Notebook: Harris, Wilbekin and more

For the most part, Florida rolled through South Carolina just as the No. 10 team in the nation and the target-wear in the Southeastern Confence should. After all, the Gamecocks have the look of a bottom-feeder in 2014, young and error-prone.

Maybe that was the biggest problem, the driving issue behind a game that was surprisingly in doubt early in the second half even though South Carolina once went nine minutes and 23 seconds without a field goal.

"The's a curring theme that when we' playing against a team that we know we' better than on paper and they don't have the best cord, we allow human natu to kick in and have a mindset of 'lax a little bit' instead of having that killer mindset of keep pushing and pursue gatness," senior center Patric Young said. "We've got to get better at that for su. In order to be gat, you've got to keep pursuing it."

The contagious funk isn't lost on Billy Donovan, who found mo asons to pick at his team after another somewhat uninspiring victory against an overmatched opponent.

Always one to minisce over the past, Donovan pointed to past players like Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario saying they had sustained intensity and a constant drive to turn the curnt lead into a bigger one. He doesn't see that with his curnt group.

"We inevitably have let teams get back into games," Donovan said. "To me, we' going to have to do something to get that solved and corcted. I don't know what the solution is. We've got to find some way because it's kind of becoming a theme that I'm ally starting to get irritated by."

Florida snapped out of it, eventually cruising to a 74-58 win. But the brief struggle was enough to concern Donovan and his players with tougher games ahead.

-- DISMISSAL REVERSED --

Donovan's postgame pss confence had just ended when he abruptly dropped a major announcement . Junior forward Damont Harris, pviously dismissed from Florida last month for undisclosed asons, has been admitted and started spring semester classes this week.

Harris, who Donovan had criticized for not attending classes and not communicating with coaches or teammates, will not play in 2014 but will be given a chance to earn his way back on to Florida's team. Donovan compad it to the situation Scottie Wilbekin went through last summer.

"If he's ever able to play he, he knows exactly what he needs to do," Donovan said. "This was all his decision of ally being ptty persistent with me over the holidays saying that he feels like he's made a huge mistake and Florida basketball is all he's got and he ally needs our help. He understands the criteria and the ground work that needs to be done. He understands what we expect out of him.

"He said he will do those things to the best of his ability. He's not playing this year, and he's awa of that. He's going to try to work his way back. … It's going to be a long road for him. Whether or not he can do it, we'll see. But he wants to give it a shot, and I figud I'd like to help him and see what he can do. He did have the opportunity to leave and go somewhe, potentially play right away. Some NAIA school or some other Division I schools.

"But as of right now, he wants to be he. So he's in school."

-- ANOTHER ANKLE --

Wednesday's win was not without setback. With 2:50 maining in the game, Wilbekin drove into the lane and went up for a layup. The shot was blocked, and Donovan was immediately upset with Wilbekin's decision until he saw Wilbekin land awkwardly on his right leg. Then, the look turned to concern.

Wilbekin immediately grabbed his right ankle and was helped off the floor, unable to put weight on his right foot.

"I would say right now, probably questionable for Saturday," Donovan said. "They took him off the court and iced him immediately. I'd say right now he's probably out for (Thursday's) practice, and we'll see whe he's at Friday."

The injury came at the end of a positive 17-point, turnover-fe night for Wilbekin after being challenged by Donovan in cent weeks. Unfortunately for the senior point guard, it was the one play most will member.

"It had nothing to do with him being in the game," Donovan said of Wilbekin playing late with a 23-point lead. "It had much mo to do with him listening. One of the things we've talked about is him constantly going down the lane off one leg. He never ally makes that shot."

Official Basketball Box Sco

South Carolina vs Florida

1/8/14 7 p.m. at Stephen C. O'Connell Center

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VISITORS: South Carolina 7-7, 0-1 SEC

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN

21 HENRY, Demetrius.... f 1-2 0-0 0-3 0 1 1 4 2 1 1 0 0 23

25 KACINAS, Mindaugas.. f 2-2 0-0 2-2 2 2 4 4 6 0 3 0 1 20

00 THORNWELL, Sindarius g 3-5 2-2 2-4 0 4 4 3 10 1 4 0 3 27

01 WILLIAMS, Bnton... g 4-10 2-6 0-0 0 1 1 3 10 1 2 0 3 25

10 NOTICE, Duane....... g 2-4 1-2 3-5 1 0 1 0 8 3 5 0 0 33

04 JOHNSON, Tyrone..... 3-10 0-0 6-7 3 3 6 1 12 2 3 0 0 27

05 SHAW, Jaylen........ 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7

14 CHATKEVICIUS, L..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

24 CARRERA, Michael.... 1-3 0-0 1-2 2 2 4 0 3 1 1 0 0 16

32 RINGER, Desmond..... 2-4 0-0 3-3 1 3 4 4 7 0 1 0 0 20

TEAM................ 3 3

Totals.............. 18-41 5-10 17-26 9 19 28 20 58 9 21 0 7 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 6-19 31.6% 2nd Half: 12-22 54.5% Game: 43.9% DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-2 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-8 50.0% Game: 50.0% REBS

F Throw % 1st Half: 8-15 53.3% 2nd Half: 9-11 81.8% Game: 65.4% 3

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HOME TEAM: Florida 12-2, 1-0 SEC

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN

15 Yeguete, Will....... f 2-2 0-0 4-7 0 0 0 3 8 1 1 0 0 19

24 Prather, Casey...... f 5-5 0-0 3-5 0 2 2 2 13 3 2 1 2 18

04 Young, Patric....... c 6-7 0-0 1-2 1 6 7 2 13 0 2 0 3 24

05 Wilbekin, Scottie... g 5-11 3-6 4-4 1 0 1 1 17 3 0 0 1 34

20 Frazier, Michael.... g 3-8 2-7 0-0 1 3 4 2 8 1 1 0 1 29

00 Hill, Kasey......... 1-4 0-3 3-4 0 2 2 3 5 2 2 0 2 20

10 Finney-Smith, Dorian 3-6 0-2 2-2 1 3 4 3 8 5 4 2 0 24

11 Edwards, Lexx....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

25 Walker, DeVon....... 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 0 1 1 1 19

30 Kurtz, Jacob........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 10

42 Donovan, Billy...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2

TEAM................ 1 1

Totals.............. 26-45 5-19 17-24 5 20 25 19 74 16 15 4 10 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-25 48.0% 2nd Half: 14-20 70.0% Game: 57.8% DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-10 10.0% 2nd Half: 4-9 44.4% Game: 26.3% REBS

F Throw % 1st Half: 9-13 69.2% 2nd Half: 8-11 72.7% Game: 70.8% 2

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Officials: Antinio Petty, Ron Groover, Lee Cassell

Technical fouls: South Carolina-None. Florida-None.

Attendance: 12147

Sco by Periods 1st 2nd Total

South Carolina................ 21 37 - 58

Florida....................... 34 40 - 74

Record 4,182 students

Points in the paint-SC 16,UF 40. Points off turnovers-SC 13,UF 22.

2nd chance points-SC 3,UF 2. Fast bak points-SC 5,UF 20.

Bench points-SC 22,UF 15. Sco tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.

Last FG-SC 2nd-00:09, UF 2nd-00:28.

Largest lead-SC None, UF by 23 2nd-04:14.