Gators Bubble Bursts

[BucNut]

Well, my baby Gators just don't have the experience to get it done. I knew losing our starting line-up would be tough, but I thought that by the end of the year we'd be much better. Next year we get our bigs which will help, and this years team will be one year older. Hopefully that will be enough.

Go Gators in the NIT!

[RTBP]

Sorry, Bucnut, but Billy Donovan is a douche bag. Did you hear what he said about his OWN players after the game? I have heard coaches hint at little things about an individual player, no heart, talent, etc...but he came out and said this in the PC:

"I'm not really excited about seeing this group of guys being sophomores."

Way to go coach, throw your players under the bus. What a tool. If I am a rival coach, I am printing little cards with that phrase written on it and saying "Do you REALLY wanna play for this coach?" You were the genius that recruited them, apparently you are not as good as you think you are at evaluating talent....especially if after ONE year you are ready to give up on them. If I were those kids it would be transfer city.

[ProwlingPanther]

Wow I always took him to be a tad slimy, but that's out there.

[BucNut]

Actually, BD only said what everyone else was thinking. I agree with him that this group hasn't grown enough. AND, he is not a slimeball. So there!

[RTBP]

It is one thing for your fans to be disappointed and say stupid things about 18 year old kids, it is a whole other story when your coach is the one saying it....especially in public.

[BucNut]

"You can't lose three [NBA] lottery picks for the first time in the history of the sport, lose five NBA players and the leading 3-point shooter in the history of the NCAA tournament and not expect to miss a beat," Donovan said. "That's not an excuse, that's reality. I wish I could sit here and say this group is going to be really, really good. I think we've got a long road back to being the best."

Billy knows what he is up against. Sure he didn't expect to fall so far, with the talent he had coming in, but he realizes now the makeup of this team. Next years new blood, and the attrition that will come in the following months, will set the tone for next season. Who's to say now who is even going to be here, and how they will play. Billy's comments are all pointed at next year....and by establishing his displeasure in the media, he drives home the message in a public way. As always, he's looking for a response, the reaction to the push of the button. It's obvious this squad is more difficult to coach...maybe next years team will be different...maybe not. Will be fun seeing....

[RTBP]

First of all, he needs to learn some history of the game before he starts whining.

Him losing those 3 kids to the lottery was not the "first time in the history of the sport". There is the team up in North Carolina who lost 5 players and FOUR of them were lottery picks and all 5 are playing in the NBA.

May, McCants, Felton, and Williams were lottery picks (that WAS the first time in history, by the way) and David Noel plays for the Bucks. So, poor poor Billy D. is not even close to the first person to go through that. Carolina came back the next year and went 24-8 and lost in the 2nd round of the tournament. So Billy D. can spare me the woe is me, we lost 3 to the NBA garbage. Maybe HE should recruit better.

[BUCFAN4LIFE]

	Quote:			Originally Posted by RTBP
	Sorry, Bucnut, but Billy Donovan is a douche bag. Did you hear what he said about his OWN players after the game? I have heard coaches hint at little things about an individual player, no heart, talent, etc...but he came out and said this in the PC: "I'm not really excited about seeing this group of guys being sophomores." Way to go coach, throw your players under the bus. What a tool. If I am a rival coach, I am printing little cards with that phrase written on it and saying "Do you REALLY wanna play for this coach?" You were the genius that recruited them, apparently you are not as good as you think you are at evaluating talent....especially if after ONE year you are ready to give up on them. If I were those kids it would be transfer city.

Billy said nothing more than everyone watching college ball already knew. They played the SEC schedule with little to no heart all year and couldn't close games they had won. TN both times huge leads, where these players got stupid-- got down, and did not have the heart to get back in the ball game. There were plenty of others.

We've got the the 2 bigs at 6-10 coming in this year and Billy just put every recruit on notice -- if you show heart and commit -- you'll get the start. Brilliant recruiting ploy-- Put all in coming freshman on notice that they all have a great shot at starting. And put the current players on notice that you better commit.

You say these kids should transfer-- who the hell wants them when they played the way they did. They are young but come on every fan knows not one except maybe Calathes and Speights (being generous) showed any damn growth at all.

I see nothing wrong with a coach putting his underachieving team on notice. If they can't handle it they probably are not cut out for the grind that an NCAA div 1 program will put on them.