POSTERIZED: The Real Beal

I thought Florida freshman Bradley Beal was nothing more than a standout perimeter player. I was wrong.

But I guess when you play on a team where everybody wants to take the first shot they see, you have to be able to do stuff like this:



DUDE!

That was kinda awesome.

But was it as good as these?

Doug Anderson, Detroit vs. Valparaiso, 2/2 Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Oklahoma, 2/1
Markel Brown, Oklahoma state vs. Texas Tech, 1/31
Royce White, Iowa State vs. Kansas State, 1/31
Savalace Townsend, Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Grambling State, 1/28 (DotY Candidate)
Weekend Recap, 1/25 - 1/29
Tony Wroten Jr., Washington vs. Arizona State, 1/26 (DotY Candidate)
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Dayton, 1/25
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Missouri, 1/25 (DotY Candidate)
Larry Nance Jr., Wyoming vs. San Diego State, 1/24
Dion Dixon, Cincinnati vs. Syracuse, 1/23
Victor Rudd Jr., South Florida vs. St. John's, 1/17 (DotY Candidate)
C.J. Fair, Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh, 1/16
TrayVonn Wright, North Dakota State vs. South Dakota, 1/14
Bandja Sy, New Mexico State vs. Utah State, 1/12
Kenny Hall, Tennessee vs. Mississippi State, 1/12
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Duquesne, 1/11
Kadeem Batts, Providence vs. Louisville, 1/10
Karam Mashour, UNLV vs. CS-Bakersfield, 1/6
Tony Snell, New Mexico vs. Houston Baptist, 1/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgia Tech, 1/3
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro vs. Miami, 1/2
Orion Outerbridge, Rhode Island vs. Boston College, 1/2
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
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College Hoops Week in Review: Reggie Hamilton, Florida and a thriller in Indianapolis

Player of the Week: Reggie Hamilton, Oakland

You should know who Reggie Hamilton is by now. He's one of the most dynamic guards in the country and the star of a team that could legitimately win a game in the NCAA Tournament if they are able to get there. He went for 35 points in a nationally televised win over Tennessee and followed that up with 28 points in a tough loss to Michigan. The 5'11" Hamilton averages 22.0 ppg and 4.2 apg on the season, but he had the best game of his career on Saturday afternoon.

Hamilton went for 41 points in a win over Valparaiso. He made 14-24 shots from the floor, hitting five threes and added four assists, four steals and three rebounds. More impressive, however, was the fact that the Grizzlies were down by as much as 17 points in the second half, but Hamilton lead the charge back. He scored the first 12 points during an 17-1 run that trimmed the lead to 61-60 and kept Oakland in the game. It was Hamilton's final shot of the game that truly made the difference, as he went the length of the court in the final five seconds and banked in a runner as time expired:
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Breaking Down: How good is Florida when they use Patric Young

Past Breaking Downs:

- The efficient assassin
- What is the Michigan system?
- How Jared Cunningham defended John Jenkins
- The breakdowns in the Pitt defense

Florida needs to let the Big Dog eat.

Right?

Isn't that what we were all saying after Patric Young went for 25 points and 10 boards in a dominating performance against Arizona? That if the Gators are going to be successful, they have to pound the ball in to their big man? That the Gators will be the most successful when they 'let the big dog eat'?

Well, I decided to try and figure that out.


Patric Young is much improved in the post this season. You don't need a video breakdown from me to tell you that he actually has a post-move more advanced than a dunk in his repertoire this season. His hard numbers are up across the board (3.4 to 11.6 ppg, 3.8 to 7.9 rpg, 55.6 to 58.7 FG%) as are his efficiency numbers (11.3 to 20.5 usage rate, 110.8 to 118.4 offensive rating), but just because Young is better doesn't mean that he is a dominating low-post threat right now.

On the season, Young is scoring 1.02 PPP according to Synergy. That's not terrible. In fact, Synergy lists him in the 80th percentile and qualifies Young as "very good".

When you breakdown the numbers, however, it paints a bit of a different picture. Young's PPP numbers on put-backs (1.33), cuts (1.33) and shots around the basket that aren't post-ups (1.49) are all very high. But those numbers drop to 0.93 PPP in all post-up situations and 0.77 PPP and 0.73 PPP in left and right block post-ups, respectively. More eye-opening, however, is that Young is averaging just 0.96 PPP in post-up situations in which he has been single-covered, which drops him down to the 71% percentile for big men.

The kicker?

Only three times in Florida's nine games this season has Young seen a double-team. In other words, given the number of shooters and playmakers that Billy Donovan has hanging out on his perimeter, opponents are opting to allow Young to go one-on-one in the post instead of doubling him and risking that a shooter gets left open or given an easy driving lane to the rim. They are, for better or for worse, saying that they don't believe Young is going to be the guy to beat them.

To get an answer for whether or not Florida is better off pounding the ball into Young or using him as a pressure release to keep defenses honest, I went through the tape of Florida's three 'real' opponents this season -- Ohio State, Syracuse and Arizona. For the 96 minutes that Young was on the court for those three games, I charted every single Florida possession, finding a number for the PPP the Gators scored when Young got a touch in the post and when he didn't get a touch in the post.

Here is the chart (A couple of notes here: offensive rebounds that Young grabbed and went back up with or kicked out, leading directly into a shot, I counted as a post touch. Also, since Young didn't have a transition possession in these three games, I pulled those out at the bottom of the chart to try and figure out just how effective Florida was running their half-court sets when the ball doesn't get into Young's hands):



According to my data, in two of the three games, Florida was more effective (albeit in limited sample sizes) when they got the ball to Young on the block. Against Ohio State, the Gators got Young the ball on 28% of the possessions he was on the floor, but the big fella struggled early in the game. It was understandable; there aren't going to be many people capable of posting up Jared Sullinger. In fact, most of the damage that Young did came later in the game when he was being guarded by either Evan Ravenel or DeShaun Thomas. Young finished with 14 points and 12 boards on 5-10 shooting in that game.

The Arizona game is where Young really dominated. He got a post touch on 38.5% of the possessions that he was on the court and absolutely made the best of them, shooting 12-15 from the floor for 25 points while grabbing 10 boards and handing out a pair of assists for Will Yegeute dunks. More than anything, this game was an example of Young taking advantage of a smaller front line and his back court realizing the advantage.

The game where Young struggled came against Syracuse, but he was in trouble from the beginning. He picked up two fouls in the first six minutes of the game, killing any chance he had to get into a rhythm. That rhythm would have been very important against the Orange, because the combination of their big front line and their zone, a defense that is not exactly conducive to post-up isolations, essentially took Young out of the game.

But that doesn't mean that he was a non-factor.

