As hard as they are to forget, Billy Donovan doesn’t want his players dwelling on the contested jumper Scotty Hopson drained or the way Alex Tyus’ last-second shot rolled off the rim.
Florida will look to refocus in practice before traveling to Alabama on Thursday and hosting Mississippi State on Saturday.
UF has to let go of its crushing 61-60 loss to Tennessee before moving forward.
“No one’s got any control once the ball leaves Alex’s hands. No one had any control once the ball left Hopson’s hands,” Donovan said. “But we do have control over how we screen, how we get back, how we defend, how we block out.
“Those are the things we need to try to look at, making sure our focus is on things we have some level of control over.”
That hasn’t proven to be easy for UF after such a heartbreaking defeat.
The Gators will remember they had a chance to win at the end of the game against the Volunteers despite shooting 25 percent from three-point range, committing 17 turnovers and getting outrebounded 41-32.
“Through all that, we still had the final shot and a very good shot to win,” sophomore point guard Erving Walker said. “Those little things do play a part, but we still should’ve won, despite everything.”
UF experienced the thrill of the last-second victory thanks to Chandler Parsons’ buzzer-beaters against N.C. State and South Carolina, and Donovan reminded his players at the time that they were one shot away from the emotional low they are now facing.
Much like he tried to keep his team grounded following the exciting wins, Donovan is working to make sure UF doesn’t overreact to the loss to Tennessee.
“We can’t have it both ways right now,” Donovan said. “We can’t be all down in the dumps because we lost on a last-second play then all of a sudden we’re exuberant, exhilarated and jumping up and down. I don’t think that’s right.”
DONOVAN IN FAVOR OF TOURNAMENT EXPANSION: A day after reports surfaced about the NCAA Tournament potentially expanding to a 96-team field, Donovan weighed in on the subject, expressing his approval.
“I think it’s always a good thing to have more opportunities for more people,” Donovan said. “I felt bad for our kids the last couple of years. You’re right there a game or two away from maybe being in and then they don’t get a chance to go.”
SportsByBrooks.com initially reported the expansion as being a “done deal,” according to ESPN and an administrator of an NCAA school, but NCAA senior vice president Greg Shaheen told FOXSports.com that no decisions have been made, adding, “Nothing is a done deal.”
The NCAA could opt out of its 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS after this season, and doing so would create the possibility of a new broadcaster carrying the expanded tournament.
“I always think that it’s better to include more. That’s just been me,” Donovan said. “How all that works and how much longer is the tournament and how many weeks they’ve got to add — I don’t know all that. But I think every college coach would be the same way.”
