With 20 minutes to go and nothing on the line, Billy Donovan urgently needed someone to step up and prove himself as a leader.
Florida was ahead 44-19 to start the second half of an exhibition against NAIA opponent Georgetown (Ky.) College, but times were desperate in Donovan’s mind.
After a 2009-10 season in which the Gators frequently came out flat to start a half, Donovan was looking for a player to keep them at maximum intensity and put the opposition away.
Which of his seniors would take the reins and lead UF to a strong finish?
Would it be Chandler Parsons, the do-everything forward who Donovan says has grown as much as anyone he’s ever coached?
Or maybe Vernon Macklin, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound giant who is becoming the dominant interior force he was expected to be out of high school?
Even Alex Tyus could rise up and be the guy, despite apparently wavering in his commitment to Florida by testing transfer waters after his sophomore year and feeling out the early stages of the NBA Draft process this past offseason.
The answer? None of the above.
The Tigers started the half on a 7-2 run over the first 1:02, and Donovan showed that desperate times called for desperate measures: He pulled the entire starting five.
“Great teams and really good teams play for 40 minutes, and we didn’t do that,” Donovan said. “I think there’s a leadership component that our older guys need to step in to.”
With just two days remaining until the season-opener and only six separating No. 9 UF from a pivotal early-season showdown against No. 4 Ohio State, the Gators have to find a leader if the class that came in following the historic ‘04s is to have any hope of leaving a legacy of its own.
The Natural Fit
The ascension to a leadership position would be a natural next step for Parsons, who is a far different player and person than he was during his freshman campaign.
When the forward first arrived at UF, he was content sticking to the outside and taking open jump shots.
Parsons averaged 8.1 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists while playing 20 minutes per game as a rookie, and his early production gave him a false sense of security.
“After his freshman year he thought it was going to be pretty easy,” Donovan said. “Then all of a sudden he got really, really humbled.”
Parsons made only modest increases in production despite earning a starter’s minutes as a sophomore, and his up-and-down year came to an end when the team lost in the National Invitational Tournament quarterfinals.
But that disappointing finish marked a turning point in his career.
“He came to a crossroads of saying, ‘I really have to take a deep look inside myself and find out how I have to get better,’” Donovan said.
For Parsons, that meant realizing his true potential and becoming a more well-rounded player.
Parsons rededicated himself in the weight room, worked on his ability to rebound and create off the dribble, and retooled his mindset.
“He was never in the right place mentally,” Donovan said. “He dealt with it after his sophomore year and really started to become better.”
Parsons’ improvement was evident last season, as he saw increases in almost every statistical category and became the face of the program after hitting buzzer-beaters against North Carolina State and South Carolina.
But, more than anything, Parsons’ progress was due to him learning how to win, a notion that could be a major factor for a team that had 10 games decided by four points or fewer last season.
“I think it’s a little bit of everything,” Parsons said. “I think it’s understanding defense. …When the ball isn’t going in the hole we still want to pull it out in tough, physical ways.”
Parsons will look to spread that mentality to the freshmen as early as possible so they won’t have to repeat his mistakes.
Since the senior has seen minutes at four different positions, he has the experience necessary to provide advice to a variety of players, including freshman swingman Casey Prather.
“I think it’s really about communication,” Parsons said. “Casey’s been playing the two, the three, a couple more positions, so I’ve been in his ear a little bit helping him.”
Prather is just one member of a heralded recruiting class that consists of five freshmen, including McDonald’s All-American center Patric Young.
Each of those players figures to need guidance, and with five starters returning from an NCAA Tournament team, that presence is expected to be there.
This will be a major change from Parsons’ first year with the Gators, when there was not a single forward on the roster with more than a year of experience.
That lack of maturity forced Parsons to learn largely on his own, a challenge he hopes to save this year’s freshmen from.
“I’ve known these plays for four years now,” Parsons said. “So when they’re struggling with the offense or defensive set-ups, I’m there to help them. Even off the court, whether it’s with tutoring or getting to class on time, I want them to understand their responsibilities.”
The Vet
At 24 years old, Macklin looks to finally come into his own.
After enduring a pair of rocky seasons at Georgetown University, the former McDonald’s All-American transferred to UF — a decision that forced him to sit out the 2008-09 season.
Upon returning to the floor as a junior, Macklin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game as Florida’s starting center.
Now in his final season, the senior who is affectionately called “Vet” will be expected to improve both his numbers and his leadership.
Macklin has been a veteran presence in the offseason and during practice, but Donovan still needs Macklin to prove he can take charge when it matters most.
“I think Vernon has got to prove that he can lead under duress,” Donovan said. “I’ve tried to create some adversity in practices for him and for our team to see how they would respond, and I don’t think Vernon has responded how I’d like him to.”
Donovan describes Macklin as a player with a strong voice and a desire to win who is still learning how to lead because of the turbulent start to his career.
Despite the learning curve, the center has shown his capacity to provide wisdom and guidance through his early dealings with Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario, who is facing the same challenges Macklin battled through when he sat out.
“Vernon Macklin gave me some pointers on what I can do while I’m not playing,” Rosario said. “He’s been there for me since day one.”
In addition to leadership, Donovan expressed the desire to see Macklin progress as both a scorer and a rebounder — developments expected after a busy offseason that included a trip to the LeBron James Skills Academy.
“He’s worked hard, but he himself has to be able to handle adversity and be a calming force,” Donovan said. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that he can do that.”
The role would seem to fit Macklin like a glove, as the publicly soft-spoken senior has been tagged by many of his teammates as the funniest player on the team due to his off-court antics.
Still, Donovan and the Gators understand all of Macklin’s actions in practice and outside the gym mean nothing if he can’t bring it on game days.
“I’m a vocal person, I just have to not let little things get to me,” Macklin said. “If something isn’t going my way I still have to be a vocal person and still be a leader.”
The silver lining from the Georgetown game is that the Gators won by 26 points, and one could make the argument that they never truly faced the adversity Donovan wants them to overcome.
Perhaps if the lead were two instead of 25, the seniors would’ve come out with the fire, intensity and leadership that could be the difference between a deep NCAA Tournament run and another first-round exit.
Only time will tell whether the second half against Georgetown was an aberration or a premonition for Macklin, Parsons and the rest of the Gators.
Step one is two days away.