Here, you can see Kenny Boynton attacking the Syracuse zone. He gets by the guards, but Fab Melo doesn't step-up to defend Boynton because he is worried about Young. Florida has the most success against the Syracuse zone when they were able to get the ball to that foul line area due to Young's presence:



Melo is worried about Young because of the lob. Young is a tremendous athlete and he has developed a knack for being able to get to the weak side of the rim and make himself available for the easiest assists that his guards are going to get. Here's an example of that from the Arizona game:



Florida runs a pick-and-roll heavy offense against man (and against zone; in the second half of the Syracuse game, they were running strictly man-to-man offense), and Young is very good in the pick-and-roll:



But the Gator's offense goes beyond just a simple pick-and-roll. In this clip, you'll see Young run a pick-and-roll with Erving Walker at the top of the screen. Arizona defends it well, and the ball gets swung to Bradley Beal. Erik Murphy sets a ball-screen for Beal, and as the freshman dribbles to the top of the key, Young seals his man hard. This is called a duck-in, and it may actually be what Young is the best at:



Even when his teammates don't give him the ball on a duck-in, the strength with which Young can hold a seal opens up driving lanes to the rim. In this set, you'll see Beal pop to the top off the key off of a downscreen from from Murphy. As Young holds his seal, Beal drives to the rim and gets a wide-open layup as Young holds off his defender:



While Young has the ability to be overpowering on the block, Florida has enough talented perimeter scorers that asking them to forsake their ability to pound the ball inside is not necessarily the smartest way for Florida to play. The issue is the decision-making of the back court players. Far too often, they settle for tough, ill-advised shots when they actually do have Young in perfect position. In the first clip, you'll see Walker get into the paint and miss a tough, 12-foot runner when he has Young all alone at the rim:



And in this clip, its Beal missing Young on a textbook seal and missing a challenged layup:



When Young does get the ball in position to score, he is capable of doing this:



And this:



As good as Young is, he's not yet Jared Sullinger. He doesn't have the kind of post game or ability to pass out of a double team that would allow him to be the star of this show. And, as I said, taking the ball out of the hands Florida's excellent back court is not the best option for Florida, not with the way that group can shoot.

But what Florida does need to improve on is getting Young the ball in spots that he can be effective. When he's got a seal on the block, dump the ball in. If his man comes to help a penetrator, put the ball up for him.

If Florida truly is going to compete for an SEC title, they need their back court to play well. And part of playing well is recognizing when they have a favorable matchup with Young on the block.
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Florida needs to let the big dog eat

On Tuesday afternoon, Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated wrote an extensive column on Florida.

Specifically, he wrote about how much Florida shoots from beyond the arc. He goes into quite a bit of in-depth statistical analysis -- seriously, go give it a read, there is a lot of rock-solid info in there -- but the general gist of what Glockner is saying is that Florida is living by the three right now. And not just any kind of three pointer, difficult threes -- contested catch-and-shoot jumpers and, in Kenny Boynton's case, threes off the dribble.

Glockner's point, more or less, is that the success that Florida had early in the season needs to be taken in perspective. There is no way they are going to be able to keep up their red-hot shooting taking the kind of shots they have been taken.


And if you watched the Gator's beat Arizona 78-72 in overtime on Wednesday night, you'll know exactly what Glockner is talking about.

Patric Young had the most dominant game of his young career against the Wildcats. Playing against a front line that simply doesn't have the size to matchup with him, Young put on a show. He finished with 25 points on 12-15 shooting from the field and added 10 boards, six offensive.

Those numbers become all the more impressive when you consider the fact that there were times where it seemed like Young wasn't even on the court.

Far too often, Florida's guards opted to hoist up tough threes instead of getting the ball inside to their big man that was in the best rhythm of his career. Erving Walker and Boynton were the two biggest culprits, combining to shoot 5-27 from the floor and 2-15 from beyond the arc. The perfect example of this came on a possession with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Florida was down by one, but instead of getting the ball into their big man, Walker settled for a contested three off the dribble, which he missed.

Luckily, Young was there to grab the offensive rebound and put it back in, but the end result shouldn't blind you to the issue at hand.

Florida needs to learn that their going to be at their best when Young is getting touches on every possession. As he continues to improve his back-to-the-basket game -- which is already world's better than what he showed last season -- he is going to become more and more of an unstoppable force on the block. The Gators back court needs to understand that he is a weapon that will get them better looks at the rim when he commands double teams.

And until then, the Gators are going to be the exact same team that they have been the past two seasons: one that you cannot trust to put together four or five or six wins in a row in March.
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Erik Murphy learned from Chris Herren this summer

ESPN debuted "UnGuarded" last night, and for those that missed it, I strongly suggest you catch -- or at least DVR (everyone has DVR at this point, right?) -- the reairing on Saturday morning.

UnGuarded is not an easy documentary to watch. It chronicles to story of Chris Herren, a McDonald's all-american point guard out of Falls River, MA, that played college hoops for both Boston College and Fresno State and was eventually a second round pick of the Boston Celtics. He was also a drug addict, abusing alcohol, pot, coke, oxycontin and, eventually, heroin. And while his tale is a tough one to listen to, its also uplifting; Herren has been sober for more than three and a half years. He's reunited with his family and has made a life out of speaking to people about his addiction.

Herren has also started a foundations called Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren to not only help train kids as basketball players, but to help counsel athletes that could potentially end up heading down the same road he did. One of those players? Florida's Erik Murphy. If you've forgotten, Murphy was arrested after trying to break into a car this summer with teammate Cody Larson outside a Florida bar. Both players were underage and Larson was on probation for a drug arrest in his hometown of South Dakota.

Murphy's father, former NBA player Jay Murphy, wanted Herren to mentor his son. From GatorSports.com:

“I told Erik, if that's the worst mistake that he makes than he's lived a pretty good life,” Herren said. “If he can turn this mistake around and use it for a positive, and I think Erik will, he will be great. Erik, I care about as a person more than a basketball player and I think he will handle this and learn from it.”

Murphy said he learned a great deal from Herren both on and off the court.

“He's been great with me, working-out wise and helping me out,” Murphy said. “He had a lot of issues and then I had my little bump in the spring, too. So he's helped me out with that too, so has my family, coach, everybody else.”

Murphy said Herren's workouts have helped put him in the best shape of his career.

“His workouts are crazy,” Murphy said. “He kills you. You can't even walk out of there by the time you were done with him.”

Said Herren: “They were intense and Erik played at a high level. More importantly, it was just nice to spend time with him as a person.”

Murphy is the x-factor for Florida this season. The Gators have a loaded perimeter attack and a hoss in the middle in Patric Young. Murphy's a 6'9" power forward with range on his jump shot. He's be a perfect compliment to Young, spreading the floor and creating space in the lane for penetration and post-ups.
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2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: No. 11 Florida Gators

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.

Last Season: 29-8, 13-3 (1st SEC), lost to Butler in the Elite 8

Head Coach: Billy Donovan

Key Losses: Chandler Parsons, Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus

Newcomers: Brad Beal, Walter Pitchford

Projected Lineup:

- G: Erving Walker, Sr.
- G: Kenny Boynton, Jr.
- G: Bradley Bear, Fr.
- F: Erik Murphy, Jr.
- C: Patric Young, So.
- Bench: Mike Rosario, Jr.; Cody Larson, Fr.; Will Yeguete, So.; Scottie Wilbekin, So.


Outlook: After the way that Florida started the season, I don't think many people would have predicted the way that it ended up. The Gators struggled early on in the year. They were embarrassed on national television by Ohio State in their first game of the season. Then they lost to UCF. Then they dropped a game to Jacksonville at home. With conference play bearing down, the Gators looked like they were doomed to once again disappoint with a talented team. But something clicked on New Year's Eve. Florida went to Cincinnati and knocked off Xavier, sparking a run through the SEC that didn't stop until the Gators were league champions -- by three games, no less, despite playing in the loaded Eastern Division. Florida had their fare share of postseason success as well, making it all the way to the SEC title game and taking a trip to the Elite eight, where they eventually were knocked off by Butler.

In 2010-2011, the Gators strength was their front court. Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus provided size, athleticism and shot blocking inside while Chandler Parsons, who was the SEC Player of the Year, gave the Gators the kind of versatility and playmaking they needed on the perimeter. All three of those guys are gone, leaving a team that will be overloaded with back court talent next season.

There will be essentially five players in the back court for Florida this year -- senior Erving Walker, juniors Mike Rosario and Kenny Boynton, sophomore Scottie Wilbekin and freshman Bradley Beal. Walker will be the primary ball-handler to start, a role he has never quite appeared suited too. Walker's a natural scoring guard, but part of the reason that Florida experienced so much success in SEC play last season was his ability to embrace the role of being the facilitator offensively. Walker needs to be a playmaker and a distributor as much as he is a scorer, although he has proved that he can be a guy that is relied upon to make big shots in the clutch.

