By: Rob Lanier, Asst. Coach - Florida
We are currently sitting at 15-6 and 4-3 in SEC play. We've had
several losses we'd like to get back and a couple of wins that we
have stolen from the jaws of defeat. So our work in progress
continues. Our toughest loss of the year took place earlier
this week at Tennessee.
Anytime you can get a road win it is important. Getting a
conference road win is even more crucial and we had that
opportunity at Tennessee. Tennessee has been our toughest
opponent since I came to Florida and this week's game was really
the best opportunity we had to beat them. They are extremely well
coached and one of the toughest teams to prepare for, in my
opinion, since I've been in coaching. They do a great job. So
to be up one with 24 seconds remaining and not get it
done was heartbreaking.
The encouraging thing is that we feel as a staff that our team is
improving right now and our best basketball is coming. We're in the
middle of a very important stretch with a road game at Alabama on
Thursday then a quick turnaround with a Saturday afternoon game at
home versus Mississippi State. Then, back on the road on Wednesday
against a tough South Carolina team with perhaps the best offensive
player in college basketball in Devan Downey.
Then next Saturday, February 13th we'll host a very good Xavier
team in a late non-conference game. Our focus has been and will
continue to be on defense and rebounding. Have have improved and
shown some signs of being good in those two areas... yet we still
have proven that we have a long way to go.
We have relied heavily on our backcourt tandem of Kenny Boynton and
Erving Walker to provide offense for us and we were encouraged that
in a game where each of them had probably their poorest games of
the year that we were still in position to win. In large part
because we defended for a good portion of that game (but did get
hurt on the glass late).
There's a lot of basketball left to play and we feel good about
this group going forward.
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