Gator Country

ArtVandelay · 01-28-2013, 09:46 AM

"I think it's time to realize UM is now a basketball school. Real shot at winning the ACC and making the final four. Sorry Gator fans, best team in state is located in Coral Gables!"

Facebook status of a friend of mine...

2 initial thoughts come to mind:

1) UM just beat FSU by 24 at home...we beat FSU by 25 on the road!

2) Their football team is so crappy, that they think they are a basketball school!

Go2gtr · 01-28-2013, 09:54 AM

Larranaga was a great hire.

born2beagator · 01-28-2013, 10:04 AM

One good year and they get delusions of grandeur

**63gator** · 01-28-2013, 10:07 AM

This UM team is really good. Great experience and size inside and a great PG. They really have a shot this year. Larranaga is a significant upgrade over Haith in terms of coaching. That being said, Frank Haith built this current team andthey lose almost every player besides Shane Larkin after this season, so this is their shot. In a year with very few, if any, dominant teams, Canes have just as good of a shot as anyone.

gatorjlm · 01-28-2013, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Go2gtr

Larranaga was a great hire.

Yep... but how long before the market adjusts and he collects more $ from some team than SCum is capable of paying? I'd guess at the end of this season when his entire team graduates and his value may never be higher.

**bmfgator** · 01-28-2013, 10:24 AM

They ball, but don't play "D" like UF. Love to have Kadji back!

Bryan85 · 01-28-2013, 10:31 AM

I think they have a real good team. We'll see how good they are when playing good teams on the road.

Do they get a return game with Florida Gulf Coast?

Jonas · 01-28-2013, 10:48 AM

Really surprised at how well they are doing considering they lost to gulf coast earlier in the season. I would be cool with playing them every year. I think we used to do that relatively recently, no?

InstiGATOR1 · 01-28-2013, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatorjlm

Yep... but how long before the market adjusts and he collects more $ from some team than SCum is capable of paying? I'd guess at the end of this season when his entire team graduates and his value may never be higher.

More likely in my mind since Larranaga is 63 or 64, he is a guy the market missed and he will coach a half decade or so at Miaim collecting bigger checks than ever in his career and retire.

I think it is great of Larranaga that he got to show what he could do in a power conference. It is good for Miami they were smart enough to hire him, but the key for them will be replacing him with a good hire when the time shortly comes.

gator85jd · 01-28-2013, 11:00 AM

I wouldn't call them a "basketball school." And they certainly aren't a "football school" anymore. I've heard that many of their student-athletes have a lot of experience fencing, though.

gatorbogey · 01-28-2013, 11:06 AM

good squad. playing pretty sound, fundamental basketball from what i've seen. certainly a contender. when the brackets come out for the office pool - definitely have them going deep - depending on matchups. but they are the best in the ACC, imo, this year.

**63gator** · 01-28-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmfgator

They ball, but don't play "D" like UF. Love to have Kadji back!

Remember, we wouldn't have Kadji this year. His eligibility would have run out after last seasin if he had stayed at UF.

HumpGator · 01-28-2013, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas

Really surprised at how well they are doing considering they lost to gulf coast earlier in the season. I would be cool with playing them every year. I think we used to do that relatively recently, no?

Last time we went down to Coral Gables, Gator fans outnumbered their fans in their arena by about 2:1. They were extremely butthurt over that and IIRC Paul Dee said we wouldn't be having that series anymore for the foreseeable future.

**stingbb** · 01-28-2013, 12:52 PM

Miami is a one year wonder. All their better players, except for Larkin, are SRs (Kadji, Johnson, Gamble, Scott and McKinney-Jones) who due to transfers, injury redshirts and the like, all ended up in the same graduating class together.

The Canes with all their SR depth, have, by far, the best SR class in the country and will be a very tough out come March. But, again, this is just a unique situation where everything is coming together for one class during one year. Larranaga is a good coach but his recruiting has not been overly strong, and once all the SRs leave, UM will be back to NIT, at best, status next season.

madgator · 01-28-2013, 12:56 PM

UM lost to Florida Gulf Coast this year

just wanted to put that out there for the record

**tampajack1** · 01-28-2013, 01:40 PM

Do any of you still believe that Shane Larkin is not good enough to play high Division 1 basketball?

gatorev12 · 01-28-2013, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madgator

UM lost to Florida Gulf Coast this year

just wanted to put that out there for the record

...this.

While FGCU is building a solid basketball program down there (my brother goes there and I support them for that reason), they're still not on the level where they should be beating a school like Miami...especially given scUM's experienced roster.

Bradass · 01-28-2013, 11:21 PM

Their fans are getting a little full of themselves - and they really know next to nothing about college BB. Can't wait to watch them lose a few and come back down to earth.

madgator · 01-28-2013, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bradass

Their fans are getting a little full of themselves - and they really know next to nothing about college BB. Can't wait to watch them lose a few and come back down to earth.

I agree.

I watched the game yesterday with a few Miami guys.....talk about a round table of over-statements.

Jonas · 01-29-2013, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tampajack1

Do any of you still believe that Shane Larkin is not good enough to play high Division 1 basketball?

did we not offer?