Rosario and Boynton are both very similar players to Walker in that they are volume shooters that need the ball in their hands to be effective. But, like Walker, neither are true point guards. Rosario is a transfer from Rutgers, where he was allowed free reign to shoot whenever and from wherever he liked. And while he will likely be playing the role of the hired gun off of the bench this season, that is still not a quality that you like to see out of one of your star back court players on a team with this much talent. Boynton is similar. He's not quite as good of a ball handler as either of those two, but he has no conscience when it comes to firing away from beyond the arc. He got much more consistent as the season went on, however, and upped his percentages. The other positive about Boynton is that he is a terrific on-ball defender.

Beal and Wilbekin will round out the Florida back court. Wilbekin is young, but he looked promising as a facilitator is his limited minutes as a freshman. Beal, on the other hand, will likely start, as he was one of the most sought after freshman in the country in high school. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but he can still get it to the rim if he needs to. Where Beal should help Florida the most is in the fact that he can score on the perimeter, and he doesn't needed to do. Beal thrives as a catch-and-shoot guy that excels at coming off of a screen.


The front court will be anchored by Patric Young, who is a freak of an athlete. Standing 6'9", 250 lb, the sophomore spent the summer playing with the U19 Team USA in Latvia. Young possesses the kind of size and athleticism that had some using the name "Dwight Howard" as a comparison when he was in high school. That may be a bit much, but if he ever adds touch around the bucket, he's already the kind of physical specimen that can change the game defensively and as a shot blocker. It will be interesting to see how he develops, considering that he is going to be relied on so heavily to carry the Florida front court.

Joining Young will be three players vying for the power forward spot. The most likely to start is probably junior Erik Murphy, a 6'10" big man with range out to the three point line. He's going to have to get tougher in the paint, but having a weapon like Murphy that is capable of spreading the floor will be important for Donovan's club. Will Yegeute, a sophomore, and Cody Larson, a redshirt freshman, are both physical players that will need to bring physicality to a team that doesn't have an overabundance of it.

There are two key issues here for Florida. This first is how they are able to divvy up the shots. There are four guys in their back court that are probably capable of scoring 15 ppg. Will they be able to handle sharing shots and making sure they get the ball to the hot hand? Will anyone else on the team be involved offensively? If Florida is struggling, can they avoid falling into the trap of playing one-on-one streetball?

The other issue is at the four. Does Donovan go with four guards? Can Murphy or Yeguete or Larson emerge as a reliable fifth starter? Depending on how those problems are solved, Florida will be competing with Vanderbilt for the right to call themselves the second best team in the SEC.
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Erik Murphy reinstated, Cody Larson still suspended

The University of Florida got some big news on Thursday afternoon when it was announced that forward Erik Murphy broke up with his fiance Sloan had been reinstated to the team.

If you've forgotten, Murphy was part of the ill-fated crew of Gators that decided it would be a good idea to try and break into a car after a night of bar-hopping. After Murphy and student manager Josh Adel were arrested, they spent a good five minutes talking to Cody Larson, who redshirted this past season, on speaker-phone. From the back of the police cruiser. The cops got it all on tape.

Criminal masterminds, those guys.

Anyway, Murphy had his sentence reduced to a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief that resulted in a $440 fine, 50 hours of community service and a ban on drinking for a year. He got lucky. That tends to happen when you aren't on probation.

Larson wasn't so lucky. You see, he was on probation stemming from an arrest -- for abusing prescription drugs -- during his senior year of high school, a crime that got him thrown off of the team. Larson has another hearing in Florida on October 31st, and when that legal process is over, he will have to deal with South Dakota's legal process.

Florida has a thin front line this season behind Patric Young, thin enough that even with Murphy and Larson in the fold, Billy Donovan is expected to play a four-guard lineup at times.
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POSTERIZED: Will Yeguete will be key for Florida next season

We've already talked about a rising sophomore forward for Florida who impressed playing with his national team this summer.

Patric Young. He played very well during the United States' disappointing U-19 World Championship run.

But he's not the only player to make his presence known. Jonathon Givony of Draft Express was quite enamored with Will Yeguete's play last week, tweeting "The most effective player on France might be Florida freshman Will Yeguete. Long, athletic, aggressive. Defends. Making plays." and "Once again loving the work Will Yeguete is doing on both ends of the floor. Length+athleticism+big time motor. Even showing a decent feel."


Yeguete is an important player for the Gators next season. With Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario and top ten recruit Bradley Beal joining Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker, and Scottie Wilbekin in Billy Donovan's back court, the Gators are going to have plenty of perimeter firepower. Their issue is up front. With Alex Tyus, Chandler Parson, and Vernon Macklin all graduating -- and Erik Murphy and Cody Larson dealing with offseason legal troubles -- front court minutes are going to be wide open for the taking.

Young looks promising. He's a freak athlete that many expect to blossom with more minutes this season. But who is going to join him up front? Donovan has already hinted at using a four-guard lineup, but that's a risky move to make.

The opportunity is there for Yeguete. Major minutes are going to be available. The question is whether or not he is going to be able to capitalize on that playing time.

Kentucky is the clear favorite in the SEC next season, but with some help up front for Young, Florida shouldn't be all that far behind.


While we're on the topic, Justin Young found this nasty dunk from Yeguete's summer:


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Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the the 2003 recruiting classes:


1. UConn (Scout: 9, Rivals: 14): Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Ryan Thompson

The Huskies were the clear winner of the 2003 recruiting class. Boone, Villanueva, and Williams all played key roles for the 2004 UConn team that won the Big East and NCAA Tournament titles. They became stars on the 2005 team that won a share of the Big East regular season title. Villanueva left school after his sophomore year, becoming the seventh pick in the NBA Draft, while Boone and Williams returned for their junior seasons. UConn again won a share of the Big East regular season title, but lost to George Mason in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Williams and Boone left school after their junior years and ended up getting picked in the first round of the draft.


2. Gonzaga (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Adam Morrison, Derek Raivio

We all know about Adam Morrison. The kid that no one wanted managed to contribute to one of the most talented teams that Mark Few has fielded in Spokane as a freshman before becoming the 'Zag's go-to player as a sophomore and the co-national player of the year with JJ Redick as a junior. Morrison would eventually become the third pick in the NBA Draft. Derek Raivio didn't have quite as immediate individual success, but he played a key role on three teams before leading the transition -- and winning the 2007 WCC player of the year award in the process -- from the Adam Morrison era to the Matt Bouldin era. Gonzaga was 40-2 in WCC play in the three years Raivio and Morrison were both in the program, and Raivio was a member of four straight outright champions, winning both the WCC regular season and tournament titles every season. The only year Gonzaga made it out of the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, when they blew a 17 point lead to UCLA.


3. Wake Forest (Scout: 22, Rivals: 16): Chris Paul, Kyle Visser, Jeremy Ingram, Todd Hendley

Chris Paul. Enough said. Paul -- who ranked third behind Shannon Brown and Drew Lavender for point guard -- was as good in college as he has been since he entered the NBA. In his two seasons, Paul led Wake Forest to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, the Sweet 16 as a freshman, and a second place finish in the ACC regular season as a sophomore. He also managed to win national freshman of the year honors and was a consensus first-team all-american as a sophomore before becoming the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. The only other impact player from this class was Kyle Visser, who played a role for three years before becoming a third-team all-acc selection as a senior after averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg.


