UF non-conference sked lives up to billing
Before the season began, Billy Donovan called UF’s 2012-13 non-conference schedule the most challenging in his 17 seasons as Florida coach.
Judging in January, the schedule has lived up to its billing. According to RealTimeRPI.com, Florida (9-2) takes an RPI of 17 into its final non-conference game Sunday at Yale. UF’s strength of schedule is 16.
Florida’s most impressive win of its non-conference schedule will surprise you. It wasn’t Marquette or Wisconsin. Instead, it was UF’s 66-45 win in Tampa over Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders (11-3) have an RPI of 37. Florida is 1-1 against Teams in the RPI Top 50 and 3-2 against Teams in the RPI Top 100. Wisconsin, off to a disappointing 9-4 start this season, has an RPI of 137. Marquette’s RPI is 60 and Florida State’s RPI is 99.
UF’s final non-conference game at Yale (242 RPI) will likely drop its overall schedule strength a bit, though a win would carry more weight because it’s a road game. Yale has struggled to a 3-10 start this season.
For those wondering, Georgetown’s RPI is 33. Florida’s canceled game against the Hoyas due to condensation issues on the deck of the USS Bataan could have given a boost to its schedule strength. The Gators led 27-23 at the half. Both sides contemplated finishing the game, but couldn’t agree on a date and location to complete the second half.
Kevin Brockway gave up on his dream of becoming a lefty starting pitcher for the New York Mets when he walked four straight batters, then hit one in a middle school game in Suffern, N.Y. Since graduating college in 1993, he’s worked as a sports writer at daily newspapers throughout the state of Florida, beginning with the Key West Citizen. He then moved on to the Northwest Florida Daily News and Naples Daily News before becoming the men’s basketball writer for The Gainesville Sun in 2003. Brockway has won multiple state and national writing awards during his 16-year career. Favorite pastimes include karaoke and watching baseball. Favorite college hoops team growing up was St. John’s.
Marquette got a huge couple wins to start Big East play against Connecticut and Georgetown. If they keep playing well, that 33 point win is going to stand out even more come Selection Sunday.
by MBK Rowdies Prez
While the non-conference sked was decent, it will be how we do in the SEC that determines our SEC seeding. What I want to know is what they do in practice with these guys. Prather(multiple concussions), Murphy (hip pointer and bruised ribs) and Wilbekin (broken Finger). They should issue them helmets and shoulder pads. Gators seem to be suffering more practice injuries the last few years then other teams. Last year UK had five players and not a single practice injury. What’s up with BD’s practices.
by william