Gator Country

TampaGatorFan · 03-05-2013, 12:54 PM

This year's tourney is wide open. There are at least a dozen teams that have a legit shot at winning it all, Florida included.

We CAN win it all. WILL we? That remains to be seen, but this Gator team has the stuff to go all the way, no doubt.

The_Graygator · 03-05-2013, 12:54 PM

Keeping my hopes up.

I was thinking we were Final 4 material this year at least.

**regurgigator** · 03-05-2013, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgatorstew

I know! Some of you will call this premature, or even better that I am just seeing things as they miraculously appear in those old orange and blue colored glasses. Truth is, when it comes to college sports; I am blind without that particular prescription of eye ware. I will even dig the ditch even deeper and predict that we will be a 2 seed in the South or East with Duke as the number 1 seed in our region. Why do I feel confident in my prediction?

4. Team Defense! When we have our full compliment of players, especially Yuegette, our team defense the best in the country. Not only do we have great individual defenders but our guys rotate extremely well, and Donovan's game planning is as good as it gets.

Florida Gators 2013 National Champions!

I agree to an extent (and I love your optimism!)

I've been saying I think we're the best team in the country (along with Indiana) for a couple of months now. That said, I think it puts our chances of winning the Tourney at something like the 15 to 20% range.

But, I think this team's chances begin and end with our great defense noted in your Point #4. With Yeguete, we were playing the best defense I've ever seen from the Gators.

I would like to see some good evidence of that great defense returning before the NCAA Tourney starts to get my optimism fully primed. The defense wasn't quite there against Bama, but I got a jolt of energy near the end of that game watching Yeguete take the ball away so easily and cleanly from Releford

4everaGator · 03-05-2013, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmootyGator

I happen to have glasses that are even MORE orange and blue than yours. Watch this...

Top 3? Try more like Top 1. This team is better than last year's team, which he took to the Elite 8. The competition this year is much easier. End Result: National Championship.

Exactly. Timing is everything. Now that we finally got everyone healthy, we will be peaking at the exact right time. This is all part of Billy's Master Plan. He's a genius. End Result: National Championship.

I actually have posted something similar to this on numerous other threads. KB is a senior. Seniors don't just "get cold" after three years. He's definitely holding back and saving it for the tournament. If he shoots under 65% from three-point land, I'll be disappointed. Result: National Championship.

Try best defense that ever existed. Our numbers are awesome, but think about how much more awesome they would be if we weren't blowing out the competition. We give up so many "mercy" points at the end of games. This is probably also part of Billy's Master Plan in order to not let it go to our team's heads. They are defensive Gods. Result: National Championship.

He's really good, but not as good as Boynton. He'll probably only shoot something llike 60%, not 65% like KB. Result: National Championship where we win all 6 games by a combined 174 points.

I am totally not biased. I did the math and can prove everything I say. You were actually were just a bit insulting as you seemed to underrate our team a bit. You are forgiven!

Duh!

I love these posts! Keep up the good work everyone!

I love these posts too! Call be a homer! Work 'em silly Gators!

**red4512** · 03-05-2013, 02:57 PM

Check out the FT % and you will understand why this team might make it to 8.

orangeblueorangeblue · 03-05-2013, 03:03 PM

Optimism or not, I wouldn't put a nickel on a prediction about the tournament this year.

SmootyGator · 03-05-2013, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangeblueorangeblue

Optimism or not, I wouldn't put a nickel on a prediction about the tournament this year.

I've been saying for a while now: Brackets are going to be really, really fun to fill out this year.

**ThePlayer** · 03-05-2013, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red4512

Check out the FT % and you will understand why this team might make it to 8.

Unfortunately, I see the rebounding stat first...and it's not-so-pretty.

akaGatorhoops · 03-05-2013, 04:36 PM

I think we have as good of a chance as anyone.
There is not a single team I would bet on. . . but a few I wouldnt bet against, Florida being one of those.

**ufgators32** · 03-05-2013, 04:40 PM

If healthy UF can get to the Final Four. A healhty Duke and Indiana are the only two teams that UF would probably have trouble with.

akaGatorhoops · 03-05-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ufgators32

If healthy UF can get to the Final Four. A healhty Duke and Indiana are the only two teams that UF would probably have trouble with.

i would add michigan and subtract duke.

xenythx · 03-05-2013, 08:43 PM

I REALLY like that the Final Four is in the Georgia Dome this year. If we are fortunate enough to survive to the round of 4, I like our chances.

themistocles · 03-05-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

Hope you're right...but I'll believe it when I see it.

Our lack of rebounding won't get us very far when the 3's aren't falling.

The Gators were a very good rebounding team until they lost by far their best rebounder in Yeguete. Frazier is also a good rebounder.

With Young, Yeguete and Prather, plus the strong guards and a not horrible rebounder in Murphy, the Gators are one of the strongest rebounding teams in the nation.

So, I really don't see this as an issue at all.

tommyuf21 · 03-05-2013, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by themistocles

The Gators were a very good rebounding team until they lost by far their best rebounder in Yeguete. Frazier is also a good rebounder.

With Young, Yeguete and Prather, plus the strong guards and a not horrible rebounder in Murphy, the Gators are one of the strongest rebounding teams in the nation.

So, I really don't see this as an issue at all.

We're not a bad rebounding team as long as we're healthy or not in foul trouble. You are right about Frazier. We missed his rebounding almost as much as his outside shooting. When you lack size, having a legit 6'4" SG who can board, makes up for it. Frazier may not be Brad Beal, but he sure has picked up some of what we lost when Brad left.

**Gatuar** · 03-05-2013, 09:32 PM

I like your style

gator2109 · 03-05-2013, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmootyGator

I've been saying for a while now: Brackets are going to be really, really fun to fill out this year.

And then this will be a year where it is chalk and all high seeds advance and you have three #1s in the final four.

SmootyGator · 03-06-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator2109

And then this will be a year where it is chalk and all high seeds advance and you have three #1s in the final four.

I was actually thinking the same thing.

You know all of the talk between selection Sunday and the first games will be about how open of a tournament this is, and how we very well could have no #1 seeds in the final four. There will probably be some talk that a 7 seed or higher might win. Then, almost on cue, the opposite will happen and all of the media will be wrong. Same old story!

REM08 · 03-06-2013, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmootyGator

I was actually thinking the same thing.

You know all of the talk between selection Sunday and the first games will be about how open of a tournament this is, and how we very well could have no #1 seeds in the final four. There will probably be some talk that a 7 seed or higher might win. Then, almost on cue, the opposite will happen and all of the media will be wrong. Same old story!

Thats an interesting point. The media (and us) are all assuming that middle and lower seeded teams are just as good as usual - thus resulting in a wild tournament because no great teams are at the top. But what if the lower seeded teams are worse than normal also? We'd have a typical year because the seeds would be similar, relative to each other, to how they are most years.

SmootyGator · 03-06-2013, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REM08

Thats an interesting point. The media (and us) are all assuming that middle and lower seeded teams are just as good as usual - thus resulting in a wild tournament because no great teams are at the top. But what if the lower seeded teams are worse than normal also? We'd have a typical year because the seeds would be similar, relative to each other, to how they are most years.

True, or maybe because there are a bunch of "really good" teams this year means that the "really good" teams have had a lot more practice against "really good" teams making it more unlikely for upsets. Truth is... no one knows!

MaceoP · 03-06-2013, 07:42 PM

We have a really good team, with great balance, and alot of depth. We dont have a truly dominant player. I doubt if anyone presently on the roster is a top 5 pick in the draft. It will be interesting to see if Billy can pull it off without the marquee name player