[gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: "Hoops Scoop" - Billy D and the close game conundrum

Two things.

1. We had only 4 close games this year. Usually we have around 10. That means that 6 games that might have been close wins in our favor in the past were blowouts in our favor this year. That is the sign of a better team not a worse team. No one can convince me that beating a team by 4 is better than beating the same team by 22.

2. Give the credit to Walker? The same S.O.B. who wouldn't even look inside at the end of the game even though he had an all-NBA front line? What wins close game consistently is not a rainbow from a guard who wants to make Sportscenter; it is a forward or center to can take it to the rim and either make a close shot or get fouled in the process. If we want to give credit to those 12 close wins in 2009 to 2011, let's look to Chandler Parsons, Vernon Macklin and Alexander Tyus with Patrick Young keeping them fresh.

-Zeb

On Apr 12, 2013, at 8:47 AM, Shane Ford wrote:

2009-10 — 6-5

2010-11 –6-4

2011-12 — 2-5

2012-13 — 0-4

Overall: 58-77 .464

It's fair to say that not all close games are decided by five points or less, and Donovan's teams have tended to pull away in overtime (his overtime record at UF is 16-14 and 3-3 in the NCAA Tournament). But five points has been the standard set to measure most close games decided by one or two possessions.

Of note, the Gators are 2-9 over the last two seasons in games decided by 5 points or less, a disturbing trend. Some national analysts have tended to blame the decision-making of outgoing Florida guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker for UF's late-game struggles. But Walker's big-shot ability was definitely missed this season. In three seasons with Walker as a starting point guard, the Gators were 12-14 in games decided by 5-points or less. Without him this season, Florida was 0-4.