Jai Lucas & Patrick Patterson Lucas is calling a press conference Monday to announce his intentions and Patterson will follow on Wednesday. Where do you all think these guys will end up? Lucas' final list is Florida, UK, Oklahoma State...and Patterson's is Duke, UK, Florida...
i have no idea where they'll end up. there oth doing a good job at keeping us guessing. im just praying that PatPat goes to duke.
Duke has enough players, I think Patterson will go to UK since they lack PF's and that's immediate playing time. Florida doesn't have much depth in the frontcourt right now but they have some pretty good talent there still.a lack of experience. I hope Lucas ends up going to UK too, then Gillespie would be able to build around those guys for the future.
duke's in desperate need of a big guy right now. last year, our big guy was mcroberts, but hes obviously gone now. so now we're left with lance thoams, who is more of a small foward. we have zoubek, but any time he touched the ball last tear he traveled. if we get patterson, he'll make an immediate impact and be starting.
<div class="quote_poster">J_Ray Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Duke has enough players, I think Patterson will go to UK since they lack PF's and that's immediate playing time. Florida doesn't have much depth in the frontcourt right now but they have some pretty good talent there still.a lack of experience. I hope Lucas ends up going to UK too, then Gillespie would be able to build around those guys for the future.</div> We only have 1 legit big guy on our roster and that is Mareese Speights. Dan Werner and Jonathon Mitchell are tweeners and incoming freshmen Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus don't seem big enough to be legit bigs. Parsons seems to be about the same size as Brewer and Tyus is a little bigger at 200 lbs. Patterson would be absolutely huge for the Gators to get. He would likely start from day 1. We don't need Lucas too much, but having him wouldn't hurt. It'd be interesting to see a lineup of Jai Lucas, Walter Hodge, and Nick Calathes all on the floor a the same time. We can always use depth at PG. I bet both go to Florida. They both will get immediate playing time and they are both really good friends with each other and Nick Calathes from all the all-star games they all played in. If both accept I think we can end the Billy D to the NBA rumors. I'm just happy to see that they are finally going to decide. They have taken a long time.
According to a well respected poster at the catspause, Lucas will announce at 2:30 ET that he is heading to Florida. He will also try to convince Patterson to come along with him.
Lucas has committed to the Gators... And they will likely get Patterson as well... Next year is starting to look good for Florida.
<div class="quote_poster">UKFan33 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Lucas has committed to the Gators... And they will likely get Patterson as well... Next year is starting to look good for Florida.</div> Next year's looking pretty good for Florida, but it's still not looking anything like these past two years. The Lucas signing definitely helps, but he's being a bit overrated at this point just because he was the last decent point guard prospect to make a commitment. Will he even get any significant playing time for the Gators this season though? Probably not, and if so, then that's just a testament to how depleted Florida is rather than now good Lucas is. Not to downplay Lucas' talent, but he's more of a long term signing than an instant impact sort of recruit. The real important signing will be Patrick Patterson. From what I've seen, he's much more capable of making a significant impact his freshman year than Lucas. If he commits, then the Gators could find themselves back in the top twenty five.
<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Next year's looking pretty good for Florida, but it's still not looking anything like these past two years. The Lucas signing definitely helps, but he's being a bit overrated at this point just because he was the last decent point guard prospect to make a commitment. Will he even get any significant playing time for the Gators this season though? Probably not, and if so, then that's just a testament to how depleted Florida is rather than now good Lucas is. Not to downplay Lucas' talent, but he's more of a long term signing than an instant impact sort of recruit. The real important signing will be Patrick Patterson. From what I've seen, he's much more capable of making a significant impact his freshman year than Lucas. If he commits, then the Gators could find themselves back in the top twenty five.</div> Actually this team is looking like the team from 2 years ago before the season. No one expects them to be any good after losing over 70% of their scoring. When you lose 6 out of your 7 best players including your 5 starters you aren't going to be looking as good the next year. This team will be extremely talented and it will be interesting what Billy Donovan can get out of these guys that are getting disrespected in the polls already(not that it's undeserving). Lucas will certainly play, right now our only PG is Nick Calathes, but he is 6'6. Walter Hodge would be much better off playing the off guard, but could play PG in spurts. I think Lucas would be the backup PG behind Calathes and let Hodge focus mainly playing SG. Lucas should play 10-15 minutes at worst and expect to see a lineup of Lucas, Hodge, Calathes for stretches of games. He is the type of PG that Donovan loves the most the pass first guy that will make the team better. Patterson was the big guy that the Gators need. They desperately need another true big that you can play alongside and backup Speights. If they don't get Patterson then expect a lot more of the Lucas/Hodge/Calathes type lineups.
