bball - calathes leads gators past flagler

[radbag]

Coach Billy Donovan said Nick Calathes can play either guard position or small forward. Calathes proved he can play any of the three well and almost finished with a triple-double in Florida's exhibition opener.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward from Winter Park Lake Howell finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and sophomore forward/center Marreese Speights added a game-high 22 points and 13 boards as the Gators dismantled Division II Flagler, 97-51, Thursday in front of 10,444 at the O'Connell Center.

Calathes, a McDonald's All-American, threw crafty passes like his alley-oop to freshman forward Alex Tyus, whose dunk with 15:09 left put Florida ahead, 61-34. He showed control on lob passes, he dived for loose balls and looked comfortable at point guard setting up teammates or running off screens and shooting his jumper. It didn't look like Calathes' first time in a Florida uniform. He played like a veteran running the show.

"His court vision is unbelievable," said Tyus, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes. "He's like a little Steve Nash out there. It's great. It's fun playing with him because cuts, backdoor, pick-and-roll, he'll find you."

Said Calathes: "I had no idea (about the triple-double). I was trying to fill the stat sheet like coach Donovan tells me. I heard somebody in the stands say something like two more assists but I just went out and played. I wasn't worried about it."

All five of Florida's freshmen filled up the stat sheet against an undersized and outmatched Flagler squad that had no one taller than 6-foot-7. Still, all of Florida's first-year players scored in double figures.

Guard Jai Lucas had 11 points, forward Adam Allen, who looked healthy after missing practice time with a shoulder injury, finished with 10 and forward Chandler Parsons scored 18. Parsons hit a team-high 3 of 5 3-pointers. The Gators hit 8 of 24 from deep. They out-rebounded Flagler, 59-33.

"I couldn't sleep last night," Parsons said. "We got here at 6 o'clock. It felt like forever. I stretched every possible muscle in my body before the game twice. I laid down at 11 o'clock (last night). I had to watch my boy Kevin Durant play last night and I ended up watching the whole game. I couldn't fall asleep."

Florida's five freshmen outscored the three sophomores and one junior, 69-28. Junior guard Walter Hodge finished with six points and six rebounds but only one assist with three turnovers. Sophomores Dan Werner and Jonathan Mitchell did not score. Werner finished with seven assists and no turnovers. Florida had 22 assists.

"We played so unselfish," Parsons said. "Such a team game. That's the way basketball is supposed to be played."

Florida mixed and matched lineups all game and went with about a dozen rotations in the first half including a look with all five freshmen on the court at the same time. The pick-and-roll seemed to be used often to free up shooters off the dribble. At times, Calathes, who was tabbed the SEC's Impact Newcomer by Rivals.com, or one of Florida's other guards found the screener rolling to the basket or stepping out for a 3-pointer.

The first 12 minutes or so were choppy on both sides and then the Gators opened it up offensively. Calathes scored six points in a 14-0 run and Parsons' 3-pointer with 5:24 left before halftime made it 37-17.

Florida took its biggest first-half lead when Speights, who connected on 10 of 13 field goals, hit the back end of two free throws with 1:39 remaining to make it 46-21. Lucas gave the Gators their biggest lead at 97-50 with 1:06 left when he stole the ball and scored on a layup.

"There's a confidence level with (the freshmen) that's a good thing," Donovan said. "I don't think it's an overconfidence thing. They like playing. They like competing. They like the game of basketball and they played well at the times they were out there all five at one time."

Florida concludes its exhibition schedule against Lynn at 7 p.m. Monday at the O'Connell Center. The Gators open regular-season play next Friday when they host North Dakota State.

[TTBHG]

Calathes is going to be a good one I believe.....But, It was Flagler. Let's see them once conference play starts.