The Gators will not lose again this season

[Gatormatic]

I really believe that we will not lose again this season. If you look at both our close losses this season (Arizona and Mizzou), there is a common denominator: we choked away big leads. Some might see this as a bad thing, and I'm definitely concerned, but we need to look at the silver lining.

Neither of those games were a back and forth, tight battle throughout the entire game. Instead, we were punching those teams' in the mouth for most of the game and let our foot off of the gas. This team just needs to stay focused and keep the foot on the gas, leaving no doubt. We're a veteran, experienced team and I have no doubt that these guys will regroup and not lose again this season.

We've proven that we can not only hang with good teams, but we can dominate them. I think this team will be cutting down the nets for the 3rd time in school history in April.

[WobbleGator]

Yes we will.

[GatorInKnox]

at UT could be tough

[GatorTAG]

We didn't take our foot off the gas. They figured out we have no inside game and adjusted. This will be exposed again come tournament time.

[WobbleGator]

We didn't take our foot off the gas. They figured out we have no inside game and adjusted. This will be exposed again come tournament time.

I say we make the elite eight for sure.

[Gatormatic]

I just don't see it. The last five games should all be wins, and pretty dominant ones. I don't see any SEC team beating us on a neutral court in the SEC Tournament, and I think all the kinks will be worked out by the time the NCAA Tournament starts (plus we should be getting Yeguete back at that time too).

[Gatormatic]

I'm seeing a ton of comparisons to the 04 UF team or the 05-06 UF team, but the team I think is most comparable is the 2009-2010 Duke Blue Devils. Duke lost 5 games during the regular season, all on the road. That team had no superstars, just a scrappy, veteran group of players who could also really shoot it from downtown. Even though they were a 1 seed, they were very overlooked by everyone in the NCAA Tournament, but they quietly and efficiently ran through teams and won it all.

The Gators might be a little under the radar after this Mizzou loss, which I think is best for this team. Sneak up on people.

[AlwaysWrite]

I'm glad you think we'll finally stop blowing double-digit leads in the last 10 minutes in big games, like we did in the 2011 Elite Eight, 2012 Elite Eight, earlier this season against Arizona, and again last night. We're fortunate to have so many "learning experiences" and "chances to get better." Good thing that missing free throws and taking unnecessary desperation threes aren't a hallmark of this team for several years now.

(Sorry, just frustrated. They're clearly not learning from these mistakes, it's just who they are, and I'll be surprised if they go far in March because of it. Blowing out crappy teams is nice, but we choke too often against the decent ones like we'll see in the tourney.)

[WobbleGator]

I'm glad you think we'll finally stop blowing double-digit leads in the last 10 minutes in big games, like we did in the 2011 Elite Eight, 2012 Elite Eight, earlier this season against Arizona, and again last night. We're fortunate to have so many "learning experiences" and "chances to get better." Good thing that missing free throws and taking unnecessary desperation threes aren't a hallmark of this team for several years now.

(Sorry, just frustrated. They're clearly not learning from these mistakes, it's just who they are, and I'll be surprised if they go far in March because of it. Blowing out crappy teams is nice, but we choke too often against the decent ones like we'll see in the tourney.)

[Class of '78]

I really believe that we will not lose again this season. If you look at both our close losses this season (Arizona and Mizzou), there is a common denominator: we choked away big leads. Some might see this as a bad thing, and I'm definitely concerned, but we need to look at the silver lining.

Neither of those games were a back and forth, tight battle throughout the entire game. Instead, we were punching those teams' in the mouth for most of the game and let our foot off of the gas. This team just needs to stay focused and keep the foot on the gas, leaving no doubt. We're a veteran, experienced team and I have no doubt that these guys will regroup and not lose again this season.

We've proven that we can not only hang with good teams, but we can dominate them. I think this team will be cutting down the nets for the 3rd time in school history in April.

Did we let our foot off the gas or did they force us helplessly into the half court, our Achilles' heel? I think it's more the latter. But, hey, I'm all in for running the table. Let's party like there's no tomorrow.

[SnookinGator51]

I'm glad you think we'll finally stop blowing double-digit leads in the last 10 minutes in big games, like we did in the 2011 Elite Eight, 2012 Elite Eight, earlier this season against Arizona, and again last night. We're fortunate to have so many "learning experiences" and "chances to get better." Good thing that missing free throws and taking unnecessary desperation threes aren't a hallmark of this team for several years now.

(Sorry, just frustrated. They're clearly not learning from these mistakes, it's just who they are, and I'll be surprised if they go far in March because of it. Blowing out crappy teams is nice, but we choke too often against the decent ones like we'll see in the tourney.)

