When the nation’s elite college teams take the court, a common characteristic is the connection they have with one another. Announcing analogies draw comparisons to a well-oiled machine, or a single unit.
After an offseason of formulating new pieces to the puzzle that is the 2014 Florida Gators men’s basketball team, the connection is still a work in progress.
The Gators play an exhibition game against Barry University Thursday. The weekend practices gave head coach Billy Donovan a sense of where his team is at currently — individually and as a team.
With so many players looking to step up in the absence of last year’s seniors, Donovan said building the team cohesion is one of the things Florida is struggling with.
“I think I need to do that because, you know, Michael Frazier [II] can get very passionate and sometimes it doesn’t seem to sit well with other guys. You know, other guys are being told this, told that and what happens is you’ve got everybody trying to talk and step up and be a leader in a positive way. Doe-Doe’s [Dorian Finney-Smith] trying to do more. Kasey Hill’s trying to do more. Michael Frazier’s trying to do more. And inevitably, we’re never on the same page.”
Florida held practices over the weekend, including a secret scrimmage against VCU. Defense has been a focus throughout the offseason, and is still something the team is looking to improve upon. The lack of cohesion has played a factor in the defensive struggles, with the players trying to lead instead of playing for one another. While Donovan said the attitudes on the team are good, the team’s focus should be on doing their job effectively and together.
“We’re getting into a little bit of that right now, where it’s not pettiness or they are bickering, it’s just more like, when you get to a huddle and five guys are talking at one time, no one is listening to anything,” Donovan said. “And it doesn’t need to be one person, it needs to be those guys collectively saying OK, he’s what’s in front of us right now, let’s all get linked up and let’s do our best in this situation right now.”
Despite the struggles on defense, the team showed a better job of being physical over the weekend practices. Florida also moved the ball well, with Donovan calling the team “innately very, very unselfish.”
The offense may see a different look than usual, with a possible starting backcourt of three guards: Kasey Hill, Eli Carter and Michael Frazier II. The three-game suspension of forward Chris Walker and year-long absence of transfer center Jon Egbunu has led to Dorian Finney-Smith and Jon Horford possibly starting at the power forward and center positions, respectively.
Thursday night, Florida Gators men’s basketball returns to the O’Connell Center. While the team connection is something the players and coaches are working towards, the process will take time.
“I think it’s just something that happens over the course of a season,” Jon Horford said. “It’s not always going to be immediate, right away, at the beginning. Very, very rarely is it like that. That’s a good thing in a way. You don’t want to peak too soon. We’re not close, but I think we’ll get there.”