Gator Country

gator34654 · 02-22-2013, 10:12 AM

Seems like with our losses to AZ and MIz we lost big leads at the end of the first half and end of the game. With tired legs shooting suffers, is this a possible reason for some of these losses.

I am maybe in the minority, seems like when we are beating teams by double digits we leave our starters in til the last couple of minutes. When we play teams that are good the guys have to exert a lot more energy and perhaps are spent towards the end of the half and end of the game. What say you?

gator2109 · 02-22-2013, 10:16 AM

Road games are the issue. We aren't getting beat by the other guys bench at the end of these halves.

March needs to get here already.

**outbackjack** · 02-22-2013, 10:36 AM

These guys run harder and play longer on Mondays, Thursday and Friday at practice than they do in 40 minute games with 8 official timeouts, several other timeouts and a halftime.

grant1 · 02-22-2013, 12:34 PM

Perhaps having 2 transfers eating up roster spots (depth) is hurting more than anything else. With WY out, we're playing with 1 true post player and 1 (tall) hybrid. No inside depth. Outside, we're playing 3 guards, with 1 guard coming off the bench. Lastly, we have a 6' 6" tweener that, while he's atheltic, he lacks the outside shooting threat and the inside muscle.

If the 2 transfers were playing, we would have a solid rotation of 4 inside and 4 outside guys, plus Prather, then, plus Yegute when he returns. That would solve any late-game fatigue issues.

**gatormann** · 02-22-2013, 01:04 PM

Will Yuguete, Prather and Frazier are Florida's bench. All three are excellent players who, when healthy, give the team a lot. With Yuguete's injury, Florida is playing shorthanded in its front court. When either Murphy or Young go out, Florida is forced to go with a smaller lineup. There is no real backup at the power positions until he returns. This is a problem.

Florida would also be a stronger and deeper team if they had another combo guard who could back up both the point guard and shooting guard positions and another big who could give serviceable minutes at the 4 and 5 positions. Florida may have had that additional big off the bench before Larson left the team. As for the extra guard, it is clear that Donovan does not trust Ogbueze to be ready for additional minutes.

Plenty of teams have gone far playing only 7 or 8 players but that still doesn't make it a team strength. Fatigue may not be a major negative factor but I don't think it is something Florida can take advantage of against the opposition, either. I'd have to judge Florida's bench to be high in quality but barely adequate in terms of numbers when Will is healthy. When Yuguete is out, our front court depth is a problem.

tilly · 02-22-2013, 01:26 PM

This is not a new problem. Just look at the past two years in the elite 8. We should have won both games.

This will be a big test for Billy and the team. Come tournament time we need to step on the necks of opponents, and finish them.

If this team can maintain a killer instict, it could be titletown in Gainesville yet again.

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rounds · 02-22-2013, 01:54 PM

Fatigue is Bull Chit. We suck at getting points in the paint.
End of story.

qwghlmgator · 02-22-2013, 02:30 PM

We're getting too tired to hit free throws? We are screwed then.

akaGatorhoops · 02-22-2013, 03:36 PM

Billy stated that depth issues caused him to go zone late in the game b/c his guys were breaking down. That sounds like fatigue to me.

UFreak · 02-22-2013, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaGatorhoops

Billy stated that depth issues caused him to go zone late in the game b/c his guys were breaking down. That sounds like fatigue to me.

Fatigue definitely plays a role. Anyone who has ever played at a college level can attest to this. The Saturday game followed by the Tuesday road game is such a tough turnaround.
That said, we should have won at Mizzou. That was a bad loss. But fatigue was definitely a factor.

bullish · 02-22-2013, 08:45 PM

Short bench due to injuries and recruiting misses make us play guards at center, guards at wing and PF. With Billy's will to make them play defense until they can't go anymore, a short bench, allows good teams on the road with the help of the officials to get key baskets and foul shots at critical moments, the way we have lost on the road this year. Include the two final eight games the last two seasons, it shows you that you need depth, need to develop depth, not just starters to play in the system.

How do you fix this? You recruit as many stars as you can then you fill in with developmental players wherever you are short. You can't run off everybody you have by not playing them in games waiting for them to develop to your stringent specs. We are seeing this over and over with Billy. Hopefully next year he will get another recruit, hopefully a big. Hopefully he won't run them off with tough love. It is getting old playing with 6 or 7 players each year. Yeah everybody does it. That doesn't fly. There is no excuse to not having a full complement of players at the U of F.

With 30 regular season games, two tournaments, nearly 40 games, injuries will happen and if you don't play them, guess what, they leave. Now you are forced to play with little depth praying no one else gets hurt. I know I am beating a dead horse but next year with the talent Billy is bringing in I am estatic. I don't know if Pat will go pro, but I'm thinking he will. This means we will need another big to get through a long year with injuries and any possible transfers. You just have to know that we need a full 13 players on the roster ready to go and give everybody a chance to get in on the gigging of opposing teams.

So yes, we are exhausted at the end of games if we haven't already buried them. You can't expect blowouts every night. In the NCAA tournament, watch Miami with Kenny Kadji, this is the ultimate transfer, we trained him, gave him tough love, he got hurt, saw more athletes coming in, he said they don't care about me, so he left. He has been sensational and has matured beyond anyone's expectations. If we had him last year, you can only dream. We have now lost a 6'11", 6'10" and 6'9" players over the last three years due to transfers, so there are questions in my mind as to why can't keep them in the fold.

