Gators blow huge lead, lose to Clemson to drop to 6-4

[Marine1]

I like this team. I like Mike White. But late game assessments on here have been mostly on point. Primarily taking the air out of the ball too often and too early.

But this has been a strong schedule that will pay dividends long term. Presently we simply have no post presence....particularly offensively. This is a different team once Egbunu returns. Hayes is far more suited (and effective) coming off the bench bringing energy and defense but truth is he is limited on offense and does not rebound. He literally needs to get up to 240 lbs.

Once again I see this team coming together in February and could make another decent tourney run if big John is truly healthy.

 

[MidwestChomp]

I think this sums it up

 

[InstiGATOR1]

Egor has been the most selfish play I have seen at Florida in a awhile. 15 ft contested finger rolls + 10 other terrible shots today... he is out matched at this level and has no quickness to compensate.

Koulechov took 8 shots today:

http://floridagators.com/boxscore.aspx?path=basketball-men&id=13332

he made 2 of them. I guess the one 3 before the half might be called a bad shot, but as the clock was running out, I don't think you can call it a selfish shot. So that leave 6 other shots that I guess you call "10 other terrible shots today." He led UF with 9 rebounds and scored 8 points.

He is certainly outmatched at the 4 as would be Chiozza, Allen and Hudson. Whether or not Koulechov would be outmatched at the 3 which is what he came to UF to play is an open question.

 

[T REX]

5 Pts last 7 vs Duke
5 Pts last 7 vs L-Chicago
5 Pts last 7 vs Clemson

I'm a huge Mike White fan. But his coaching at the ends of games is sometimes brutal. This team has trouble closing games out. It seems mental. Not sure if Egbunu will change that. I hope so but it seems to be deeper than just a post guy.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Not sold on White yet. It took a miracle shot to get us to the elite eight last year, and we are playing our way out of a top four seed already. Clemson isn't that good, although Gabe Devoe is a good kid, I worked with his dad for years when he was growing up.

 

[SC Gator]

We have no bigs, but that is no excuse to lose a lead like that.

 

[Jbossgator8]

Took Billy D a miracle 2 missed free throws and Mike Miller driving shot to get to the Final 4 too

 

[InstiGATOR1]

Not sold on White yet. It took a miracle shot to get us to the elite eight last year, and we are playing our way out of a top four seed already. Clemson isn't that good, although Gabe Devoe is a good kid, I worked with his dad for years when he was growing up.

I agree in general, but UF was clearly better than Wisconsin last year and that was another case where UF gave up a lead late in a game.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Wisconsin was solid last year, but that shot sent them into a tailspin...they are awful this season.

 

[Born2beagator]

I'm a huge Mike White fan. But his coaching at the ends of games is sometimes brutal. This team has trouble closing games out. It seems mental. Not sure if Egbunu will change that. I hope so but it seems to be deeper than just a post guy.

Its absolutely mental. This team has great talent, but not a clue where they are going with it.

 

[MatthewM.]

Billy will be fired this year, I say we make a deal with him and can White after a disappointing NIT run.

 

[GatorStud]

...as others, missing a meaningful inside power game makes one streaky, propensity to be passive easier... one on one basketball shows suck to watch as well. Here's to putting some lineup-rotation together that gels. League Wars are right around the corner. Go Gators!

 

[rogdochar]

Basketball conclusions from me can only court reality. It seems that when other teams have a steady scoring leader, those teammates raise their game to keep up with him. These Gators, when Hudson gets hot, seem to slink back and watch. Later in the 2nd half K.Allen stepped up some. Still, Hudson should make those around him better. And as always mentioned, our inside gamers should be getting us 10-12 more ppg.

 

[Egor's Assistant]

Rest easy Egbunu... we need you! This team is incomplete without some tough-minded bigs in the middle. Stokes and Egbunu need to heal the **** Up!

 

[Double Gator Dad]

I am not a fair weather fan, I have been a season ticket holder for 36 years, so I don't just show up when we lose.
I like Coach White and I think he will develop into a really good coach eventually.

With that said, if you don't have concerns with how he is managing this team then you simply are not paying attention.
I understand that the bigs are injured but last time I checked he still has several players with some size that he refuses to play.

White calls his team out, over and over again, for being soft but yet he doesn't seem to want to change anything to address it.
My favorite comment was after the Clemson game when he suggested that maybe practices should be tougher............WOW, how long did it take him to figure that out?
Maybe, just maybe, the team is as tough as their coach which would be not at all.

