Florida's Bench the Reason The Gators Continue to Lose

This time, The Florida Gators did not lose by one to an undefeated team by one, but rather lost to a team many do not believe is top quality in Kansas State.

No one argues when someone says that Patric Young and Kenny Boynton are one of the best duos in college basketball. No one argues when you say Erik Murphy’s three point percentage is ridiculously high. On paper, Florida is one of the most talented teams in the country and the SEC, and yet the Gators continue to fall short.

Florida’s bench has been absolutely horrible in the last two losses. In the loss against Kansas State, they only accounted for seven points, but averaged about fifteen minutes of playing time. Mike Rosario was not getting it done either, as a starter on one of the best teams in the country he needs to be more productive. Florida’s main weakness is depth, and that has showed when playing talented, but not as talented as the Gators, teams with better depth. The Florida bench has to step up if Florida is deserving of a top five ranking.

Billy Donovan has won national championships before; he knows what it takes to compete on the national stage. He knows that it is impossible to compete on a national stage without one or two bench players that can be called on to put up points while the starters are resting. The way Florida’s bench plays causes one to worry about how well Florida can actually do in March. Donovan will get this team back on track, but the bench has to step up now.