4. Oklahoma State (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): John Lucas III*, Marcus Dove, David Monds, Tremaine Fuqua

(*The inclusion of John Lucas III deserves an asterisk. He was originally in the class of 2001, but he transferred to Oklahoma State from Baylor after the death of Patrick Dennehy and the resulting scandal.)

In their first season, this group had the best season in recent Cowboy history. They won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four before losing to Georgia Tech. John Lucas III became a star on a team that already included Tony Allen and the Graham twins, while Fuqua and Monds were role players. In 2005, Lucas led the Cowboys to another Big 12 Tournament title and OSU's second straight two seed before bowing out in the Sweet 16. Lucas graduated in 2005, and for the next three seasons, Dove (who red-shirted in 2004) and Monds were role players and starters on three straight NIT teams.


5. Pitt (Scout: 21, Rivals: 9): Aaron Gray, Chris Taft, Dante Milligan, Antonio Graves

Jamie Dixon's first recruiting class at Pitt spawned two eventual second-round picks. Chris Taft was the player with the most immediate impact. He was a starter from day one, averaging double-figures as a freshman on a Panther team that won the Big East regular season title and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Taft left school after his sophomore season, getting scooped up in the second round of the 2005 Draft. Taft's departure opened up space for Gray, who became a double-double machine his last two years, anchoring a Panther squad that finished second in the Big East and made the Sweet 16 in 2007. Gray was picked in the second round in 2007. Graves was a typical Pitt guard -- contributed for four years, a starter his last two.


6. Florida (Scout: 16, Rivals: 12): Chris Richard, Lee Humphrey, Mohamed Abukar

Florida's 2003 is easily the most interesting to discuss and probably the most controversial in these rankings. None of the three players ever really advanced beyond being a role-player. Abukar transferred as a sophomore to SDSU (where he was all-MWC), but Richard and Humphrey stayed where they became members of three straight SEC Tournament title winners, the 2007 SEC regular season champ, and, most importantly, the 2006 and 2007 national champions. Humphrey started and shot a bunch of threes during the two title runs, while Richard played impressively enough in his limited minutes off the bench to spelling Joakim Noah and Al Horford that he became a second round pick.



7. Syracuse (Scout: 6, Rivals: 7): Louie McCroskey, Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins

The year before these four arrived on campus, the Orange rode the coattails of freshman Carmelo Anthony to the 2003 NCAA title. But none of these four freshmen were as lucky, as all four were at the back-end of a short Jim Boeheim rotation, one freshmen rarely crack. The 2004 NCAA Tournament was the only year that this group made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As sophomores, all four were still coming off the bench but all four had seen their roles increase. The Orange won the 2005 Big East Tournament, but lost to Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As juniors, Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts, and Darryl Watkins all became starters, but if it wasn't for the heroics of Gerry McNamara in leading the Orange to a second-straight Big East tournament title, Syracuse (who went 7-9 in the Big East) would have missed the NCAA Tournament. McCroskey transferred to Marist as a senior while Nichols became an 18.9 ppg and an all-Big East first team selection, but the Orange went to the NIT despite finishing 10-6 in Big East play.


8. Maryland (Scout: 3, Rivals: 3): Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, Mike Jones, Will Bowers, Hassan Fofana

As freshmen, Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, and Mike Jones all played key roles for a Maryland that ran through the ACC Tournament and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite finishing just 7-9 in ACC play. The Terps went to back-to-back NIT's the next two seasons before returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, where they beat Davidson but lost to Butler in the second round. Ibekwe, Strawberry, and Jones all developed together. As sophomores and juniors, their roles expanded before becoming starters, and in Strawberry's case a star, as seniors.


9. Wisconsin (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Brian Butch, Kammron Taylor, Zach Morley

The Badgers just barely get the nod over the Spartans. Kammron Taylor was the only typical recruit in this class for Bo Ryan. A seldom-used back-up to Devin Harris as a freshman, Taylor became the No. 2 option for the Badgers behind Alando Tucker as a junior and senior. Morley was a JuCo transfer that played valuable front court minutes in his two seasons, including the 2005 Elite 8 run. Butch was the most interesting recruit. A top ten player coming out of high school, he redshirted a season in 2004, something you don't see very often in hoops. Butch played a role as a redshirt freshman, slowly developing into the third option as a junior and the focal point as a senior, when he led the Badgers to Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.


10. Michigan State (Scout: 5, Rivals: 13): Brandon Cotton, Shannon Brown, Drew Naymick

Brandon Cotton, a McDonald's all-american, last all of three games with the Spartans before transferring to Detroit. Drew Naymick never became more than a limited role-player in his five seasons in East Lansing. Shannon Brown, as you know, ended up going in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft after becoming a second-team all-Big Ten pick. Brown played a supporting role for the 2005 Michigan State team that made the Final Four.



11. LSU (Scout: 2, Rivals: 4): Brandon Bass, Tack Minor, Darnell Lazare, Regis Koundjia, Robert Neltner

12. Oregon (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Aaron Brooks, Mitch Platt, Ray Schafer

13. Florida State (Scout: 1, Rivals: 1): Von Wafer, Alexander Johnson, Diego Romero, Antonio Griffin

14. Arkansas (Scout: 10, Rivals: 5): Ronnie Brewer, Olu Famutimi, Anthony Gray, Vincent Hunter, Darian Townes

15. Louisiana Tech (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Paul Millsap, Donnell Allick, Solomon Brown, Fred Marshall, JueMichael Young


The most disappointing classes:

- Kansas (Scout: 4, Rivals: 8): The Jayhawks brought in a six man recruiting class, but only two of the six players finished their career in a Kansas uniform. David Padgett transferred to Louisville, where he became a fixture for a very good Cardinals team. JR Giddens left Lawrence under some duress, transferring to New Mexico where he eventually became a first round pick of the Celtics. Omar Wilkes transferred to Cal to play with his brother. Nick Bahe finished his career with Creighton. Only Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case, neither of whom were stars, graduated a Jayhawk.

- Oklahoma (Scout: 14, Rivals: 2): The only player from Oklahoma's vaunted six-man recruiting class in 2003 that played their entire career in Norman was Longar Longar, and that was after he spent a year at a prep school. Drew Lavender started as a freshman but transferred to Xavier after his sophomore season. Brandon Faust transferred to Southeast Missouri, Lawrence McKenzie transferred back to Minnesota, and Jimmy Tobias went to a JuCo after one season and finished his career with Georgia Southern. Jaison Williams spent two years in a limited-role off the bench after transferring in from a JuCo.

- Mississippi State (Scout: 13, Rivals: 20): The Bulldogs 2003 recruiting class is one example of why I don't want to see the NBA allow players to go straight to the NBA again. Neither Jackie Butler nor Travis Outlaw ever made it to Starkville, which set MSU's class off on the wrong foot. Gary Ervin never really found a home with the Bulldogs, transferring after his sophomore year to Arkansas. Bill Begley finished his career at Nicholls State. There were some successful recruits in this class, however. Dietric Slater became a solid role player as a junior and senior. Iowa State transfer Shane Power averaged double figures in his two seasons in Starkville, although he was technically part of the 2002 class. And then there is Lawrence Roberts, who, like John Lucas III at Oklahoma State, transferred out of Baylor due to the scandal.
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POSTERIZED: Patric Young

The USA's U-19 team had a disappointing finish to the World Championships, needing a late bucket to beat Australia in the fifth place game.

And while the finish was less than inspiring, I can't be the only one that was thankful to have some college level hoops to watch and talk about in July. I learned some things to, like that Jeremy Lamb could turn into a star if he doesn't develop a Jerome Dyson-esque attitude, or that the only thing that kept Patric Young from being a star last season was the presence of Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus.

