday that he can't be that impact player against legitimate frontlines. - in other words, the type of frontlines he will constantly be face as Southeastern Conference play progresses. Werner isn't the type of player you can run plays for and expect him to be successful. He has proven his value to his team, and he certainly is valuable - just not as a consistent go-to scorer.
That leaves Lucas. Just like the rest of this UF squad, you can't expect him to be consistent. He just better get used to finding a way to score in critical moments if the Gators are to make anything of this season.
Heading into the season, it looked like the Gators would go as far as Speights could take them. Now, the 5'11, 150-pound Lucas - who says he's actually 5'10" - is starting to carry UF on his shoulders instead of the 6'10", 250-pound Speights.
Maybe Speights will actually figure out how to use his size to his advantage, but until then he can take lessons from Lucas.
