We had some really good teams (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) lose in the first weekend. I don't judge a season by how they do in the NCAA tournament. It is too random.
I don't think so. Some of our most prolific and even-handed posters (@akaGatorhoops) lamented the start. At that point, there were reasons (3pt defense in particular) for concern. OTOH, some of us recognized that the start of the SEC schedule was ridiculous. Now we have three pretty tough games to end the season. Best news is that we already have 20 & 10. Let's get some more.
I agree. I won't let a loss in the NCAAT ruin a season for me. All the teams in the tournament are pretty good and can get hot.
Lamenting the start is different than "writing them off". No one should have been writing off this group.
Ahhh yes Lurker, and, as I recall the "SACK" Billy D movement started around 2004, 2005 because of lack of NCAA tourney success. Good thing Foley didn't adhere to social media negativity considering 2 straight titles were just on the horizon!! (Perhaps a cautionary example of why cutting a UF coach to soon may have it's drawbacks) - reference coach Billy Napiers current situation in football. You may also recall that Billy responded to those criticisms with a very interesting statement: We were not built for NCAA tournament success in those years (or something along those lines).
Mike White was pretty good at winning game 1 in the dance. And that was about it. So I agree pigpen, this club is probably as good if not better than any club Mike White had here other than year 2, and I suspect this squad could have beat that squad.
Here’s my thing… and it’s not about defending White. Trust me on that, please guys. My concern is what if Golden loses in round 1 this year and maybe next year? Are we going to call for his job? If a guy makes the tournament and wins a game… that is better than most coaches. You don’t fire that guy. You keep steady and eventually you might break through. You fire a guy who consistently misses the tournament. My whole “defense” of Mike White over the years is not about Mike White. It’s about who we are as a fanbase and athletic program. I just want Golden (and Napier) to get the time they need before the mob turns on them.
"Here’s my thing… and it’s not about defending White. Trust me on that, please guys. My concern is what if Golden loses in round 1 this year and maybe next year? Are we going to call for his job?" Murph - You KNOW they/we will. I ain't no expert but it seems half our posters are glass half full types that support our Gators. The other half, while fans, seem to enjoy stewing in anger about anything thats nots perfection, much less losing. In fact after last year and at the start of this year in B-Ball what were some posting: Strickland sucks Napier sucks Golden sucks Not only that, UF in general sucks because of the perception UF does not invest "enough" in programs. Our fan base can be bitterly cruel. Chris Doering is not all wrong about that. Answering only for myself, I have found this BB season rewarding. Many new faces but they play hard and have shown significant improvement. If UF gets blown out by 30 in round 1 I will still consider this a really happy season, as a fan. The Gators can shoot, they can rebound and they don't quit. Golden is wrestling with one situation that is difficult with Riley. Hopefully coach and player are on board with helping the team in that situation.
I think winning game 1 or not aside, the BIG difference between White and Golden is that you can actually see the potential in Golden, and you want to see where it takes us. I never really felt that with White, you kind of got the sense that the floor wasn't too low but the ceiling far more than likely wasn't very high too. Golden has that long-term tenure vibe about him and he's so young he could potentially be here for decades.
Agreed and I still THINK we haven’t hit our ceiling. Right now, we run at least 8 deep ( includes RK) and any of those eight could get you 15 points on any outing. I don’t think there are a lot of teams that have that potential. We don’t have “ that NBA type guy”, but I like the roster and think they’re playing about as well, as a unit as anyone. The “ next man up mentality “ seems to be a part of this team’s makeup. Guys seem to step up when needed. For example, losing Walter with 14 minutes left ( when he was leading us in scoring) and everyone having an off-shooting night, they still found a way. A key contribution came from an unexpected player. RK ( who hadn’t played much of late) came in and gave us solid if unspectacular minutes in place of Aberdeen. He played good defense on Honor & took Mizz a little out of their rhythm. It also settled us down and gave us a chance to gain control of the game. It could be Haugh, Condon or RK. That’s a really good first three off the bench. The starting 5, as a unit, give us steady performances. That is a “ Find a Way” kinda team.
Thanks for writing this, because I feel like I've taken a lot of heat here for just supporting our guys... whether it's Coach White, supporting KJ's decision to continue playing, etc... I agree with you and will also see this as a successful season if we make it into the tournament, which is likely at this point. Once you get into the tournament, your record is 0-0 with 40:00 on the clock and anything can happen good or bad. As long as we are consistently getting into the Big Dance, that meets my requirement for a successful program. Ideally, you get to Final Fours and win championships, but that is such a rare achievement that it can't be a realistic expectation.
I saw potential in both coaches, but in very different approaches. I saw Mike White as a more methodical and traditional coach. Great inbounds plays, and focused on traditional lineups and basketball play. Stoic on the sideline like Billy Donovan and a calming presence. High character, old fashioned values type of guy. I see Golden as a young energetic coach who has a sharp eye for talent. He's a guy that will attract players due to his personality. Fills up a room with charisma. Will use non-traditional means to accomplish the end goal. More creative process. Great manager of egos and people. Both styles can win, but it will look very different when they have success. I'm very happy with Golden's hire. I hope he's our coach for a long time. While I liked Mike White a great deal, I don't miss him.
Good post Jeff. I was a supporter of Coach White. Classy, a good steward, darn good recruiter (except for bigs) his Dad was a big force in athletics at Duke. After year 2 I thought we were set. But then year after year we were squeaking into the tourney or not making it. I'm no analyst but it seemed the concerns about "slow-playing" at the end of contests, failure to recruit bigs (in quantity) and never really getting over the "hump" were not unresonable concerns. I wish the guy well except when UGA plays UF. Anyway, I hope Golden can begin to secure more H.S. talent and develop them as compared to being a Transfer Portal warrior. Of course that may just be me being disconnected to the new reality. Perhaps going portal is better than H.S. kids. Just really happy for Todd and the team. (and Gator Nation) Go Gators!
