What's good enough?

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by gatorfan228

This is BS at its finest. Did you see the look on our players faces after the game? I think its hard for some gator fans to realize that our team played as hard as they could and still came up short. Our team just to this point doesnt have that ability yet to close out games, its as simple as that.

Not BS...sure it sucks to lose, especially in this game, but it's not going to affect their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe this loss will make them hungrier...they sure didn't look very hungry to close out a game they should have put away in the first few minutes of the second half. It's true, though...this Gators team doesn't have a true closer. This is a team that can run you out of the gym with all the weapons they have, but doesn't have a true "go to" guy in crunch time. When the game gets tight at the end, this team plays scared, and that's a loss waiting to happen.

[BLING]

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

This basketball season actually reminded me our 2012 football season.
I didn't expect us to be this good ahead of the incoming talent we landed.
We found a new quaterback in Scottie and he took us further than we thought.
In the end, we had a better-than-expected record...but could not maintain at a championship level.

I never thought of this. But you are pretty much spot on. I was really shocked at how great we were playing earlier in the season. I think that threw expectations out of whack a bit (i.e. the talk of us "sweeping" the SEC and all of that). But any way you slice it, we haven't merely come back down to earth, but actually during the past 4-6 weeks we have been playing piss poor. Barely a .500 record. It's not that unusual for us to struggle in the second half of SEC play since historically the end of year is pretty brutal, but THIS year it was a bit of a surprise considering how well this team was coasting, and how "down" the SEC has been in hoops.

Hopefully our basketball team actually shows up for the "bowl game". It was a headfake to think this team was a #1 contender, yet still they are plenty good to make a run. However they are also highly vulnerable to be a "no-show" at this point as well. I'm genuinely nervous.

[RealGatorFan]

This loss is no different than the Kentucky loss. They should still be hungry after that loss.

[REM08]

Depends on the matchups. I honestly think you guys still end up in the west region and are the best team in it.

I'd error on the side of a final four though.

[GATORAZ]

I would be happy making it to the 16. That 2nd game is going to be tough.

[gator07]

Originally Posted by TampaGatorFan

Not BS...sure it sucks to lose, especially in this game, but it's not going to affect their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe this loss will make them hungrier...they sure didn't look very hungry to close out a game they should have put away in the first few minutes of the second half. It's true, though...this Gators team doesn't have a true closer. This is a team that can run you out of the gym with all the weapons they have, but doesn't have a true "go to" guy in crunch time.

A) how do you know this didn't affect our seed? And
B) how can you imply an sec title isn't important?!

[FatherGoat]

Not how far but how hard they play. I can except a hard fought loss in the sweet 16. This team is prolly headed for a choke type loss. Just being realistic.

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by gator07

A) how do you know this didn't affect our seed? And
B) how can you imply an sec title isn't important?!

A) It won't. We're a 3. Book it.
B) We're already the SEC Champions...and I didn't mean this game was meaningless from an SEC perspective, just a tourney seeding perspective.

[flwgator2]

We will beat up some mid major in the first round. If we play a UNLV or VCU that can play defense in the second round, they will probably choke it away again.

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by FatherGoat

Not how far but how hard they play. I can except a hard fought loss in the sweet 16. This team is prolly headed for a choke type loss. Just being realistic.

^ this

We'll be up by 10-12 over some mid-tier school in the second half of our Sweet 16 game, and then fritter the game away with a bunch of bad shots and missed free throws. Bet on it.

[gatorfan228]

Originally Posted by TampaGatorFan

Not BS...sure it sucks to lose, especially in this game, but it's not going to affect their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe this loss will make them hungrier...they sure didn't look very hungry to close out a game they should have put away in the first few minutes of the second half. It's true, though...this Gators team doesn't have a true closer. This is a team that can run you out of the gym with all the weapons they have, but doesn't have a true "go to" guy in crunch time. When the game gets tight at the end, this team plays scared, and that's a loss waiting to happen.

You know for a fact that it didnt affect their seeding? Last I checked Joe Lunardi just said he had Florida as a #2 seed but with the loss Georgetown may take our spot. Theres no way of knowing that and to think our players (a bunch of competitive 18-22 years old) are operating on that kind of logic is frankly quite asinine.

Your post suggests a group of athletes who train year round werent 100% focused for one game on the championship of their conference.... I apologize if I disagree.

