ATHENS, Ga. -- Billy Donovan is in his 16th season at Florida, but a situation has arisen with his lineup -- namely, the season-ending injury to key frontcourt reserve Will Yeguete -- that just may lead him to do something he's never done before.
Picture this: Four guards (Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker, Bradley Beal and either Mike Rosario or Scottie Wilbekin) on the floor, with 6-foot-9 Erik Murphy, who leads the team in 3-point shooting, at center.
Undersized? No question.
Potential to spread the floor on offense and bomb treys? Absolutely.
“That adds a different element for a team; four guys and now Erik Murphy,” said Donovan, who will lead the 12th-ranked Gators (22-6, 10-3) against the Georgia Bulldogs (12-15, 3-10) Saturday at 4 p.m., at Stegeman Coliseum. “I can't really recall a point in time when we've had five 3-pointer shooters on the floor at one time.”
That's because in the previous 15 seasons, Donovan teams haven't faced the kind of depth issues their dealing with now, especially in the frontcourt. With Yeguete, the club's best low-post defender and rebounder, out for the year following surgery Friday on his broken foot, the Gators -- with only 11 scholarship players this season -- will need more minutes from seldom-used reserves like Casey Prather and Cody Larson, for sure, but Donovan and his staff spent the week in the practice lab concocting other solutions.
Five 3-point shooters is certainly an intriguing concept.
“It's going to take some adjusting, but I think it could be good for us,” said Murphy, whose 45-percent long-distance shooting this season has forced post players to honor his range and thus opened things up for dribble penetration by UF's guards. “It would spread it out, maybe even more.”
Here's now the other 3-pointer numbers break down: Boynton 44.2 percent; Walker 38.3; Beal 33.3; Rosario 38.0; Wilbekin 40.0.
Yeguete did not attempt a 3-pointer all season, so when he was on the floor low-post defenders could sag back and help in the paint. With this new lineup, any UF player on the perimeter would be threat to let fly a 3.
The downside, of course, is the Gators would be at huge disadvantage on the defensive end. They'd probably have to play zone (especially with 6-3 Rosario or 6-2 Wilbekin matched up on much bigger players in the post, fighting to front them), and require a great commitment from weakside help defense.
It's not the ideal situation, but it's the one the Gators are in and they're looking at ways to make it work.
“There's a great life lesson and teaching lesson about trying to overcome. However we have to do it, it's a great challenge and I'm excited about going forward with the guys we have,” Donovan said. “It's going to be different, going to be unique. I have somewhat of a vision of how I want us to play and I have to convey that to them, because it's somewhat different than when the season started. I want our guys to embrace the opportunity.”