Part of my issue is that I struggle with his "gentlemanly" approach to coaching. Given his background, he seems to approach coaching as if he is an AD like his dad and his brother. Save your diplomacy for when you become an AD. Until then find some fire and bring it with you to the sidelines and maybe your team will respond.
While I agree that White seems to covet timeouts way too much, he also seems to have a personal aversion to dealing with refs. Anyone that follows college basketball knows that coaches determine how their teams are officiated. If you are getting screwed you can just take it or you can address it. Billy knew when and how to address it. Coach K changed the game in the second half simply by knowing how to influence officiating.

What I am saying is this team reflects the attitude of their coach and they are tremendous gentlemen that are well-behaved and never lose their cool while watching another victory fade away. Maybe it is time to turn up the intensity.......

 

[diehardg8r]

I am not a fair weather fan, I have been a season ticket holder for 36 years, so I don't just show up when we lose.
I like Coach White and I think he will develop into a really good coach eventually.

With that said, if you don't have concerns with how he is managing this team then you simply are not paying attention.
I understand that the bigs are injured but last time I checked he still has several players with some size that he refuses to play.

White calls his team out, over and over again, for being soft but yet he doesn't seem to want to change anything to address it.
My favorite comment was after the Clemson game when he suggested that maybe practices should be tougher............WOW, how long did it take him to figure that out?
Maybe, just maybe, the team is as tough as their coach which would be not at all.

Part of my issue is that I struggle with his "gentlemanly" approach to coaching. Given his background, he seems to approach coaching as if he is an AD like his dad and his brother. Save your diplomacy for when you become an AD. Until then find some fire and bring it with you to the sidelines and maybe your team will respond.
While I agree that White seems to covet timeouts way too much, he also seems to have a personal aversion to dealing with refs. Anyone that follows college basketball knows that coaches determine how their teams are officiated. If you are getting screwed you can just take it or you can address it. Billy knew when and how to address it. Coach K changed the game in the second half simply by knowing how to influence officiating.

What I am saying is this team reflects the attitude of their coach and they are tremendous gentlemen that are well-behaved and never lose their cool while watching another victory fade away. Maybe it is time to turn up the intensity.......

I agree, it's more about him and what he is NOT doing to fix the problems with this team.

 

[TLB]

This is becoming monotonous...Gators build lead, squander it to lose, coach calls them soft. Rinse, repeat.

 

[Gatorbait25]

This is a frustrating team to watch. I started dinner around the ten minute mark of the 2nd hald, and caught glimpses here and there of the last couple minutes.From what I saw Ballard probably played his worse game. He had several turnovers and questionable shots. One time in particular settling for a 15 footer when it was just him and a defender on a fast break. Multiple times down by 1 point we never attacked the basket and settle for long jump shots. Very disappointing. I'll watch when conference play starts against Vandy, but probably tune out the next two against Jessy Anne Central and Donna Marie State.

 

[rogdochar]

White, himself, needs to do lots of film study of our inside game - lack thereof. We have enough height & weight that we should have a competitive inside game O & D. (Our lead % 3-pt marksman is 6'8" 245-lb Keith Stone?)

All of our players should be saturated in the "truth" that this game of basketball is best learned and played in "sectors" of talent-execution. That means a "big" coach takes our bigs aside for "special-teams" (ST) practices.

"Force" Gak to excel as a tall 'beast' - give him max-minutes letting him and all his teammates know to expect Gak to play his way into a go-to guy (this also goes for Johnson, Hayes, Stone, etc.) In practice after practice, "choreograph" guys driving in and lofting it up on Gak's 'edge' of the rim and with him expecting to slam it. Too many times I've seen that drive happen where the driver bounce passes it to our big & it totally surprises the big, and it's a botched turnover. That lob has (pun} higher % success than a pass into the hand-mob down-low. Teach all of our 6'9" guys to play at the peak of their reach. And to play tough up above.

I bet our "talls" aren't being fiercely drilled in domineering play at thrusting their arms up. They should be taught to own the zone upward. That sector belongs only to the fellas that practice its ownership. Rebounds need getting.

As another concentration on our "tall-sector" = practice-school our "bigs" in operating right on the borderline of fouling. So often it works out that they shy away to let the opposing big have an easy-flow to the basket - discourage that sucker! That attitude would be in that toughness realm already mentioned.

Surely White has a lot to learn, say, in the direction of becoming like John Wooden, Mike So-shevsky? Those guys' teams played so "well-educated" in the maximum sectors of Bball execution.

Get better White. Get better Gators. Your big success lies in front of you = March into winning.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Wisconsin was solid last year, but that shot sent them into a tailspin...they are awful this season.

That shot and losing four starters from last year......