Comments on: SEC Mid-Season Review

By: David Mihm

David Mihm — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:14:19 +0000

OK, after the last comment by Brian, I am closing comments on this article. Brian, there is just no reason to get personal.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:42:44 +0000

if we want look at how you think the Georgia Southern win is not pulling its weight… maybe you should look why b/c it is getting dragged down by all the teams you played to get your first 12 wins. You only played three teams from major conferences one which you lost to. Florida State.

The teams include Rutgers who is last place 2-12
Charles Southern Last place
North Flordia 0-12 2-23 (are you kidding me?!?!)
North Carolina Central Eagles (is that made up) 3-23
North Dakota State first time in Division one
Florida A&M has lost by more then 30 like ten times come on!!
Stetson Hatters? did you play them b/c they have a cool nickname
Jac Dolphins come on!!

You lost to Ohio State who might not even make the tourney if they struggle down the stretch!

Now to conference you have a 22 point loss to Tenn and 19 to the razorbacks and a HORRIBLE LOSS TO LSU!! How do you explain that one. You have two road wins on the year one against a team that doesn’t have steele and another one who is in the bottom half of the conference.

So why you want to count Georgia Southern as a good win you have to realize, for one that it isn’t that great. It just looks like Duke compared to the crap schedule you played before them

By: John

John — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:45:18 +0000

@ Nick Evans. I am not trying to say that the Georgia Southern win puts us over the top. What I am saying is that sometimes we undervalue the wins against good mid-major schools. I look at some other teams that are supposedly locks and question their inclusion into the field. One example includes:

Ohio State
Best Wins: vs Syracuse, @ Cleveland State, Florida
Bad Losses: @ Iowa, @ Michigan
Marquee Games: @ Butler(L), North Carolina(L) and 0 wins vs the 4 Big Ten teams ahead of them.

There are other examples that I can bring up, but for lack of research on my part, I won’t. I understand they are very close to making it, and that if certain teams(Cal, Oregon) lose and they win at Georgia(the only game they play this week), they’ll be in. My only argument is that after you lose all 5 starters plus Chris Richard, can this team be judged the same as in past years? It should be judged to different standards. Finally, how good do you think Nick Calathes will be? I say best point guard in the SEC by his junior year.

By: Nick Evans

Nick Evans — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:51:59 +0000

@John. No one is ignoring the Georgia Southern win. But, if you’re looking for a win against Georgia Southern to get you over the hump and into the tournament I think you’re reaching a bit.

The bottom line is the Gators lack a definitive road victory.

By: John

John — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:35:48 +0000

@ Nick Evans. I’m finally glad you commented on this(considering you wrote the article.) Read the comments on here(and i think there might be a couple in the Kentucky Creeps Into The Bracket Discussion section.) and you’ll know how this turned into a Florida vs Arizona rant. Anyhow, you are right about winning four of the last five and i’d be more worried about the Mississippi State game than the Tennessee game if it was in Starkville, but it is(fortunately) in the O-Dome. I know they are not a great team and it is not a Top 50 win, but answer this question for me: If Georgia Southern wins between 24 and 26 games(counting the Southern Conference Tournament) and loses in the final to Davidson, are we supposed to ignore this win?(at a neutral site, I might add.)

By: Nick Evans

Nick Evans — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:21:04 +0000

Not sure how this turned into a Florida vs. Arizona rant. Anyways.

@John. You have to make that over-and-back call…even with 19 seconds left. Unfortunately, for the Gators it may cost them the tournament. To put the Gators in good position they now need to win four out of their last five SEC games. With homes games against Mississippi State and Tennessee and a road contest at Rupp still on the docket it is not going to be an easy task. This would leave them at 23-8, 10-6 entering SEC Tournament play. The game at Rupp is their last chance to put a decent road win on their resume. A road win they desperately need.

By: John

John — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:56:12 +0000

Oh. out of conference. Well, these schedules are made up years in advance, can you expect this inexperienced team to win a non-conference game vs 1 Top 50 team?

By: John

John — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:54:21 +0000

@ David Mihm. The RPI is a complete joke. Explain to me how Kentucky loses by 41 at Vanderbilt and MOVES UP 2 spots. However, are we supposed to ignore the fact Florida beat a team that most likely will win between 22 and 24 games, but won’t play in the NCAA Tournament because they play in the same conference as Davidson?

We do have a Top 50 win
vs Vanderbilt(RPI 11 according to Collegerpi.com)

By: David Mihm

David Mihm — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:26:39 +0000

@John, I might agree with Joe on that one. If you’re looking for a scapegoat, it might be Billy Donovan for not playing at least a mediocre non-conference schedule, as great an on-the-floor coaching job as he has done this year!

Even one Top 50 win out-of-conference would make me feel a lot better about putting the Gators in at 10-6. They’re about 50/50 right now, without a marquee scalp away from the O-Dome…

By: John

John — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:25:16 +0000

@ Dex. Thank you.