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Actually this team is looking like the team from 2 years ago before the season. No one expects them to be any good after losing over 70% of their scoring. When you lose 6 out of your 7 best players including your 5 starters you aren't going to be looking as good the next year. This team will be extremely talented and it will be interesting what Billy Donovan can get out of these guys that are getting disrespected in the polls already(not that it's undeserving). Lucas will certainly play, right now our only PG is Nick Calathes, but he is 6'6. Walter Hodge would be much better off playing the off guard, but could play PG in spurts. I think Lucas would be the backup PG behind Calathes and let Hodge focus mainly playing SG. Lucas should play 10-15 minutes at worst and expect to see a lineup of Lucas, Hodge, Calathes for stretches of games. He is the type of PG that Donovan loves the most the pass first guy that will make the team better. Patterson was the big guy that the Gators need. They desperately need another true big that you can play alongside and backup Speights. If they don't get Patterson then expect a lot more of the Lucas/Hodge/Calathes type lineups.</div> Every time the Gators take a roster hit from now on, it means a national title is imminent. Deserving disrespect? Isn't that an oxymoron? Anyway, I wasn't so much saying that Lucas won't play but rather that if he does play, it's just a sign of how depleted the Gators' roster is. I mean, I'd have a hard time seeing him getting any playing time on most other top twenty five teams in the NCAA right off the bat. I've just always seen him as more of a four year player and not one of these NBA-ready, instant impact frosh. BTW - What's the latest on Patterson? Does this pretty much wrap him up with the Gators, or is he still looking at Duke?
<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Every time the Gators take a roster hit from now on, it means a national title is imminent. </div> Where did I say that we were going to win a national title? You said that it isn't close to the last 2 years and I said it actually is similar to the 06 team with a bunch of young guys and basically 2 juniors(we only have 1 now, but more depth and possibly more individual talent). I never said we were going to win a national title. Hell of course this team isn't at the level of the last 2 years, no one in the country was. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Deserving disrespect? Isn't that an oxymoron? </div> We aren't deserving of getting respect YET. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Anyway, I wasn't so much saying that Lucas won't play but rather that if he does play, it's just a sign of how depleted the Gators' roster is. I mean, I'd have a hard time seeing him getting any playing time on most other top twenty five teams in the NCAA right off the bat. I've just always seen him as more of a four year player and not one of these NBA-ready, instant impact frosh. </div> I'm not expecting him to get big minutes or making a huge impact immediately, but he should get similar to what Taureen got his freshman year. 10-15 minutes a game backing up the PG spot. We have Calathes and Hodge who can run the point, so he won't be relied on to be a starter and come in right away. I do expect to see him, Hodge, and Calathes on the court at the same time though. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">BTW - What's the latest on Patterson? Does this pretty much wrap him up with the Gators, or is he still looking at Duke?</div> Honestly if I had to guess I think it's 50% Florida 40-45% Duke and 5-10% Kentucky. I haven't been reading up on much recently, but him and Lucas/Calathes are really good friends. Why wouldn't he want to go to a school that looks depleted offensively(no real proven weapons, while UK/Duke will have some) that he is friends with the 2 PG's?
