2014–15 Florida Gators men's basketball
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record16–17 (8–10 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaO'Connell Center
2014–15 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 1 Kentucky †18–0 1.00038–1  .974
No. 21 Arkansas13–5 .72227–9  .750
LSU11–7 .61122–11  .667
Georgia11–7 .61121–12  .636
Texas A&M11–7 .61121–12  .636
Ole Miss11–7 .61121–13  .618
Vanderbilt9–9 .50021–14  .600
Alabama8–10 .44419–15  .559
Florida8–10 .44416–17  .485
Tennessee7–11 .38916–16  .500
South Carolina6–12 .33317–16  .515
Mississippi State6–12 .33313–19  .406
Auburn4–14 .22215–20  .429
Missouri3–15 .1679–23  .281
† 2015 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2014–15 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Gators competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by nineteen-year head coach Billy Donovan, and played their home games in the O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They finished the season 16–17, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament where they lost to Kentucky.

Gator non-participation in a postseason tournament had been 17 years before. The Gators' 63.7 points-per-game had been their lowest during Billy Donovan's 19-year coaching tenure. After the season, Donovan accepted an offer to coach the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He would leave the Gators as the regular season games' winningest head coach in the program's history and while at the helm coached the Gators to more NCAA tournament appearances, and more SEC championships, than the combined totals of all the other head coaches in the program's history.

Previous season

The Gators finished the 2013–14 season as the SEC regular-season champions with an overall record of 36–3, 18–0 record in conference play, the first SEC team to ever accomplish the feat, after the SEC re-expanded to an 18-game regular-season schedule prior to the 2012–13 season.[1] In doing so, the Gators won their seventh SEC regular season championship, and their third in four seasons. The Gators beat the Kentucky Wildcats 61–60 to claim the SEC Tournament championship. As a No. 1 seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament's South Region, Florida won its four tournament games, defeating 16-seed Albany, 8-seed Pittsburgh, 4-seed UCLA and 11-seed Dayton. The Gators' season ended with a loss to 7-seed, and eventual national champion, UConn in the Final Four.

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Casey Prather24G/F6’6”212SeniorJackson, TennesseeGraduated
Scottie Wilbekin5G6’2”176SeniorGainesville, FloridaGraduated
Will Yeguete15F6’8”230SeniorBordeaux, FranceGraduated
Patric Young4C6’9”240SeniorJacksonville, FloridaGraduated

Incoming transfers

NameNo.Pos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Jon Horford21F6’10”250RS Sr.Lansing, MichiganTransfer from Michigan.
Younger brother of former Gators and current Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford.
Will play in the 2014–15 season.
John Egbunu15C6’10”245RS So.Bauchi, NigeriaTransfer from South Florida.
Will sit out a season and play in 2015–16.

Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Zach Hodskins
SG		 Alpharetta, GA Milton High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Oct 20, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Chris Chiozza
PG		 Memphis, TN White Station High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Aug 17, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Brandone Francis
SG		 Jacksonville, FL Arlington Country Day School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Oct 28, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Devin Robinson
SF		 Chesterfield, VA Christchurch School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Nov 15, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #11   Rivals: #11  ESPN: #13
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2014 Florida Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014.

Personnel

Roster

2014–15 Florida Gators men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
G 0 Kasey Hill 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)182 lb (83 kg) So Umatilla, Florida
G 1 Eli Carter 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)200 lb (91 kg) RS Jr Paterson, New Jersey
G 2 Brandone Francis (I) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) Fr La Romana, Dominican Republic
F 3 Devin Robinson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)178 lb (81 kg) Fr Chesterfield, Virginia
F 5 Alex Murphy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) RS Jr Wakefield, Rhode Island
F 10 Dorian Finney-Smith 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)218 lb (99 kg) RS Jr Portsmouth, Virginia
G 11 Chris Chiozza 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)160 lb (73 kg) Fr Memphis, Tennessee
G 14 Lexx Edwards (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS Jr Orlando, Florida
C 15 John Egbunu Current redshirt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)266 lb (121 kg) So Bauchi, Nigeria
G 20 Michael Frazier II 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)194 lb (88 kg) Jr Tampa, Florida
F 21 Jon Horford 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS Sr Grand Ledge, Michigan
F 23 Chris Walker 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)220 lb (100 kg) So Bonifay, Florida
G 24 Zach Hodskins (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)203 lb (92 kg) Fr Alpharetta, Georgia
G/F 25 DeVon Walker Injured 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)203 lb (92 kg) Jr Winter Haven, Florida
F 30 {{{first}}} Keller (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg) Oviedo, Florida
G 42 William Donovan III (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)192 lb (87 kg) RS Sr Gainesville, Florida
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Rashon Burno (3rd year)
  • Matt McCall (4th year)
  • John Pelphrey (4th year)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 27, 2014

