Florida Gator Basketball: Retooling the Roster

Tennessee fans cheered. Volunteer players drained open three after open three, while Florida played out of control and got crushed by an inspired UT team.

Florida's been here before, but they didn't play like it on Saturday. The only consolation for team--and fans--is that Florida is 18-4, and 5-2 in conference; with a win over South Carolina tonight, the Gators can take to outright lead in the SEC East as they prepare to square off against Kentucky this weekend. However, the Tennessee game does raise cause for concern.

- Coming into Saturday's game, Tennessee was 30% from three for the year; the most they'd made in a game was 11 during their opener against Chattanooga. Against Florida, Tennessee shot 43% from deep on 12 threes.

- Florida turned the ball over 17 times, 4 times over their average.

- Tennessee scored 29 baskets against the Gators, 24 of which were assisted. The Vols average about 17 per game.

What do these figures indicate? That Florida simply couldn't stop Tennessee's offensive flow. The Vols moved the ball around the court at will, without much resistance from the Gators; on top of that, many of Tennessee's three point attempts were uncontested, leaving players open for good looks at the basket. I suppose you could blame coach Billy Donovan for not switching out of the zone defense Florida employed for the entire game, but it is not Donovan's fault that players simply refused to contest shots. Run any defense you wish, whether it be a Box and 1, Triangle and 2, or a 2-3 Zone, but none of them will work if players don't put a hand in the shooter's face. More frustrating is the fact that Florida continues to be inconsistent; they destroyed Vanderbilt and Georgia in consecutive games, only to come out completely uninspired against the Vols. A top-tier team simply cannot have this sort of up and down play with the talent that Florida has on its roster. Given that, here are some suggestions to improve Florida's play.

1. Bench Dan Werner and Walter Hodge. It's no disrespect to either of them, but the best players should play in the games. I realize that Werner and Hodge are the two most experienced players on the team, but they're better suited as bench heat for the starters. Some of Hodge's better games have come in precisely that role. As for Werner, his hustle on defense should earn him some playing time. However, neither are starting material. Hodge's numbers have fallen from last year, shooting 43% this year as compared to 48% last year despite the fact that he took more shots last year. Bring him off the bench in relief of either of the starting guards, and give him some shots from the perimeter. He's solid from deep (he shoots 38% from three this year), so he can stretch the opposing defense in that regard. Werner's stats have increased on offense, but that isn't his role; defense is, and his defensive numbers have fallen this year in comparison to last. He rebounds less--4.5 a game this year compared to 6.4 a game last year--as are his steal numbers. Plus, in the Gators' four losses, he simply hasn't gotten it done, going a combined 11-27 from the field in those games. He, like Hodge, should be coming off the bench to provide some energy for the Gators while starters get rest. Both would be more effective in short bursts as opposed to prolonged periods.

2. Play the young guys, particularly Kenny Kadji and Ray Shipman. Erving Walker averages about 23 minutes a game, but I think he should get more playing time as well. Kadji is the important one here, as he could provide the Gators with the inside presence that they have been missing this year. He leads the team in blocks, despite only playing 13 minutes per game. To put that in perspective, Alex Tyus--second on the team in blocks--averages less per game, even though he plays twice as many minutes as Kadji. Another advantage to playing him would be that he receives more in-game experience. Players can only improve so much in practices, and allowing him the chance to play allows him to become more acclimated to playing against opposing defenses; it also gives the Gators at least some semblance of an inside game on both sides of the ball. His per minute stats aren't bad--on a per 40 minute basis, they average out to 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.35 blocks--and it could only benefit the Gators. Walker and Shipman would help out by giving the Gators more help at guard. Nick Calathes has played extremely well this year, but he can't do it alone in the backcourt. Walker has already shown that he can outplay Walter Hodge, shooting better than his senior counterpart despite getting more attempts. He also shoots better from deep, which is an advantage given Donovan's style of play. If Walker were moved to the starting lineup over Hodge, it would also give the Gators a more effective backcourt given Walker's quickness and ability to push the ball upcourt and force the defense to react more quickly. Shipman could also help out with guard depth by coming off of the bench to give Calathes or Walker a rest. He does this to an extent, but only averages 13.6 minutes per game so far (and 11 minutes a game in conference play). In limited action, he's shown the ability to score and rebound; on a per 40 minutes basis, Shipman averages about 12 points and 7 rebounds. This can be compared to Walter Hodge's production on the same basis, which comes out to 10.8 points and 2.1 rebounds. Simply put, the younger players have more upside, and could match, if not surpass, the production of Werner and Hodge.

3. Recruit better perimeter defenders. The inside game should improve next year with Kadji having a year under his belt, Vernon Macklin being eligible to play, and Eloy Vargas being a full strength. The perimeter, however, is going to be an issue, as neither Chandler Parsons nor Nick Calathes are defensive threats. Part of the reason Florida was able to win two consecutive national titles was because both Corey Brewer and Taurean Green were great on the outside. Brewer was long and athletic enough to shut down most guards, and Green had the lateral quickness to prevent the opposing point guard from being effective. This team, however, lacks that presence, and as a result, it forces Florida to be near flawless on offense in order to win games. Against mediocre teams--and some good ones--this will work. However, it also means that Florida will be unable to compete against elite competition. Think of the top teams in the country; all of them have either a good outside defensive squad, a good post unit, or both. Wake has a dominant inside game; Oklahoma has Blake Griffin cleaning up around the rim, and Connecticut may be the best defensive team in the country. Florida is not a great defensive team, or even a good one. They lack the toughness on the inside--and the quickness around the perimeter-- to be such a team. The post game should improve next year, but Donovan has to recruit defensive minded players in order for this Gators squad to be elite. They don't have to be scorers, just role players who can play solid minutes and give the team good defense. This would take the pressure off of the offense, and allow the Gators to become a more balanced team.