Having trouble getting registered or subscribing? Email us at info@kysportsreport.com or Private Message CitizenBBN and we'll get you set up!

  • Donovan has enjoyed this basketball season

    By LARRY VAUGHT

    He says he would not use the word fun to describe this season, but Florida coach Billy Donovan insists he has “really enjoyed” the year even though the Gators are just 15-15 going into Saturday afternoon’s game against No. 1 Kentucky.

    “I have not enjoyed our record but the team has learned a lot and I have learned a lot as a coach,” said Donovan.

    He said since Florida is not competing for a Southeastern Conference championship like it did last year when it went 18-0 in league play and then reached the Final Four, his players have to “derive something from the experience” and he thinks they have grown through adversity.

    “Sometimes you grow through painful experiences,” Donovan said.

    Florida fell behind Texas A&M 10-0 earlier this week but rallied to win 66-62 for its first two-game winning streak since late January. Florida had a 10-0 run of its own in the first half and 14-0 run in the second half to win despite missing 18 of 38 free throws overall and 10 of 18 in the final two minutes.

    Now Kentucky, which alread has a win at Florida earlier this year after losing three straight times to the Gators last season, will be trying to join last year’s Gators as the only team in SEC history to go through an 18-0 conference season but also cap a historic 31-0 regular season.

    “We have obviously played Kentucky once and understand how good they are,” Donovan said. “Obviously it will take a valiant effort on our part to compete against them. But I like that our guys get to play against the best team in the country.

    “I like playing against the best. Clearly from start to finish Kentucky has been the best this season and realistically I don’t think anybody can compare to them. If you look at their body of work, nobody has been as good as them. The great thing about playing against them is that we can find out more about ourself and find out if we are even in the realm of being able to compete with a team like that.”

    Florida forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Devin Robinson came off the bench to combine for 22 points and 11 rebounds against Texas A&M, while guard Eli Carter added 11 points and forward Alex Murphy nine.

    Finney-Smith had been suspeneded and missed three games before returning for the two-game win streak. He is the team’s top scorer (13.2 points per game) and rebounder (6.0). He had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Tennessee.

    “I still felt we could have played better without Dorian in the three games he missed,” Donovan said. “But he gives us a different element offensivelly and defensively and what we can do.”

    Florida has been without junior guard and top outside shooter Michael Frazier II (13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) for the last seven games. He sprained his ankle in the first Kentucky game and is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game.

    “He is one of our better players,” Donovan, who recently won his 500th game at age 49, said.

    Kentucky led 47-46 at Florida midway of the second half before Aaron Harrison got eight points to lead the Cats to the road victory.

    Freshman center Karl-Anthony Towns says both Aaron and Andrew Harrison have been exceptional in recent games for UK.

    “I mean the leadership Andrew gave us, especially when the game was on the line and Aaron comes in out the gate firing shots, got in foul trouble but then came back into the second half and started right where he left off. They just played amazing,” Towns said after UK’s win at Georgia Tuesday.

    Andrew Harrison said UK continues to think only about Florida, not an unbeaten season.

    “That’s gonna be the only thing we really can do, is focus on that game. They’re a tough team,” Andrew Harrison said. “There’s tough teams every game in the tournament, SEC Tournament, so you have to be ready every game, every time you step on the court.”
  • KSR Twitter Feed

  • Recent Forum Posts

    Harlow

    Re: Oakland v UK hall of fame

    See ya next guys with a new coach

    Harlow 03-22-2024, 08:36 AM Go to last post
    Darrell KSR

    Re: Oakland v UK hall of fame

    I'll grade the first point. I wonder who had Oakland winning?

    I kid, kid. Since I made the post, I guess the least I can do is go ahead and

    Darrell KSR 03-21-2024, 09:18 PM Go to last post