All of us were disappointed by our team's performance against Michigan State, but I am certain that NONE of us is nearly as disappointed as the players and the coaches. And NONE of us worked as hard this season to accomplish great things. After taking us to a record-smashing season (most wins ever, highest seed ever, most consecutive tournament appearances, etc.), the team seemed to fold at the end. I'm sure it will all be analyzed to death, but FWIW, here's my analysis: The Freshmen This team turned out to be all about the freshmen. Thank goodness Peep and Walsh were as awesome as they were this year, or we would have even less to be happy about today. Their play early on was unfathomable, and as much as we hoped they could sustain it, they were, in fact, only freshmen. They had never played a season so long, so intense, or against such impressive competition. Now they have. We will reap the benefits of their awesome freshman year by having seasoned veterans next year. Boggan and Al-Kaleem were the more typical freshmen, contributing a little here and there, getting a little experience under their belts, learning from the older guys. If they have the typical freshman-to-sophomore improvement, we'll be in terrific shape. Drejer's situation was the biggest challenge. He moves to a new country to go to college, instead of taking the big bucks from the NBA. No freshman hoops player at UF has ever arrived on campus with more hype. Once here, he injures his hip and can't practice. His hip starts to recover and he starts to practice, but then he sprains his ankle. No big deal, right? Wrong. His ankle develops a nasty abscess that requires not one but two surgeries and a few weeks in the hospital, in a new country with no family or any real friends around. He gets out of the hospital, 20 pounds lighter and depressed. He rejoins the team, well into the season. He's out of sync with the team, because he hasn't practiced in so long, and despite all the physical setbacks, people are still expecting him to live up to all the hype. He shows brief flashes of brilliance here and there, but nothing close to what we all hoped. The rest of his season would have been considered great for any other freshman, especially given what he had to overcome. But, because we believed the hype, now when we hear his name, we just roll our eyes. All-in-all, our freshmen give us tremendous hope for the future. Peep and Walsh both have said they intend to stay at UF for four years. Sure, they can change their minds, but it's awfully nice to hear. We have to remember that most players improve dramatically after their freshman years. What can the future hold for these guys??? It's amazing to think of it. The Sophomores This signing class consisted of Kwame Brown, David Lee, James White, and Adrian Moss. Only Lee and Moss remain, and Moss redshirted, so Lee is the only true sophomore. His performance was the lone bright spot in the postseason. He was a man on a mission, and so many of his fumbling, bumbling mistakes from the regular season disappeared. He could drive to the basket and make unmakeable shots. He will emerge as a team leader next year, and we'll need it. The Juniors Well, make that The Junior. After a senior class of Bonner, Hamilton, and Nelson, next year's senior class will be Colas. Orien Greene's departure left Colas alone in this junior class, and many would say he's been outclassed. I have to remind myself that Colas is actually the same age as several of our freshmen. Despite filling out quite a bit, he is still skinny and gets pushed around under the basket. Still, he showed us flashes of what might be ahead for Colas. Apparently, he can rebound, but the question remains will he? The Seniors Donnell, we hardly knew ye. Bonner, Hamilton, and Nelson. What amazing careers they had at Florida. They took us places we'd never been before: the 2000 final, a 25-win season. Bonner played more games than any other player in Gator history. Hamilton became known as one of the greatest defensive players in the country. Nelson had flashes of brilliance, and he had some of the slumpiest slumps imaginable. What will these guys be remembered for? Their contributions or their failures? Like Major Parker and Brent Wright, these guys made incredibly important contributions to the development of our basketball program. I hope that people remember that. I will, and I thank them for it. The Coaches I don't think many people appreciate what the loss of John Pelphrey this year meant to this team. Pelphrey played such an important role, and there really isn't anyone to replace him. He scouted our opponents for every really important game before this season. He analyzed like no one else. He prepared the players and helped them understand what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong. I honestly believe that Pelphrey would have made a difference in at least a couple of our losses. Anthony Grant is a great assistant coach and, this year, was promoted to associate head coach. He will likely be gone next year. Donovan really relies on Grant, so this will be another huge loss. Billy Donovan is, without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to Gator Basketball. He is young and he is not infallible, but where would we be without him??? He has taken Florida to new heights, and he is building what will be a dynasty. We don't have the tradition of a Kentucky or a Kansas or a Duke or even a Michigan State. He took a program that many had thought was maxed out under Kruger (because you can't recruit at Florida) and made us into a perennial contender. He has areas in which he needs to improve, and I have every confidence in the world that he will. He always has, and he is the hardest-working coach in the country. He also has a network of more experienced, seasoned coaches to call on. I am more than willing to wait for Billy Donovan to take us to the promised land: a National Championship. But, I also understand that every year only one team can win the NC, and there are a whole lot of capable contenders every year, so it may take awhile. He has built--and continues to build--a solid foundation for the future of Gator hoops. And, can the man ever recruit! We are light years ahead of where we were when he arrived in Gainesville, and with his relentless work ethic, we will continue to improve. The Fans This is is one area of Gator basketball that I can say truly disappointed me this year. Yes, we have many wonderful, loyal fans, and the Rowdy Reptiles are peerless, but Average Gators Everywhere have not supported our basketball program nearly well enough. We expect the results of a Kentucky, but Kentucky is the ONLY GAME ALL YEAR that the house was completely packed. Yes, we sold out many games, but many of those tickets never made it to the O'Dome. There were tons of empty seats at every game besides Kentucky, and I find that pathetic. And I'm not just talking about Southeast Podunk U on the day after Christmas, I'm talking about Georgia and Tennessee! Few things irk me more. I didn't miss a game all year. My brother missed several games due to other obligations, but he made sure that his seats were full in his absence. I realize that not everyone has the pleasure of living here in God's country, but that shouldn't be a factor. There are more than enough Gator fans in Gainesville and nearby to fill several O'Domes. And there are many very loyal fans who drive from Tampa, Orlando, Jax, or farther, and never miss a game. Fans at Kentucky don't miss games, and if they ever have to, their tickets certainly don't go unused. As much as I hate to say it, this is still a football school through and through. We've shown glimpses of wanting to be a basketball school, and we certainly expect the results of a basketball school, but football still rules. We had one of the worst football seasons in recent memory and THE BEST basketball season EVER in the same year, and we still can't fill a 12,000 seat arena on a regular basis. If we want a truly top-flight basketball program, we have to support it. And that means, first and foremost, putting our butts in seats to cheer on our team. All that said, and as disappointing as our game against MSU was, I am extremely optimistic about the future. Next year will be somewhat of a rebuilding year. As I mentioned Bonnell Colas will be our only senior, and we're losing Bonner, Hamilton, and Nelson. As great as our freshmen are, it won't be the same. When David Lee is a senior, and Walsh, Peep, Drejer, Boggan, Al-Kaleem, and Moss are all juniors (assuming they're all still here), THAT's the year I expect us to do amazing things. In the meantime, IT'S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR!