Like most other NCAA Tournament teams at the moment, the Gators are going into their preparation for this week’s opening-round game largely blind.
Before the Gators knew their seeding or what far reaches of the country the NCAA Tournament selection committee would send them this week, they sat in the visitors locker room at New Orleans Arena on Saturday confident of their completed resume.
NEW ORLEANS -- Throughout the season, Florida has become known for its propensity to shoot the three. Still, when he heard the final stat line Friday, Patric Young couldn’t believe it.
Even after four months and 30 games, Florida’s postseason destination hinges on the upcoming week.
NASHVILLE -- By the time John Jenkins hit his game-high sixth 3-pointer, Brad Beal was willing to place the Vanderbilt guard in the same breath as his favorite NBA player.
NASHVILLE — The Gators came into Nashville, Tenn., knowing the senior-laden Commodores were starving for an emotional lift in their final home game of the season.
In Florida’s last meeting with Vanderbilt, Billy Donovan decided to wait before throwing his full-court press at the Commodores, allowing both teams to enjoy nearly three opening minutes of clean, turnover-free basketball.
On a weekend when the Southeastern Conference crowned Kentucky as its regular season champion, Billy Donovan wondered aloud in a back hallway of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum if his team noticed it still had something to play for.
ATHENS, Ga. — After Florida lost Will Yeguete to a season-ending injury, Billy Donovan said he had a new vision of how his team would play in its last three regular season games heading into March.
Before he knew Will Yeguete’s left foot was indeed broken, Billy Donovan rattled through the list of backup point guards and little-used substitutes he could call on to replace Florida’s injured power forward.
Brad Beal could not repeat what he heard at halftime in Florida’s locker room.
The bombardment has lasted 60 minutes, so far.
Mike Rosario will likely be available for Florida’s matchup against Auburn tonight, coach Billy Donovan said Monday.
Before the first half ended in Bud Walton Arena, it was clear Florida was not going to play like any of Arkansas’ previous guests.
What happened to the Florida Way?
A little more than a week ago, the Gators barely had to think about losing players to foul trouble.
At halftime of Tuesday’s matchup with Alabama, Florida looked like it might not be able to break free of its funk.
Whenever Billy Donovan hears a dead-ball whistle, he expects at least one of his players to come alive and reign in the rest of his teammates.
After levying four suspensions in the past week, Alabama coach Anthony Grant said Monday that two of those players — guards Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele — will “most likely” be back for tonight’s matchup with Florida.
In the two minutes Will Yeguete spent on the court Saturday, he created havoc.
Solutions by The State News