The folks at FIBA put together a solid mixtape for both players. This qualifies as a POSTERIZED because, well, Young's tape involves a number of impressive dunks. See if you recognize Jonas Valanciunas, the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft:



And here is Lamb's tape. He'll have the best midrange game in college basketball next season:


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VIDEO: The audio of the Florida players' arrest

On Monday, we wrote about a crazy story coming out of Florida where Cody Larsen and Alex Murphy, both forwards on the Florida basketball team, were arrested along with team manager Joshua Adel after they were kicked out of a bar and then tried to break into a car in the parking lot. This is what we said in our post on Monday:

When they were spotted by the people still working in the bar, the three took off. Larson and Murphy got away, but Adel was caught a block later. Adel was arrested and managed to convince Murphy to come back and turn himself in. He, too, was arrested. Those two were sitting in the back on the police cruiser when Larson called them "seven or eight times". The three talked, on speaker phone, about how they planned to talk their way out of the trouble with two officers sitting in the front seat.

Well, it turns out that the cops had a tape recorder in the cruiser with them. And the audio has been obtained by First Coast News in Florida. The video, via Sports by Brooks:




The audio is, frankly, mind-blowing. Any doubt about what happened is blown out of the water. I don't think Billy Donovan is going to be too happy about his players getting caught breaking into a car, especially when one of those players (Larson) was already on probation for drug-related issues he had back in his home-state of South Dakota.

Adel actually comes off looking good. He doesn't appear to have been involved in the incident, as he said he was standing off to the side on his cell phone, and he spent the duration of the time in the back of the car trying to convince Murphy that his ill-conceived plans of trying to cover up what happened were, well, ill-conceived.
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Florida and Louisville play assistant merry-go-round

The coaching carousel was mellower than usual this spring.

Not only did the big names like Shaka Smart, Chris Mooney, and Brad Stevens avoid jumping to bigger jobs, but schools like Missouri, NC State, and now Miami have had, or are having, trouble filling their head coaching position. As of today, there are still 11 available head coaching positions, but after Miami, the best available job is ... IUPUI? Eastern Michigan? Princeton?

That said, the assistant coaching carousel, if there is such a thing, is just starting to heat up.

Yesterday, Billy Donovan hired John Pelphrey, the former Arkansas head coach and longtime Gator assistant, and Norm Roberts, who spent the year as an analyst after losing his job as the head coach at St. John's. He had too. He lost all three of his assistants this offseason. Larry Shyatt took the head coaching gig at Wyoming, while Richard Pitino (Louisville) and Rob Lanier (Texas) left for other assistant positions.

Donovan has a great track record with assistants -- Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, and Donnie Jones immediately come to mind, along with Pelphrey -- and it will be interesting to see who the third member of his staff will be.

That isn't the most intriguing assistant coach movement, however.

It may be more interesting to see what happens at Louisville.

The Cardinals lost assistant Steve Masiello -- who was instrumental in landing guys like Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels, Earl Clark and Francisco Garcia and this year Wayne Blackshear -- to Manhattan where he will be replacing Barry Rohrssen as the Jaspers head coach. What's more, there are now reports that Tim Fuller is leaving Louisville to take an assistant coaching position at Missouri -- he's very close with Frank Haith. Fuller played an integral role in the Cardinals landing a commitment from Rodney Purvis, a top five player in the class of 2012.

Pitino has reportedly already hired his son (as a "coach-in-waiting"?), so it will be interesting to see if Louisville can hold on to the commitment from Purvis.
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Two Florida basketball players arrested on felony charge

Cody Larson and Erik Murphy, forwards on the Florida basketball team, are facing third-degree burglary charges -- a felony -- stemming from an incident late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.

Try to follow along, because this is, well, pretty strange.

Both Larson (19) and Murphy (20) went into a bar around closing time with student manager Josh Adel (21) to inquire about a lost wallet. They got close to an employee of the bar that was counting cash and were asked to leave, but instead of leaving they tried to break into an employee's car in the parking lot.

(h/t RTC for the photo)

When they were spotted by the people still working in the bar, the three took off. Larson and Murphy got away, but Adel was caught a block later. Adel was arrested and managed to convince Murphy to come back and turn himself in. He, too, was arrested. Those two were sitting in the back on the police cruiser when Larson called them "seven or eight times". The three talked, on speaker phone, about how they planned to talk their way out of the trouble with two officers sitting in the front seat.

Smart.

Eventually, Murphy and Adel convinced Larson to turn himself in as well, which was probably not an easy decision for him to make. Larson, who is currently redshirting this season, was suspended by his high school team in February of his senior year for using hydrocodone, and then was arrested in May of that year and given a 120-day suspended jail sentence and two year's probation for the same crime. Gatorsports.com had this to say on Larson:

Donovan said last fall that Larson came to Florida with a clean slate, but that consequences could be severe if he slipped up while on campus.

Both Larson and Murphy were expected to play a major role in the front court next season for the Gators. With Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus, and Vernon Macklin all graduating, that leaves rising sophomore Patric Young, Larson, and Murphy as Florida's lone front-court players.
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Florida was flawed all along

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

The decision making ability of Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton bears a striking resemblance to my golf game.

I'm not terrible at golf. I'd call myself mildly capable. At 6'3" and currently sitting on the wrong side of 230 lb, I can hit a golf ball pretty far. That said, regardless of what club I swing, 95% of the time, where the ball ends up is about 45 degrees to the right of where I aim. But the other 5% of the time, the ball goes straight. And there is no better feeling in the world than when that golf ball that I just hit is sitting in the middle of the fairway some 225 yards away from the tee.

The problem? Every time I hit a picture perfect shot, I manage to convince myself that I am capable of doing the same thing. Over and over again. Even though, deep down, I know that I actually hit a terrible shot 95% of the time.

I'm convinced that is what has happened with Walker and Boynton.

Because there is no other way to explain the fact that on Florida's three most important possessions in their 74-71 overtime loss to Butler, those two were taking deep threes.

Its not that they aren't capable of hitting those shots. Both Walker and Boynton have hit some big shots throughout the season for the Gators. They hit big shots in this game. With Butler up three in the overtime, Walker drove and found Boynton curling in behind him. Boynton hit the three, which tied the game at 67.

On the very next possession, after Butler had scored at the other end, Walker drilled a three off the dribble to give Florida a 70-69 lead.

Those were big shots. And they weren't the only big shots that Florida's guards have hit this season.

But, as is the case with my golf game, Walker and Boynton managed to convince themselves that because they have hit big threes this season, they can hit every big three they take.

And it wasn't just Walker's three at the end of regulation, Boynton's three with a minute left in overtime, or Walker's three at the end of the overtime.

Throughout the second half, the Gators got away from what got them the lead. Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin were dominant this afternoon. Tyus finished with 14 points and 10 boards on 6-12 shooting. Macklin looked like the kid that earned the nickname The Big Ticket when he was a senior in high school, finishing with 25 points on 11-14 shooting from the floor. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but Macklin dominated whoever Butler threw at him.

But down the stretch Florida started settling for jumpshots. They stopped penetrating. They stopped feeding the post. And it played right into Butler's hands.

This isn't a new issue, either. Leadership and decision making from their back court has been an achilles heel for the past two seasons for the Gators.

Billy Donovan put together a talented team. He outcoached Brad Stevens, who admitted as much after the game. But the Gators were flawed.

And that flaw reared its ugly head at the worst possible time.
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Elite 8 Preview: No. 2 Florida vs. No. 8 Butler

When: 4:30 pm EST, CBS

The Details: Florida's trip through the NCAA Tournament has been a series of rematches. In the Round of 32, it was a rematch of the 2006 national title game. In the Sweet 16, the Gators got revenge for a double overtime defeat they suffered at the hands of BYU in last year's tournament.

