Apparently, the Gators' frontcourt struggles are all Marreese Speights' fault.
According to UF coach Billy Donovan, the absence of the former Gators forward, who now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, is at least in part to blame for the team's poor showing this year.
"The one thing you can never forecast is guys leaving early, and when the season started last year I don't think anyone thought that Marreese Speights would be gone," Donovan said. "Our frontcourt complexion looks totally different."
Speights' early departure left Donovan with a major hole to fill under the basket and without the personnel to do so.
While sophomore Alex Tyus, a more natural power forward, has performed well playing out of position at center this year, others have not fared as well.
"There's no question there's some limitations there," Donovan said. "I think Alex has made a nice jump from last year to this year. I think Dan (Werner) has had a tougher time."
With Speights gone, players who were originally intended to serve in complementary roles are being forced to play starters' minutes.
"Its tough for Dan to line up 30 minutes a night and expect him to go get 10 to 12 rebounds or do some of the things we ask of him," Donovan said. "But inside what his ability is, I think he's doing all he can possibly do. We really felt like Dan was going to be a great complement player."
The same is true of a freshman class that has been heavily relied upon since it set foot on campus.
Depth and development are luxuries the Gators just can't afford these days.
"The role that they're in right now is different than the role we had envisioned," Donovan said.
The most promising of UF's young big men, Kenny Kadji, has showed signs of being a pillar Donovan can build on in the future.
Unfortunately for the Gators, that day is probably still a few years away.
"It's hard, but you can't get down on yourself," Kadji said. "We don't want to make excuses. We just have to do better."
Allan Chaney, one of the team's better rebounders, had begun to work his way into the rotation before going down with a stress fracture in his left heel.
"I thought Chaney was getting better. It's disappointing he's hurt now. I would have liked to see how he would have progressed, but by no means was he the answer," Donovan said. "I think Kadji's development is really, really important going forward."
UF is eighth in rebounding margin, last in offensive rebounds and last in blocked shots in the Southeastern Conference this season through games played Feb. 11.
The Gators' lack of size has caused defensive matchup problems down low all year, a flaw highlighted by a loss to a severely outmatched but physical Georgia team Saturday.
"There's no question that our lack of size in the frontcourt has nothing to do with wanting to recruit that way," Donovan said. "We won two national championships with three monsters up front. We would like to have that size across the front line, but we don't have it."
