Five starters, all double-figure scorers a year ago, returned for the Florida basketball team this year.
Five… all capable of a 20-point game, each with the ability to carry the Gators for a period of time. With that knowledge indisputably evident, why the heck is No. 19/20 UF beating teams like Radford by scores like 66-55, like it did on Wednesday night?
Coach Billy Donovan said he believes the problem is twofold.
First, he said the Gators (9-3) are turning the ball over far too often. And second, they have been a step above woeful at the foul line.
“We’re leaving 12-to-18 points out there each time out,” Donovan said. “If we didn’t do that, we’d be scoring between 68 and 78 points each game.”
Against the feisty, but overmatched Highlanders (2-9), Florida made just 11-of-21 free throws and had 16 turnovers.
One other big issue of late is finding consistent point production outside of Erving Walker.
Following a season-high 21-point outing in Monday’s 71-68 overtime loss to Jacksonville, Walker scored 20 against RU. In all, he made 6 of 9 shots, including 5-of-7 from behind the three-point line.
Fellow guard Kenny Boynton was the only other Gator to reach double figures, and he made just 4-of-13 shots.
That said, senior forward Chandler Parsons continued to struggle with his outside shooting, missing all four of his three-point attempts. However, for a while he flirted with a triple-double, finishing with nine points, eight rebounds and five assists (all in the first half).
“Chandler did a nice job doing a lot for us,” said Walker, who added three assists, two steals and two turnovers. “Maybe the time off for Christmas will help him and all of us shoot better.”
As always, UF’s defense was sound, forcing a season-high 24 turnovers. But the Gators weren’t their usual lockdown selves, allowing Radford, which entered the contest ranked 340th nationally in field-goal percentage (36.5) and points-per-game (55.6), to shoot 50-percent from the floor (55.6-percent in the first half).
Left-handed forward Johnathan Edwards was the most effective Highlander, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 27 minutes.
Still, despite the loss to JU and the sluggish play against Radford, optimism remains.
“There are a lot of things we have to continue working on if we are going to end up as good as we believe we can be,” Parsons said. “But we definitely aren’t there right now.”
FREE THROWS
*Walker said he will be catching a 6 a.m. flight Thursday morning to his hometown of New York City. He said he will spend Christmas there and return to Gainesville on Sunday morning.
*Parsons said he believes his free throw troubles are “between the ears.” He is 18-of-36 on the season following Wednesday night’s 3-for-6 effort that included a near-airball.
*Florida has outrebounded 11 of 12 opponents this year. The Gators held a 37-30 rebounding edge against Radford.
PATTON’S PICKS
Gator(Gr)ade: C-
Gator Players of the Game: Junior point guard Erving Walker led all players with 20 points. He made 6-of-9 overall, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. He added three assists and a pair of steals.
Opposing Player of the Game: Junior forward Johnathan Edwards scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. He made 6-of-11 shots. Edwards entered the contest averaging 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. He also recorded an assist and a steal.
Play of the Game: Back-to-back Gator offensive sets saw an alley-oop from Scottie Wilbekin to Parsons with 15:29 left in the second half followed by a follow dunk off a missed three-pointer by Vernon Macklin 41 seconds later. Macklin also was shoved on the play and sank the subsequent free throw.
Stat of the Game: UF outscored Radford, 19-3, on second-chance points.
Next Up: The Gators will host Fairfield (8-3) at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28.