travisduncan
Gator Fan
Even back at Christ the King High School in Queens, New York, some doubted whether Erving Walker at 5-foot-8 ("6 possibly) could go on to the next level.
Even when his high school coach called Billy Donovan about his dynamic 5-foot-2 point guard, Donovan said his initial response was "you've got to be kidding me?"
The little man from Brooklyn has always been a fighter ready to accept any challenge thrown his way.
Saturday he made the most important shot of the Gators 2010-11 campaign, a three-pointer jumper with 1:13 to play which put the Dagger in the UCLA Bruins.
Donovan told a story after the game.
He was in Queens, New York recruiting Walker.
"I went to the school, and he and I were walking out of the school, and he had signed with us and he was going to catch the subway to go to Brooklyn to go home," Donovan said.
"So as he's walking to the subway station, I'm walking with him and getting ready to jump in my car. This guy comes over one of his classmates and says, "Do you kind of want to play cards someday?" It was like some card game. I don't know what the card game was. Erv said, "No, no, no, I've got to go home."
"And the guy actually started talking a little bit of trash to him, and he like bypassed even catching the train, missed the train, and went back to the school to play this guy in cards because he just is competitive like that. He's a very, very competitive kid, and I think he's always been like that. And I think when you're that small and you're always having to kind of fight for respect, I think he's adopted that kind of thing that he knows he's got to kind of earn it and he's got that kind of mentality that he realizes he's going to be a evaluated and judged on winning and losing as a point guard and as a player, and with his size he really takes on those challenges."
Walker scored 10 of the final 12 points for UF after backcourt mate Kenny Boynton went down with a sprained ankle.
In total Walker finished with 21 points.
Kenny Boynton's Injury
Donovan said Monday that Boynton should be able to go and added that the swelling in his foot has gone down significantly since Saturday. Donovan admits that he still has some discomfort.
Boynton had sprained this ankle several times throughout his career, which Donovan says could be a mental hurdle for the sophomore guard.
You also wonder if he'll have his lateral movement in full as he tries to guard BYU's Jimmer Fredette.
Facing The Jimmer
If you've been living under the proverbial rock, The Jimmer is a national sensation, and YouTube star.
That wasn't the case last season when BYU eliminated Florida in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 99-92 double-overtime game, Jimmer put up 37, including two key three-pointers in the second overtime period.
The Gators will face Jimmer again at 7:27 p.m. ET Thursday on TBS.
The Jimmer is probably playing with more confidence than he was a year ago, and will put up a 3-pointer from anywhere, 3, 5, or more feet behind the line and he usually drains it.
Face guarding him is recommended but it won't help in some cases. He rises about two-feet off the ground and drains it with a defender in his face.
When he's not shooting from distance he wants to drive and take what would appear to be off-balance shots.
If he can't get a shot off, or is double-teamed he'll throw it to a teammate anyway he can, even behind his head as he did against Gonzaga on one play Saturday.
Donovan said Monday that they'll throw Boynton at him defensively to start things off, but will mix things up on the Jimmer as the game progresses.
Boynton is an excellent defender, so if he heals up by Thursday it's possible he can contain Fredette somewhat, but I really think they will try to make Fredette beat them off the dribble and crowd him.
If Fredette comes off a screen, expect to see the screener's man will pop out on Fredette.
Donovan also said that they obviously need to be mindful of more than just Fredette.
Against Gonzaga, 6-foot-3 guard Jackson Emery scored 16 points and 6-foot-8 forward Noah Hartsock had 13 points along with three 3-pointers. So those are two guys who can hurt you besides Fredette.
BYU loves to attack offensively. I think the Gators will try to slow the game down a bit and push it with Boynton and Walker as needed.
This is a tempo game, the Gators need to control it.
The Gators will have a size advantage inside so look for them to exploit that as much as possible.
Home court won't be in play in a way that it was in Tampa, though the Gators and their fans will make a shorter trip to New Orleans than BYU.
I think the Gators can win this game if they shoot the ball well and can run their offense. I expect the Gators can limit Jimmer as much as humanly possible, but the real question is whether or not the Cougars can stop the Gators defensively.
