Donovan Starts Practice Friday With New Team, New Questions
Published: Oct 11, 2007
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GAINESVILLE - Billy Donovan only left the University of Florida basketball program for five days in June, but when his team opens practice Friday, it may feel like the first day of a new job.
Whether he stayed with the Orlando Magic (he signed a five-year, $27.5 million deal June 1) or returned to Florida (he agreed to a six-year, $21 million deal June 6) Donovan knew he'd be coaching a new team. And even though four of his current players were on the roster for last year's second consecutive national-title run, Donovan can't help but feel like he did when he took over the program in 1996.
Though Donovan's current team is more talented than the one he inherited from Lon Kruger, only junior guard Walter Hodge has played significant minutes. Sophomores such as forwards Jonathan Mitchell and Dan Werner and freshmen such as guard Nick Calathes and forward Chandler Parsons must contribute, but even Donovan isn't sure what positions they'll play.
"[In 1996] I walked into a situation where I saw the players and didn't know what they could do," Donovan said Wednesday. "I saw [this year's team] in workouts, and there's a lot of things I need to do to put these guys in a situation to make them successful."
Donovan is intrigued by their potential, but he'll worry more early on about how fast the young Gators pick up his schemes.
Mitchell, a 6-foot-7, 228-pounder who could play shooting guard, small forward or power forward, said Donovan and his staff make learning schemes easier.
"Coach will put you in one position for a while until you master that one," Mitchell said. "Then he'll shift you to another one. … Obviously, you can't play if you can't learn the plays."
Even the one player whose role seems set - sophomore center Marreese Speights - is an unknown. Donovan joked about the hype surrounding Speights, who averaged 5.7 minutes a game but played significant minutes in the national title game against Ohio State.
"The guy makes a baseline jump shot against Ohio State," Donovan said, "and I really thought we had Wilt Chamberlain coming back from some of the things I heard."
But, to paraphrase Donovan's mentor, Rick Pitino, Chamberlain isn't walking through that door. Neither are recently departed stars Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer or Taurean Green.
So Donovan will adjust.
"If we try to play like we did last year we probably won't be very successful," Donovan said. "This is a very unique situation, and last year was very unique with all the guys returning. I look at it as a different experience from a coaching perspective."
Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or astaples@tampa-
trib.com.
