In the midst of a heated football season with dreams of championship glory still on the table, another group of Gators is about to begin their long trek toward the promised land. Florida basketball kicks off its season on Friday, November 10th against Samford.

The Gators begin the year as the consensus number one team in the AP and Coaches Polls. Winning the national championship last year and returning its top 7 players all but assured it. As we celebrate the beginning of Gator Basketball 2007, the staff at Orange and Blue Hue have pooled our collective basketball knowledge to create our season preview.

The inside scoop follows…

THE RETURNING STARTERS

Seniors

Lee Humphrey (SG) - “The Gym rat” One of the best three-point shooters in the country. Without Lee in the game, teams can sag to help on the Florida bigs. In the Gators’ 2005-2006 campaign, we saw this late in the season as Hodge was reluctant to take a three and Green became erratic from the line.

His big games in the SEC and NCAA tournaments took the Gators to another level. Lee scored 25 points against Arkansas in the SEC tourney and twice hit six treys in the NCAA tournament. While lacking height and natural leaping ability, Lee compensates for his “shortcomings” with a shooting range normally associated with NBA 3-point specialists.

Lee can also play point guard in stretches if necessary. Although not as athletically gifted as his teammates, Hump plays good, fundamental basketball. His sound defensive skills make him one of the better perimeter defenders in the SEC.

Juniors

Taureen Green (PG) - “The Floor General” I don’t think a player has made the kind of improvement from one year to the next as Taureen did since Dan Cross. Inklings of his future potential were apparent during his freshman year. Back then Green became the Gators’ most consistent 3-point shooter at the end of the year in big games. As a sophomore, Green showed what a threat he could be from the outside when leading the Gators to an upset win in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic.

He was named tournament MVP and averaged 23 ppg against Syracuse and Wake Forest in the championship rounds, and hit a personal best six 3-pointers against Syracuse.

As the year progressed, his 3-point percentage dropped as teams identified him as a threat and began to guard him further from the basket. But he became a tremendous, attacking guard with the speed and quickness to drive the lane.

His greatest strength is his court vision. His ability to dish to the open man when driving to the basket led to numerous layups for the Florida offense last season. He’s the best free throw shooter on the team and normally has the ball in his hands late to ice the game. In one stretch of the season he hit 37 straight free throws. Taurean is the son of former NBA player Sidney Green.

Joakim Noah (PF/C) - “The Soul Man” No one on the Gator squad wears his emotion on their sleeve the way Noah does. An inspirational player, Noah seems to play with the kind of intensity all game long that most can only maintain for short stretches. Noah has the quickness to drive to the basket and a solid jump shot to complement his inside skills. A tenacious rebounder and great shot blocker, his presence combined with Horford give the Gators the best front court in the country and perhaps the best two interior players in the country. Noah is a future NBA first-rounder who decided to stay with the Gators rather than go into the draft. He is the face man of the Gator team and the icon of Gator Basketball. Joakim is the son of former tennis great Yannick Noah.

Al Horford (PF/C) - “The Intimidator” Noah led the team last season in blocked shots. And he also takes more risks than the other Florida bigs when he goes for the block. That’s partly due to his safety net: he knows Al Horford is right behind him. Horford typically gets matched up on the other team’s best inside players. Because of his size and strength, he is a better matchup against bigger, more physical players. Horford is also a great shot blocker — and his presence tends to alter the opponents’ shots. He is a better defensive rebounder than Noah, while Noah is the better scorer. Although most of the shots taken by the big men are close to the basket, Horford has shown the potential to be a very good 10-15 foot jump shooter. Al is the son of former NBA player Tito Horford.

Corey Brewer (SF) - “The Freak” The king of the spectacular play, Corey Brewer is that rare kind of college player who can make plays all over the court. Defensive pressure, steals, blocks, rebounds, dunks, passing, jump shot, three pointers… you name it and Corey can probably do it, and do it well!

He’s a nightmare for opposing coaches because no other team can create a desirable matchup with Brewer. And that’s because no other team has a 6′ 7″ player with the freakish agility, speed and coordination of #2. If you put a smaller, quicker player on him, Brewer will shoot over his head and collect rebounds. If you put a taller player on him, he’ll drive to the basket and dunk, or dish to the open man.

He made the biggest single play in the NCAA tournament with his 3-point play against Georgetown. And during the regular season, when he was injured, the Gators suffered their only losing streak. If anyone has any doubt at what Brewer means to the Gators they need only look at the stats: Corey was 2nd on the team in assists, 3rd in rebounding, 3rd in scoring, 3rd in made 3 pointers, 2nd in free throw percentage, 1st in steals and 3rd in blocked shots. Wow!

OFF THE BENCH

Seniors

Chris Richard (PF/C) - “Mr. Reliable” A talented, physical post player who would be starting at many of the country’s top programs. And the only reason he’s not starting at Florida is because two future NBA first round players get the nod instead. Chris has accepted his role, and averaged 17.5 minutes per game as a sub in the ‘05-’06 season.

