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.