Some time at the end of last season, when Dan Werner was moving out of his dorm room, it hit him: He was the only one left.
The four recruits from the 2006 class had dwindled to just one, and that one remaining player was him.
Marreese Speights? Off to the NBA. Jonathan Mitchell? Transferred to Rutgers. Brandon Powell? You'll find him at Marshall.
So when UF tipped off Monday night against Warner University, Werner had 12 teammates around him, but he was still by himself.
"Honestly, it's tough," the junior said. "You come in with guys, you go through preview and everything like that, and next year they're all gone."
The disappearance of his classmates clearly bothered him not just from a basketball standpoint, but also from the camaraderie he is missing.
"You want to be with someone else the same age and stuff," Werner said. "Going through the same things with school and basketball and just … life in general."
Monday night, those thoughts seemed far from his mind.
Werner, who has been on the receiving end of fans' taunts for two years, busted out for a team-high 17 points and three steals in the Gators' 108-49 rout. His six rebounds and 3-for-4 shooting from downtown didn't look too shabby, either.
Some fans at the game were screaming a semi-sarcastic "Thunder!" when Werner hit his first 3-pointer. But while the chants used to be mean because New Jersey's Mr. Basketball was not living up to expectations his freshman and sophomore years, there seems to be a little affection behind them now.
The fans know Werner better than they know anyone else on this team except senior Walter Hodge. Werner is the veteran now, and his maturity will be playing an integral part this season, especially because he's one of just two upperclassmen eligible to see the court.
Love him or hate him, you're stuck with him, Gators fans. And you should be loving him. His teammates are.
Sophomore forward Alex Tyus showed Werner some of the respect he deserves after the game.
"He probably feels a little lonely," Tyus said. "But he gets along with everybody. We all look up to him as a role model as a veteran on the court."
Lonely or not, he cannot let that impact his play this season. The Gators are counting on him too much.
Werner shone on two plays in particular Monday night.
In the first half, with just under eight minutes remaining, Werner swiped a ball from a Warner player under the Gators' basket. He dribbled once, made a spin move, then took a contested layup. He got fouled on the play, but the shot went in. A clearly pumped-up Nick Calathes gave Werner a chest bump from behind.
After a long timeout, Werner hit the free throw to complete the 3-point play.
Maybe Werner just needed the space and freedom to shine. As a leader, he's getting looks he might not have seen with Speights on the floor.
Take his second excellent play, for example.
With time expiring in the first half, Werner hoisted a 3-pointer. The ball went through the net without a sound.
He was the first one sprinting into the locker room after the ball hit twine. The rest of the Gators trailed him inside.
Talk about following the leader.
