Gators Open Quest to Finally Cut Down Nets; Face Vols at SEC Tournament
Thursday, March 10, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If Florida men's basketball coach Billy Donovan had one of those growth charts parents often hang on the wall to measure the height of their kids, it's easy to imagine what the chart would look like in gauging the development of Florida's senior class.
The first couple of years would look very similar, small growth spurts but nothing spectacular. The growth was more apparent in the third year, but still, somewhat behind projections.
However, Donovan's pen might have run out of ink charting the Gators' growth spurts this season.
The Gators won just their third outright SEC regular-season title in school history and along the way rejuvenated interest around a program that hasn't shined this brightly since winning back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.
Florida's SEC crown wouldn't have stopped Donovan from going out to buy another pen though because he still sees room to grow as the No. 1-seed Gators prepare to face Tennessee in the second-round of the SEC Tournament on Friday in Atlanta.
He reminded everyone once again this week to not “fall in love” with the Gators amidst the hype and postseason awards. Donovan was named SEC Coach of the Year on Tuesday and senior forward Chandler Parsons became the first player in school history to be named SEC Player of the Year.
“I do love them. I love coaching these guys. They're great,'' Donovan said. “But the ebbs and flows of a big win, tough loss, played great – we still have not conquered that. We've gotten better and we've made some steps there, but we're not quite where we need to be.
“They need to understand that when you win like these guys have won, it becomes more difficult – it does not become easier.''
The Gators dribble into Atlanta with 24 regular-season wins for only the fourth time in school history. In two of those seasons, the Gators won the national title. In 2003, Florida's season ended early in the NCAA Tournament with a deflating loss to Michigan State in Tampa, where Florida is expected to be sent when tournament pairings on announced on Sunday.
First, the Gators must face the Volunteers for a third time this season. Tennessee knocked off Arkansas, 74-68, in the first round on Thursday. Florida swept the season series from the Vols.
The past – good, bad and ugly – offers ample lessons for Donovan to share heading into the postseason. UF's current seniors – Parsons, Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin and injured forward Adam Allen – have never won an NCAA Tournament game.
Over the past three seasons, Florida is 7-6 in postseason play, which includes a first-round loss to BYU in last year's NCAA Tournament, a 2-3 record in the SEC Tournament, and a 5-2 mark in back-to-back trips to the NIT in 2008 and 2009.
These Gators are hoping they finally experience what it feels like to cut down the nets since they didn't after winning the SEC regular-season title outright at Vanderbilt. They celebrated their accomplishment privately, but they are hoping for three public parties over the next month as March Madness takes over.
“That's definitely a motivation,” sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said. “Coach told us we have three more times to cut down the nets, and we definitely want to reach those goals.”
Parsons and Tyus are the most battle-tested of the group. Both have played in more than 130 games over the past four seasons without the opportunity to climb a ladder holding a pair of scissors.
In the real world, that's not the safest activity. But in college basketball, it's one of the most symbolic moments of success.
“That's something you always want to do, climb up on that latter and get those nets,” Parsons said. “It's hopefully some extra motivation going into Atlanta.”
Donovan is quick to point out that three years ago he was uncertain if this senior class would be able to accomplish certain goals. The chemistry took time to develop, and expectations had to be adjusted.
Over time, with Parsons developing into an effective leader and guards Boynton and Erving Walker added to the mix, the Gators discovered a winning formula that had been absent. They won this season on the road, at home, and three times in overtime.
Now they have a chance to win the SEC Tournament, something the Gators haven't done since winning three in a row from 2005 to 2007.
“These guys have done a pretty good job of taking on what's in front of them, and the SEC Tournament is in front of us now,'' Donovan said. “Not having the [NCAA bubble] cloud over us is a good thing, but the next question is how important is it for our guys to take this one-game challenge.''
That answer starts coming on Friday night at the Georgia Dome. Walker, the team's leading scorer at 14.5 points a game, is comfortable with the Gators' mindset entering the postseason.
“This is a mature group,'' he said.
Boynton referenced a players-only meeting following a loss to UCF in early December as a defining moment for the team's growth. They talked about cutting out selfishness and playing as one.
Once the Gators opened SEC play in January, the new attitude was more evident on the court and in the win-loss record. They went 6-1 in February, including back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
“After the UCF game, it all made a lot of sense,'' Boynton said. “We had to watch film and we realized we had to come together as a team to get to where we want to be. That was the start.''
A transfer from Georgetown, Macklin has also played a key role, becoming more of an offensive threat in the low post – he led the SEC in field-goal percentage (.576) – to help the Gators develop a more inside-out game and allow Parsons to shine in open space.
Macklin is ready for whatever challenges are ahead as the Gators try to reach their ultimate goal.
“We're pretty hungry,'' he said. “At the beginning of the season, Coach Donovan sat us down and put a list of things on the board that we want to accomplish as a team and as a whole, and the first one was winning the conference and also winning the tournament."
The Gators' late-season success has made believers out of many, including Louisville coach Rick Pitino. Pitino's son, Richard, is a second-year assistant on Donovan's staff, and Donovan is a former Pitino assistant at Kentucky.
Pitino knows the Gators pretty well and watched from courtside when they beat Ole Miss at home earlier this season, the day before his team played at USF.
“I'm a little biased, but everybody overlooks Florida,” Pitino told ESPN Radio this week. “Florida's the type of team with seniors in the front court with a very quick backcourt … they're a team that could beat anyone on a given night.”
So, the Gators have obviously done enough to get people's attention. They've done enough to win an SEC regular-season title. They've done enough for voters to rank them No. 12 in both national polls.
What's next? How will the start of the postseason end? Will they finally get to cut down some nets?
That's the mission and one Donovan wants to help them accomplish.
"You go in with an understanding that you can't get to Saturday without taking care of Friday," Donovan said. "Winning has been important to these guys. When you win at a high level, it opens up a tremendous amount of doors for opportunity.''
GATOR GAMEBOX
Florida vs. Tennessee
Tip-off: Friday, 7:30 p.m. (Georgia Dome, Atlanta)
Records: Florida 24-6 (13-3 SEC); Tennessee (19-13/8-8)
TV: SEC Network (Click here for stations)
Radio: Gator Radio Network (click here for affiliates); Sirius 220; XM 199
Game notes: Click here
SEC Tournament bracket: Click here
Need to know: No. 1-seed Gators are 33-42 all-time in SEC Tournament, winning three consecutive titles from 2005-07 … Florida swept season series against Vols, winning 81-75 on road in overtime on Jan. 11, and 61-60 on Feb. 12 at home; Gators are 2-4 all-time vs. Tennessee in SEC Tournament … UF has reached the SEC Tournament final seven times (1934, 1989, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) … Two of Gators' three SEC Tournament titles were won at Georgia Dome, this year's site … UF is 10-2 in last five trips to Georgia Dome and 16-7 all-time since building opened in 1992 … This year's team is only fourth in school history to win 24 or more regular-season games, joining 2003, 2006 and 2007 teams … Gators coach Billy Donovan is 18-11 all-time in SEC Tournament … Senior F Chandler Parsons, named SEC Player of Year on Tuesday, is averaging 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists over last four games since returning for a leg injury.
