Preseason predictions usually result in meaningless blather.
In this case, however, the Gators' preseason motto rang true.
UF (24-8) was indeed "Bigger and Better" a year after it reached the Women's National Invitation Tournament, just as its coach and media guide had promised.
"It says a lot about this team when you can talk about things like that in September, in October, and then back it up," UF coach Amanda Butler said. "That was a great way for us to start the season - by projecting big things - and that's the only way that you achieve great things is to set those expectations high at the beginning."
The Gators' appearance in the NCAA Tournament in Butler's second year would likely have been refreshing enough for this team.
Getting a first-round win and advancing to the second round was more than satisfying, considering how far UF has come so quickly.
Now the standard has been set.
"I told our seniors and our whole group collectively after we lost the other night that as disappointed as we felt right now, the big picture was that this collection of women that we have in the room right here, that we will never have together again like this, set the standard for the future of this program," Butler said. "There's no question we'll be disappointed every year if there's anything less than postseason play in the NCAA Tournament."
This was a record-breaking season for UF, highlighted by exceeding outside expectations.
But if you ask the players and coaches, they'll tell you they believed there was no limit on how far they could go.
The Gators were even a little bit disappointed when they found out they were only given a No. 8 seed in the tournament.
"It may seem silly to talk about it now that we think we were good enough to be playing in that national championship game, but we fully believed it," Butler said. "That's the first step to making something special happen like. You've got to believe it with your whole heart."
The Gators dropped their season opener at Florida Gulf Coast, and that may have been the turning point in their season.
UF responded with a school-record 15 straight wins, including victories over three ranked non-conference teams.
They didn't slow down once Southeastern Conferece play began.
UF, picked to finish sixth in the conference before the season, started 8-1 in league play and capped off its school-record, seven-game SEC winning streak with a home victory over powerhouse Tennessee in front of the second-largest crowd in school history.
The marquee victory marked just the third time ever the Gators had knocked off the Volunteers, and it propelled UF to a fourth-place finish in the SEC.
While UF struggled down the stretch, losing five of its last six games in the regular season and SEC Tournament to some of its stiffest competition, the Gators still managed to tie the 1994-95 UF team for the most wins in a season.
Two players on this squad, Sha Brooks and Marshae Dotson, left a permanent mark on the program in their senior years. Both were named unanimous First Team All-SEC selections by SEC coaches.
For a duo that experienced a nine-win season not too long ago, this year was like finishing on top.
"We did a lot this year," Dotson said. "Coming from my sophomore year, we were 9-22 to 24-8. I think that's a helluva difference. It's a lot better than where we started."
Brooks added: "It means that our team improved so much. We grew up together. We went through the rough days together. The not-so-good season from being 9-22, and then, of course, Amanda Butler came in, and it's like everybody just believed in what she was teaching and everybody worked hard for her, and that's how we got to where we are now."
Butler appreciated what those two seniors did in their time in Gainesville.
"They left a tremendous legacy here and had senior seasons in particular that they really deserved," Butler said. "They set a very high standard of expectation. It's going to be impossible to replace those guys."
Even so, Butler's expectations will be even higher next season.
