Greg: Billy Donovan is not insane.
After weeks and weeks of trying to get Erving Walker to step up and be Florida’s vocal leader — the guy who can rally the troops and be the clear voice in the huddle when things aren’t going well — Donovan has given up. It’s just not going to happen. Leadership is not in Walker’s DNA.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result,” Donovan said. “After a dead ball or a free-throw situation, there needs to be more huddling our guys there. Whether he forgets to do it or doesn’t do it or doesn’t feel comfortable doing it, I’ve got to get someone else to do it because that needs to happen.”
So the question is: Which Gator should take charge?
The answer is Brad Beal. Florida’s best and most consistent player needs to be the one to take the reins. Anyone else would be out of place.
John: I wholeheartedly agree that Beal has turned out to be a tremendous talent for Florida this season, but we also need to judge whether it’s in his nature to lead this team from a vocal standpoint.
Though he tops UF in a number of offensive and defensive categories, including overall rebounding and free throws, we haven’t seen if Beal has the charisma and savvy as a freshman to lead by anything other than example.
Last week, it took a fiery halftime speech by Billy Donovan to inspire the Gators to a comeback win against Auburn.
That’s what Florida needs in a leader — someone who has the tools to control a huddle with his presence on the court when things go awry.
Someone like Patric Young.
Whether he plays poorly or not, the Gators’ 6-foot-9 center night-in-and-night-out carries a passion and enthusiasm that is unmatched on UF’s roster.
Greg: Young may bring the explosive energy, but Beal is no slouch in that department, either.
In fact, I doubt any play UF has made this season was more explosive than Beal’s dunk over Alabama’s Moussa Gueye. Except maybe Beal’s dunk over South Carolina’s Damontre Harris. If you don’t believe me, YouTube it.
On top of that, Beal brings consistency.
Beal has posted at least 13 points, six rebounds and 30 minutes in every game this month. That constant presence is absolutely vital in a front man.
“In that role, you have to be a consistent guy every single day,” Donovan said.
Beal has the smarts, commitment to hard work and flat-out talent that nobody else on this team can boast. Especially not Patric Young, who admitted Monday that, “Honestly, sometimes there’s days where you just don’t want to practice.”
Maybe there are days you don’t want to practice, Patric, but Florida’s leader can’t afford to feel that way.
John: You’re taking Young’s quote out of context, Greg. Poor practice habits have been a team-wide problem this season that every player, including Beal, needs to improve upon, according to Donovan.
While Young may not be a model of consistency, no player outside of Will Yeguete has had worse luck with injuries.
Despite a nagging ankle injury that’s hampered him throughout SEC play, Young has yet to miss any of Florida’s 29 games. His toughness can’t be questioned.
As he inches closer to being 100-percent healthy, Young’s shown flashes of how he can lead this team though his production by scoring 19 points at Alabama and hauling in 11 rebounds over the weekend at Georgia.
“I definitely would love to eventually come into that role,” he said.
Unlike Florida’s guards, Young actually aspires and wants to be the team leader.
Greg: That may be true, but don’t paint it like he’s the only one.
When Donovan approached Beal about potentially assuming a greater leadership role, the freshman didn’t shy away.
“I told him that I was more than willing to do that,” Beal said. “We’re talking on the floor all the time anyways. On top of that, I’m real cool with the guys and I know everybody, so I feel more comfortable doing that.”
Although Young has shown flashes, his injuries, persistent foul trouble and inconsistent energy mean he needs to focus more on staying on the court than encouraging his teammates.
You can’t command every huddle and lead the rally after every possession when you only play 25 minutes per game, as Young does.
That role is better left to a constant presence like Beal, whose 34.4 minutes per game are the most any Gator has played in the past 10 years.
John: I think Donovan would disagree with needing a leader who’s constantly on the court.
One of the three players, along with Young and Beal, the Gators’ coach wanted to see help “mentally connect” his teammates was Scottie Wilbekin, who plays little more than 14 minutes per game.
Though Young has been under Donovan’s scrutiny this season, so was last year’s clear-cut leader Chandler Parson early in his career.
“I was very, very difficult on him for his career, but Chandler was always an outspoken guy; he wanted to be a leader, he wanted that role,” Donovan said. “I think Patric has great leadership qualities, but I think Patric still has some growth and maturing to do.”
By the time he was a senior, Parsons had grown into the SEC Player of the Year, and with the adversity Young has seen this season, he has a chance to do the same if he stays for his last two years.
But why wait? Young can start by stepping up in the final stretch of this season.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org and John Boothe at jboothe@alligator.org. Vote for the winner at alligatorSports.org.