I hope Braxton O. doesn't transfer, due to riding the bench. I know he needs training and a lot of NBN posters think he is not worthy, I say when Kenny B. and Rosario leave, we will still need tough guards of which he is physically gifted. We need to get him some playing time somehow, so he thinks we care or he will show up and probably lead someone else.

We are not Kentucky, we don't get 5 Parade All Americans each year, so let's develop some other players to fill in with the stars we don't get. Only Billy can do this, so assist coaches help him get some minutes for all the guys. Praying for Will Y. to get well is great, but let's get him fully well before we beat him down. Save him for the tournaments, as he got injured last year as well.

born2beagator · 02-22-2013, 09:32 PM

I don't think so. I think the biggest issue is between the ears. This group has a massive "you can't win the big games away from home" monkey on its back

**67walkon** · 02-22-2013, 10:09 PM

Bullis makes great points. Every kid Billy recruits thinks he can win games for UF. When they don't play, they want to go somewhere to prove they can play. Braxton is a good player, a little shorter than I like, but why not get him and those other guys some minutes in blow outs? And if PY leaves, we'll never hear from him again unless some poster can figure out how to translate Greek sports pages.

Bullis, Kadji is 25. Do we want 25 year old seniors? I was out of law school and practicing law when I was 25. Maybe we need more really old guys or something, but Kadji isn't a model for much of anything academically.

samit23 · 02-22-2013, 10:56 PM

Bullish makes a great point....oh yeah except Billy D is one of the best in cbb history and making informed, methodical decisions in an area he is proven to be an expert in and Bullish is sitting behind his keyboard second guessing decisions with little to no information to back up his opinions. Thanks but ill stuck with Billy.

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HALLGATOR · 02-22-2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullish

In the NCAA tournament, watch Miami with Kenny Kadji, this is the ultimate transfer, we trained him, gave him tough love, he got hurt, saw more athletes coming in, he said they don't care about me, so he left.

I would be interested in where you get the part I put in bold.

bullish · 02-23-2013, 12:53 AM

Samit I love Billy D. He is a great coach. One of the best. Like I said I am thrilled to see the crop he is bringing in. One of a handful of coaches who have coached teams to back to back championships and has done it the right way. But I am not going to look the other way when end of game failures, transfer trends, or anything else that bugs me and other other gator basketball fans. I discuss it.

Hall, Billy tied his wagon to Patrick. Kenny wanted more. I am sure Billy was caught by surprise and politically correct press release snippets dribbled out. So what would you say if you were transferring. Common sense says he didn't feel the love. Patrick's physical ability came early and is very impressive now. I love him and him being a gator. But let me ask you who do you think will play more in the pros next year if both go?

**gatormann** · 02-23-2013, 12:54 AM

Florida's bench is good but it isn't deep. With Yuguete hurt it has no backup for its front court. Donovan doesn't think Ogbueze is ready but would give this team exactly what it needs as a backup at point and the two guard position.

Overall, our roster has been good enough to stay in the top 10 for much of the season. Fans aren't flocking to this board because are team isn't terrific. Donovan has done an amazing job of building the roster. Perhaps, we could use a little more of this or a little more of that but any criticism of Donovan's program building and recruiting should be understood for exactly what it is. It is just nitpicking.

HALLGATOR · 02-23-2013, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullish

Samit I love Billy D. He is a great coach. One of the best. Like I said I am thrilled to see the crop he is bringing in. One of a handful of coaches who have coached teams to back to back championships and has done it the right way. But I am not going to look the other way when end of game failures, transfer trends, or anything else that bugs me and other other gator basketball fans. I discuss it.

Hall, Billy tied his wagon to Patrick. Kenny wanted more. I am sure Billy was caught by surprise and politically correct press release snippets dribbled out. So what would you say if you were transferring. Common sense says he didn't feel the love. Patrick's physical ability came early and is very impressive now. I love him and him being a gator. But let me ask you who do you think will play more in the pros next year if both go?

Does it really matter which one will play more in the pros? At the time Kenny left he had been working through back injuries and he probably looked at the depth chart and thought his best bet with Young coming in was to leave. I don't think anyone at that time knew exactly how his college career would turn out and that would include him. As far as "feeling the love" what exactly did Donovan due to bring that about?

ufgator4ever · 02-23-2013, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaGatorhoops

Billy stated that depth issues caused him to go zone late in the game b/c his guys were breaking down. That sounds like fatigue to me.

So all the posters saying the starters played too long in blowouts had validity?! Shocking that a question of posters was valid, per a coach's own admission.
And shame on the 'coach knows best' 'shut up pessimists' crowd.
Honestly, its hard not to expect the minutes these guys have played to not take a toll on outside shots.

madgator · 02-23-2013, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaGatorhoops

Billy stated that depth issues caused him to go zone late in the game b/c his guys were breaking down. That sounds like fatigue to me.

If he has depth issues then coach should probably mix more zone into the rest of the game. or re-examine his substitution patterns, or utilization of first half time outs.

it's not a difficult fix