The Florida women’s basketball team has a new head coach in Cameron Newbauer. However, the media doesn’t appear to have much faith in the Gators this year. Florida was voted to finish twelfth in the fourteen team SEC on Wednesday. Voting was done by a panel of national and SEC media members.
Despite losing leading scorer, Ronni Williams to graduation, Florida will be led by senior F Haley Lorenzen and senior guard Simone Westbrook. Newbauer will also lean on 2017 SEC co-freshman of the year, Delicia Washington.
Florida begins its season November 11 vs Georgia State.
SEC MEDIA PRESEASON POLL:
- South Carolina
- Mississippi State
- Missouri
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Kentucky
- LSU
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Auburn
- Vanderbilt
- Florida
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
MY TAKE:
I think that Florida will be much better than the SEC media seems to believe.
A starting backcourt featuring Westbrook and Washington has a chance to be among the best Florida fans have seen in a while. Off the bench, Funda Nakkasoglu and Sydney Morang are more than capable. Nakkasoglu transferred to UF from Utah State where she averaged 19 points per game over her first two years. Morang saw a lot of action as a true freshman and poses a lethal three-point stroke.
Florida has a loaded backcourt, but unfortunately have the opposite in the front court. Other than Lorenzen, the Gators are thin along the front line. It is entirely possible that Florida runs with four guards for much of the season.
While I don’t think Florida can hang with South Carolina, Mississippi State, or even Missouri, I don’t see any reason that the Gators can’t finish in the top half of the league, and possibly (gulp) challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.