Gator Country

REM08 · 03-25-2013, 10:46 AM

There was a good thread a couple weeks ago about what your expectations were for this team. I believe there were projections everywhere between a sweet sixteen and a national championship.

We have some new data now to enter into this equation. You're already in the sweet sixteen and are figured to be big favorites in that game.

This fascinates me because it is so subjective. There are no certain expectations that we have to have as fans - and they even may vary wildly within a given fan base.

Do your expectations change based on who you play? Is the final four what it takes to satisfy you if you play Michigan, but not Kansas? Final four either way? Are your expectations hard and fast, or do they change as circumstances do - like if you lost to a Kansas team shooting 80% from the field?

GatorAvatar · 03-25-2013, 10:48 AM

My expectations are win the next game. One game at a time.

born2beagator · 03-25-2013, 10:50 AM

I am cautiously optimistic for a championship right now. Call me crazy, but after last night's game I've got a really good feeling about these guys.

orangeblueorangeblue · 03-25-2013, 10:52 AM

I didn't participate in that thread, but I did say that a Sweet 16 appearance would make this season a success and I stand by it. It's all icing from here on out.

ReggieNelson · 03-25-2013, 10:53 AM

I thought we were good enough to get to the Elite 8 before the tournament. Now I expect us to get there. However, I do not see us beating Michigan or Kansas.

**ufgator865** · 03-25-2013, 11:01 AM

This season was a success when we won the SEC regular season title. Now lets make this a memorable one. Final four is my new and improved expectation.

**G8RNTN** · 03-25-2013, 11:02 AM

I said 16 and Elite 8 at best. I stick to that.

**gatorfan96** · 03-25-2013, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReggieNelson

I thought we were good enough to get to the Elite 8 before the tournament. Now I expect us to get there. However, I do not see us beating Michigan or Kansas.

I agree with Reggie

tilly · 03-25-2013, 11:05 AM

Well, With our history, I think anything short of 3 straight titles would be a letdown

Seriously, I want to hang a fifth FF banner. It puts us ahead of UNC for the past 15 years. Where I live that goes a long way.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tablet using Gator Country

**Potzer01** · 03-25-2013, 11:05 AM

My expectations changed while filling out my bracket...

I expected us to lose in the round of 32 before seeing the competition.

After playing through the scenarios in my mind, it turned into a final 4 birth on my brackets=x

Still been a successful season anyway you slice it.

ETGator1 · 03-25-2013, 11:07 AM

My bracket has UF as the 2013 national champion. It's 2006 all over again except we shouldn't have lost to Ole Miss in the SEC tourney championship game.

My final four:

Louisville vs Arizona
Florida vs Miami
Louisville vs Florida

2013 National Champion - Florida

To answer your question, I expected a final four at minimum.

REM08 · 03-25-2013, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReggieNelson

I thought we were good enough to get to the Elite 8 before the tournament. Now I expect us to get there. However, I do not see us beating Michigan or Kansas.

This describes my take on this pretty much. My expectations are fluid.

I think the Kansas game would be close, but I'd take Florida over Michigan.

I always go into selection sunday with a gut feel of how good I think my team is. Sometimes seeding and path changes this, sometimes not. In 2007 I doubt you guys cared who was in your path - the realistic goal was a title.

In 2011, for example, I thought UK was a elite eight type of team. Then I saw us get paired up with Ohio State in the sweet sixteen and my expectations changed. But then after upsetting the 1 and 2 seed, all that stood in the way of a championship was a 3 seed and an 8! My expectations then shifted to a title. Talk about fluidity, my expectations went from elite eight to sweet sixteen, to elite eight, to national championship.

What matters IMO, is can you get past that first hump that you couldn't have pictured the team besting. After that, even though expectations can change, its all gravy IMO.

That being said, I think I'd put Florida expectations at a final four at least. Honestly, I'm kinda with Born and think this team might have what it takes to win it all. Looking at the South region though, you'd still have to give Florida the best chance to win it. I think I'd take Florida's chances of beating FGCU and then Kansas (probably) over Kansas' chances of beating Michigan and then Florida.

Go2gtr · 03-25-2013, 11:13 AM

It's our job to keep anyone we play from shooting 80% from the field. Their last game shooting percentage doesn't mean anything when they play us.

Remember our back-to-back team? The "experts" kept saying we were just lucky that so-an-so team had an off shooting night when they played us in the tournament. Strange how it kept happening.

Just held the number one scoring team in the nation to 34 points below their average. Defense affects the outcome of games.

My outlook is not changed by who is left in front of us.

WESGATORS · 03-25-2013, 11:15 AM

Over the past 20 years, I've come to expect our longest drought between Final Four trips to be 5 years (like Duke). North Carolina is the only team better with a longest drought of 4 years over that time span (this is the 4th year in a row they have not made the Final Four). For FLORIDA, this is year 6, so necessarily, we will be heading to the Final Four.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

1gatorbear · 03-25-2013, 11:26 AM

I think we've won our last game this year. Gulf Coast is a very good team that has played and beaten better teams. Would love to be wrong.

born2beagator · 03-25-2013, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1gatorbear

I think we've won our last game this year. Gulf Coast is a very good team that has played and beaten better teams. Would love to be wrong.

LOL!!!! You are. That very good team lost to some team I can't even spell off the top of my head. Twice.

Go2gtr · 03-25-2013, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1gatorbear

I think we've won our last game this year. Gulf Coast is a very good team that has played and beaten better teams. Would love to be wrong.

I guess you have revised yours way down.

Colin · 03-25-2013, 11:41 AM

I still don't think we're a Final Four team, but I don't discount that we could make it anyway. That's what makes this tourney fun.

**EvenParGator** · 03-25-2013, 11:48 AM

I agree with REM...I like our chances of getting to the Final 4 better than those of Kansas.
Yeah, I realize that FGCU WILL be challenge, but I believe that we will get to the KU/Michigan winner and I believe that either one will be worn by the time they see us on Sunday.

CAGator93 · 03-25-2013, 11:58 AM

that's a great thing about the tournament.

Regular season - if we beat NW State and Minnesota in consecutive games, it's not really a big deal.

In the tourney, it puts us in the Sweet 16.