People jumped to a lot of conclusions after Saturday’s loss, but there’s only one thing that was proven beyond doubt.
Brad Beal is one of the three best players in the Southeastern Conference, and one of the top 15 or 20 in all of college basketball.
Concerns that Florida doesn’t have enough heart will be addressed in bigger games, and it remains to be seen if the Gators can play without Will Yeguete.
Beal, on the other hand, has nothing left to prove.
He’s improved in every game in a Florida uniform, surpassing the high expectations that accompanied him as one of the best recruits Billy Donovan has ever brought to Florida.
Fans were promised the next Ray Allen. They got the next Dwyane Wade.
Wade, a 6-foot-4 guard who was listed at 210 pounds at Marquette, averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 48.7-percent shooting with an almost even assist-to-turnover ratio as a freshman.
Beal, listed at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds but growing by the week, is averaging 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and .9 blocks on 45.7-percent shooting with an almost even assist-to-turnover ratio over the last nine games.
He looks like the explosive slashing guard who can get to the free-throw line any time he wants, earning 6.7 trips to the charity stripe per game in UF’s last nine contests. And, oh by the way, he’s converted 85 percent of those tries.
He’s been a defensive stud all year, and on Saturday he did an outstanding job guarding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and 6-foot-8, 220-pound power forward Nemanja Djurisic, an obvious size mismatch. Georgia shot 52.9 percent, but that can’t be blamed on Beal. Despite Djurisic’s physical edge, Beal grabbed eight defensive rebounds, maintained good post position and forced Djurisic into tough shots. Florida’s freshman guard was also effective fronting the post, even tipping an entry pass to force a turnover midway through the first half. If anything, he alleviated concerns about Will Yeguete’s absence by proving he can hold his own defensively and on the glass against bigger, stronger players.
The other big question facing the Gators after Saturday’s game is heart, but Beal doesn’t have to worry about that, either.
He’s given 100 percent every possession on both ends, and is the only player who can’t be lumped in with Donovan’s concerns about maturity. His basketball IQ has been praised from day one, and for good reason.
What truly sets him apart is how well he does the little things. He knows when to switch on defense, who needs to get the ball on offense and where he needs to be positioned on the floor at any given moment.
Beal’s only weakness has been 32.4 percent 3-point shooting. But with a stroke as pure as his — one that’s Ray Allen-esque — it’s only a matter of time and reps before he gets it figured out.
If he chooses to pass up a shot at being an NBA lottery pick and come back for another season at Florida, he’ll easily be in the running for National Player of the Year.
And the Gators will be right in the thick of the national title race.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
