Hoops Notebook: Mini-Reunion In Orlando
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 | Men's Basketball
By Chris Harry
Gatorzone.com Contributing Writer
The timing of the Florida Citrus Shootout at Amway Center worked perfectly for Chandler Parsons. The game in his hometown of Orlando came just two days after the NBA and its players union settled their labor dispute, meaning the reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year had a chance to check in Monday night with some old friends before undertaking his next basketball challenge.
“Things are about to happen very quickly,” Parsons said during halftime of UF's 96-70 win over Stetson, an outcome that gave Gators coach Billy Donovan the 400th victory of his career. “As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better. I'm excited.”
Parsons, the 6-foot-9 forward who helped guide the Gators to the Elite Eight last season, was a second-round draft pick (38th overall) of the Houston Rockets. The league players and owners have reached a tentative agreement and have not announced official reporting dates yet and rookies have not been cleared to negotiate contract, but the season will reportedly open Christmas Day.
While the league was frozen in a 149-day lockout, Parsons used the time to train both at home and abroad, including a two-month stretch in the Pro-A league in France, where Parsons faced the likes of Tony Parker, Nicholas Batum and Ronny Turiaf. More recently, Parsons pared with UF icon Joakim Noah for a wicked two weeks of individual skill drills in the morning, lifting and pilates in the afternoon, and more conditioning and shooting at night.
“Worked all aspects of my game, just trying to be in the best shape of my life,” he said.
Monday night, though, was more about fun and celebrating a remarkable milestone alongside the coach who readied him for whatever the next level brings. Parsons was in the UF locker room -- along with former Gator and NBA champion Jason Williams -- when Donovan was drenched with a celebratory Gatorade bath.
“Look at all his players in the NBA,” Parsons said of Donovan. “There's no other coach I would rather have played for.”
STAY THE COURSE
Against Stetson, the Gators rolled to a 22-point first-half lead, but hit something of a lull around the 8-minute mark, allowing the Hatters to reel off 11 straight points and cut the lead to nine as UF went more than six minutes without a field goal. There was some frustration along the way, as power forward Patric Young got hit with a technical foul.
Florida managed to right itself, though, scoring the last seven points of the half.
But it was probably a little different feel for a Florida team that came into the game shooting 49.9 percent from the floor for the season to make 44.1 percent in the first half against Stetson (not to mention 14-of-35 from the 3-point line for the game).
“Coach said just keep moving the ball, and we were doing a great job of that. Sometimes, the ball is just not going to go in,” senior point guard Erving Walker said. “Everybody had great looks. We just have to stay confident and focus on defense because we know our offense is going to put a certain amount of points on the board.”
LAST WORD (HOPEFULLY) ON URBAN
Donovan was asked to weigh in -- one more time -- on former UF football coach, close friend and neighbor Urban Meyer's decision to end his retirement after 11 months to take the Ohio State job.
“There was no doubt in my mind he was going to go back at some point. ... But if that [Ohio State] situation doesn't happen, maybe Urban isn't back coaching,” Donovan said. “It took for him a unique situation in a place where he grew up and started coaching. ... I don't think it has anything to do with Florida. He loves Florida, loved his time here. And I'm not so sure if he would just jump into any job. He was going to wait for something that made sense for him.”
FAST BREAKS
The Gators wore orange “home” uniforms against Stetson for the first time since the SEC Tournament semifinals in '06, part of a run of to second straight conference title and first national title. ... G/F Casey Prather, who aggravated a sore groin muscle in Friday's win over Jacksonville and missed the second half, returned against the Hatters and finished with five points, three rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes before fouling out. ... F Erik Murphy remains out indefinitely with a torn meniscus, though he was off crutches Monday after his knee was drained over the weekend. No decision has been made whether the junior from Rhode Island will have surgery. ... G Bradley Beal, the youngest Gator at 18 years old, was asked when he first became aware of Donovan. “Probably after he won that first national championship,” said the freshman from St. Louis. “I didn't really recognize Florida until Coach Donovan started winning. I just followed them after that.” ... Florida extended its string of at least 10 3-point makes in each game this season, hitting 14 vs. the Hatters. Beal went 5-for-9 in the game from the arc (7-of-13) overall for his second career double-double (22 points, 10 rebounds.
