Dome Memories and Injury Updates as Gators Prepare to Head to No. 4 Syracuse
Friday, December 2, 2011 | Men's Basketball
By Chris Harry
GatorZone.com Contributing Writer
CHAOS AND CARRIER DOMES
Through no fault of their own, the Florida Gators will be walking into a firestorm of controversy Friday night when they take on the powerful Syracuse Orange in a nationally televised battle between two top-10 teams at the Carrier Dome.
Under normal circumstances, this would shape up as great prime-time non-conference matchup between two powerhouse programs -- and will be still, once the ball is tossed -- but UF coach Billy Donovan and his players first must contend with the distraction of being the next team (Eastern Michigan was the first Tuesday night) to face the Orange since the firing Sunday of longtime SU assistant coach Bernie Fine amid allegations he sexually abused ball boys nearly a decade ago.
"I think it's a tough situation for everybody, especially the victims, but certainly also for the university and I'm sure for [Coach] Jim [Boeheim]," Donovan said Wednesday. "But it really has nothing to do with us, aside from [being] sad for everybody. I think the players for both teams are just going to go out and play."
Kenny Boynton has some friends on the SU team, but as far as what they're dealing with up there, "No, I don't really know."
The No. 10 Gators (5-1) have bigger issues; namely, the (much) bigger and fourth-ranked Orange (7-0) and that trademark matchup zone that has been so successful during Boeheim's 36 seasons.
UF went face-to-face with that vaunted zone two years ago in Tampa when the Orange defeated the Gators 85-73 as part of the SEC/Big East Invitational. This Florida team, though, is better than that one, especially when it comes to shooting. But it's also a much smaller team that figures to roll out a four-guard rotation for stretches and thus contend with an SU front led by 7-foot center Fab Melo and 6-foot-9 power forward Rakeem Christmas.
While UF's best option figures to be firing from the perimeter, the Gators better not be married to the 3-point shot, as the Orange are sensational in transition off long misses and Boeheim is very good with defensive adjustments.
"We've played Syracuse before and we know you can't settle [from the outside]. That's what they want," said Boynton, a junior who in '09 scored 20 points on seven of 17 shooting (5-for-14 from distance) in what was the ninth game of his freshman season. "They want you to hit your first few threes, 'cause they know eventually you're not going to hit 'em all and they capitalize on that."
As much the Gators will need to continue shooting well -- they're hitting 48.8 percent from the floor and 42.9 from the arc for the season -- it'll be just as important, if not moreso, to find good, easy shots through dribble-penetration and for the guards (however many there are) to help center Patric Young on the glass.
Donovan hopes his team will take some of the lessons learned in a sloppy, turnover-plagued, quick-shooting 81-74 loss Nov. 15 at then-No. 3 Ohio State (now No. 2) and apply them at the Carrier Dome.
"Hopefully we can understand we've got 35 seconds" to get a good shot, he said. "If we don't have what we want the first 10 seconds, we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and making decisions unlike what we did in Columbus."
FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS
Junior G Mike Rosario can give his teammates some pointers about what it will be like playing in the unique Carrier Dome environment in front 25,000 orange-clad fans.
Rosario transferred to UF from Rutgers, which traveled to Syracuse his freshman season and lost 70-40. In the game, Rosario scored 16 points on six of 21 shooting, including 2-for-9 from 3-point range. He didn't have much help. No other Scarlet Knight had more than eight points or took more than seven shots.
"It's crazy atmosphere. It's loud and a lot of orange -- a lot of orange," said Rosario, the New Jersey product who is averaging 12 points and shooting 51 percent off the bench for the Gators. "I think this will be a great challenge for us to take another step forward. I feel we've built from our game against Ohio State and gotten better with the things we had to get better."
Donovan, of course, has played at the Carrier Dome, although it was 25 years ago as a point guard at Providence. He never won there.
"Hopefully, the memories I have of the dome, they don't have," Donovan said.
As a player, that is.
Donovan's 1999-2000 team (the one with Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Kenyan Weaks, Teddy Dupay, et al) upset No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Duke in the NCAA East Region semifinals then knocked off third-seeded Oklahoma State to advance to the first of his three Final Fours.
GOOD NEWS FOR ERIK: MURPHY'S LAW NOT IN EFFECT
Junior F Erik Murphy will not need surgery to repair the torn meniscus suffered in practice Thanksgiving Day. UF team physicians consulted Murphy's family and the doctor in Murphy's hometown of South Kingstown, R.I., and determined the injury was a byproduct of one he had in high school.
Murphy will not play against Syracuse, but could be cleared for some activities when the team returns from the trip, with a slight chance he could see action in Wednesday night's ESPN home showdown against Arizona. Sophomore Will Yeguete (6.2 points, 6.8 rebounds per game) will get his third straight start Friday.
"It's a very subtle, very small [tear]," Donovan said. "Now, we have to see how he responds in the next few days because he'll actually be able to get back to doing whatever he is capable of standing. I don't know if he'll be thrown back in practice right away, but he'll definitely get a chance to run, move laterally, shoot, jump, all those things."