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by gatorfan228

You know for a fact that it didnt affect their seeding? Last I checked Joe Lunardi just said he had Florida as a #2 seed but with the loss Georgetown may take our spot. Theres no way of knowing that and to think our players (a bunch of competitive 18-22 years old) are operating on that kind of logic is frankly quite asinine.

Your post suggests a group of athletes who train year round werent 100% focused for one game on the championship of their conference.... I apologize if I disagree.

So, what you are saying is that Ole Miss is just better than Florida?

[UFish]

Honestly if it weren't for the weakness of the rest of the conference, I would say we've already overachieved. We have a better record now than we've had each of the last two years. This is also the least talented team we've had in the last three years.

A combination of the massive improvement we made defensively and the weakness of the SEC are only reasons we're in the position we are now.

With the combination of depth, experience, and pure talent we will have next season, the expectations should be final four or bust. But I don't think that's the case with this team.

[gatorfan228]

Originally Posted by TampaGatorFan

A) It won't. We're a 3. Book it.
B) We're already the SEC Champions...and I didn't mean this game was meaningless from an SEC perspective, just a tourney seeding perspective.

You have no way of knowing that though! Frankly I think the loss could hurt us and put us at near a 4 seed because I think our conference is incredibly weak.

There are a lot of good, not great teams this year in the 2-4 seed range, so while it may not matter, I think a loss to a marginal team like Ole Miss can be the difference between a team jumping a seed.

[gatorfan228]

Originally Posted by TampaGatorFan

So, what you are saying is that Ole Miss is just better than Florida?

No, but they outplayed us today and there was some questionable calls that certainly helped... The most talented team doesnt always win on a given day... Happens in the NCAA tournament every single year. Thats a far cry from saying UF wasnt interested in the game today because it doesnt have National Title implications.

[tommyuf21]

Originally Posted by UFish

Honestly if it weren't for the weakness of the rest of the conference, I would say we've already overachieved. We have a better record now than we've had each of the last two years. This is also the least talented team we've had in the last three years.

A combination of the massive improvement we made defensively and the weakness of the SEC are only reasons we're in the position we are now.

With the combination of depth, experience, and pure talent we will have next season, the expectations should be final four or bust. But I don't think that's the case with this team.

Excellent post. That pretty much sums it up. We're going to have a lot more talent on the floor next year, a little less experience, but Kasey Hill, Walker, DFS and Harris will more than make up for it.

[RealGatorFan]

Originally Posted by TampaGatorFan

A) It won't. We're a 3. Book it.
B) We're already the SEC Champions...and I didn't mean this game was meaningless from an SEC perspective, just a tourney seeding perspective.

This game has more meaning than you want to believe. If I'm an opposing coach, I'm watching tape of all of our losses. The reason why, we lost those games in exactly the same fashion. We shot more 3s than 2s in each of those games. The key to beating us is force us to take 3s.

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by gatorfan228

No, but they outplayed us today and there was some questionable calls that certainly helped... The most talented team doesnt always win on a given day... Happens in the NCAA tournament every single year. Thats a far cry from saying UF wasnt interested in the game today because it doesnt have National Title implications.

Oh, no, that's not what I meant, and if I gave that impression, I apologize. I know they wanted to win this game, just like Ole Miss wanted to win. It's just that the Gators are still going dancing, so it's not the end of the world.

Refs make bad calls...that's basketball...but we did not lose because of the refs. We had a big lead and frittered it away with bad shots and missed free throws. Many of us thought they had gotten over that hump yesterday in the Bama game, which was a great come-from-behind victory. Apparently, that finish wasn't close enough to really test them. I am pretty much convinced that they will fold in crunch time in the tourney. I'm still waiting for them to prove me wrong.

[TampaGatorFan]

Originally Posted by RealGatorFan

This game has more meaning than you want to believe. If I'm an opposing coach, I'm watching tape of all of our losses. The reason why, we lost those games in exactly the same fashion. We shot more 3s than 2s in each of those games. The key to beating us is force us to take 3s.

Yup...no inside game...3s are great when they're falling, but when they're not, you can shoot yourself right out of a game. Points in the paint is where it's at.

[CAGator93]

THIS will be the close loss that's a wake up call.

The others - we just hit the snooze button.