GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we recap the open spring practices for the Florida Gators that took place this past weekend.

Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre recap what happened at spring practice for the Gators and how the team looked under Dan Mullen and his coaching staff.

Andrew and Nick also recap the basketball season for the Gators and recap what happened on the diamond for the Gators this past weekend.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew:                 What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, spring football, baseball, softball, and the end of the basketball season. That all took place this weekend.

Nick:                         Yeah. Tough weekend, or tough Saturday for Gator sports, but a packed weekend.

Andrew:                 Saturday was rough. I mean, baseball and softball took one on the noggin, and basketball, man oh man, that will go down as one of the worst officiating games I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I have watched a lot of basketball, and, Nick, that was terrible. When at one time in the game you have five guys with four fouls for one team, and another team that has one guy with two fouls, something’s wrong.

Nick:                         Yeah. Great game. If you take your fandom away from it, it was a great basketball game.

Andrew:                 It was a great game.

Nick:                         Back and forth. That was fun to watch. Tough to lose and go out, especially when you see FSU make it to the sweet 16. I think Mike White is a good coach, and they’ve got a good recruiting class coming in. Interested to see what they’ll look like next year, when you get those big guys back.

Andrew:                 Let me ask you this. I’m asking you this, because I’m just wondering your take on things. Do you feel like Mike White has improved since he got to Florida? Me, personally, I think he has. I hear a lot of people say, he’s still struggling with the X’s and O’s and this and that. Listen, I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not the smartest when it comes to basketball X’s and O’s like I am with football and baseball, but to me, personally, I think he’s improved from Year 1 to now Year 3.

Nick:                         I think this was just kind of an incredibly frustrating team for him.

Andrew:                 Injuries, Nick. I mean, it seemed like every time you turned around. Gorjok Gak had a concussion, Ballard had a concussion. Then you lose John Egbunu and Isaiah Stokes for the year, when at the beginning of the year Mike White says, “We should be able to get those guys back for conference play.” Let’s just be honest here. He played without a big man. I mean, Kevarrius Hayes gave Florida minutes.

Nick:                         Chase Johnson never played.

Andrew:                 Chase Johnson never played. Kevarrius Hayes shouldn’t be your starter inside, and that wasn’t the plan. Again, Mike White had a tough year with injuries, and to do what he did is still pretty good. I mean, let’s just be honest with each other. He’s a three-pointer away from going to overtime with a chance to go to the Sweet Sixteen. Every year you get to the Sweet Sixteen, I think that’s a successful year for most teams.

Nick:                         I really like Mike Okauru. I don’t think I’ve ever said that right the first time I tried to say it. Mike Okauru. Chase Johnson, interested to see what he is. I think Keith Stone comes back. Dontay Bassett is back. KeVaughn Allen should come back.

Andrew:                 Allen’s coming back.

Nick:                         Has to, right?

Andrew:                 My question is Jalen Hudson.

Nick:                         He’s probably the biggest one.

Andrew:                 Some people say he’s a late first-rounder, second-rounder. I think if you’re Jalen Hudson you probably need to come back.