And now? Florida take on Butler, whom the Gators beat on a Mike Miller floater at the buzzer in the first round back in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.


Florida will be the favorite heading into this game, meaning that Butler, for the third -- and possibly fourth -- straight game, will be the underdog. They should be used to the role, however. Butler's will be playing in their 10th NCAA Tournament game of the last two seasons. They were the higher seed in three of them. They've lost one.


Key Matchups: Florida's front line vs. Butler's front line

I'll be honest -- I actually think that Butler has a better back court than Florida. Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton are talented and have made some big shots this season for Florida, but Shelvin Mack is an all-american that has made big shots throughout his career and has played in a title game. Shawn Vanzant and Ronald Nored are both terrific defenders that can score some points if need be.

But Florida's front court, frankly, looks quite intimidating when compared to Butler's. As good as Matt Howard has been, Alex Tyus is going to have all kinds of athletic advantages against him. Howard hasn't faced a four with his kind of quickness or leaping ability in the tournament. Vernon Macklin has developed into a pretty consistent low-post scorer, and while Andrew Smith has had a solid sophomore season, he will have his work cut out for him on the defensive end of the floor, especially if his ankle is still bothering him.


The most difficult matchup for Butler, however, is going to be Chandler Parsons. At 6'10", Parsons is almost a point forward. He has three point range, he's capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to score or pass, and he was the second best rebounder in SEC play. He was good enough to earn the SEC player of the year award. He also plays the three for the Gators. Butler generally uses a three guard lineup, with the biggest option being Chase Stigall, who is all of 6'4". Khyle Marshall, an athletic freshman forward, and Garrett Butcher may be valuable pieces for the Bulldogs in this matchup. We may end up finding out just how much Butler misses Willie Veasley.


Key Stats: Florida's offensive rebounding percentage

Sticking with the front court theme, the key to this game may end up being how well Butler can keep that bigger, more athletic Butler front line off of the offensive glass.

We can knock the Gators for being soft all we want, it doesn't change the fact that this team was 15th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage. Macklin, Tyus, and Patric Young all hit the offensive glass hard. But Butler is an excellent defensive rebounding team. They only give up offensive boards on 27.9% of their opponent's misses.

Another thing to watch for is Florida's scoring in and around the paint. The Gators are at their best when they are playing inside-out. They thrive when they get paint touches -- either via the dribble or a post-up -- that lead to a shot from within 10 feet or a kickout, open three. In fact, Florida is a top 25 team nationally at shooting inside the arc. Butler? They are in the bottom half of the country at defending against it.


X-factors: Shawn Vanzant and Ronald Nored

One of Florida's achilles heels the past two seasons has been their back court. As talented as Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton are, they have a tendency to be gunners. Their shot selection can be atrocious at times, and they have been known to over penetrate and turn the ball over or force shots against bigger defenders.

That is where Vanzant and Nored come into play. Both of them are terrific on-ball defenders. And while Walker and Boynton have a tendency to take some dumb shots, they are still important pieces on this team. It is their penetration that can create open looks on the perimeter and dump down opportunities for the big men. Its their shooting that keeps the floor spread so that dribble penetration is an option. They have to be scorers.

If Vanzant and Nored can frustrate Walker and Boynton, if they can get the Gator guards to start forcing the issue, it can take the Gators out of their offensive rhythm.


And the winner is?: Florida Gators

I have a feeling I am going to regret this pick. I love Butler, and while their front line has been "overmatched" already in this tournament, they have yet to face a team with the kind of athletes that Florida has. I see Patric Young and Alex Tyus abusing the Bulldog bigs on loose balls, and I still have no idea how Brad Stevens tries to slow down Chandler Parsons.

That said, Brad Stevens is apparently the new Tom Izzo. Maybe you should just bet on Butler then.
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Maybe we should start taking Florida seriously

After their 73-65 win over UCLA on Saturday, it is time to take Florida seriously.

To be honest, its probably something we should have been doing all season long.

The Gators have size and athleticism up front. Vernon Macklin struggled a bit today -- 10 points, three boards -- but Alex Tyus and Patric Young combined for 16 points and 17 boards. Chandler Parsons is the best playmaker on this Florida team, but he just so happens to be 6'10" and the second leading rebounder in SEC play.

But the difference for this team has been the play of their back court. This season, Erving Walker has gone from a shoot-first gunner to facilitator with a knack for hitting big shots. That was on display this afternoon, as Walker finished with 21 points on 5-8 shooting, hitting 8-10 from the line, and scoring seven points in the final five minutes. Included in those seven points was a ridiculous, falling down bank shot and a tough, challenged 23 footer that answered a UCLA run to get to lead down to one.

Boynton has been terrific down the stretch of the season. He wasn't great today, finishing with 12 points on 3-9 shooting, but he had five assists to just one turnover. He also showed a lot of heart when, after injuring his ankle, he returned to the court to make an attempt to play the rest of the game.

Don't sleep on the Gators.

This team is legit.

And thanks to Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, they have a real shot to do some damage in this tournament.
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Vernon Macklin waves a terrible towel

We've all been ball-tapped before.

It sucks.

There's no way around it. That first 90 seconds after getting hit in the pills is some of the worst pain anybody can ever feel. As soon as the pain subsides, usually you look directly for the attacker and try to return the favor.

Chandler Parsons was put in a lose-lose situation on Tuesday night.

You see, Parsons hit a clutch three-pointer in double-OT of Florida's win at Georgia, but was then slapped in the balls by an errant Vernon Macklin towel swing. But becuase Vernon is on his team, and was on the bench, Parsons could not return the favor. You know what, just watch the video, because something like this is hard to put into words.



Is that how you reward a teammate for hitting a clutch shot?

I wonder how hard Chandler Parsons ball-tapped Macklin when they got to the locker room?


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Florida: if you're consistently inconsistent, its not a good thing

For the second time in a week, an SEC school coming off of a dominant, potentially season-defining win failed to show up for a home game against a mid-major conference contender and suffered an embarrassing loss.

Last week, it was Tennessee losing to Oakland (and Charlotte). Today, it was Florida. The Gators hosted Jacksonville, who has a shot at winning the Atlantic Sun, in a 1:00 pm tip (this was due to a scheduling conflict with the women's team) and lost 71-68 in overtime.

The problems for Florida haven't changed. Their starting back court of Kenny Boyton and Erving Walker combined for 10-25 shooting (3-12 from three) with just four assists to seven turnovers. Chandler Parsons finished with just six field goal attempts in 40 minutes.

All told, Florida had just nine assists and 17 turnovers. And it was those turnovers that eventually cost the Gators the win. Up 61-59 with 23 seconds left, Parsons was ripped by Ayron Hardy, who went the other way for a dunk to tie the game. Up 64-63 with just over a minute left in overtime, Kenny Boynton made a lazy pass against the Dolphin's press that was stolen. Jacksonville got a layup and took a lead they would never relinquish.

We've been saying it all year long -- the Gators don't have a point guard on their team. Boynton and Walker dribble, and shoot, far too often while spending too little time actually running an offense. When their shots are going down, the Gators can do things like beat Florida State and Kansas State. When they aren't, losses to UCF and Jacksonville are going to happen.

That's just the way its going to be with this team this season.

And, for the most part, that's probably how its going to be for the entire SEC this season.

In addition to Tennessee and Florida, Kentucky is the third team that most consider to be the favorites to win the league. And while the Wildcats have looked really impressive at times, when either Terrence Jones doesn't show up (like at North Carolina) or Brandon Knight has an off night (like in Maui against UConn), Big Blue will have a tough time winning.

The other part of this?

Is Central Florida the best team in Florida this season?

