Australian Funda Nakkasoglu is expected to be one of the UF women's basketball team's key players next season. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Transfer Nakkasoglu Waits Her Turn
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
The former Utah State standout led Mountain West Conference in scoring during 2015-16 season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A once-promising season for the UF women's basketball team is trying to find its way out of the fog.
It seems eons ago but in reality, only a few weeks separate today's Gators from the team that played its first 10 games as a squad ranked in the national polls. Florida climbed as high as No. 16 in the AP Top 25 prior to falling out and falling on hard times.
The Gators (11-12, 2-8) host Arkansas (13-10, 2-8) on Thursday at Exactech Arena with an opportunity to climb back to .500 and perhaps regain some momentum.
You knew the Gators would miss senior guard Simone Westbrook, a versatile player forced to sit out the season due to a knee injury. And when news broke sophomore guard Eleanna Christinaki was no longer with the team, you knew that wasn't going to be good for the won-loss record, either.
It's unfortunate, especially for seniors Ronni Williams, who deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Gators in most games by averaging 19.0 points and 7.7 rebounds, and center Tyshara Fleming, who chips in 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
Need a player to get excited about in the future?
Well, there's one player who is easy to overlook since she has not played a game at UF: 5-foot-8 junior guard Funda Nakkasoglu.
Nakkasoglu was the leading scorer in the Mountain West Conference a season ago at Utah State. She transferred to Florida over the summer.
"In the end, I decided to test myself in a different setting,'' Nakkasoglu said at the time.
NCAA transfer rules kept Nakkasoglu from making her Gators debut this season. Instead, she has been Florida's top scout-team player when healthy. She recently returned to practice from a concussion and had a case of mono earlier this fall.
Florida head coach Amanda Butler has learned much about the Australian in her first few months on campus.
"She is very eager, very coachable, very hungry,'' Butler said. "I think another characteristic that isn't always the case with point guards, but you see it a lot, she is very likeable. Her teammates like her. They respond to her.
"In the role she has for us this year, I had no idea how she would handle sitting out. She has been tremendous. She is great for [freshman point guard] Elif [Portakal]. She is a great voice on the bench. She has great observations she sees through the eyes of a point guard, sometimes for her coaches. She is just an asset in so many ways."
As a two-year starter at Utah State, Nakkasoglu averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 60 games. She can play, so there's no reason to think she won't make an instant impact for the Gators next season.
They can definitely use her.
'I've seen a tremendous amount of maturity and a lot of positive energy,'' Butler said. "She definitely is someone as a scorer and as a super-high basketball IQ has a chance, as you categorize, to be one of our best players. It's exciting to think about what she'll be like."
It seems eons ago but in reality, only a few weeks separate today's Gators from the team that played its first 10 games as a squad ranked in the national polls. Florida climbed as high as No. 16 in the AP Top 25 prior to falling out and falling on hard times.
The Gators (11-12, 2-8) host Arkansas (13-10, 2-8) on Thursday at Exactech Arena with an opportunity to climb back to .500 and perhaps regain some momentum.
You knew the Gators would miss senior guard Simone Westbrook, a versatile player forced to sit out the season due to a knee injury. And when news broke sophomore guard Eleanna Christinaki was no longer with the team, you knew that wasn't going to be good for the won-loss record, either.It's unfortunate, especially for seniors Ronni Williams, who deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Gators in most games by averaging 19.0 points and 7.7 rebounds, and center Tyshara Fleming, who chips in 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
Need a player to get excited about in the future?
Well, there's one player who is easy to overlook since she has not played a game at UF: 5-foot-8 junior guard Funda Nakkasoglu.
Nakkasoglu was the leading scorer in the Mountain West Conference a season ago at Utah State. She transferred to Florida over the summer.
"In the end, I decided to test myself in a different setting,'' Nakkasoglu said at the time.
NCAA transfer rules kept Nakkasoglu from making her Gators debut this season. Instead, she has been Florida's top scout-team player when healthy. She recently returned to practice from a concussion and had a case of mono earlier this fall.
Florida head coach Amanda Butler has learned much about the Australian in her first few months on campus.
"She is very eager, very coachable, very hungry,'' Butler said. "I think another characteristic that isn't always the case with point guards, but you see it a lot, she is very likeable. Her teammates like her. They respond to her.
"In the role she has for us this year, I had no idea how she would handle sitting out. She has been tremendous. She is great for [freshman point guard] Elif [Portakal]. She is a great voice on the bench. She has great observations she sees through the eyes of a point guard, sometimes for her coaches. She is just an asset in so many ways."
As a two-year starter at Utah State, Nakkasoglu averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 60 games. She can play, so there's no reason to think she won't make an instant impact for the Gators next season.
They can definitely use her.
'I've seen a tremendous amount of maturity and a lot of positive energy,'' Butler said. "She definitely is someone as a scorer and as a super-high basketball IQ has a chance, as you categorize, to be one of our best players. It's exciting to think about what she'll be like."
Players Mentioned
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