You must have short term memory loss. Let me remind you of some things that have happened this year.

Florida beat Wisconsin by 18 points. Wisconsin wins this year- Illinois, @Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio State.
Florida beat Marquette by 33 points. Marquette has beat Wisconsin, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and a few other Tournament teams.

Florida would have beat Georgetown as well if not for the fluke condensation on the court. We've had plenty of other notable BIG victories that I don't think need to be mentioned. This team will be fine as long as Yeguette comes back in time for the Big Dance.

[Looneyg8r]

We didn't take our foot off the gas. They figured out we have no inside game and adjusted. This will be exposed again come tournament time.

If you have a 12 point lead, twice in one game, and you lose, I think its safe to say that we let off the gas a bit. Also, no one was saying we "have no inside game" after the Kentucky game, last week. We certainly didn't utilize Young inside, last night, but you cant say we have no inside game. Thats just ignant.

[lagator]

I'm seeing a ton of comparisons to the 04 UF team or the 05-06 UF team, but the team I think is most comparable is the 2009-2010 Duke Blue Devils. Duke lost 5 games during the regular season, all on the road. That team had no superstars, just a scrappy, veteran group of players who could also really shoot it from downtown. Even though they were a 1 seed, they were very overlooked by everyone in the NCAA Tournament, but they quietly and efficiently ran through teams and won it all.

The Gators might be a little under the radar after this Mizzou loss, which I think is best for this team. Sneak up on people.

It's not a bad comparison with one big exception, that Duke team was capable of winning close games. The Gators have shown the disturbing trend of coming up on the short end of close games. Over the last 2 seasons we have been in 11 games where the final score differential was 7 points or less and our record in those games is 2-9. I knew it was bad but was surprised to see it has been that bad. That's an 18% win percentage in close games.

Ignoring the fact that in nearly all our exciting games, we come away feeling like we got kicked in the nards, it doesn't give much confidence heading into the Dance where close games are often the norm. Until they get this figured out we need to hope that we are hitting our 3's and keep up the defensive pressure so we can win by blowout. One of these days we might actually get to experience the excitement of winning a close game again

[willgetin]

However, you CAN say we had no inside game LAST NIGHT...

[Looneyg8r]

Yessir.

[AlwaysWrite]

I know we also beat some good teams this year. I'm not saying we're terrible or that we lose to every decent opponent. But we've lost way too many of these games that we should have won to consider ourselves Top 5 or Final Four material or talk about running the table, IMO.

Hey, I'd love to be wrong and see us make a deep run, but I don't think we'll blow everyone out in the tourney, and as lagator points out, our record in close games is pretty dismal. Worse than that, there is a definite trend in how we're losing these games (not just that the other team makes a bunch of lucky shots). And if we haven't learned after the heartbreak of the last 2 tourneys, then I'm afraid this trend is entrenched in this team's DNA.

[MatthewM.]

Three undisputed facts about college basketball:
1. Nobody goes undefeated.
2. The #1 ranked team rarely wins the NCAA tournament.
3. Kenny Boynton is a mason.

[The RH Factor]

February's are usually not kind to our team.

The best thing we have going for us is there is no dominant team out there this year.

We need to knock down the 3's and hit our free throws in the final minutes of our games and we should do OK.

[willgetin]

Three undisputed facts about college basketball:
1. Nobody goes undefeated.
2. The #1 ranked team rarely wins the NCAA tournament.
3. Kenny Boynton is a mason.

yeah, yeah, yeah, and you'd like to pee in his butt... we know, we know...

[GatorTAG]

We didn't take our foot off the gas. They figured out we have no inside game and adjusted. This will be exposed again come tournament time.

If you have a 12 point lead, twice in one game, and you lose, I think its safe to say that we let off the gas a bit. Also, no one was saying we "have no inside game" after the Kentucky game, last week. We certainly didn't utilize Young inside, last night, but you cant say we have no inside game. Thats just ignant.

When I'm talking about inside game I'm talking about points from our big guys inside. Not drives and layups by point guards.

You're not honestly saying 6'10" Eric Murphy is our inside power player are you? He's our best 3 point shooter.

That leaves PY. Are you saying his 12 point outburst against UK is what you're hanging your hat on? If PY is NBA material he should be averaging more than 10 points per game. His 2 points in 26 minutes last night were a joke. The guy is uncoordinated as heck shooting the ball. He consistently misses little baby hooks and tip backs. PY has only scored over 13 points three times all season. He has 11 games under 10 points.

Call me "ignant" all you want but we have no inside offensive game.