On March 10, Casey Prather leapt into the national spotlight.
Midway through the first half of the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals against Kentucky, the 6-foot-6 Prather drove down the lane and emphatically dunked over Wildcats forward Kyle Wiltjer.
Although it was Prather’s only field goal of the game, the highlight slam earned the swingman a spot on ESPN’s top-10 plays.
“It helped identify that I’m capable of doing things like that,” Prather said. “It helped prove to myself that I’m capable of doing it. It’s just up to me to go do it.”
After struggling with turnovers and undisciplined play throughout his first two seasons, Prather found his groove in March and was a key contributor during UF’s second consecutive Elite Eight run.
Prather hopes his strong finish last season will carry over to this year. With Florida embracing a more defensive identity than in previous years, the athletic junior will likely see more minutes than the 9.5 he averaged per game in 2011-12.
“The one thing that is clear right from the get-go is we have incredible potential defensively,” coach Billy Donovan said. “You have Prather, who is a very, very good defender. Hopefully, after how he played last year, he’ll provide us with more this year.”
Prather’s best performance as a Gator came only six days after UF’s SEC Tournament loss to Kentucky.
Providing a spark off the bench in 22 turnover-free minutes, he recorded a career-best 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting in No. 7 seed Florida’s 71-45 win against No. 10 seed Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Prather also excelled on the defensive end, compensating for the absence of then-sophomore forward Will Yeguete (fractured left foot).
Prather drew two offensive fouls against Virginia’s leading scorer, Mike Scott, sending the big man to the bench with foul trouble in the first half.
“Obviously, I was struggling a little while, and [those] games were big for my confidence,” Prather said. “That’s a good start, good direction to go to.”
Prather joined Florida in 2010 as a four-star recruit ranked No. 71 in his class by Rivals.com.
Before March 2012, Prather’s work ethic in practice did not translate to results on the court.
He averaged two points per game on 36.7 percent shooting, the lowest clip for a Gator competing in at least 25 contests last season.
In two years, he has averaged only 1.4 rebounds per game. Prather’s free-throw percentage (39.3 percent) was the second worst on the team in 2011-12.
In addition, he had the most turnovers per minute on UF last year, surrendering the ball 21 times in 266 minutes.
Prather was also one of Florida’s most foul-prone players, committing nearly seven fouls per 40 minutes on the floor. He drew the whistle 45 times last season.
He dealt with similar turnover and foul issues during his freshman season.
Prather attributes his past turnovers to poor decision-making and pacing.
With the starting small forward spot still up for grabs, the junior is motivated to clean up his game.
“It would mean a lot (to start), but just playing means a lot,” Prather said. “Whatever it takes to win, I’m happy.”
Junior forward Casey Prather poses at Florida's media day on Wednesday. Prather rarely played in his first two seasons before shining in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
