Florida does have a handful of upperclassmen that Donovan will rely on to be the building blocks for this program.  Foremost of these is senior Neil Walk.  The big man down low has been basically a one-man team for three years in Gainesville.  Walk is a solid low post option and is a terrific board man. Walk will be the example to these new super talented kids of how to play the game.  Walk put up big numbers last year and has a bright future at the next level but he has made it clear he does not want to leave Gainesville without winning a few more games especially against the hated Wildcats.  That might be a pipe dream as he talks the talk but Walk walks the walk.  Sophomore Dwayne Schintzius is the heir apparent to Walk at he post.   The kid with the Mullett that would make Billy Ray Cyrus jealous is a skilled big man.  And I do mean a big man.  The seven footer has the size to dominate the paint.  Donovan has the two centers play together some last year with some success and don’t be surprised if he does more of that this year. Schintzius is a much better rim protector than Walk and Donovan wants this team to be better defensively.  He can also score and boy does he take up some space.  And this kid is not afraid to ruffle some feathers as he has already said he looks forward to playing the kid from San Antone down in the Bayou.  Fans of opposing teams give this kid the business (he is a pretty easy target with his size and that hair) and he relished this.  That kind of attitude is something this program needs more of. 

Fellow Sophomore power forward Ronnie Williams is Mr. Consistent.  He will get his points almost every night and will grab his boards.  This 6’8 240 pounder is another solid piece in Donovan’s puzzle but he has limits defensively and will be hard-pressed to keep as many minutes as he got last year.  Another sophomore, Eugene McDowell, did not get as much time as Williams, at least on varsity, but is a terrific athlete.  This 6’8 230 pounder from Cross City can jump and bang and loves to throw it down or send one out of town.  He started slow after being one of Donovan’s late recruits but was huge the last ten games on the JV.  He is in the mix.  The same can’t be said for some upperclassmen who saw their minutes slowly dissipate last year and this year will probably evaporate altogether.  Seniors Bob Emerick, Cliff Luyk, Jim Zinn, Andy Owens and Gary Keller plus junior Chip Williams were all once part of the rotation for this program.  Some more than others. Luyk and Keller split time next to Walk up front two years ago and had their moments especially Luyk with his sweeping old school hook shot.  They both played some last year with Luyk actually missing the last half due to injury.  The only one of this group that is projected to play much is Owens who can swing down to the three and might even start there.  He can score but is nowhere near athletic enough to guard real wings and Donovan has recruited a couple of studs, one a slasher and the other a pure shooter, for that spot. 

The two for the Gators start with one of the finest long range shooters in the league.  Sophomore Vernon Maxell can flat fill it up from beyond the arc and just about anywhere else and he is not afraid to keep shooting.  ‘Mad Max’ is probably the most talented overall Gator and was second on the team in scoring in his first year.  His ability to hit jumpers is already legendary but his drive to succeed and be a team player sometimes get questioned.  The kid has the heart of a champion and yes he has some off the court issues but when it is game time he answers the bell with gusto every time.  Donovan had to sit him down a few times for his own good and he begged out of one game after getting benched but this did not slow down his shooting prowess  Maxwell may get his highlight reels for his long range bombs but his best asset is his stellar defense as he will lock it up with any wing in the country.  He plays defense like he wants to fight the other guy and Donovan and the team love his passion.  “If you want to get out of here talk to me!”  Max is a bit of a solo act but the Gators do need him to get to the next level in this league.  Maxwell epitomizes what is happening to the game and Donovan a former three point specialist himself completely understands this and recruits these type of players to his program.  Junior Tony Miller did not just give away his starting role to Maxwell as this kid can shoot as well.  Donovan liked him and he averaged over 20 mpg.  A big-time recruit from Indiana, Miller will play this year but at 6’1 does has some issues guarding wings and he is not a point guard no matter how much Donovan wants him to be.  Speaking of point guard, that is the biggest question on the team going into camp.  Sophomore Andrew Moten is a consistent option who can run the team and can score a little but is nowhere near as athletic as you would like.  He did play well and can shoot the rock which is something Donvan likes.  Fellow sophomore Vernon Delancy is the other option as of right now at point and is entirely at the other end of the spectrum for point guard play.  Delancy goes 6’6 and loves to set up his teammates.  This Miami kid has great size and can defend and can score but is not a great outside shooter. Donovan did not recruit Delancy and it showed last year as this kid looked like he was the best player on the court at times and still lost minutes as the year progressed.  If Delancy were on any other team in the SEC with any other coach he would probably start over Moten but this is Billy Donovan’s team in Gainesville and shooting the rock is priority number one.  Highly recruited Tom Baxley went into last year as the starter at point but fell off the map early on as Donovan went with the two sophomores.  Baxley is a 5’10 score first but not shooter first guy who might not make the team this year.  Seniors Joe Hobbs and Brooks Henderson will battle for leftover minutes on the wings and both can score.  But can they shoot?  Henderson has some size at 6’4 and played often down the stretch and Hobbs got some minutes at point and the two but neither is beating out those sophomores and if the freshmen are as good as advertised then their days might be numbered in Gainesville.  Junior Gene Shy got some minutes as an athletic wing who can run and defend and might again this year.  This 6’6 stud from Akron Ohio is a nice piece but like many of the carryover guys is not a great shooter and thus will hurt his chances against the likes of Maxwell and company. 

The Florida Gators go into this year predicted to be at the bottom of the SEC.  Not near the bottom.  The bottom.  New Coach Billy Donovan is trying to turn over the roster except for one senior stud big man and is bringing in a wave of fresh young talent.  Usually these turnarounds do not happen overnight and I bet even Donovan knows it might take some time to challenge for the SEC crown.  But the slicked hair protégé of Rick Pitino brought in his style and attitude and will make sure his team fired as many three’s as they could from behind the arc.  Will it work?  We shall see but Donovan has the deepest class of incoming freshmen (he did not go the JC route) and this is program will be a contender in the foreseeable future as long as Donovan is pacing the sidelines.  At least that is what they keep telling us in the press junkets.  But, hey, that bravado sure worked for Steve Spurrier and that Florida football team.  But no matter how confident you are you better have the players to back up your confidence.