With the Gators’ most experienced player sidelined by injury, the team has turned to one of its greenest freshmen.
While his stat line against LSU on Sunday may not have been impressive, swingman Casey Prather drew praise from coach Billy Donovan after his first collegiate start in place of the injured Chandler Parsons.
“He had good energy, he did a good job defensively and overall I was pleased with the way he played,” Donovan said.
The freshman logged 15 minutes and failed to score a point on 0-for-2 shooting. He also recorded three rebounds, an assist and a steal without a turnover.
Donovan acknowledged that Prather’s performance was not flawless but credited the freshman for showing a strong work ethic and a desire to get better over the past two weeks.
Prather had played 6.9 minutes per game prior to No. 13 Gators’ 68-61 win at LSU but was forced into a starting role as the only other natural small forward on the roster.
Although not as versatile as Parsons, the 6-foot-6 Prather provides a combination of size, speed and athleticism none of the other reserves can match.
Those attributes have made Prather a strong defensive option off the bench in limited minutes and led Donovan to incorporate more on-the-ball pressure into his game plan Sunday against the Tigers.
“I just felt like we’re a better pressing team when Casey is out there,” Donovan said. “With his athleticism and his length, we just felt like we wanted to utilize him.”
Although the Gators have used the press sparingly in Southeastern Conference play, Donovan thought the matchup against LSU would be the perfect time to bring it back.
According to Donovan, the Tigers are efficient on offense when they have the luxury of entering their half-court sets. He hoped the press would “disrupt their flow” and force them to improvise rather than run designed plays.
Donovan also noted that the press would be an effective way for the younger players to deal with the jitters of seeing increased minutes in Parsons’ absence.
Instead of letting nerves build up while they grind through a half-court defense, freshmen such as Prather were allowed to get out and run.
“I thought if we could get the game going up and down, it may take some pressure off of those guys, being young guys on the road, having to play more significant minutes than they previously had,” Donovan said.
Another freshman asked to fill in for Parsons was Scottie Wilbekin, who played 30 minutes despite averaging 16.9 per game beforehand.
Wilbekin was often used in a lineup that featured fellow guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton. That three-guard set presented another quick, scrappy defensive lineup that provided an effective press.
The press showed some rust and only forced 12 giveaways Sunday against LSU.
When asked after the game, Boynton said it was much more disruptive in the second half, calling it “50-50” overall.
