This time last year, the Florida Gators were assembling 30 consecutive victories and on their way to the top seed in the 68-team men’s NCAA basketball tournament.
Florida’s win streak ended in the Final Four, but this season is proving to be a long way from last season.
Entering tonight’s game against visiting Vanderbilt, Billy Donovan’s Gators are 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida has not been under .500 through 25 games since Donovan’s first season in Gainesville back in 1997.
Florida’s Jon Horford (21) tries to back down Texas A&M’s Kourtney Roberson before making a run at the basket in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015. Texas A&M won the game 63-62.“This is not a surprise for me at all, just knowing what we had coming back and what we had coming in,” Donovan said.
Cycling off last season’s 36-3 team was the senior starting quartet of Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather, Patric Young and Will Yeguete. Junior guard Michael Frazier headlined the returning players, but a surplus of sophomores and freshmen has taken its toll.