He leads the team in field goal percentage at 68%, but his biggest assets are his size and strength. With his football player physique, Richard brings elements of toughness and physicality to the team, in addition to the experienced savvy of a veteran. Richard was a high school teammate of Rashad Anderson, a one-time Gator recruit, from Lakeland Kathleen High School. Both players went on to win NCAA national championships as backups (Anderson at UConn and Richard at UF) — but Richard has a chance to win a second.

Sophomores

Walter Hodge (PG/SG) - “Flash” The former point guard from Melbourne, FL was a late addition to the ‘05 UF recruiting class, but is now the only player remaining. Derwin Kitchen did not qualify, Jimmy Sutton transferred after UF wanted to put him on a medical scholarship, and David Heurtas left after the ‘05 season.

Hodge played more minutes last year than any backup, and he showed the kind of quickness that reminded many fans of former Gator Eddie Shannon. A point guard in HS, expect Hodge to play even more of that position this year now that he is more familiar with the offense and has matured on the court. Last year he was primarily a sub at the shooting guard slot. He has good three-point range, and did make 28 of 76 3-pointers. But as the season progressed, he seemed to become more hesitant and less likely to shoot. Expect Hodge to be more comfortable with his abilities and present a greater threat from the 3-point line, as well as driving the court on fast breaks.

Freshmen

Marreece Speights (PF/C) - Speights was the first Gator commit for the 2006 class. A post player who played for Hargrave Military Academy, he has faced some of the best competition in the country. Did very well in the Canadian preseason trip and might be the most polished of all the incoming freshmen.

Jonathan Mitchell (SF) - A 6′7″ small forward who “blew up” as a high school Senior, leading his team to a state title. Mitchell seemed to play his best in big games and he has the body and footwork to contribute this year for the Gators. However his jumper may need some work. Passed current Chicago Bull and former UConn Husky Ben Gordon as Mt. Vernon’s all time scorer.

Brandon Powell (SG) - Brandon is a good scorer who prides himself on his perimeter defense. Quick in transition and a solid outside shooter, Brandon is also deceptively athletic and looks to be an SEC-caliber player.

Dan Werner (SF/PF) - Dan Werner was the last addition to this class. A heady player he has the ability to play both inside and on the perimeter. A highly sought after recruit, Werner originally committed to NCSU but reopened the process when Herb Sendek went to Arizona State. He has been compared to a Matt Bonner type player, albeit 3-4 inches shorter.

INDIVIDUALS

Who will be the Gators MVP this year?

The leading vote getter is Al Horford. Reportedly, he has improved his jump shot and is unstoppable in practice. He will be a dominant force this year. One vote went to Joakim Noah who is the heart and emotional leader of this team to repeat as MVP. One vote went to Corey Brewer as the unsung MVP of the league. As a player he causes the most problems on the court with matchups and would be the most difficult to replace because he does so much so well.

Who do you expect to show the most improvement?

Again, the opinions are all over the place on this question. Taureen Green had two votes. Green was dominant early in the year. and the staff feels that if he can regain his outside shooting form, make better decisions and continue the kind of play he showed in the tournament he could be one of college basketball’s more dominant point guards.

Noah was predicted to improve if he could continue to gain some weight, play more consistently through the regular season and continue to develop his inside moves.

Brewer also received one vote as he made too many mental errors last year. If he can cut down on his turnovers, it will make him even more deadly. Athletically, he hasn’t peaked as an offensive player. He still has room to improve his jumper in the lane and perimeter game.

Horford was also mentioned as we expect him to improve his mid-range jumper and footwork inside. However because he is so good at what he does already we felt he had less room for improvement than the others. He could definitely improve on his foul shooting, however.

Which freshman will make the biggest impact?

The leader among the staff is Brandon Powell. One vote went to Dan Werner, whose skill set could fit in very well with this team’s offensive philosophy.

Jonathan Mitchell comes out of high school with a great deal of acclaim and improved tremendously his junior and senior years, if he continues to develop he could provide some quality rest for Brewer.

However, based on the structure of the team, there is more opportunity for a guard to make an impact. Powell will be relied upon to play more minutes because of our Florida’s 3-guard rotation. Werner and Mitchell sitting courtside will mean UF won’t be forced to go to a big lineup in the event of foul trouble. Marreece Speights might be the most polished of all the freshmen, but being an interior player will limit his time on the court, especially in SEC play.

THE SEASON

The Gators start the year with one of the better preseason schedules that they have had in some time. Top flight matchups with Kansas and Ohio State highlight the preseason schedule with games against ACC contender and in-state rival FSU, preseason sunbelt favorite Western Kentucky (who returns 3 starters from an NCAA tournament team), UAB (looking for a 4th straight NCAA bid under new coach Mike Davis), and Providence.

The SEC should once again be one of the best basketball conferences in the country. Top ranked Florida is joined by 5th ranked LSU, 11th ranked Alabama, 22nd ranked Kentucky and 25th ranked Tennessee for what should be a fierce competition for the conference crown. The SEC annually sends 6-7 teams to the tournament so don’t expect many easy games in league play.

