As a part of The Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2011-12 athletic season, columnists Joe Morgan and Corey McCall will debate two of the five nominees in each week’s category. Vote for the winner online at alligatorSports.org.
Corey: In retrospect, UF athletics put forth a historic year: the women’s lacrosse team making its first-ever Final Four appearance, the men’s track and field squad securing the program’s first outdoor championship and John Brantley graduating, to name a few. But who were the best performers, who formed the Dynamic Duo, the Jordan and Pippen, the Cruise and Holmes? In a university riddled with talent, I say, hands down, Lauren Embree and Joanna Mather proved top of the class. The duo led the women’s tennis team to its second straight national title, and third-straight Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles, nuff’ said — cue dropped mic.
Joe: Cruise and Holmes? Corey, you may have just cost yourself this version of The Rally right there. Before we simply award Embree and Mather the crown in the wake of the Gators women’s tennis squad’s second consecutive championship, look at the rest of the team. Sofie Oyen and Allie Will proved just as valuable to Florida’s title run. Meanwhile, Billy Donovan’s backcourt proved a terrific tandem once again in 2011-12. Guided by the leadership of Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, the Gators advanced to their second straight Elite Eight appearance in March. Now that’s an argument worth its weight in stolen tacos.
Corey: That would be a hefty weight considering it ended up costing him $301. But the fact that Walker and Boynton’s style would be a better fit in the WNBA — layups upon layups of impeccable form — makes that a clown argument, bro. On the other hand, Mather and Embree proved week in and week out that they were individually some of the best players in the country with national rankings of ninth and 21st, respectively. As double partners, their record speaks for itself. During the 2011-12 season, they went a combined 24-1 as the No. 22 doubles team in the country. Their career record now stands at 49-2, solidifying them as one of the best duos in the history of UF athletics.
Joe: As great as Mather and Embree have been both together and apart, Boynton and Walker have helped engineer the resurrection of Florida basketball. After three up-and-down seasons following back-to-back national championships, the Gators have notched two straight trips to the Elite Eight largely on the strength of their guard play. Walker led UF in scoring (14.6 points per game) in 2010-11, and Boynton carried the offensive load in 2011-12 with 15.9 points per contest. However, they don’t just shoot. This year, the duo combined for a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio — a marked improvement from their 1.6 mark in 2010-11. Not only did these small soldiers give Florida steady experience, but they improved in their duties running an efficient offense. They may not have brought home a national title, but they did their damnedest.
Corey: Well that just wasn’t enough; Florida had its fair share of role players on that team. And when it came time to step up in the tournament, Bradley Beal, the player with the least amount of experience, was the only one to do so — Beal led the team in five categories, including rebounds, scoring and three-point field-goal percentage. Embree and Mather, however, were consistent enough to continue their success for three straight years and in two roads to a national championship. Oh, and did I mention Embree owned a 22-2 singles record this year? Mather’s 21-2 record wasn’t too shabby either. Together they were responsible for two singles points in the majority of the matches. And every time one of the other two doubles team scratched out a victory, that put the duo responsible for three of the five possible dual match points, guaranteeing a UF win.
Joe: Continuing to argue for my side would be the equivalent of convincing Walt Disney Studios that John Carter 2 is a worthy investment — it’s a horrid waste of time. The men’s basketball team has accomplished an impressive feat with back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight. However, Boynton and Walker’s backcourt partnership yielded two fewer national championships than the Embree-Mather tandem. Gators women’s tennis is a national powerhouse, and the Embree-Mather duo is largely responsible for that reputation.
Contact Corey McCall at cmccall@alligator.org and Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org
UF senior Lauren Embree won her first Grand Slam tournament of her collegiate career on Sunday. Embree defeated Virginia's Julia Elbaba in three sets to clinch the Riviera/ITA All-American Tournament.
