Let's play a game of "I did not know that."
I did not know that Marreese Speights would actually play like he is 6 feet 10 inches and 250 pounds.
I did not know that Marreese Speights would actually push others around rather than be pushed around.
I did not know that Marreese Speights would actually - GASP - go up several times for a rebound and outmuscle opposing post players for the board.
Apparently, I didn't know much about Mo'. After the Kentucky win, I was still doubtful. Then the South Carolina game came, and Speights played even better. Now, after Sunday's demolition of Vanderbilt, I'm convinced.
Holy moly, Marreese Speights is an actual, legitimate, very good, verging on great center.
Who knew?
Nick Calathes has been great and is deserving of all the accolades. Dan Werner has found a niche and is excelling. Jai Lucas is still running the offense well enough. But Speights has given the Gators something they didn't have at the beginning of this season - an identity inside.
After getting shoved around and completely manhandled by Dwayne Curtis (20 points, 12 rebounds, 8 of 9 from the field) at Mississippi, Speights showed he'd had enough.
In the past three games, "The Fro" has scored 54 points, grabbed 29 boards, blocked six shots and gone 23 for 33 from the field. Yowzer.
He's even lasting for more than five minutes at a time without gasping for air (occasionally, at least).
Kentucky freshman big man Patrick Patterson (if you don't remember him, just ask one of the Rowdy Reptiles who called him a "sellout" and "Momma's boy" for staying close to home) still managed 15 points and eight rebounds in the matchup, more than respectable numbers. But do you remember Patterson making a big impact on the game? I don't. Oh, and the 5-of-14 shooting makes some of Vanderbilt's players look like sharpshooters.
At the beginning of the semester, I said this team was playing like an NIT team. Now they're playing like a Sweet 16 team.
With the way Speights was playing before these last three games, I would have forfeited a draft pick rather than nab Speights if I were an NBA team. Now he's a potential steal.
If Speights keeps this up, I wouldn't want to face the Gators come March. Earlier in the season, UF would have had to pray that all its shooters had career nights just to have a chance at an upset in postseason play. Now it's not that easy for other teams. Bigger, stronger teams will gang up on Speights, but UF has plenty of shooters he can kick it out to. The key is if Speights can last long enough to take a beating.
If his conditioning continues to improve and he doesn't make stupid mistakes, the Gators will actually make a mini-run come tourney time.
Speights was slammed for his lack of intensity and conditioning early in the season - he looked like he could barely jog from Gator Corner to the O'Dome without stopping - but he has only been playing organized basketball since his sophomore year in high school.
At this rate, he'll soon see Al Horford and Joakim Noah two to four times a year in an NBA uniform.
