Well, there’s your answer.
Following an uninspiring 45-40 victory at hapless Auburn eight days ago, Florida had won 6-of-7 games, but still, there were questions.
And why not? Just prior to that ugly game on The Plains, UF had lost at home to a better-than-expected (but not exactly great) South Carolina team.
The last week has seen a much different set of Gators (16-4, 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference), one that may actually surpass high preseason expectations.
Less than 48 hours after edging the Tigers, UF blew Arkansas out of the O’Connell Center, 75-42. And then on Tuesday night, the Gators dug deep, beating Georgia, 104-91 in double-overtime, in front of a raucous crowd at Stegeman Coliseum.
Two different types of wins. Two different types of ways to please the fickle Gator Nation.
Now, comes one of the biggest weeks of the regular season. First, there is a can’t-overlook game Saturday at talented, but troubled Mississippi State (10-9, 2-3).
That will be followed by a home game Tuesday against No. 22/19 Vanderbilt (15-4, 3-2 entering Saturday’s game against visiting Arkansas) and next Saturday night’s ESPN GameDay special against No. 16/14 Kentucky (15-4, 3-2 entering Saturday’s game with visiting Georgia).
If the Gators come out of the next three games 19-4 with an 8-1 SEC record, you might just be looking at a top-12 team once again.
WEEKEND PICKS: Here are my picks for Saturday’s SEC games.
Florida 78, Mississippi State 61; Kentucky 79, Georgia 70; Vanderbilt 72, Arkansas 60; South Carolina 60, Auburn 52; Tennessee 74, Mississippi 68; Alabama 73, LSU 58.
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR/ANSWERS FROM
Georgia
1. The up-and-down Gators got themselves back in the top-25 this week (24 AP, 23 coaches) for the first time in 2011. Getting a victory in Athens is something even Kentucky couldn’t do, so this is a quality post-ranking test. Will the Gators hold up or fold up?
Answer: They held up just fine, taking an exhilarating 104-91 double-overtime victory in front of a raucous crowd in Athens. UF’s fitness level deserves big ups here, as playing its third game in six days, Florida had gas in the tank at the end of that game. Georgia was running on empty.
2. In juniors Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins, Georgia has two likely first-round NBA draft picks in its starting lineup. How will UF handle this duo?
Answer: Thompkins and Leslie were as good as advertised, combining for 41 points, 21 rebounds, four blocked shots, three steals and three assists. Thompkins also hit a putback at the regulation buzzer to send the game into overtime. The dynamic duo did combine for eight turnovers (six by Leslie).
3. Reserve power forward Erik Murphy has played six and 13 minutes in his two games back after missing time with a foot injury. Is this the game he is back up to between 16 and 21 minutes?
Answer: Nope. The sophomore did the best he could with what he got, scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds in just four minutes.
4. In a blowout of Mississippi State last Saturday, Georgia outrebounded MSU, 48-23, with 17 offensive boards. Still, UF enters the game with a higher average rebounding margin than the Bulldogs (plus-7.1 to plus-4.8). Who wins the battle of the boards?
Answer: The Bulldogs had a 24-14 lead at the half, but UF must have gotten some kind of halftime chew-out session because the teams each finished with 47 rebounds.
5. Opponents are making less than 40 percent of their shots against the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, Florida enters the game shooting 46.1 percent as a team. How will the Gators shoot?
Answer: The Gators made 35-of-76 shots, which rounds up to 46.1 percent.
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Mississippi State
1. Which Mississippi State shows up? Will it be the Bulldogs who many prognosticators suggested had three possible NBA players (Renardo Sidney, Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson) in its lineup and was picked to win the SEC West, or will it be the team that has lost to Florida Atlantic, East Tennessee State and Hawaii and was defeated by Virginia Tech and Washington State by a combined 57 points?
2. After winning three games in six days, the Gators finally had a few days to take a little time off. Will that positively affect Florida or are these Gators better on less rest?
