From the Orlando Sentinel
Expectations are high for the Florida men's basketball team this year.
After reaching the NCAA tournament last season, the Gators were picked to win the SEC's East Division by the media – even topping Kentucky, which brings another loaded recruiting class.
Thursday at SEC Media Day in Birmingham, Ala., Gators coach Billy Donovan said he doesn't mind the rocketing expectations – he has them, too. But he also said his team will need to do a better job of dealing with those expectations if they want to be dancing again come March.
"I don't think at times we've handled the expectations well over the course of these players' careers," Donovan said." Our guys have to understand the difference between perception and reality. When I talk about perception, if we were a team that didn't get into the tournament, the theme would be different this year. The themes would be three straight years of no NCAA tournament appearance or if our guys felt any pressure. But because we did get into the NCAA tournament last season, the themes are we have five starters returning and we should be really good this season.
That's the perception. The reality is we were fourth in the SEC East, won one SEC tournament game, and didn't win a NCAA tournament game. We have a lot to do get better."
Florida didn't have any players on the All-SEC preseason first team, which included Brandon Knight (Kentucky), Travis Leslie (Georgia), Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt), Chris Warren (Mississippi) and Player of the Year Trey Thompkins (Georgia). But Gators Kenny Boynton and Chandler Parsons made the second team.