Notes

Coaches

Name Position College Graduating year
Billy Donovan Head coach Providence College 1987
Matt McCall Associate head coach University of Florida 2005
John Pelphrey Assistant coach University of Kentucky 1992
Rashon Burno Assistant coach DePaul University 2002
Darren Hertz Assistant to the head coach University of Florida 1997
Oliver Winterbone Video coordinator Rutgers University 2005
Preston Greene Strength and conditioning coordinator Clemson University 1999
Dave Werner Athletic Trainer Eastern Kentucky University 1991
Tom Williams Academic Counselor University of Florida 1978

Team statistics

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Nov. 6, 2014*
7:00 p.m.		 No. 7 Barry W 79–70  –
 O'Connell Center (9,016)
Gainesville, FL
Regular season (non-conference play)
Nov. 14, 2014*
6:00 p.m., SECN		 No. 7 William & Mary W 68–45  1–0
 O'Connell Center (10,861)
Gainesville, FL
Nov. 17, 2014*
7:00 p.m., ESPNU		 No. 8 Miami (FL) L 67–69  1–1
 O'Connell Center (11,156)
Gainesville, FL
Nov. 21, 2014*
8:00 p.m., SECN		 No. 8 Louisiana–Monroe
Battle 4 Atlantis opening round		 W 61–56 OT 2–1
 O'Connell Center (11,003)
Gainesville, FL
Nov. 26, 2014*
9:30 p.m., AXS TV		 No. 18 vs. Georgetown
Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals		 L 65–66 OT 2–2
 Imperial Arena (3,240)
Nassau, Bahamas
Nov. 27, 2014*
9:30 p.m., AXS TV		 No. 18 vs. UAB
Battle 4 Atlantis consolation round		 W 56–47  3–2
 Imperial Arena (2,408)
Nassau, Bahamas
Nov. 28, 2014*
8:00 p.m., AXS TV		 No. 18 vs. No. 5 North Carolina
Battle 4 Atlantis 5th place game		 L 64–75  3–3
 Imperial Arena (3,298)
Nassau, Bahamas
Dec. 5, 2014*
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 at No. 11 Kansas
Big 12/SEC Challenge		 L 65–71  3–4
 Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
Lawrence, KS
Dec. 8, 2014*
7:00 p.m., SECN		 Yale W 85–47  4–4
 O'Connell Center (8,711)
Gainesville, FL
Dec. 12, 2014*
7:00 p.m., SECN		 Texas Southern W 75–50  5–4
 O'Connell Center (9,212)
Gainesville, FL
Dec. 14, 2014*
4:00 p.m., FSN		 Jacksonville W 79–34  6–4
 O'Connell Center (10,123)
Gainesville, FL
Dec. 20, 2014*
5:00 p.m., FS1		 vs. Wake Forest
Orange Bowl Classic		 W 63–50  7–4
 BB&T Center (10,175)
Sunrise, FL
Dec 30, 2014*
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at Florida State L 63–65  7–5
 Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (8,273)
Tallahassee, FL
Jan. 3, 2015*
2:00 p.m., CBS		 UConn L 59–63  7–6
 O'Connell Center (11,041)
Gainesville, FL
Regular season (SEC conference play)
Jan. 7, 2015
7:00 p.m., SECN		 at South Carolina W 72–68  8–6 (1–0)
 Colonial Life Arena (12,181)
Columbia, SC
Jan. 10, 2015
7:00 p.m., FSN		 Mississippi State W 72–47  9–6 (2–0)
 O'Connell Center (11,966)
Gainesville, FL
Jan. 15, 2015
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Auburn W 75–55  10–6 (3–0)
 O'Connell Center (10,346)
Gainesville, FL
Jan. 17, 2015
2:00 p.m., CBS		 at Georgia L 61–73  10–7 (3–1)
 Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Athens, GA
Jan. 20, 2015
7:00 p.m., ESPN		 LSU L 61–79  10–8 (3–2)
 O'Connell Center (10,160)
Gainesville, FL
Jan. 24, 2015
8:00 p.m., SECN		 at Ole Miss L 71–72  10–9 (3–3)
 Tad Smith Coliseum (8,812)
Oxford, MS
Jan. 27, 2015
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 at Alabama W 52–50  11–9 (4–3)
 Coleman Coliseum (10,759)
Tuscaloosa, AL
Jan. 31, 2015
1:00 p.m., CBS		 Arkansas W 57–56  12–9 (5–3)
 O'Connell Center (11,861)
Gainesville, FL
Feb. 3, 2015
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 at Vanderbilt L 61–67  12–10 (5–4)
 Memorial Gymnasium (9,815)
Nashville, TN
Feb. 7, 2015
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 No. 1 Kentucky
Rivalry and ESPN College GameDay		 L 61–68  12–11 (5–5)
 O'Connell Center (12,578)
Gainesville, FL
Feb. 12, 2015
7:00 p.m., ESPN		 Ole Miss L 61–62  12–12 (5–6)
 O'Connell Center (10,291)
Gainesville, FL
Feb. 14, 2015
6:30 p.m., SECN		 at Texas A&M L 62–63  12–13 (5–7)
 Reed Arena (9,418)
College Station, TX
Feb. 18, 2015
7:00 p.m., SECN		 Vanderbilt W 50–47  13–13 (6–7)
 O'Connell Center (9,417)
Gainesville, FL
Feb. 21, 2015
1:00 p.m., CBS		 at LSU L 63–70  13–14 (6–8)
 Maravich Center (9,203)
Baton Rouge, LA
Feb. 24, 2015
9:00 p.m., SECN		 at Missouri L 52–64  13–15 (6–9)
 Mizzou Arena (7,631)
Columbia, MO
Feb. 28, 2015
6:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Tennessee W 66–49  14–15 (7–9)
 O'Connell Center (11,970)
Gainesville, FL
Mar. 3, 2015
9:00 p.m., ESPNU		 Texas A&M W 66–62  15–15 (8–9)
 O'Connell Center (8,591)
Gainesville, FL
Mar. 7, 2015
2:00 p.m., CBS		 at No. 1 Kentucky
Rivalry		 L 50–67  15–16 (8–10)
 Rupp Arena (24,428)
Lexington, KY
SEC tournament
Mar. 12, 2015
1:00 p.m., SECN		 vs. Alabama
Second round		 W 69–61  16–16
 Bridgestone Arena (10,563)
Nashville, TN
Mar. 13, 2015
1:00 p.m., SECN		 vs. No. 1 Kentucky
Quarterfinals		 L 49–64  16–17
 Bridgestone Arena (18,205)
Nashville, TN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Source:[4]

Rankings

Ranking movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. (RV) Received votes but unranked. (NR) Not ranked.
PollPreWk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Wk 17Wk 18Wk 19Final
AP 7 8 18 RV NR NR RV RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR N/A
Coaches 7 7 16 24 RV RV RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

See also

References

  1. ↑ Spousta, Tom (March 8, 2014). "Gators Overwhelm Wildcats to Cap SEC's First 18-0 Season". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ Harry, Chris. "Dillon Graham opts to transfer". GatorZone.com. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  3. ↑ Brockway, Kevin. "Graham transferring to Embry-Riddle". Gatorsports.com. The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Schedule". Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
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