3. Mississippi State’s 6-foot-7 shooting guard Ravern Johnson is as slim as a toothpick, but he can really score. The senior enters Saturday’s game fourth in the SEC at 18.4 ppg. Look for Chandler Parsons and Casey Prather to draw that assignment most of the day with, on occasion, Kenny Boynton guarding Johnson. How and how well will the Gators defend Johnson, who looked in to entering the 2010 NBA Draft?
4. Bulldogs’ sophomore forward Renardo Sidney is extremely talented, but also has proven to be quite inconsistent (and volatile). In steady Vernon Macklin and the rapidly improving Patric Young, Sidney will be tested in the post. The Gators generally get consistent play from their center position. Will Macklin and Young dominate, or will Sidney come to play?
5. Kenny Boynton made all 12 of his free throws at Georgia and has made 92.6 percent of his foul shots in SEC play. Will he continue to be near-automatic at the line?
GAME 20 PREVIEW
No. 24/23 FLORIDA GATORS (16-4, 5-1)
Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics
G: Erving Walker, 5-8/171, JR, 14.3 points per game, 3.3 assists per game
G: Kenny Boynton, 6-2/183, SO, 13.4 points per game, 2.7 assists per game
F: Chandler Parsons, 6-10/218, SR, 10.4 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game
F: Alex Tyus, 6-8/220, SR, 9.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game
C: Vernon Macklin, 6-10/240, SR, 11.4 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game
Head coach: Billy Donovan (347-143 in 15th season at Florida; 382-163 in 17th season as a head coach)
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (10-9, 2-3)
Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics
G: Dee Bost, 6-2/172, JR, 17.2 points per game, 6.4 assists per game
G: Ravern Johnson, 6-7/175, SR, 18.2 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game
G: Riley Benock 6-4/193, SR, 7.4 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game
F: Kodi Augustus, 6-8/224, SR, 12 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game
F: Renardo Sidney, 6-10/275, SO, 13.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game
Head coach: Rick Stansbury (265-149 in 13th season at Mississippi State and overall)
When: Saturday, Jan. 30 at 1 p.m.
Where: Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, Miss)
TV/Radio: CBS/Gator Radio Network
Tickets: Available. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.com.
Notable: Florida holds the lead in the all-time series, 57-48. The teams split last season, as UF won a 69-62 regular season game while Mississippi State took the rematch, 75-69, in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. … Mississippi State is playing without much rest. Twenty-second ranked Vanderbilt topped the host Bulldogs, 81-74, on Thursday night. … Forward Elgin Bailey, who famously fought teammate Renardo Sidney in the stands at Honolulu’s Diamond Head Classic holiday tournament, announced he was transferring away from MSU on Jan. 5. He and Sidney had been suspended and reinstated by the time Bailey made his decision to leave school. Bailey (5.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) was a team captain. … Just 8-9 away from Gainesville in 2009-10, Florida is 7-1 this year, including 5-0 in true road games. The Gators are looking to win their sixth road game on Saturday, and if successful, it will be the first time since 2005-06 (when UF went 6-4 on the road) that will have happened. … The 104 points Florida scored in Tuesday night’s thriller at Georgia tied the most a UF team has scored in SEC play under coach Billy Donovan. The Gators also scored 104 in an overtime game against Tennessee on Jan. 9, 2002. … Florida is 24-2 all-time when Erving Walker dishes out at least five assists. … The Gators are 23-9 all-time when Vernon Macklin scores in double figures. … Chandler Parsons recorded his 10th career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds at Georgia. Nine of his points came in the second overtime when just about everyone else was gassed. Despite playing 41 minutes, Parsons appeared fresh. … Florida is looking to win its fourth consecutive SEC game for the first time since Jan. 16-27, 2010 when the Gators topped Louisiana State, Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgia. … Boynton is making nearly 10-percent more of his three-point attempts in SEC play (37.5) than he did in non-conference games (27.6).
PAST EXAMS AND GATOR(GR)ADES
Game 1: Florida 77, UNC Wilmington 60. Gator Player of the Game: Scottie Wilbekin (3 points, 5 assists, 4 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Chad Tomko (15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B– . Record: 1-0.
