Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Since the preseason first team All-SEC was released, expectations have been high for Florida Gators senior forward Patric Young. Last season, with a strong cast of supporters like Kenny Boynton, Erik Murphy and Mike Rosario, Young’s inconsistency was alright, because when he didn’t show up, others did.
However, he hasn’t produced at all this season. He’s averaging eight points and around six rebounds per game, which is okay for an average run of the mill college basketball player, but Young is no such thing. He was expected to be one of the most dominant players in the SEC, and, so far this season, he just hasn’t been anything except a disappointment.
Fortunately for Florida, Young’s luck may have turned around. In the 79-59 victory over the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, he scored 16 points and pulled in six rebounds. Although his rebounding wasn’t impressive, the fact that he finally looked like an offensive threat against a potential 2014 NCAA Tournament team is good news going forward for Florida.
The Gators have already lost one game this season to the Wisconsin Badgers, and cannot afford to lose any more. The SEC is going to be extremely tough this season, and Florida needs to get marquee wins when they can. The Gators play the No. 18 Connecticut Huskies, the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks and No. 11 Memphis Tigers back to back in December, and Young will have to be playing at his best to win any of these games. Young showed flashes of his old self in the game against MTSU, but that won’t mean anything if he doesn’t start stringing good performances together.
Taylor Sturm is an SEC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS or add him to your network on Google.
