Bruce Pearl giving props to the Gators

[gatorbogey]

@ halftime of the vols/bama game, pearl was saying this year you're not hearing about the one and dones but rather teams that are dominated by senior leadership. cited miami, oregon, florida among others.

specifically, for florida talked about murphy, rosario, and boynton and talked about how gators are the best on screens on both ends of the court that it takes high i.q. to play that way and that means guys that have invested in the program and stay in the program - best way to build that high basketball i.q.

continuity in the program is important.

[malscott]

That's nice-he should know. I just hope the kids don't read too much stuff about how good they are...suddenly their BB IQ drops...humble, hungry and motivated...Go Gators.

[GatorPlanet]

I think Billy has found the right formula for an elite program. Go after guys (like we have in Murphy, Boynton, Rosario, and Young) that aren't one-year guys--but have NBA or near-NBA potential--for the bulk of the team, and then pick up a Brad Beal now and then when they're available.

[HALLGATOR]

I think Billy has found the right formula for an elite program. Go after guys (like we have in Murphy, Boynton, Rosario, and Young) that aren't one-year guys--but have NBA or near-NBA potential--for the bulk of the team, and then pick up a Brad Beal now and then when they're available.

Good take on the matter. It will be interesting to see how the approaches of the coaches who have the two top programs in the conference work out over a period of time. Of course I think Cal has an advantage over Billy due to the draw of Kentucky.

I might add that both ways can be successful and one being a success does not preclude the other from being so.

[jagervol01]

I miss Bruce... Damn that stupid cookout with Aaron Craft and Josh Selby.

[PowerGator]

I miss Bruce too. Very entertaining and never took himself too seriously.

[InstiGATOR1]

I miss Bruce... Damn that stupid cookout with Aaron Craft and Josh Selby.

I am with you and Powergator. Pearl made SEC basketball more interesting and more fun. He was great for UTn even if he did beat UF too often for my tastes.

[dallasgatr]

I am with you and Powergator. Pearl made SEC basketball more interesting and more fun. He was great for UTn even if he did beat UF too often for my tastes.

I don't miss him beating the Gators! He really seemed to have Billy's number....

[Jonas]

I always liked Pearl. Too bad he was stupid enough to lie to the NCAA about a secondary violation.

[Jonas]

I think Billy has found the right formula for an elite program. Go after guys (like we have in Murphy, Boynton, Rosario, and Young) that aren't one-year guys--but have NBA or near-NBA potential--for the bulk of the team, and then pick up a Brad Beal now and then when they're available.

Well, I'm not sure if that was intentional per se. We have Hill and Walker coming in and both could be one and done. We also went hard after Parker and are still recruiting Randle hard, both of who are going to be one and done. DFS is also very very good and could go pro after one year based on practice reports.

[jagervol01]

I don't miss him beating the Gators! He really seemed to have Billy's number....
Except for the last year in 2011 when it was a 3-0 Gator sweep but oh, those two games in 2006 were classics. Two of the best games I have seen in the regular season. We got lucky both times.

[gatordavisl]

Speaking of the Vollies, they look poorly coached, out of sorts. Bama doesn't look any better. Vols got away with a goal tend in the last couple minutes, then a foul on the last possession. Never beat the refs in Knoxvegas. It's just as bad or worse than Lexington. Better beat that team by double digits, or the ref weirdness will gettcha.

Coach Grant just laughed at the last play.

[InstiGATOR1]

I think Billy has found the right formula for an elite program. Go after guys (like we have in Murphy, Boynton, Rosario, and Young) that aren't one-year guys--but have NBA or near-NBA potential--for the bulk of the team, and then pick up a Brad Beal now and then when they're available.

I did take a look at who is one and done. They appear to be guys in the top 8 in the class or so and then one or two more scattered randomly in the top 100.

So if you focus your recruiting on guys from say 8 or 9 to 30 in the ranking you might be able to get top players and yet have them stay a few years. The issue is will a player rated 9 or 10 become discontented when he is not good enough to jump early to the NBA.

And here is UF's 8 man rotation this year and RSCI rating of each player:

Boynton, 9
Frazier, 86
Murphy, 43
Prather, 52
Rosario, 31 though he did not originally sign with UF
Wilbekin, not in the top 100 any year
Yeguete, not in the top 100 his year
Young, 19

So UF's SR/JR starting lineup is all players ranked from 9 to 43 in their class except Wilbekin who really never was in the ranking due to coming to UF after his JR year in high school.

[gatorbogey]

digger phelps was diggin' on the gators too, on the game day set before the UNC/NCSU game. saying we're the best team right now, in his opinion and if the tourney started right now, we'd be in the final four in 2 weeks.

[ETGator1]

I just wish Bruce would quit telling everyone how to defend our offense.

[BengermanV]

He was always one of my favorite coaches outside of UF. Right up there with Izzo and Coach K.

[67walkon]

Bruce=best sweater in history of NCAA.

3 & 4 year guys are critical for a program. Look at Butler. UK has done well with 1 & dones, but I don't like that for college sports. Billy is doing it the right way.

[gator85jd]

"Sweaty Bruce"? I have to agree with Jonas -- why in the world would he lie to the NCAA? No way they weren't going to verify what he told them.

That said, the guy is definitely an odd bird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8o009Rh0JU

[og8trz]

Pearl was a very entertaining used car salesman. He was a shyster

[akaGatorhoops]

I liked Bruce, until he proved himself the ultimate hypocrite.

[HALLGATOR]

I think Pearl was good for SEC basketball until he screwed the pooch.

[csugator]

I don't miss him beating the Gators! He really seemed to have Billy's number....

The first year we won the title, UT was a 2 seed. They beat us twice I believe that year (maybe - I am too lazy to check my memory) but I recall that just before the tourney started they asked him what 2 seeds had a chance - he answered, and as they were trying to cut away I will always remember he kept talking, saying that the team he thought was built to win the tourney was Florida (3 seed?). The interviewers were dismmissive. Ol' Bruce new what he was talking about that year.

I always liked him.

[tommyuf21]

The first year we won the title, UT was a 2 seed. They beat us twice I believe that year (maybe - I am too lazy to check my memory) but I recall that just before the tourney started they asked him what 2 seeds had a chance - he answered, and as they were trying to cut away I will always remember he kept talking, saying that the team he thought was built to win the tourney was Florida (3 seed?). The interviewers were dismmissive. Ol' Bruce new what he was talking about that year.

I always liked him.

Bruce has always been very respectful of UF and the job Billy has done. Even with his level of success against us, it hasn't caused him to lose respect.

He made a comment once that I always remembered. He said sometimes you lose because the other team played better or was better that day. He always took issue with the UK attitude that the only reason they lost is because they let the other team win by playing poorly, never giving respect to their opponent. I remember hearing him say that he hoped his fanbase never got that arrogant and disrespectful to their rivals.

[austingtr]

I liked Bruce, until he proved himself the ultimate hypocrite.

+1

[grant1]

I think Billy has found the right formula for an elite program. Go after guys (like we have in Murphy, Boynton, Rosario, and Young) that aren't one-year guys--but have NBA or near-NBA potential--for the bulk of the team, and then pick up a Brad Beal now and then when they're available.

Not sure how much we could have went after Rosario. I think we were more lucky than good going after Boynton and Young, as many thought both might be 1-2 year players, at most.

[mastoidbone]

love him and his one liners.....

like"free bacon--ultimate jewish dilema".

[gatorbogey]

lol