Regular Season - did we over/underachieve?

So, I see your question as this; After 31 games, in retrospect, did we win more than we should have, or less? My opinion is that it's close. Maybe there are a few games out there that we should have won, for sure. Overall though, it was close and always a work in progress. I have said all along that I believed this is a Sweet 16 team based on what we have seen. We will find out if it meets those expectations.

 

I think - for this season - we met my regular season expectation. Most predictions has UF finishing 7-9th in the SEC. I thought we would be better than that and 6th is better. I think it was a good not great year.

 

I picked 10-8 pre-season, so we overachieved.
I hoped to be firmly in the NCAAs and not a bubble team and we did that so overachieved.
We were 6th in the SEC, which was better than our preseason projection. Overachieved.

Now- we DEFINITELY have some deficiencies and weaknesses. Losing to Uk (at home), Vandy, TAMU and USCe after holding 10 point leads is bad.
In addition, let's not overlook the LSU and UGA (at home) debacles because we won, because we were lucky to win them.
It's inarguable we freeze up/ choke when we have big leads in the last 20% of games.

So in terms of game play- underachieve based on what we COULD have achieved. (Which was 13-5 easily, if not 14-4.)
But strongly overachieved based on my pre-season expectations.

 

“Achieved”

in Y2 being above average in arguably the best conference sounds about right

Now we can say based on the talent and how they’ve been coached up they could have won more games. Thats fair. But TG gets credit for raising that bar

 

I picked 11 - 7 SEC (really) early. Pure speculation without seeing the team play at the time.

After watching the entire season I think this team slightly underacheived. I agree with Distant, I think UF should have won 23 or 24
games this year.

Solid 8 players to work with. Playing against zones hurt the team, having squandered several leads, including on Saturday.

UF is also "Soft" on the road. How else could one see it? Won 6 road games, color me not to impressed with that.

So thats the slightly disappointed side of me talking.

BUT HEY - UF is gonna dance. (I'm pretty sure) so that is a fantastic "bump" in the right direction!

Love the teams pace (almost 90 a game) and many aspects of this team.

I am not as confident as many whom keep saying we are a sweet 16 team. Maybe, maybe not. If UF plays at a level
that is closer to the 15 - 1 showing at home, on a neutral court, yes I think the second weekend is possible.

I would give coach a solid "B" for this years regular season. I think this season was on par with some of Billys middle of the road teams,
(which were often quite good).

Over all, no matter what happens, I think CTG has established himself and the Gator program as emerging as a SEC legit contender again.
Can he get to that SEC level of a first round SEC bye in the future? (top 4 team), IMO thats the expectation of Gator Nation. (Well, me at least).

Go Gators!

 

My expectations have become low for the program since Billy left... So I think we overachieved, because my expectations are back up. TG is earning his stripes.

 

Would be interesting to know how many times the team came back from being down by 10 points. In the second half especially.

 

Under. I had us at 13-5. Oh well but man it was fun to watch them play on offense despite the defensivr frustration. The season FLEW by which lets you know that it was a fun team. Otherwise the season would DRAG on which it didnt. Excited for the post season!

 

Sure we were 6th, but the top of the SEC was as good as I can remember it. The conference could have 6 teams as a 7 seed or better.

If that is the case, would be interested if that has ever happened.

 

I predicted 13-5 in the conference, but that was with Jarvis in the house. Overall, it was about what I expected, 21 wins, at least one win in the SECT and one in the NCAAT. We will see. after the playing down and sloppy at Nashville/Vandy, the refs were as bad as some in middle school, who knows if the team will be focused at the SECT. The NCAAT, is the draw tough and does the foe play a zone defense, who knows. I will say we have had a great run the conference and that says we over achieved in the conference and under achieved in the preseason. Playing Virginia in Charlotte, Wake Forest in Winston Salem did us no favors and we were not prepared for the slow down games with zone defenses. I would say about as good as we could ask for. the SECT will be about Tennessee and Kentucky unless Bama slips in there. These are the schools that will bring a lot of fans, both being good and geography “close”. Florida will have to be prepared for the fans pulling against us and be ready to play good basketball. Turning it over to Vandy 16 or seventeen times won’t cut it in Nashville. Throwing the ball into someone’s back is losing basketball. Make passes that can be caught, not at Handles shoelaces, he can’t touch his toes, come on. Will we come ready to fight Handles, or we will go home and lose the big mo we had late in the season. Then the NCAA will we then be ready, who knows. Two quick losses would be an under achieved with what we have. This answer is still in the air.

 

We achieved what we achieved.

Some disappointing loses and some surprising wins.

 

I typically have high expectations for most Gator sports teams. Thought this team would go at least 11-7 and make the postseason. Tough start to the season, but rallied and so far so good.
I will say the officiating has under achieved so far this season.

 

Before the season, I didn't know enough to have any expectations (despite Fawcett's excellent reporting on our new players). Soon after the season started I told my friends I thought this Gator team would do better than what we had been picked to do. Could have been better if a couple of close games had bounced our way, but nothing too out of the ordinary for good/bad luck.

That said, I like our chances in the postseason this year a lot more than most years, particularly in the NCAA (not as much in the SECT; maybe because I don't care as much about the SECT).

But, the thing is, it's always a crap-shoot in a single elimination tournament. And predictions in general - even by the "experts" - aren't worth the pixels upon which they rest IMHO.

I will pick my Gators to do well in my March Madness bracket (pending actual matchups) this year - and I certainly don't always do that.

 

I'd say overachieved prior to season expectations. I had no idea we'd be this good. Underachieved based on how the season went. Should have additional wins over Vandy, Bama, Virginia, and South Carolina. I know it cuts both ways with closes wins and close loses.

Maybe I should stay away from the SEC tourney? Wee are 0-2 this year when I'm in the arena.

 

Was Jarvis going to be THAT good in your opinion? If so, Im really sad he left basketball.

 

Like others have said, we did better than I expected before the season. However, once we learned what we had, I think we achieved and could have achieved more. All in all, a good regular season that could have been great. Can't wait to see what the postseason holds for our guys. It does feel like the program is moving in the right direction.

 

PLEASE do not go to the game! JK...