Game 2: Ohio State 93, Florida 75. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block); Opposing Players of the Game: David Lighty (26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal) and Jared Sullinger (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C. Record: 1-1.
Game 3: Florida 105, North Carolina A&T 55. Gator Player of the Game: Will Yeguete (7 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Thomas Coleman (8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A– . Record: 2-1.
Game 4: Florida 61, Morehead State 55. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Kenneth Faried (20 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots. Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C– . Record: 3-1.
Game 5: Florida 79, Florida Atlantic 63. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist) and Kenny Boynton (21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Greg Gantt (17 points, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B-. Record: 4-1.
Game 6: Florida 55, Florida State 51. Gator Player of the Game: Erik Murphy (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Michael Snaer (15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 5-1.
Game 7: Central Florida 57, Florida 54. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (20 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 8 rebounds); Opposing Player of the Game: Marcus Jordan (18 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 5-2.
Game 8: Florida 67, American 48. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Troy Brewer (17 points, 2 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 6-2.
Game 9: Florida 65, Kent State 52. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (20 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist) and Vernon Macklin (19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, 1 steal, 1 assist); Opposing Player of the Game: Carlton Guyton (14 points, 4-of-6 on three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 3 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 7-2.
Game 10: Florida 57, Kansas State 44. Gator Players of the Game: Kenny Boynton (15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 1 assist, helped limit Pullen to 6-of-17 shooting); Opposing Player of the Game: Jacob Pullen (19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 8-2.
Game 11: Jacksonville 71, Florida 68 (OT). Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Keith McDougald (team-high 18 points – 15 in the second half/overtime, 2 steals, 1 rebound). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D+. Record: 8-3.
Game 12: Florida 66, Radford 55. Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 20 points, including 5-of-7 on 3s, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Johnathan Edwards (team-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 9-3.
Game 13: Florida 71, Xavier 67. Gator Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (16 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal); Opposing Player of the Game: Tu Holloway (game-high 26 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 10-3.
Game 14: Florida 84, Rhode Island 59. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Delroy James (game-high 23 points, 6 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 11-3.
Game 15: Florida 77, Mississippi 71. Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (20 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, becomes 47th Gator to record 1,000 career points); Opposing Player of the Game: Chris Warren (20 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 rebounds, 1 blocked shot). Buddy’s Gator(Gr)ade: B+. Record: 12-3 (1-0 in the SEC).
Game 16: Florida 81, Tennessee 75 (OT). Gator Player of the Game: Alex Tyus (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, 1 steal); Opposing Players of the Game: Cameron Tatum (game-high 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal) and Tobias Harris (18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 13-3 (2-0).
Game 17: South Carolina 72, Florida 69 Gator Player of the Game: Patric Young (career-high 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal, 2-for-2 FTs in 19 minutes); Opposing Player of the Game: Bruce Ellington (game-high 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4-for-4 on FTs, 1 turnover in 30 minutes). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D+. Record: 13-4 (2-1).
Game 18: Florida 45, Auburn 40 Gator Player of the Game: No award given; Opposing Player of the Game: Earnest Ross (11 points, 3-of-4 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, game-high 3 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D. Record: 14-4 (3-1).
Game 19: Florida 75, Arkansas 43 Gator Players of the Game: Kenny Boynton (20 points, 4-of-7 three-pointers, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, held Razorbacks’ leading scorer, Rotnei Clark, shotless) and Chandler Parsons (career-high 15 rebounds, 5 points, game-high 5 assists); Opposing Player of the Game: Delvon Johnson (12 points, team-high 7 rebounds, 1 blocked shot). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 15-4 (4-1).
Game 20: Florida 104, Georgia 91 (2 OT) Gator Players of the Game: Vernon Macklin (career-high 23 points, 10-of-15 from floor, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal), Kenny Boynton (game-high 24 points, 12-of-12 FTs, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals) and Erving Walker (game-high 24 points, game-tying 3 at end of first OT, 5 assists, 4 rebounds); Opposing Player of the Game: Trey Thompkins (20 points, game-high 13 rebounds, game-high 3 blocked shots). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 16-4 (5-1).