Florida Gators learning how to fight

By: Jenna Ladd

The Florida Gators have faced a lot of adversity this season including their last two contests, which both came down to the final seconds and the Gators on top.

One phrase that was repeated constantly by coaches and players alike after Saturday’s game was that this team needs to keep fighting. Florida’s early struggles this season put them in a hole but beating Arkansas on Saturday keeps them in the hunt for a NCAA Tournament bid. The Gators are now at a place where they have to keep playing competitively, even when the game is not going their way.

“What has happened to these guys and when it has not gone well for them, they lose their competitive spirit and they don’t fight, they don’t battle, they don’t scratch, they don’t claw, they don’t do it,” Donovan said of his team’s typical effort. “I thought that in the game there was a couple moments where we were teetering a little bit where we were back to that mindset and I thought that this game I really felt like they battled as hard as they could.”

With inexperience plaguing the young team — who were unable to feel the success of last year’s team — the Gators are easily susceptible to feeling defeated even after one bad play.

Florida cannot let a bad shot, a turnover or anything else predicate how they play the rest of the game. They have to let go of the bad plays and keep their mind set on what they can accomplish in the next play.

One prime example of pushing through the rough times is Michael Frazier’s performance in the past two games. Prior to those games, Frazier had a school record 41-game streak of making a three-pointer. He hasn’t hit one the past two games but Florida is winning.

“The thing that I was most pleased about with Frazier is, when he has not made shots he has not allowed that to consume him,” Donovan said.

In Saturday’s game, Frazier did not contribute much to the scoreboard, going 2-9 from the field and 0-5 from behind the arc. However, he was a major defensive asset for the Gators and made the final two free throws that ultimately won the game with just 1.9 seconds left on the clock.

“He wasn’t making shots, but he affected the game with offensive rebounds, and defensive rebounds and playing defense,” Dorian Finney-Smith said of his teammate.

If other teammates continue to play for the team, rather than for individual performance and recognition, the Gators might actually have something to build on as they get deeper into conference play.

This team definitely does not lack in talent or coaching ability, but what they might be lacking in is being coachable. Earlier in the season, Frazier even said that Billy tried to prepare them to be able to overcome a season where they would be hit with adversity, but they just wouldn’t listen to him.

I think he has his team’s attention coming off of close wins that could be building up momentum for Florida as they continue battling through the rest of their SEC schedule.

The Gators are hitting the road and will be taking on Vanderbilt on Tuesday, where they will have the opportunity to continue building on their improving schedule.

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC