Gators and NCAA tournament

#1
lawgator1

lawgator1

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#1
Going to be a squeaker. While their record on its face seems fine (19-5, 6-3), their weak OOC is a real problem. If they have to get to ten wins in the SEC, they need to win 4 of their remaining seven to get in. They are:

LSU
@Vandy
USC
@UGA
MSU
UT
@ Kentucky


My assumption is that they will lose the last two. It is hard to see them beating Vandy at Vandy, especially after last night. They ought to beat LSU and USC at home. They absolutely cannot afford to lose one of those.

That means that their bubble games are @ UGA and MSU at home. One would think that they can beat UGA, but that is on the road and always tough in the conference. The MSU game could therefore be the turning point. If they do win only three of these seven, then their tournament hopes probably come down to the SEC tournament -- would have to win a game to get in.
 
#3
#3
lawgator1 said:
Going to be a squeaker. While their record on its face seems fine (19-5, 6-3), their weak OOC is a real problem. If they have to get to ten wins in the SEC, they need to win 4 of their remaining seven to get in. They are:

LSU
@Vandy
USC
@UGA
MSU
UT
@ Kentucky


My assumption is that they will lose the last two. It is hard to see them beating Vandy at Vandy, especially after last night. They ought to beat LSU and USC at home. They absolutely cannot afford to lose one of those.

That means that their bubble games are @ UGA and MSU at home. One would think that they can beat UGA, but that is on the road and always tough in the conference. The MSU game could therefore be the turning point. If they do win only three of these seven, then their tournament hopes probably come down to the SEC tournament -- would have to win a game to get in.
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I assume you meant to say "at least two". Because I dont see you losing to Billy Clyde.
 
#4
#4
lawgator1 said:
Going to be a squeaker. While their record on its face seems fine (19-5, 6-3), their weak OOC is a real problem. If they have to get to ten wins in the SEC, they need to win 4 of their remaining seven to get in. They are:

LSU
@Vandy
USC
@UGA
MSU
UT
@ Kentucky

.
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they beat LSU, USC, UGA for sure. @ VAndy is a toss up, just never know what team is going to show up for them. i think they're a bit overrated, but they are tougher at home.
MSU is a capable team, but getting them at the O dome is a plus.
i still think the TN game down there is going to be a very tough game for us. no doubt the home crowd will be ready for that one. i expect that game to be highly competitive, for a lot longer than the previous game was.
@ KY. we lost there. Vandy lost there. it's a game on paper you should win. but rupp can do funny things to opponents.

i think FL wins at least 4 of those games.
 
#6
#6
if they don't get in, Donovan should have his absurd salary halved immediately.
 
#7
#7
BigPapaVol said:
if they don't get in, Donovan should have his absurd salary halved immediately.
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Why? His talent graduated. You cant tie your players to a post and make them stay in college. And every once in a while, some of them actually get a degree.
 
#8
#8
TXVOL07 said:
Why? His talent graduated. You cant tie your players to a post and make them stay in college. And every once in a while, some of them actually get a degree.
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because they're 19-5 and have very winnable games in front of them. If they lose enough of those to fall from the tourney and two time defending champs, it's an absolute choke job.

Next, if all Donovan's about was that class of talent, which I strongly believe is the case, why on earth would you keep paying him an outsized salary?
 
#9
#9
BigPapaVol said:
because they're 19-5 and have very winnable games in front of them. If they lose enough of those to fall from the tourney and two time defending champs, it's an absolute choke job.

Next, if all Donovan's about was that class of talent, which I strongly believe is the case, why on earth would you keep paying him an outsized salary?
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Once you give him the money you cant take it away...It was their fault for giving him that much...Back to Back titles? Its hard to argue with giving the guy the big bucks...Imagine if CBP went back to back.
 
#10
#10
That guy was turning down NBA money. He knows what he is doing just like the University knew what they were doing when they wrote the check. It is not fair to bash the coach and call for his head when things dont come out all peachy. Kids grow up, graduate, and move on. If Donavan didnt recrruit worth a damn, I'd agree with you.
 
#11
#11
TXVOL07 said:
That guy was turning down NBA money. He knows what he is doing just like the University knew what they were doing when they wrote the check. It is not fair to bash the coach and call for his head when things dont come out all peachy. Kids grow up, graduate, and move on. If Donavan didnt recrruit worth a damn, I'd agree with you.
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I don't care what he was doing, how he was doing it or anything else about him. They are currently 19-5 and have several more than winnable games coming in a very weak SEC. If he can't, as two-time defending champs, find a way into the SEC tourney, he's not worth the money being poured out. I'm not bashing the coach, yet, but if they fall from tourney graces I will be. It will be a tremendous choke job, regardless of what transpired over the past two seasons.

I'm not advocating taking away any money he has been paid to date, just pointing out that he will not have earned the majority of it if they choke.

As to his recruiting, seems to me he had one great class in his career and everything else has been OK. This past class was pretty good, but the garbage in between was hideous.
 
#12
#12
BigPapaVol said:
I don't care what he was doing, how he was doing it or anything else about him. They are currently 19-5 and have several more than winnable games coming in a very weak SEC. If he can't, as two-time defending champs, find a way into the SEC tourney, he's not worth the money being poured out. I'm not bashing the coach, yet, but if they fall from tourney graces I will be. It will be a tremendous choke job, regardless of what transpired over the past two seasons.

I'm not advocating taking away any money he has been paid to date, just pointing out that he will not have earned the majority of it if they choke.

As to his recruiting, seems to me he had one great class in his career and everything else has been OK. This past class was pretty good, but the garbage in between was hideous.
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I'm on the other side of the fence from you BPV. Donovan has proved his worth this year by how much the Gators team has overachieved. Regardless of whether or not they get a tourney spot, Donovan has shown he's more than just a right guy at the time coach for Florida. If Florida isn't back to a top tier SEC program in two years, I'll start agreeing with you. There's a lot of upside on that Gators roster. It will be interesting to see what becomes of it.
 
#13
#13
And I'd say that both parties knew what they were getting into and what was coming up.
 
#14
#14
volfanbill said:
I'm on the other side of the fence from you BPV. Donovan has proved his worth this year by how much the Gators team has overachieved. Regardless of whether or not they get a tourney spot, Donovan has shown he's more than just a right guy at the time coach for Florida. If Florida isn't back to a top tier SEC program in two years, I'll start agreeing with you. There's a lot of upside on that Gators roster. It will be interesting to see what becomes of it.
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I can appreciate that, but don't agree with the overachieved stuff. I don't recall them having beaten a team that they should not have beaten.
 
#15
#15
BPV, i know where you're coming from and get it....but the money he's making is the result of the back to back national titles. it has absolutely nothing to do with what transpires this season, post season play or not.

now had they dumped all that money in his lap with no c'ships to support it....i'd be right there with you.

but the guy's done a great job at FL, and even with this year's young team, he has done nothing to warrant any "real" criticisim, regardless of how this season turns out.

if memory serves, the pre season many had them finishing well out side the top 3 in the East and no chance at an NCAA bid. i'd say they've actually surpassed expectations, thus far.

now, if they go on some sort of losing streak and tank the end of the season, at worst, they just make the pre season prognosticators right.
 
#16
#16
jakez4ut said:
BPV, i know where you're coming from and get it....but the money he's making is the result of the back to back national titles. it has absolutely nothing to do with what transpires this season, post season play or not.

now had they dumped all that money in his lap with no c'ships to support it....i'd be right there with you.

but the guy's done a great job at FL, and even with this year's young team, he has done nothing to warrant any "real" criticisim, regardless of how this season turns out.

if memory serves, the pre season many had them finishing well out side the top 3 in the East and no chance at an NCAA bid. i'd say they've actually surpassed expectations, thus far.

now, if they go on some sort of losing streak and tank the end of the season, at worst, they just make the pre season prognosticators right.
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I'm exaggerating about taking his money to make a point. The guy won b2b national titles and should be rewarded for that.

However, if he, from this point finds a way to miss the dance, it would be a colossal choke job.
 
#17
#17
eh...maybe. they have played themselves in to this point. so it does stand to reason they would have to play themselves out of it going forward. so i get your point.:thumbsup:
 
#18
#18
Florida's OOC schedule is definitely less than appealing, but it's still an accomplishment that their only losses were to at Ohio State and at home to Florida State. Remember, this is a team with only one upperclassman in Walter Hodge seeing significant minutes. Also, there was a great number of people on here trying to persuade me that beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa was a great accomplishment for the Vols. What does it say when Florida did the same thing?
 
#19
#19
volfanbill said:
Florida's OOC schedule is definitely less than appealing, but it's still an accomplishment that their only losses were to at Ohio State and at home to Florida State. Remember, this is a team with only one upperclassman in Walter Hodge seeing significant minutes. Also, there was a great number of people on here trying to persuade me that beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa was a great accomplishment for the Vols. What does it say when Florida did the same thing?
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I said I think they should be in the dance. Should they get a Moon Pie for winning the games they've won? Absolutely not. However, all they can really do is win the games they're presented with and they've done that 19 times thus far and should do it several more times.

The FSU loss at home was a very bad one and the UAT win on the road was so-so at best (you haven't heard me proclaiming the win at tuscy as anything but a road win). FSU and AL both suck.
 
#20
#20
BigPapaVol said:
I said I think they should be in the dance. Should they get a Moon Pie for winning the games they've won? Absolutely not. However, all they can really do is win the games they're presented with and they've done that 19 times thus far and should do it several more times.

The FSU loss at home was a very bad one and the UAT win on the road was so-so at best (you haven't heard me proclaiming the win at tuscy as anything but a road win). FSU and AL both suck.
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and all i'm saying is as of right now, yes they should be in. If this team finally realizes they are completely over their heads with their record and collapses to close out the season, I'm not entirely going to fault Billy Donovan. A team this young should have taken more losses like the Arky and Tennessee ones this far into the season. And for that not happening, I credit Mr. Donovan.
 
#21
#21
volfanbill said:
and all i'm saying is as of right now, yes they should be in. If this team finally realizes they are completely over their heads with their record and collapses to close out the season, I'm not entirely going to fault Billy Donovan. A team this young should have taken more losses like the Arky and Tennessee ones this far into the season. And for that not happening, I credit Mr. Donovan.
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Young is the trend in college hoops. Carmelo and Gerry carried Syracuse (although Warrick was the glue because of his D) to the title. Of the best teams today, several have Freshmen in very prominent, if not dominant, roles.

CBD has two very good freshmen on hand today and those guys have carried the team. Certainly, CBD deserves some credit for that.
 
#22
#22
i know one thing, i'm pretty sure i'm gonig to hate Calathes before his time is done in Gainesville.
 
#25
#25
uh.....disregard all positive statement i might have made about uf in the big dance.

kidding, but tonight was choke #1
 
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