I am more worried about the overall record. Mike's record on March hasn't been his big problem, dancing around the bubble has. Teams can get a bad matchup in the tourney and bow out early. I am more interested in seeing if Mike has evolved as an in game coach overall. Last night was a bad setback, but the first 6 games happen as well.
That’s a reasonable expectation and I would agree with you. But I am very skeptical based on what I’ve seen from this coach that he will get the most out of this team’s potential. In other words, I’ve lost hope that White can get the job done. But that’s my opinion and I’m certainly not immune from being wrong.
Presumably, Mullen was NOT fired for a lack of sustained success. Beyond recruiting there seems to be some other issues with Mullen as well we don't know about. Nothing nefarious. Mike white checks all the boxes as a coach with the exception of an entertaining product and more importantly an improving product. We seem to be stuck in a perpetual one step forward one step back cycle.
My guess - Saw a 0 - 7 team coming up, at home, and went through the motions. Having said that, my instincts after games 1 - 6 was this UF team would fight, scratch and claw no matter the situation. Our guys laid down last night, and THAT'S what has me upset. CONSIDER this stat: We turned that other team over 17 times and still got annihilated. Consider that stat very carefully, it suggests just how poorly UF played in every aspect. BOARDS???? Are you KIDDING me ??? You get whipped 2 - 1 on the glass you will lose. Board stats don't lie!!! Unless you are playing 6' against 7' board stats imply whom has the effort, hustle and desire .................ummmm we lost that battle 2 - 1.
But then one must ask the question, “What is a successful program?” Almost every team, with the exception of those who make the Final Four (or maybe the Elite 8) have to be thinking the same thing. It takes a long time to get there for most teams if they ever get there at all. We have this notion that another coach will ride in on his white horse and we will become a perennial Final Four program. Cue the impending SwampGas meltdown if it takes Napier more than four years to win the SEC and/or national championship. People fawn over Gonzaga, but Coach Few hasn’t won a dang thing yet, and he’s been there 20 years. Should he be fired for not getting over the hump? What he did do is turn Gonzaga into a powerhouse program, but it took a long time of just being a mid-major dark horse team.
I can live with the Oklahoma loss because they played poorly on the first road game and still showed a ton of heart to fight till the end to make it a game. The TSU game is just a complete disaster in every aspect and now everything is being questioned again about this team and the direction of the program.
I don’t think that they laid down. It seemed to me like they were all trying very hard, but couldn’t get anything going.
You thought erroneously. I said I was done watching them until White is gone. I’m still gonna be a member of the board and contribute to posts.
One of my biggest issues with White has been his inability to position the program into an SEC championship caliber level team. There's really no excuse that we aren't and haven't been in competition for a conference title. The number of bad losses that we rack up in conference play takes us out of contention and in turn leaves us with poorer seeds come the NCAA tournament. Its hard to watch new coaches come in and win the SEC at lesser programs, and 7 years in I don't really feel like we are in anymore of a position to win the SEC than before. I feel like I am watching the same season on repeat.
— Which fans are saying we expect to be a perennial final 4 team? I’ve read accusations like that from you Mike White for Life guys and I don’t see it. Who’s saying that’s the expectations? I think 99% of this board realize we’re not going to be a consistent final 4 team. However, I see no reason why we can’t get to #2 in the SEC. That’s a goal I feel we should be fighting for most years. Unfortunately with this staff, we’ve opened the SEC tourney on Thursday far to often. Thursdays are for the middle of the pack teams.
I think last night was a damaging loss for White. I think this puts the spotlight right on him and certainly makes Stricklin pay even closer attention. How we do the rest of the season may and imo should decide his fate. If we continue to be inconsistent in SEC play and finish outside the top 4 or 5 teams, than it may be time to go in a new direction. All the goodwill to start the season was damaged last night. It's now being reported that the guys had bad practices leading up to the game. How does that happen coming off a loss? Where is the hunger to get back to winning? Those questions should have been addressed by White by benching the guys not coming to play in practice or making them run sprints. The lack of accountability is my biggest issue with White right now and at this point don't think that's changing. Really hope last night was just 1 game and we'll still have a very good season but I and most Gator fans now have a lot of doubts.
I was being hyperbolic, and I was really more speaking to what people unrealistically think will happen if we bring in a new coach.
There is a lot of territory in between where we are and the expectations you're ascribing to many people who simply want to see better results given his time here. I suppose if we become a prennialy sweet 16 team that falls short every year you would Still have your complainers but there are many who have different expectations that are more reasonable especially with the foundation Billy had built.
How good were the Bulls after Jordan and Phil left? I don’t think that previous success means a program will have future success. Look at Indiana. They are considered a “blue blood” basketball program but really what have they done recently? Billy Donovan’s success should be viewed as its own separate entity. He also had some disappointing years, but we look past it because of the overall success he had.
Tilly, I can’t put myself through that torture anymore. If I want to just get mad I’ll hit my thumb with a hammer. It will be quicker and less painful than watching White coach for two hours. In all seriousness, I will occasionally check out a game when they play but I’m done with any high expectations from his teams. It isn’t realistic at this point to keep hoping that he will improve to the level that he needs to move this program in the right direction.
I’ve had six seasons of watching White. I know exactly what to expect from his teams and that they will continue to be inconsistent. You want to see a team improving as the season progresses but more often than not that isn’t the case with White’s coaching.
I have to listen to Mick & Lee most of the time. When I see White slow it down against an inferior opponent we should blow out so the bench can get minutes, I start to lose it. Agree 100% with your reaction (s).
