In a moment of brutal honesty, Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan hopefully put an end to all the speculation, all the guessing games and all the “if only” thinking.
When asked if his team was “mystifying” to him, Donovan quickly answered, “Yes.”
“Don’t fall in love,” he added, smiling, after a performance worth falling for. The Gators dismantled Arkansas 75-43 on Saturday, something they needed in light of the borderline-humiliating 45-40 win at Auburn on Thursday.
Perhaps the only consistent aspect of Florida’s season has been its inconsistency, and that has never been more clear than it was in the Thursday-Saturday Southeastern Conference swing.
The Gators were horrid offensively at Auburn, scoring the fewest points in the Donovan era, and they were unexpectedly dominant in all phases Saturday against Arkansas.
“It shows us what type of team and upside we have if we just keep being focused and coming out, executing our game plan,” sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said. “If we have more games like that, the same result will come.”
Entering the weekend, fans had all but given up on seeing those results. This morning, hope once again springs eternal.
It’s almost become unfair to say it’s been a “rollercoaster ride” for the Gators the last two years — at least it’s possible to see what’s next on a rollercoaster. This team, on the other hand, is completely unpredictable.
“They are in a lot of ways,” Donovan said. “I love coaching them, and they’re great kids, and they work hard, and there are so many elements of them that I enjoy.”
There have been innumerable complaints, plenty of wishful thinking and certainly no shortage of quick-fix suggestions regarding what would turn this squad into the preseason top-10 team it was predicted to be.
It was said the Gators had to fix their shooting to win games. Auburn is a bad team, but Florida still pulled off a win despite a historically bad shooting night.
The common consensus before that was UF had to play great defense or it wouldn’t stand a chance against quality teams. Almost on cue, Ole Miss and Tennessee each scored more than 70 points and lost to the Gators.
I’ve even played the “what if” game as well. Three weeks ago, I wrote that Chandler Parsons’ offensive success was necessary for the Gators to play up to their potential.
Parsons scored five points Saturday night. He took only six shots in 30 minutes. But he was involved everywhere else on the floor, grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds and leading the team with five assists.
Anything else? Free throws? Turnovers? Offensive rebounding? Sound familiar?
Despite everyone’s best attempts to find a quick fix, there is none. UF will play above its potential (see: Kansas State, Xavier, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Arkansas), and it will play far below it (see: Jacksonville, UCF), with no rhyme or reason why either happens when it does.
To his credit, Donovan has avoided putting the blame on his team for its inconsistency. Instead, he often speaks about his players’ need to worry about the things they can control.
Entering every game not knowing whether the Gators will play that way, however, has left Donovan — and anyone who follows the team — mystified.
