Gators Count On Espinosa

LAND O' LAKES - Players trying to drive in an attempt to score against Land O' Lakes have, about 80 times this season, been met with a thump.

The Gators' 6-foot-6 post player Mike Espinosa just won't allow anyone to score when they come his way and he has no qualms about swatting away their hopes with blocked shot after blocked shot.

"If somebody gets beat on the way to the basket, Mike has the ability to send the shot out and that's real good," Land O' Lakes coach Dave Puhalski said. "With Quentin Bastian on the other side we could have had a real powerful rebounder, so Mike's going to have to step up his game a little more. Defensively, he controls the middle and we're trying to get him to be more aggressive. He's the big man that all teams would like to have that can turn shots away."

The Gators learned they will be without Bastian, their other interior presence, for the remainder of their playoff run after Bastian broke his ankle over the weekend playing recreational basketball.

They are likely to have P.J. Potts back for the Class 5A-District 7 semifinal against Wesley Chapel. Potts has been battling the flu and didn't play or practice last week. Monday, Potts practiced for the first time in a week.

Getting up for a challenge has never compromised Espinosa's determination. He always had dreams of making his school's basketball team after watching his father play in local parks.

"I played street ball a lot but I wasn't good enough until 10th grade," Espinosa said. "I didn't make it sixth through ninth grade but I never gave up. That's what my mom taught me. But now I'm doing good and I'm one of the best shot blockers in a few counties."

Espinosa never wanted to play another sport even though he kept getting turned away. In 10th grade, Puhalski spotted Espinosa, then 6-foot-4, in the hallways of Land O' Lakes and put him on the team.

Espinosa had plenty of natural ability with blocking shots. He wasn't clumsy and had a nice shot and with some game experience he fit right in and has only improved each year.

He is also known to get the team fired up from time to time with slam dunks.

"When somebody says I can't do something it just motivates me," Espinosa said. "It's like if you say to a guy that he can't walk, they're going to try to walk. If you have enough motivation and will power you can do it."

Friday marks the Gators' biggest game of the season yet, the district semifinal vs. Wesley Chapel. The two split their regular-season games. Last season, Land O' Lakes beat Wesley Chapel both times during the regular season then lost to them in the district semifinals.

"It's a big rivalry and even though one school could be superior to the other, it seems like it's going to be a pretty good game no matter what. Especially when there's a lot on the line like a berth to the state tournament," Puhalski said. "I don't know. We're definitely going to have to defend better than last time. Ladarius Manora I think had 32 on us. We didn't play very good defense."

The Gators have struggled in close games. They lost to Ridgewood by one and four and lost to Wesley Chapel on a buzzer-beater from Manora in the second meeting this season. In the first meeting with Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes won by 21.

"I'm just tired of being second-place and I'm sure the team is too," Espinosa said.