OK. Here's the news. We all know that we lost the most experienced players on the UF basketball team, mainly due to graduation last semester. We were just settling down and re-grouping when there is more news for a basketball team that is struggling to put itself back together and move forward.
Last week, Marreese Speights took off for the NBA. Yes, he left his options open so he could come back and play in his junior year, but that doesn't mean it will happen. This week, forward, Jonathan Mitchell decided to transfer out of Florida.
Mitchell has not decided where he will transfer to.
What does Coach Billy Donovan have to say in response? We haven't heard many words, except for the fact that he has three big players coming. These are power forwards Eloy Vargas and Alan Chaney and center Kenny Kadji.
Without Speights, Donovan's Gators will include one senior, one junior, five sophomores and five freshmen. Though there is a lot of raw and undeveloped
talent on the Gators team going into next semester, it takes time to mold and develop that talent and then turn it into a coherent team.
This team will need support from the school and the fans, and it will need time to grow. Individual players will need time to develop into their positions and as part of a team. Coach Donovan will most likely need lots of Excedrin and Tums.
