Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Florida Gators are now 2-1 after winning against the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans 86-56. The Trojans went into the half tied 27-27 with the Gators, but Florida pulled away in the second half by scoring 59 points.
Patric Young has yet to make a major impact for Florida. He’s always been inconsistent, and should have had a bigger game against a much weaker Sun Belt opponent despite having 10 points and eight rebounds. He tends to play well in big games and not show up against lesser opposition, and must fix that if Florida is to be successful this season. However, Young’s lack of production has been made up by the talented freshman, Kasey Hill.
Hill had 14 points and six assists against Arkansas-Little Rock, and is averaging over 10 points and nearly five assists a game. With Scottie Wilbekin’s suspension still not lifted, the extra effort from this young player is necessary for the Gators’ continued success. Hill is having an outstanding first college basketball season, and although he’s not as flashy as Kentucky‘s Julius Randle or James Young, he is one of the most important freshmen in the SEC.
Wins like the one against Arkansas-Little Rock are good for confidence building, but really only matter very little in the long run. However, going into halftime tied with a lowly Sun Belt team may finally be the spark that ignites Florida into becoming the team we all thought they would be this season.
The beginning of the Gators’ season may look a little shaky, but Billy Donovan will have them ready to make a deep run into the 2014 NCAA Tournament by the time March rolls around.
Taylor Sturm is an SEC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS or add him to your network on Google.
