NCAA Champ, Florida, Loses Again

Posted by Mark Barnes Dec 4, 2006

Joakim Noah was the darling of the upstart Florida Gators in the 2005-06 season. Noah comes from good stock (his father is retired tennis star Yannick Noah), he gets after every loose ball and he played last season's NCAA tournament, like a young man who wanted a title more than anyone else.

Noah and the core of the defending champion Florida squad returned for 2006-2007. Al Horford, another professional sports legacy, is back, along with stellar guards Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge.

Virtually every college basketball prognosticator called this the best starting five in the NCAA, and many predicted a return to the Final Four for Florida.

So, why do the Gators have two losses in the last week, the most-recent to unranked Florida State? On the surface, this is quite puzzling. A closer look at the Gators may reveal Florida's Achilles' heel -- a startling lack of depth and underachieving stars.

In two Florida losses, the Gators' bench scored a total of 16 points. Meanwhile, Noah has played poorly in these games and all season, scoring just 12 points per game. Horford is no better, also scoring just 12 per game. Florida fans likely expected closer to 40 points per night from these two imposing players.

If coach Billy Donovan wants a second Final Four run, he'll need to find one or two reliable reserves and more production from his two big name legacies -- Noah and Horford.

Otherwise, the Gators may be the best team in the country watching the tournament in March.