I'll be back on Thursday with a full preview of the matchup against BYU.
Even when his high school coach called Billy Donovan about his dynamic 5-foot-2 point guard, Donovan said his initial response was "you've got to be kidding me?"
The little man from Brooklyn has always been a fighter ready to accept any challenge thrown his way.
Saturday he made the most important shot of the Gators 2010-11 campaign, a three-pointer jumper with 1:13 to play which put the Dagger in the UCLA Bruins.
Donovan told a story after the game.
He was in Queens, New York recruiting Walker.
"I went to the school, and he and I were walking out of the school, and he had signed with us and he was going to catch the subway to go to Brooklyn to go home," Donovan said.
"So as he's walking to the subway station, I'm walking with him and getting ready to jump in my car. This guy comes over one of his classmates and says, "Do you kind of want to play cards someday?" It was like some card game. I don't know what the card game was. Erv said, "No, no, no, I've got to go home."
"And the guy actually started talking a little bit of trash to him, and he like bypassed even catching the train, missed the train, and went back to the school to play this guy in cards because he just is competitive like that. He's a very, very competitive kid, and I think he's always been like that. And I think when you're that small and you're always having to kind of fight for respect, I think he's adopted that kind of thing that he knows he's got to kind of earn it and he's got that kind of mentality that he realizes he's going to be a evaluated and judged on winning and losing as a point guard and as a player, and with his size he really takes on those challenges."
Walker scored 10 of the final 12 points for UF after backcourt mate Kenny Boynton went down with a sprained ankle.
In total Walker finished with 21 points.
Kenny Boynton's Injury
Donovan said Monday that Boynton should be able to go and added that the swelling in his foot has gone down significantly since Saturday. Donovan admits that he still has some discomfort.
Boynton had sprained this ankle several times throughout his career, which Donovan says could be a mental hurdle for the sophomore guard.
You also wonder if he'll have his lateral movement in full as he tries to guard BYU's Jimmer Fredette.
Facing The Jimmer
If you've been living under the proverbial rock, The Jimmer is a national sensation, and YouTube star.
That wasn't the case last season when BYU eliminated Florida in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 99-92 double-overtime game, Jimmer put up 37, including two key three-pointers in the second overtime period.
The Gators will face Jimmer again at 7:27 p.m. ET Thursday on TBS.
The Jimmer is probably playing with more confidence than he was a year ago, and will put up a 3-pointer from anywhere, 3, 5, or more feet behind the line and he usually drains it.
Face guarding him is recommended but it won't help in some cases. He rises about two-feet off the ground and drains it with a defender in his face.
When he's not shooting from distance he wants to drive and take what would appear to be off-balance shots.
If he can't get a shot off, or is double-teamed he'll throw it to a teammate anyway he can, even behind his head as he did against Gonzaga on one play Saturday.
Donovan said Monday that they'll throw Boynton at him defensively to start things off, but will mix things up on the Jimmer as the game progresses.
Boynton is an excellent defender, so if he heals up by Thursday it's possible he can contain Fredette somewhat, but I really think they will try to make Fredette beat them off the dribble and crowd him.
If Fredette comes off a screen, expect to see the screener's man will pop out on Fredette.
Donovan also said that they obviously need to be mindful of more than just Fredette.
Against Gonzaga, 6-foot-3 guard Jackson Emery scored 16 points and 6-foot-8 forward Noah Hartsock had 13 points along with three 3-pointers. So those are two guys who can hurt you besides Fredette.
BYU loves to attack offensively. I think the Gators will try to slow the game down a bit and push it with Boynton and Walker as needed.
This is a tempo game, the Gators need to control it.
The Gators will have a size advantage inside so look for them to exploit that as much as possible.
Home court won't be in play in a way that it was in Tampa, though the Gators and their fans will make a shorter trip to New Orleans than BYU.
I think the Gators can win this game if they shoot the ball well and can run their offense. I expect the Gators can limit Jimmer as much as humanly possible, but the real question is whether or not the Cougars can stop the Gators defensively.
I'll be back on Thursday with a full preview of the matchup against BYU.
