Donovan comments on Marcus Smart
By LANDON WATNICK< | Feb. 10, 2014For the past few days, the Marcus Smart fiasco has had college basketball fans in an uproar.
For the past few days, the Marcus Smart fiasco has had college basketball fans in an uproar.
Coach Billy Donovan was unsure Saturday morning if Casey Prather (ankle) would play against Alabama and left the decision in the senior forward’s hands.
By the end of No. 3 Florida’s 78-69 win over Alabama on Saturday coach Billy Donovan didn’t need many words to describe his team’s defense.
Carlos Moreno is 56 of 77 from the free-throw line this season. But in practice before Tuesday’s game against Missouri, the senior point guard was 86 of 86. No misses, no breaks; just basket after basket.
The big story leading into Tuesday night was Chris Walker’s much-awaited debut, but Gators fans got only a small dose of the freshman forward during No. 3 Florida’s 68-58 win against Missouri in the O’Connell Center.
In the 52 days since Chris Walker was admitted to Florida, he has been his own entity — isolated from the team and helpless to do anything about it.
On the afternoon of his 22nd birthday Saturday, Patric Young blew out Texas A&M’s candles.
The Gators were battered bloodied Thursday night in Starkville, Miss., but coach Billy Donovan and company escaped with their 12th straight win despite an ugly first half, defeating Mississippi State 62-51.
Chris Walker has finally been freed.
Since Damontre Harris re-enrolled at Florida at the start of the semester, he has so far been successful in his attempts to work his way back into coach Billy Donovan’s good graces.
Throughout his freshman campaign, point guard Kasey Hill’s shooting touch from beyond the arc has not been the smoothest.
From the day Patric Young stepped on Florida’s campus as a freshman in 2010, the 6-foot-9 center immediately drew comparisons to some of the NBA’s biggest stars, such as Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire.
Throughout the 2013-14 season, the Houston Rockets have called Chandler Parsons their “glue guy.”
For the first three games of the season, the Gators’ offense went through Casey Prather. Nearly a third of the team’s total points scored came from the senior forward.
Throughout the past few seasons, Florida has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the country. And Saturday afternoon against Tennessee, coach Billy Donovan’s call for desperation motivated UF to live up to that billing.
Although No. 6 Florida has moved away from being a traditional three-point shooting team this season, it needed to return to its old ways during Thursday night’s 68-62 win over Alabama.
Florida’s two wins against Alabama last season were not easy victories by any means.
If there ever were a point during Billy Donovan’s tenure at Florida when he needed a deep bench, this would be the year.
Prior to Florida’s 68-61 win at Auburn on Saturday, coach Billy Donovan listed Casey Prather as active but doubted his senior forward would play much.
Back after missing two games due a bone bruise in his right knee, Casey Prather fueled Florida throughout its contest Saturday against Auburn.