FSU: The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful

Well, I flirted with the idea of re-titling this one, “The BAD, The UGLY, The HIDEOUS and The HEINOUS”, but we’ll stick with format. This will be a challenge, but here we go . . .

THE GOOD: The Peach Cobbler in the Level 1 Lounge was delicious. Yeah, that’s right – I sat in the Lounge . . . don’t be jealous. No, seriously – don’t be jealous. It simply provided a better view of this horror show. Well, that and Peach Cobbler.

OK, let me be serious for a moment. The true “GOOD” of this game was very limited and generally preceded the game. The arena was packed, the Rowdies were rocking – and there was a real sense of excitement surrounding early-season in basketball in Gainesville. That is rather unique, and pretty special. More off-season buzz and preseason hype surrounded this team than in recent years, and it seemingly seeped into the local community and fan base. This is encouraging.

Speaking of encouraging, Scottie Lewis does exactly that. Despite an unforeseen 6th man role, Lewis is very active and animated when on the sideline- shouting to teammates, helping to call out plays and cheering on his guys. This kid wants to win in the worst way – whether on the floor or the bench. It is mentality Florida has lacked in recent seasons, and one that needs to be infused into the current roster. And when he entered the game, Lewis’ energy and defensive tenacity forced a quick turnover, and yielded a blocked shot. He ended with 3 blocks and a steal in 22 minutes. And though his only points came from the free-throw line, his competitive approach needs to be on the court – and arguably, from the start.

The remaining “GOOD” of this contest? Keyontae’s strong offensive showing was buried in a sea of ineptitude. His quiet 19 suggests he could and should be more assertive offensively. Kerry was solid from the line, where he gathered all of his 10 points, and snared 13 rebounds. Omar Payne had an efficient 5 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes, prompting Coach White to concede the freshman ‘should have played more’.

THE BAD: Where to begin? This was a deflating, disappointing and discouraging loss. On paper, this Florida team has far too many weapons to have such struggles. And while the season is young and growing pains can be expected for an overhauled roster – this outing defied explanation. “We just weren’t very good. I wasn’t very good. Period,” Coach White said.

This was an understatement, and one he would clarify with descriptors such as ‘horrific’ – a word he used to describe his own performance.

So what happened? For those who have served witness to this 6-game losing streak versus the Noles, what happened was all too familiar, and even recognizable within the first 5 minutes of the game. The Noles used length and aggressive defense to bully the Gators, pushing Florida’s offense out way too far on the perimeter. And the Gators simply couldn’t or wouldn’t punch back. Instead, the Gators’ guards played way too weak, opting not to strain on the Noles over-aggressive defense by driving the ball – but rather seemed willing to concede the space and pace of the game. In effort create operating room and initiate offense, White barked plays from the sidelines . . . “HORNS! HORNS!” Florida’s two bigs heeded the call and set screens on each side of the lane, while shooters set up at the corners of the arc.

In theory, Andrew Nembhard would select aside and drive hard off the screen – hoping to get to the rim, find a rolling Blackshear or a kick-out opportunity to a waiting Noah Locke. But the play – and others like it – was repeatedly busted at step one. And so the Gators reset. And reset again – and ultimately ended with a bad, forced shot – and a miss. Florida missed 36 times in a game it shot an abysmal 28 %. But it wasn’t simply a case of shots not falling. It was a case of bad shots – and worse offense. Perhaps most frustrating was the minimal effort to adjust. Florida never once pushed the ball off a defensive rebound. Instead, the Gators added to its offensive woes by chewing shot-clock time in the backcourt. Timidity seemed to set in quickly, on the court and sidelines – the latter perhaps being a reason for White’s critical self-analysis.

Defensively the Gators started ok – and kept it close despite its own inability to score. But the second half began with a run that pushed a 4-point lead to 10, a stretch during which White waited too long to call timeout. Ten points may as well have been 100. It was insurmountable. A couple times Florida offered a glimmer of hope with consecutive scores, but that was quickly dashed by defensive miscommunication and wide-open scoring opportunities for FSU.

Shot clock violations; attempted post-entry passes from cross-court; a 1-3-1 defense that immediately conceded a dunk before being abandoned; painfully slow pace; easy opposition points; desperate, late-clock heaves – – it was all bad. Very bad. Horrific.

THE UGLY: I think we’ve covered it, right? Unfortunately, there was a really ugly component to this loss, one that doesn’t reflect on the scoreboard or stat sheet, but may reflect in the seats. A few paragraphs up I mentioned, “THE GOOD” – the fan enthusiasm and excitement for an early-season hoops game. This isn’t easily attained in Gainesville . . . not while football is in full swing.

But we had it.

And we blew it.

Florida doesn’t have tremendous depth to its basketball fan base. And this was an opportunity to build on some preseason buzz and hype – to capitalize and cultivate.

But alas. . . UGLY.

Some have questioned whether or not White recognizes the importance of beating FSU. I think so. I hope so. He seemed thoroughly frustrated following another loss. In some ways, this isn’t just the second game of a long regular season. It’s a battle with a heated rival that has bested us too often and for too long. It is a big basketball in a football town – where the mentality magnifies the damage of a loss, especially to Florida State. And the Gators lost. And probably lost some potential fans.

THE BEAUTIFUL: Did I mention the Peach Cobbler? I did.
Ok . . . so here is “the beautiful”: It is still only one game, and more importantly – it’s over. And it needs to remain over. Florida . . . and its fans, including me. . . need to put this one in the rearview. The Gators have some big games on the horizon – opportunities to make amends. The first one is Thursday versus Towson. Yup, it’s a big game because Florida needs to get back on the court and re-establish its path. And it is a path that will soon visit UCONN, followed by a tourney in Charleston and road/neutral games versus Butler and Providence. This all precedes a gauntlet run through the SEC.

And despite the dismal tone of this column – Florida basketball is up to the task. This wasn’t a good team Sunday afternoon. But it will become one . . . maybe even a great one. And I’ll be there watching. After all, the Peach Cobbler is too good to pass up!

Go Gators!