The O&B Hue staff is split on how many regular games the Gators will lose this year, but the consensus is either 2 or 3 (29-2 or 28-3). We expect there to be two league losses (one of which being the road game at LSU) and the Kansas game is the biggest concern in the preseason. Kansas (ranked 3rd in the AP) has the kind of quick guards who can harass Green and is loaded with skill players. The Jayhawks will have a problem matching up down low with the loss of Giles. Trying to find a good matchup for Brewer (which all teams have to worry about) will also cause them fits. This should be a close game, and don’t be surprised to see UF down in the second half.

Speaking of the last twenty minutes: the Gators were a second-half team last year. Part of the reason for that is because UF’s big men tend to pick up early fouls and are forced to sit in the first half. This is the game we will most miss senior Adrian Moss and freshman Marreece Speights could get some important minutes against top flight competition.

Ohio State, the other Top 10 opponent the Gators will face in the preseason, is relying heavily on freshmen, and will likely not have the availability of all-everything recruit Greg Oden, who is still recovering from wrist surgery. Should Oden return to the team early it could make this game more interesting, but the experience and team play of the Gators will be too much for the Buckeyes to deal with. Barring foul troubles, this game might not be close in the second half. Not to take anything away from Ohio State and their excellent coaching staff, but look for Ohio State to be better later in the season than early. The Buckeyes are highly ranked based on their potential, rather than returning stars.

Predictions for the SEC are as follows:

SEC regular season Champion - Florida.

SEC Tournament Champion - Florida
NCAA bids - Florida, LSU, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi State
Underated teams to watch - Arkansas and Mississippi
Overrated teams - Alabama and Tennessee
Worst teams - Auburn and Ole Miss

Every year a team will start the season ranked number one, and have high expectations to go all the way.  But it’s been a long time since a team so thoroughly dominated the NCAA tournament and returned all its starter the next year. And in addition to all of their starters, Florida also returns its top two backups.

That’s unheard of in college basketball. I’m not sure I can recall the last team to have three first-round NBA players on the roster, all from the same class. Memories of the Fab Five from Michigan come to mind (Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Jimmy King) but that was a much more heralded recruiting class. (It’s also one that never attained a national championship.)

In most years the regular season is a time to build team chemistry, to get enough wins to be invited to the NCAA tournament and to improve your tournament seeding. But this year the regular season will merely be an appetizer to Florida fans until the tournaments begin. Is there any doubt this team will make the NCAA tournament? What are the odds that Florida would have less than a 3-seed (and would you take that bet?) Is this year more about avoiding injury and getting the younger players experience than anything else?

Sure, there will be great matchups throughout the year — Kansas, Ohio State, at LSU, Alabama, the series versus Kentucky, etc. — but most of us are hoping simply to avoid bad news. When you are the consensus number one team in the country there’s no place left to go but down. All the hard work put into the season by the players will be to maintain what they have already achieved, to take care of some of the few loose ends they didn’t capture last year (an SEC championship) and to build a legacy for future generations of fans, players, and coaches.

Someday, we will look back on this current team with amazement.

The flip side to that coin is that many Florida games this year could be boring. Not boring from lack of effort on either side, but because they will not be competitive. The talk this year will be about the new kids, any injuries, setting records, and so on. Brewer, Horford and Noah will be polishing their games for their March run and for their future employers (as of yet unknown NBA franchises). With this high level of expectation…

What would cause this season to be a disappointment?

Half of the O&B Hue Staff believes that anything less than a Final Four appearance would be a huge disappointment. The other half recognizes that given the countless variables in college basketball — and the element of luck — nothing is certain. To them, a disappointing season would be less dependent on the accomplishments of the team but how they play. If the Gators ceased playing as team-oriented group of guys who understand the meaning of sharing and humility… if they let their fame affect their play and their personality… if they let success ruin the great chemistry created last year. That would be a disappointment.

If I pressed this group further, I’m sure everyone would agree that failing to make the NCAA Tournament would be considered one of the most enormous upsets in modern college basketball. I’m sure there are a great many Gator fans who will see anything but a repeat as a letdown, let alone not winning the SEC, or the SEC tournament for the third consecutive year. Yet it’s hard to penalize those fans when that’s what makes fans who they are - fanatics. As we try to keep our expectations in check, it’s almost impossible to expect much less than perfection from a team that has the chance to put the Gators in a very elite class of repeat champions.

Miscellaneous:

- The Gators are going for a school record 9th straight Tournament appearance and 9th straight 20 win season in 2006.

- UF set a school record with 2007 blocked shots in 2005 and an NCAA tournament record with 44 shot blocks.

- Lee Humphrey hit a school record 113 3-point shots in 2005, surpassing the previous 99 set by Anthony Roberson.

- The Gators will look to extend their winning streak against SEC rival Kentucky to 6 games. The Gators have won the last 4 over the Wildcats.

- Corey Brewer became the first Gator player in history to record a triple double last year against Jacksonville (15 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists).

- Billy Donovan is the longest tenured coach in the SEC and with a record of 226-98 at UF, including an NCAA tournament record of 16-7.