Gators Shooting for a Quick Rebound against North Florida
Thursday, November 17, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators men's basketball team had little time to reflect upon Tuesday night's 81-74 loss at No. 3-ranked Ohio State.
About 15 hours after walking off the court in Columbus, the Gators were preparing to go back onto the court for practice Wednesday afternoon.
Florida coach Billy Donovan is intrigued to see how his team responds tonight at home against North Florida coming off the loss to the Buckeyes.
“I don't think there is any reason why our guys shouldn't be physically, emotionally and mentally ready to play,'' Donovan said Wednesday. “This is a real high-level character game for us. North Florida is a physical, hard-playing competitive team.''
In an early season matchup featuring a pair of teams ranked in the top 10, No. 7-ranked Florida started fast by taking an 11-4 lead. The Buckeyes slowly began to chip away as the Gators' touch from outside went cold for much of the middle part of the game.
The Gators shot 45 percent and hit 11 of 22 three-pointers, but Donovan would like to see better ball movement tonight against the Ospreys.
“We've got to have a better offensive recognition of what's going on in the game," Donovan said. “I didn't think we really had that at all. When the ball moved well for us, a lot of good things happened for us offensively.”
Some of Donovan's analysis revolves around senior point guard Erving Walker, who struggled at times versus Ohio State. Walker shot 1 of 6 and committed three turnovers, often driving into the lane without a good plan of where to distribute the ball.
Meanwhile, freshman guard Bradley Beal scored a team-high 17 points but committed five turnovers in his first test against high-caliber competition at the collegiate level. As a team, the Gators committed 16 turnovers and forced only seven, a ratio that is going to be costly in most games.
“We had a stretch there offensively where we weren't really good,'' Donovan said. “[Beal] turned it over a few times. For him as a freshman going through this was a good experience. I still think he has a lot of growth to make. The one thing with him is that he plays. He doesn't seem to really get bothered by too much. I didn't think he shot it particularly well, like he is capable of.''
While the offensive rhythm wasn't at the level the Gators showed in an exhibition win over Catholic University and a season-opening victory over Jackson State, Donovan liked what he saw on several fronts.
Junior forward Erik Murphy showed a nice touch, hitting all four of his three-point attempts.
“He gives us a different look because now you've got four guys spaced behind the three-point line,'' Donovan said. “We've got to utilize him a little bit more when he is open and there is dribble penetration. He's always been a shooter. I think he is gaining more and more confidence.''
Sophomore center Patric Young, in a showdown with Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, last season's National Freshman of the Year, more than held his own.
Young finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. Equally important, Young stayed out of foul trouble and kept Sullinger, who finished with 16 points and six rebounds, but only one off the offensive glass.
“I was really pleased with him. He played with great energy and a really good motor,'' Donovan said of Young. “He kept himself in the game even though he was not much of an offensive threat the first 20 minutes. I was just encouraged by his activity and how hard he played.''
A top concern for Donovan entering the season was the Gators' lack of size inside and the impact that might have on the boards. The Gators responded well to the challenge against the Buckeyes, finishing with a 38-29 rebound edge.
Despite his off night offensively, Walker grabbed six rebounds and reserve forward Will Yeguete added four.
“We did a really good job on the glass,'' Donovan said. “We did a really good job post-defense wise.''
Prior to the trip to Ohio State, Donovan talked about wanting to see what shortcomings might get exposed against an Ohio State team many consider a national title contender.
In the wake of Florida's seven-point loss, Donovan has a different focus heading into tonight's game against North Florida.
“What did we learn?” he said.
GATORS GAMEBOX
North Florida at No. 7 Florida
Tip-off: 8 p.m. (O'Connell Center)
Records: North Florida 1-1; Florida 1-1
TV: Fox Sports Florida (Rich Waltz, Mark Wise)
Radio: Gator Radio Network (click here for affiliates) Sirius 220/XM 199
Game notes: North Florida notes; Florida notes
Need to know: Third all-time meeting between schools … Gators won both previous meetings and are looking to extend home win streak to eight games … Florida is 22-1 against Atlantic Sun Conference opponents under Billy Donovan, only loss coming last season at home to Jacksonville … North Florida opened season with 20-point loss at Alabama but bounced back with a win over Savannah State in home opener … UNF is 0-4 all-time vs. SEC schools and 0-9 against ranked opponents … Florida was 11-for-22 from three-point range in loss at Ohio State on Tuesday; junior F Erik Murphy led way by shooting 4-for-4 from beyond the arc … Ospreys returned four starters from last year: G Jimmy Williams, G Jerron Granberry, F Andy Diaz and F David Jeune.
