Colleges

UF greets return to basketball poll with shrug

By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published January 29, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] Over the past three games, UF's Marreese Speights has averaged 18 points and 9.7 rebounds in 26 minutes.

GAINESVILLE - Forgive Florida forward Dan Werner for not jumping for joy because the Gators are in the AP Top 25 for the second time this season. After all, when Florida was ranked in November, it lasted all of one week.

"We were ranked one time before and came out and got our butts kicked by FSU," Werner said, referring to the Gators' No.25 ranking the week of Nov.19 and their 65-51 loss to Florida State. "We don't really care about that right now. We just care about the next game, and whatever happens, happens."

But fresh off an 86-64 win over then-No.14 Vanderbilt and carrying an 18-3 record 5-1 SEC, the Gators are once again among the nation's ranked teams. Florida is No.20 in the AP poll and No.19 in the ESPN coaches poll. The biggest question is, how will the Gators handle it?

Coach Billy Donovan is trying hard to make sure he keeps his team grounded.

"I've talked to our guys a lot since the league (play) has started about having a level of humility, a level of humbleness and an eagerness to want to get better and improve, and our guys, I think, are starting maybe to see that and maybe understand," Donovan said. "But I think one of the most difficult things for a young basketball team to handle is success. I think it's the hardest thing to handle. And we're not that good that we can just think that we're going to show up each night, just show up at games and win.

"It took an incredible amount of focus and energy on their part (Sunday) to play the way they did. So the thing I've tried to talk to them about is keeping a level of humility of who they are and who we are."

Who they are is always evolving. Only junior guard Walter Hodge had any significant minutes in last year's national title run, and Donovan has a starting lineup that includes two freshmen and two sophomores, with three freshmen and a sophomore coming off the bench for significant minutes.

The Gators won't play again until they travel to Arkansas on Saturday. Interestingly, they are one of three teams in the poll whose opponents have a losing record (209-210), along with Indiana and Butler. The toughest part of their conference schedule, including two games against Tennessee and a trip to Rupp Arena to face Kentucky, still remain.

"I don't even know if we were deserving when we were in the Top 25 for one week - we probably shouldn't have even been there," Donovan said. "I don't know if we deserve to be there (now) or not, but we need to keep things in perspective, and I'm anxious to see how we come back having a week off right now, what kind of focus they have."

COMING ON STRONG: For most of the season, sophomore Marreese Speights has had to endure constant criticism from Donovan, everything from conditioning to being more physical at the center position against some of the league's best big men. But since a 17-minute, four-point effort against Ole Miss and a heartfelt one-on-one conversation with Donovan before the Jan.19 Kentucky game, Speights has been a different player. Over the past three games, Speights has 54 points and 29 rebounds and is averaging 26 minutes.

"It's all getting better," Speights said. "Coach is talking to me, he's gaining confidence in me, and in practice I'm going hard. I'm gaining confidence, too, and everything's just working out now."

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Wide receiver Riley Cooper, kicker Joey Ijjas, offensive lineman Jim Barrie and defensive back Telly Concepcion are four area football players among 46 UF student-athletes named to the 2007-08 SEC fall academic honor roll. Florida had the third-most athletes named to the honor roll behind South Carolina (65) and Kentucky (60).

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 29, 2008, 01:09:51]