Tampa subregional

Freshmen make or break UF

ROMANO E-mail: Click here Archive

© St. Petersburg Times
published March 22, 2003

TAMPA -- Freshmen endure the darnedest things.

They can be teased or taunted. Bossed about or picked on.

At this place, the freshmen are made to carry luggage from the bus to the hotel. At that place, they are forced to pick up after seniors.

At Florida?

The freshmen are asked to hit shots at the buzzer. To rise up for a season in need of rescue.

This is not quite the way it was planned. Who knew the greatest regular season in Gator history was going to be put in the hands of a couple of players who were still teenagers in November?

Forget what you saw Friday night. The first-round clubbing of Sam Houston State was an extended shootaround. Necessary, but not meaningful.

The real test is near. The truth eventually will arrive. Come Sunday, against Michigan State, we'll know better whether these Gators should be lumped with the underachievers of recent memory.

And it will take a pair of freshmen to convince us.

Remember, it was Anthony Roberson who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Georgia. It was Matt Walsh who hit the late free throws to beat Maryland.

It was Roberson and Walsh together who created the early season buzz that eventually took Florida to its first No. 1 ranking.

And it will be Roberson and Walsh who ultimately decide how far the Gators go in this NCAA Tournament.

"Moreso than in any of the years since I've been here, we've relied on these freshmen," coach Billy Donovan said. "We've got three great seniors, but those three seniors need help."

Make no mistake, senior Matt Bonner has been the steadying influence. Senior point guard Justin Hamilton is the quiet conscience.

But it is Roberson and Walsh who have been responsible for making this season more special than the rest.

They are natural scorers. Jumpers from the perimeter. Runners from the lane. With the ball in their hands, the defense goes tense.

This is what Florida had lacked. This is why the Gators lost so many close games last season. There was no one on the floor who could create their own scoring opportunities. No one with the confidence to shoot at the buzzer.

"They demand respect on the floor from a scoring standpoint," Donovan said.

This was was not necessarily part of a grand design. Donovan, after all, has never been the type to swoon over freshmen. This was simply a case of critical mass. An answer to the loss of too many bodies in the recent past.

Kwame Brown never came. James White didn't stay. Between transfers, graduation and attrition, Florida would have been hard-pressed to fill out a three-on-three scrimmage at an offseason picnic.

So Donovan went in search of reinforcements. He went to Michigan. Pennsylvania. Even Denmark. By the time the Gators began practice in the fall, there were as many freshmen as returning players.

Even then, these two were not quite so prominent in Florida's plans. Roberson was supposed to be Brett Nelson's apprentice. And Walsh was not even the favored freshman at small forward. It was Christian Drejer who got the early raves. But Nelson stumbled, and Drejer was injured.

So Roberson and Walsh stepped forward and Florida quickly climbed the polls. Their impact is easy to measure. When they play well, the Gators win. When they struggle, Florida is in trouble.

Bonner and Hamilton are the dependable ones. Never AWOL, always solid. The fluctuations in Florida's season seem more attributable to the freshmen.

Since January when the conference games began, the freshmen have been something less than they once were. Roberson and Walsh combined for an average of 31.2 points by the end of December. They have averaged 20.8 points since. And Florida went 6-5 down the stretch.

"Our confidence hasn't wavered at all," Walsh said. "A lot of people are making a big deal about this. They're talking about us hitting a freshmen wall. I don't think it's that at all. We're just being guarded differently."

Donovan's greatest concern is not the dip in scoring averages. That almost was to be expected. His problem is with the way they responded. Walsh and Roberson seemed too cognizant of their numbers. Instead of creating opportunities for teammates, they were forcing their shots.

"You have to remember, everybody was talking about those two guys as the two best freshmen in the United States in December. And part of the reason they got exposure was because of the scoring," Donovan said. "However, teams started defending those guys differently.

"Now what (Walsh and Roberson) have to do is be able to alter their games and do other things. Not base whether they're playing poorly or playing well on whether they're making their shots. Because there's other things those guys athletically are able to do to help this team."

This is what Donovan needed to see Friday night. Smart basketball. Unselfish basketball.

He wanted to see Roberson draw a crowd of defenders and kick the ball back to an open teammate. He wanted to see Walsh make better decisions and play under control. He wanted them to think of the team first.

For one night, at least, Donovan got his wish. Walsh had more assists than baskets. Roberson did not look to score until the game already was in hand. They played within the flow of offense instead of trying to create it on their own.

After all Florida asked of them as freshmen, this is the season's last request.

To stop acting like freshmen.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright