TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

UF Must Overcome Ghosts Of '08 Collapse

The Associated Press

Florida's Erving Walker falls to the floor as he's defended by Tennessee's Bobby Maze.

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2009

GAINESVILLE - At least the Florida Gators quickly get back in the saddle after their disastrous road trip Saturday night to Tennessee.

With a chance to take a one-game lead in the SEC Eastern Division race, the Gators instead were totally out of synch and eventually thrashed by the Volunteers. Now they are 18-4 overall, 5-2 in the SEC and tied with Kentucky and South Carolina for the division lead. Tennessee also is in the chase at 4-2.

Tonight for a 9 p.m. ESPN tip-off, the Gators host South Carolina, a team that less than two weeks ago ended the Gators' 10-game winning streak with a one-point win on a buzzer-beater.

Florida can consider the challenge a blessing.

It means the Gators do not have time to look back.

The 79-63 loss to Tennessee was a game the experienced-starved Gators were going to have sooner or later. Nothing went right. The team leader, sophomore guard Nick Calathes, was in foul trouble before the first verse of "Rocky Top" was completed. Tennessee hit eight of 12 3-pointers in the first half, let by 17 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 30 in the second half.

The UT crowd smelled blood and responded accordingly.

"They just played better than we did," Calathes said. "We could have done some things better. We made some stupid plays."

Now the Gators are in the same position as last year, when they began 18-3, only to lose eight of their final 11 and miss the NCAA Tournament.

It's a ghost they will have to stare down the rest of this season.

"We're a totally different team than last year," sophomore forward Chandler Parsons said. "We're a 10 times better team."

Tonight's an opportunity to prove it.

More Zone

The most noticeable difference between this year's basketball team and past ones under Coach Billy Donovan is the amount of zone defense the Gators are playing.

Donovan has preferred man-to-man with a mix of zone in the past, but has gone predominantly with a 2-3 matchup zone this year.

With a lack of inside muscle, so far it has been a wise call.

"I think a lot of it has to do with quickness, foot speed and maybe trying to camouflage some of our weaknesses," Donovan said. "We are not an overly big, strong team. To at least try to provide some help in the post, we've played some zone. But we're trying to mix it as much as we can."

Signing Day

Wednesday is college football signing day. And you know what that means - that Gators fans get all-a-tizzy over an announcement of players who may or may not ever play, go to class or perform a circumcision while at the University of Florida.

Nevertheless, the public can obtain Florida's updated list of signees by calling 1-800-344-2867 in the state of Florida or (352) 375-4683 outside the state. Callers must wait for the telephone's automated system to answer. When answered, callers with a touch-phone should press 6 to get the Signing Day Hotline.

UF SHORTS

•The women's basketball team has won five SEC games in a row, the second-longest winning streak in program history. The Lady Gators are 20-2 and 6-1 in the SEC. They hit 13 3-pointers in Sunday's 94-78 win over Arkansas.

•Senior shot putter Beau Burroughs of Tampa (Jesuit High) won his event in a SEC-Big 12 Showdown Meet at Texas A&M with a toss of 57 feet, 11 inches.

•Thirty-seven football players were named to the 2008-09 Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. Overall, the Gators had 53 student-athletes named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, which ranked third in the conference. Kentucky led with 60, and South Carolina had 59.

•Three Florida softball players have been named to the 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. Seniors Ali Gardiner, Stacey Nelson and Kim Waleszonia are on the 50-player list.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT