The Gators are 7-2 with a win at Florida State and losses to Ohio State and Central Florida. The Gators return all 5 starters from last season (a squad that posted a 21-13 overall record, including a 9-7 mark in SEC). The Gators are projected to make the NCAA Tournament and possibly make a run at going deep in that tournament.
The Gators are lead by G's Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, F/C Vernon Macklin and F's Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus. Walker is averaging 12 points/game (co leads the team), 4 rebounds/game and 3 assists/game (co leads the team). Despite his size, Walker is more of a shooter by trade, but forced to handle the point he performed admirably last season, finishing fourth in the SEC in assists, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95) and sixth in free-throw percentage.
Boynton is averaging 12 points/game (co leads the team), 2 rebounds/game and 2 assists/game. Boynton hired a shot doctor, Los Angeles-based Bob Tate, and put in considerable work over the summer because last season he shot a whopping 439 shots in order to lead the Gators in shooting. 56% of those shots came from three point land so you know that he is not afraid to put it up.
Macklin is averaging 11 points/game, 6 rebounds/game (co leads the team) and 1 assist/game. Macklin is considered a potential NBA Draft Lottery pick but didn't play like that last season after transferring from Georgetown. The Florida coaches taught him how to extend his arm on his jump hook, making it virtually untouchable. Some solid performances against SEC teams -- 20 points and six rebounds against Mississippi State, 22 and seven against Ole Miss, 21 and nine against Vanderbilt -- proved he had regained some of his old mojo.
Parsons is averaging 10 points/game, 6 rebounds/game (co leads the team) and 3 assists/game (co leads the team). Parsons is the Gators "most improved player" as Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl called him. Chances are good that without Parsons' game-winning buzzer-beating shots against NC State and South Carolina, the Gators' NCAA Tournament resume would have been found lacking.
Tyus is averaging 10 points/game, 5 rebounds/game and 1 assist/game. Tyus declared for the NBA Draft a season ago before deciding to return to Florida. Head Coach Billy Donovan wants Tyus to focus on his rebounding and defense -- more specifically, to be able to crash the offensive boards and guard more than one position.
Many think that Donovan has his best team since the back-to-back NCAA champions of 2006-07. Florida has more size and experience than any team in the SEC and figures to win the Eastern Division, especially if the Gators can solve the mystery of Tennessee, which is 8-2 against them since Bruce Pearl took over as coach. If that happens, Florida's ticket to the Big Dance will be punched again, and if the Gators' guards don't get worn out from all the minutes they'll be forced to play, they are capable of making their deepest run since '07.