After the Golden Knights knocked off Miami on Saturday, they have now beaten the Canes, Florida, and South Florida. They are undefeated on this season -- although that may change if Marcus Jordan misses any time as a result of the ankle injury he suffered against the U -- and own wins over three quarters of the high major programs in the state?

Pretty convincing argument, isn't it?
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12/20 - College Hoops Week in Review: Upsets Galore

Game of the Week: Texas 78, UNC 76

We'll get to Josh Selby and the exciting finish to the Kansas-USC game in a bit. And as terrific as that game was, the Longhorn's win over UNC had an even better finish. Texas used an 18-8 surge in the first half to open up a 28-18 lead over the Heels, punishing them inside despite the fact that Tristan Thompson was out with two fouls. But the Heels didn't fold, attacking the Longhorns off the bounce and using a 15-4 run over the final 7:30 of the half to take a 33-32 lead at the break.


In the second half, both teams came out on fire, but UNC, led by a career-high 18 points from Dexter Strickland, finally found their transition game. On three different occasions, Strickland was able go coast to coast for a layup -- two of which came off of made baskets -- and UNC was able to hold a two possession lead for much of the second half, pushing it to seven three times.

But, as UNC's offense is wont to do, the Heels offense got bogged down for a string of three or four possessions late in the second half, and three straight Texas baskets gave the Horns a 70-69 lead with less than three minutes left. The teams would trade baskets before Thompson -- who was an animal inside over the last four minutes of the game -- got his second dunk in heavy traffic with 45 seconds left for a 74-73 lead. After two free throws from J'Covan Brown, UNC had the ball with 24 second left and down three points. Roy Williams called a time out, drew up a play for Harrison Barnes, and the freshman came off of a screen and drilled a three with 11.7 seconds left to tie the game. It set up this:



With the loss, UNC drops to 7-4 on the season, although the team that took the floor Saturday afternoon looked much improved over the UNC we have seen earlier this season. The win for Texas was important for two reasons. First of all, the Longhorns are entering the most difficult part of their schedule. Their next two games are at Michigan State and at home against UConn before they start Big XII play. But, more importantly, it was a breakout game for freshman point guard Cory Joseph. Joseph had 21 points, and in contrast to the potential game-winner he threw over the back board against Pitt in MSG a month ago, the freshman buried UNC with a tough, turnaround against very good defense. When Joseph, Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson, and J'Covan Brown are all clicking, Texas has a team with a lot of offensive weapons.


This needs mentioning: St. Bonaventure 112, Ohio 107 4OT

Ohio fought back from 10 down with 9:42 left in regulation to force the first overtime on a three from DJ Cooper with 22 seconds left. In the first overtime, the lead changed hands four times before Cooper once again tied the game on a driving layup with 17 seconds on the clock before the Bonnies missed two free throws. The second overtime saw Ohio grab a three point lead, but Michael Davenport once again tied the game with a three pointer. Only four points were scored in the third overtime before St. Bonaventure opened up a five point lead in the fourth OT, making 7-8 free throws (after going 6-18 from the charity stripe in the first three overtimes) to hold on to the win.

The box score read something like a game of NBA 2K11. Cooper had 43 points, 13 assists, 8 steals, and 8 rebounds while shooting 17-41 from the floor. Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure had 44 points, 12 boards, and 5 assists. Five other players reached double figures. Ohio took 101 shots, 40 from three. St. Bonaventure shot 56.7% from the floor. Five players fouled out. Six played more than 50 minutes. Four of them were on St. Bonaventure, with Nicholson logging all 60 minutes of game time. But, perhaps the most incredible stat, the Bonnies only got six points from their bench in 60 minutes of basketball.


Player of the Week: Josh Selby, Kansas

I'm not giving this to him just because he had an impressive performance against USC. Sure, he had 21 points and hit two clutch threes -- including the game-winner with 24 seconds left on the clock -- as the Jayhawks knocked off a scrappy USC team. But if we were rating a player based on their performance alone, Selby probably did not live up to his potential on this night. He was hot from three, there is no question, but Selby's not going to be going 5-8 from three every night. In fact, for a kid known for his slashing ability, Selby did strikingly little inside the arc. Fifteen of this 21 points came on threes, and he hit all three free throws when he was fouled shooting a three. He scored three points and took only three shots doing something other than spotting up while turning the ball over four times. Granted, that was a result of Selby being a good teammate and playing within the Kansas offense, but my point is that the Selby that is playing in the NCAA Tournament will be a different player than the one we saw on Saturday.


No, I'm giving Selby the player of the week in large part because its so damn hard not to feel great for this kid after the performance he had. Kansas was undefeated, but they weren't undefeated in impressive fashion, struggling to beat mediocre teams like Arizona and Memphis. The Jayhawk faithful, after seeing guys like Brandon Knight and Kyrie Irving play great basketball, had sky-high, almost unfair, expectations for the freshman. And, after sitting out nine games, Selby was debuting in a noon tip on a Saturday two hours before the college football bowl games were to start. There were a lot of eyes on this kid.

And not everyone was rooting for him to win. According to the NCAA, Selby is a cheater. He accepted $6,000 worth of illegal benefits and had a personnel relationship with Carmelo Anthony's business manager that the NCAA determined bordered too closely on professional.

Me? I wanted to see this happen. I wanted Selby to succeed. Here's a kid who grew up without the luxuries that many of us grow up with. He spent some time homeless as a kid when his single-mother lost her job. He lived in an area of Baltimore where violence was common. He saw his best-friend get pistol-whipped and had a cousin murdered when he was 15. I fail to see the sense in rooting against a kid that accepted what every recruit accepts and received advisement from a family friend that was illegal because of the job that friend holds.

I may in the minority here, but I want to see Selby succeed. And Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better debut.

The All-they-were-good-too team

• G: Marcus Jordan, Central Florida: Jordan scored 23 points on Saturday in a win over Miami. The win may have been costly, however, as Jordan looked like he injured his ankle at the end of the game.
  
• G: Jon Diebler, Ohio State: Diebler put on one of the most impressive shooting performances of the season, knocking down nine straight threes en route to 29 points in a win over Florida Gulf Coast.
  
• F: Khris Middleton, Texas A&M: Middleton scored a career high 31 points as the Aggies came from behind to knock off Arkansas on Saturday.
• F: Kris Joseph, Syracuse: Joseph had 21 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists to lead the Orange as they held off a scrappy Iona team.
  
• C: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State: The Buckeyes big man has to be considered the favorite to win the Big Ten player of the year award. He had 30 points and 19 rebounds on Saturday as OSU knocked off South Carolina 79-57.
  

Co-Teams of the Week: Florida Gators, UCLA Bruins, Gonzaga Bulldogs

We'll get into it more in a bit, but this week was the week of the upset as seven ranked teams were knocked off by unranked opponents. Florida, UCLA, and Gonzaga were three of the unranked teams to do the knocking off, and while it is still too early in the season to say that anyone needs to "desperately" win a game, it is safe to say that the Gators, the Bruins, and the Zags all really, really, really needed their wins.

• Florida put together one of the most impressive defensive performances of the season in their 57-44 win over Kansas State. The Gators didn't score for the first seven minutes of the game and, with nine minutes left in the half, they found themselves down 20-8. From that point on, K-State managed to score just 24 points, and that included a stretch when the Wildcats missed 23 of 24 field goals, 17 of those misses coming in a row. Perhaps more important, however, was that Kenny Boynton hit three straight threes at the end of the game to put it out of reach. Boynton had been ice cold for about four straight games. The top four in the SEC East are clearly defined, but their order will change on a daily basis.
  

