As part of the Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2012-13 season, columnists Phil Heilman and Adam Lichtenstein will debate two of the five nominees in each week’s category. Vote for the winner online at alligatorSports.org.
Adam: Florida’s basketball team returned three prominent seniors who had the chance to make their final season in Gainesville noteworthy, but one player stood out above the rest – Erik Murphy.
The 6-foot-10 forward had a troubled start to his Gators career both on and off the court, but he excelled in 2012-13.
Murphy saw his career prospects drastically improve in his final season. After an arrest in 2011 and one start in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined, he took off last season.
The senior finished the year second on the team in points per game and third in rebounds, but outpaced the rest of the starters in shooting percentage (with the exception of Patric Young, whose most common shot was near the boards). He also led the Southeastern Conference in three-point shooting percentage.
While other players occasionally outshone him on the court, Murphy was the consistent backbone that led the Gators deep into the tournament.
Phil: While I agree with you that Murphy did an admirable job repairing his reputation and becoming a dependable player for Billy Donovan last season, he was only one of many important cogs on a team that did not truly feature any star players.
Mike Gillislee, however, was the engine that drove the football team.
Finally given an opportunity to showcase his ability, Gillislee rushed 244 times for 1,152 yards — good for the seventh-best output in Gators history — and scored 11 total touchdowns.
How often does that happen? Gillislee was the first UF running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since Ciatrick Fason accomplished the feat in 2004.
Speaking of ’04, remember when the Boston Red Sox came back from 3-0 down in the American League Championship series and eventually won the World Series? Good times.
Adam: There’s actually a blank spot in my memory where 2004 should be. And “Fever Pitch” ends with Drew Barrymore running on the field.
And while Gillislee did a lot of running on Florida Field, that running still didn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things – the Gators finished 103rd in total offense last year. If any group is to thank for Florida’s success, it’s the defense.
Although Gillislee had one of the best seasons for a Gators running back, compared to the rest of the nation, he was “only” above average.
He finished his season 44th in the nation in yards per game -- behind five quarterbacks (six if you count Denard Robinson as a quarterback).
Meanwhile, Murphy was a top offensive contributor. Kenpom.com has Murphy ranked 17th in the nation in effective field-goal percentage, which weighs three-point shots over two-point shots.
Murphy was like the David Ortiz of the Gators last season – the best offensive player on a team with multiple solid contributors.
Gillislee was like Robinson Cano on this year’s Yankees – the only star player on an offensive unit that needs all the help it can get in order to score.
Phil: Gillislee’s raw numbers, though impressive in the UF record books, do not especially grab your attention in relation to the rest of the college football landscape. I get that.
That said, you have to take into account what he was working with.
Florida’s passing offense finished the season averaging 143.9 yards per game. If that sounds like a low number, that’s because it was. In fact, it was the lowest total in the SEC by more than 10 yards per game.
Gillislee faced eight-man fronts, nine-man fronts and was the sole focus of opposing defenses throughout the season.
When Jeff Driskel ran for 177 yards and three touchdowns against Vanderbilt, Commodores coach James Franklin said his team essentially spent the whole week preparing for Gillislee, leaving them susceptible elsewhere. And that is what every single opponent did.
Still, Gillislee racked up yardage like the Yankees have been racking up losses this season. It was impressive to watch.
Adam: Well you just made my own point. The Yankees are somehow six games over .500 despite playing with spare parts.
And speaking of spare parts, that’s what Gillislee is going to be with the Dolphins.
Miami picked him in the fifth round, right before it took kicker Caleb Sturgis. Gillislee was the 13th running back taken in the draft (14th if you count Denard Robinson as a running back). Gillislee was the sixth Gator taken.
In an NBA Draft where teams can select fewer players, Murphy still showed enough value to draw the attention of an NBA team. He was the only Gator picked. He was the most valuable player on a Florida male roster.
Phil: The Best Male Athlete award is essentially declaring who is the Most Valuable male Player on campus in one year.
Sure, Murphy had a respectable regular season. However, the difference came during program-defining moments.
Florida football had fallen off the national landscape for several years prior to last season. The first chance to re-establish that luster came against No. 4 LSU in The Swamp on Oct. 6.
In a game that had all the makings of another gut-wrenching defeat, Gillislee was the difference for the Gators.
After being shut out in the first half, Florida rode him to a pair of touchdowns — one in each the third and fourth quarter — and captured a 14-6 win and signal a power shift in the SEC.
Seven weeks later, Gillislee replicated his performance by rushing for 140 yards and a pair of scores in a 37-26 victory against Florida State – a win that not only snapped a two-year losing streak to the Seminoles, but also kept the Gators in the running for a national championship.
When Murphy had the opportunity to help his team finally escape the Elite Eight after failng the two previous years, he came up painfully short. In a 79-59 blowout loss to Michigan, he ended his college career with 0 points on 0-of-11 shooting.
Each player had a tremendous year, but Gillislee overcame a higher degree of difficulty to shine consistently.
That’s why he deserves the award.
Contact Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org. Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Mike Gillislee (23) takes a handoff from quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) against FSU on Nov. 24. Gillislee ran for 1,152 yards in 2012.
