ATLANTA-At halftime of Saturday’s Southeastern Conference tournament semifinal game between Florida and Vanderbilt, Gators guard Erving Walker had zero points and Vandy’s Commodores had an eight-point lead.
By game’s end, Walker had totaled 17 and Florida was marching into today’s 1 p.m. title game against Kentucky off a 77-66 victory over Vanderbilt. The Gators are in the tournament final for the first time in four years.
“It always helps when your coach doesn’t yank you if you miss one,” Walker said of coach Billy Donovan after the point guard and backcourt mate Kenny Boynton (24 points) ruined the Commodores’ hopes of reaching an SEC tourney final for the first time since 1951.
“He’s been real generous to us, and we just keep shooting with confidence.”
No backcourt in America may play with more confidence than the 5-foot-8 junior Walker and 6-2 sophomore Boynton. Sometimes shooting as far away as 30 feet, Walker averages a team-high 14.5 points and 3.4 assists. Boynton ably backs him with 13.9 points and 2.5 assists a game.