Just read an article in The Athletic about the Transfer Portal. The author had just been in Hog Town and was very bullish on the Gators prospects this year. According to The Athletic Will Richard was especially impressive-during a shooting drill; Richard made 24 shots in 66 seconds from behind the 3 point line at the top of the key. That means Richard was making a bucket every 2.75 seconds. Keep in mind Richard isn't just a sniper. He's a long, athletic, 3 level scorer.
Couldn't agree more. I'm on record saying that Lofton wins us 2 more games in the conference schedule. Not everyone agreed with me.
We got talent, not a lot of bigs, but guards, pg’s, 2g’s, wings, we got’um. Now we have to get them cohesive and find the people that can fill it up when the lights are on and sold out crowds, with very competitive teams. Sounds like Will Richards is showing out, all good. Last year we heard about another transfer filling it up, well that didn’t happen very often. I say hopefully, this year with a coach that knows offense, all the players on the team succeed in being all they can be when it comes to them, wide open, they play string music. Nothing better than all these guards and wings at least two to three guys a game show out. With Colin healthy, he will get his, we should be a tough out for any team we face, We need JJ to get lean and healthy, if not we will be very thin up front, not good in a physical league. This was a constant with Mike White. I am excited for the season but I worried it will take getting beat down about five times, some embarrassing, for the guys to learn it takes five guys succeeding in their positions, playing team ball, to beat Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and even Georgia. If Mike White gets a split of our two games with them or sweeps us, this would be an embarrassment and a big win of momentum for his program. We have a bruising schedule. I am thinking 18 or 19 wins and still make the big tournament, due to our schedule.
No. We have added 5 other really good players, we have 6 returning players who should be improved, and in my opinion, we will have better coaching. It's unlikely that we will be able to point to one single factor for a much improved team.
Maybe the new staff has or eventually will collect many data points (they used to call them stats back in the day) on the 6 or so incoming players, and the 6 or so returning players. Then the coach, being data driven (have you heard him speak by the way), will take an interest in said data points and realize that past results can actually help to determine future results in the game of basketball (just like in life, and in other sports like baseball, football, and even in pro basketball). Then the new coach, who has become so enamored with these data points, but no longer has enough hours in the week to analyze them all by himself (because his wife has finally said enough and he's smart like that too), decides to hire another basketball geek just like himself-to analyze all those fun data points. but all those numbers and stuff don't matter to Florida Basketball-is what the new Head Basketball Coach at the University of Georgia says. And he would know best, because he used to coach at Florida.
I understand your points but don't think we have to take five beat downs, some embarrassing, before they learn teamwork. That's partly on the coaches and I'll bet it's already being preached constantly. Just wait until practices start. Plus I see CC as a very valuable leader. I'm very excited about seeing what these kids can do and what the new coaches can do. Personally, I am not any more concerned about the LegHumper program or their coach than any other lower tier SEC school.
The 1989 Illinois basketball team was awesome. In my opinion they were the best team that year. They crushed Michigan twice in the regular season and then lost a close game in the Final Four to Michigan when Glenn Rice went off. IIRC the tallest player on the Illinois team was 6' 9" or maybe even shorter. But they were all very athletic. Really good teams can be made without "bigs". Great teams can be made with athletic bigs that can shoot. I would love to have a young Dirk on our team. Odds of that ever happening are close to zero. Closest we ever had was Bonner.
