Defensive nastiness.
It’s something the Florida Gators men’s basketball team had as the season progressed, according to head coach Billy Donovan.
It’s something he’s looking for again this year, but will take time with new players learning the system.
The Gators had their first practices of the season last week and installed some defensive schemes. While the process is early, Donovan said they could play a game right now with the sets.
“I think the only thing we probably don’t have in is zone defense, offense against that,” he said. “But for the most part if we played against a team that was playing man-to-man the whole game we could function. I’ve always been a big believer of kind of getting everything in first, and then try to break it down and work on the parts of those things. So we’ve gone very quickly.”
Transfers John Egbunu and Jon Horford, as well as freshmen Chris Chiozza and Devin Robinson are learning the team’s defensive rotations on low post traps and pick-and-roll coverage. The new Gators are realizing the challenges in picking up the new scheme.
“I always say with young guys, sometimes, young guys don’t communicate very well and part of the reason why they don’t communicate very well is because they don’t know what they’re doing,” Donovan said. “So those guys have got to get better there. And they’re not any further behind or ahead, it’s just different ideas in terms of what they’re doing that they’re going to have to pick those guys up.”
Last year the Gators excelled in the full-court press, with an experience-laden team utilizing speed and aggressiveness to cause turnovers for opposing offenses. While the Gators still have a fast squad, the implementation of new players has set back the press’ effectiveness, according to Donovan.
However, Florida’s new additions are eager to learn the defense. Robinson has asked junior Alex Murphy questions, and Chiozza has discussed the defense with sophomore Kasey Hill. For Hill, being more vocal was something he wanted to improve upon in the offseason. Now the point guard is looking to pass it along to Chiozza and the rest of the team.
“We don’t talk a lot as much as last year, but I feel like we’re improving on that,” Hill said.
New players taking time to learn the team’s defensive assignments are nothing new to Donovan. The head coach noted Joakim Noah’s struggles picking up the defense, but said once the All-SEC center figured out the schemes, he turned into a great player.
The defensive nastiness Donovan is looking for in the Gators has the chance to come out in many more practices and an exhibition game before the team’s season opener against William & Mary on November 14.
Even then Donovan still may have questions about it, much like early last season.
“I think after our first game against North Florida, I think we gave up like 76 or 78 points,” he said. “So the defense is going to be a never ending process and us continuing to get better but right now I would say our guys working really hard. They’re attitudes are good. There are things I’m seeing from them that are very, very positive.”