• Talking about a tournament resume for UCLA at this point is a bit silly. Barring a miraculous turnaround, this team is not making the NCAA Tournament. That said, if they are going to make that turnaround, the Bruins, more than anything, seemed like they needed a boost of confidence. After beating BYU 86-79 in Southern California, the Bruins got it. I've said all along, there is talent on this UCLA roster, the issue is figuring out how to use that talent and being able to defend. Their defense was still relatively subpar on Saturday, but Reeves Nelson and Josh Smith dominated the Cougars in the paint offensively, and with Tyler Honeycutt and Zeke Jones hitting jumpers, UCLA was clicking. Can this win be a jumping off point for the Bruins?


• Gonzaga does not have a bad loss of their resume, but regardless of the stretch of your schedule, there's a point where you need to win something. Otherwise, teams like Oakland and Arkansas-Pine Bluff would be getting at-large bids every year. Gonzaga did just that on Saturday, knocking off Baylor 68-64. More impressive, however, was that the Zags did it with Steven Gray missing the entire second half with back spasms and Elias Harris in foul trouble throughout. He fouled out with more than six minutes left and the game tied. On Saturday, it was Robert Sacre (17 points), Marquise Carter (13 points and two big threes), Kelly Olynyk (the go-ahed three with a minute left), and Sam Dower that made the difference. Gonzaga still has Xavier, Oklahoma State, and Memphis in the non-conference. This team can still earn an at-large bid.
  

The Week of the Upset: As I mentioned before, seven ranked teams lost to unranked opponents last week. Considering the limited number of games that took place this week, the percentage of ranked teams that lost to their unranked opponents was incredibly high:

• Tennessee: The Volunteers, coming off of a huge win over Pitt in Pitt, proceeded to blow a 13 point lead and lose to Oakland 89-82 before struggling to find any semblence of an offense in a 49-48 loss at Charlotte. With Bruce Pearl's looming suspension, now is not a good time for Tennessee to be lacking leadership and an identity.


• Louisville: The Cardinals dropped a 52-46 decision to a Drexel team that absolutely dominated them inside. If you can force Louisville to play a half court game, they simply don't have the talent or size on the interior to score or rebound.


• UNLV: The Rebels lost 68-62 to UC Santa Barbara in a game that the Gauchos ran a zone the majority of the time. UNLV shot 29% on the game and just 6-29 from three. That will do it.


• BYU: The Bruins lost to UCLA 86-79 in LA. Am I the only one that think Jimmer Fredette is a bit overrated? I know the kid can blow up for 40 on any given night, but he plays no defense and turns the ball over too much. I'm not saying he isn't an all-american, but putting him in the conversation with guys like Kemba Walker, Jared Sullinger, or (healthy) Kyrie Irving is a stretch to me.


• Kansas State: So when is it time to panic for Kansas State fans? Scoring is a serious issue for this team, as is point guard play and low post play. In fact, about the only thing that this team is going well right now is rebounding and defending.
  


• Baylor: After losing to Gonzaga, the Bears still haven't won a game outside of Waco. This is also the first game that Baylor has played outside of Waco, and it was still in the state of Texas. I like this team, but there are still questions to be answered.


• Illinois: The Illini dropped a 57-54 decision to Illinois-Chicago -- a 4-7 team in the Horizon League -- on Saturday afternoon. Apparently, Illinois is just as inconsistent as they were last season. The Illini better be careful, as this kind of performance against Missouri on Tuesday will result in an embarrassing loss. Isn't it ironic, however, that the kid that was the hero for UIC on Saturday was named Darrin Williams?

Matchups of the Week:

• 12/21 - 7:00 pm: USC @ Tennessee
• 12/21 - 9:00 pm: UNLV vs. Kansas State
• 12/22 - 3:00 pm: Washington State vs. Mississippi State
• 12/22 - 7:00 pm: Dayton @ Seton Hall
  
• 12/22 - 7:00 pm: Texas @ Michigan State
  
• 12/22 - 9:00 pm: Missouri vs. Illinois
  
• 12/22 - 11:00 pm: Kansas @ Cal
• 12/22 - 11:00 pm: Xavier @ Gonzaga
• 12/23 - 8:00 pm: Georgetown @ Memphis
  

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No. 16 Florida Gators

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Last Season: 21-13, 9-7 (4th SEC), lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to BYU

Head Coach: Billy Donovan

Key Losses: Dan Werner, Ray Shipman

Newcomers: Patric Young, Casey Prather, Cody Larson, Scottie Wilbekin, Will Yegeute

Projected Lineup:

• G: Erving Walker, Jr.
  
• G: Kenny Boynton, So.
  
• F: Chandler Parsons, Sr.
  
• F: Alex Tyus, Sr.
  
• C: Patric Young, Fr.
  
• Bench: Casey Prather, Fr.; Scotty Wilbekin, Fr.; Erik Murphy, So.; Vernon Macklin, Sr.

Outlook: Florida is going to be a tough team to project this season. The good news is that they bring back basically everyone -- Dan Werner, who lost his starting job to Chandler Parsons half way through the season, is the only real contributor that is gone. But keep in mind, this was a flawed team last season that might likely would not have been in the NCAA Tournament had Parsons not bailed them out with two game-winners at the buzzer.

The good news for this team is that their front court looks like it will be a strength this season instead of a weakness. As I said, basically everyone is back and, hopefully, a year better this season. We'll start with Parsons, who has reportedly sprouted to 6'10". Parsons has a prototypical NBA small forward build. He's a very fluid athlete for someone his size, and he takes advantage of that. Over the course of his career at Florida, Parsons has developed from strictly a jump shooter to a playmaker -- he can put the ball on the floor and penetrate, he can create assists, he can score in the mid-range, and he knows how to use shot fakes on close outs.

Parsons will likely play the three, which gives Florida impressive length up front regardless of who he takes the floor with. Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin will both be back on the front line, and both are similar talents. Neither is much of a post scoring threat, but they are long, athletic, and can get rebounds, block a few shots, and finish with authority around the rim. Sophomore Erik Murphy and freshman Cody Larson should Larson should also see front court minutes, but the x-factor could end up being freshman Patric Young. Young is a big, physical kid in and around the paint. He's far from polished, but he is a blue collar work horse on the defensive end of the floor. He blocks shots, he doesn't give up an inch of post position, and he is also capable of finishing at the offensive end. That big, physical presence is something that Florida is currently missing inside.


The back court will be manned by Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. This is where Florida's team gets interesting. Boynton and Walker can both score. No one can argue that face, as they averaged a combined 26.6 ppg last season. The issue with them is their decision making. They turned the ball over too often last year. They took far too many terrible shots last season. Boynton shot 37.6% from the floor and 29.4% from three. Walker was worse, hitting just 33.9% of his shots from the floor and 34.7% from three. And they still combined for well over 400 threes and 800 fields goals attempted.

Both players need to learn how to distribute the ball, as neither is a true point guard. If they get into the paint, don't force up a tough shot. If they draw a defender, either kick it out for an open three or dump it down to a big man for a dunk. One of these two is going to need to step up offensively and become a leader, someone that can run Billy Donovan's system.

This problem becomes even more exposed when you consider that Florida doesn't really have another option in the back court. Casey Prather is a highly regarded freshman, but at this point he is more of a defender and a slasher than any kind of option to handle the ball. Then there is Scottie Wilbekin. Wilbekin wasn't a highly regarded recruit in the class of 2011, and he decided to go to college a year early. He's a point guard, however, and will likely be forced into back up duties.

Florida has enough talent to be considered one of the favorites in the SEC, especially if Enes Kanter is not cleared to play. If things break right for the Gators -- Parsons continues his development, Boynton and Walker become better point guards -- this is a team that could go a long way in March.

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