Florida Basketball: How Worried Should Florida Be After Upset Loss to Miami?

Let's not press the panic button in Gainesville just yet. 

Yes, the Florida Gators did fall victim to Angel Rodriguez's terrific second-half performance in the 69-67 loss to Miami. Billy Donovan's team also lost at home for the first time in 33 games. Both may be seen as warning signs of how the 2014-15 season will go for the Gators, but neither should be taken seriously. 

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Florida had won 33-straight home games entering tonight. Miami put an end to that streak. pic.twitter.com/aSN9rixtvF

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) November 18, 2014"

Instead of responding to the defeat with doom and gloom, Donovan should and will use this game as a teaching moment. The Gators lost a ton of key players, and they are still finding a rhythm on the court. 

In three of the four halves it has played this season, Florida has looked like a solid team. Unfortunately, it came up against a superb individual effort Monday night from Rodriguez, a transfer from Kansas State. 

The other factor we have to remember about Monday's loss is the absence of Dorian Finney-Smith. The junior forward starred in the opener against William and Mary with 15 points and five rebounds. During the game, he suffered a hairline fracture in his non-shooting hand. 

The good news for Gators fans is Finney-Smith tried to play Monday, but he didn't feel 100 percent. Sitting out the in-state rivalry game with the Hurricanes was the smart move for a player with bigger games ahead of him during nonconference play. 

With a trip to meet the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 5, the Gators need Finney-Smith to be fully functional, which means he could sit out the next two games against Louisiana-Monroe and Georgetown. 

If the Gators get past Georgetown at the Battle 4 Atlantis, Finney-Smith's presence will be needed on the court with Wisconsin most likely awaiting Florida in the semifinal round of the tournament. 

Having Finney-Smith sit out a few games does hurt the team a bit, but it will only make Florida stronger. Facing adversity early in the season makes a team better when it comes down to the games that matter. 

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Barring a few catastrophic scenarios, Jacob Kurtz will not feature in the starting five all season. However, it was valuable to get the walk-on 36 minutes of playing time Monday. You never know when Kurtz will be called upon in a key situation early in the season. With a solid amount of minutes under his belt, he had a chance to get comfortable during game action with the rest of the team. 

Other potential contributors off the bench did see an extended amount of playing time, but Devin Robinson and Chris Chiozza combined for only eight points in 35 minutes. 

As for the regulars, three of the five players in Donovan's starting lineup scored 13 or more points. Eli Carter turned in 21 points and was 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Fellow transfer Jon Horford did work in the paint by scoring 17 points and snagging seven rebounds. Michael Frazier also delivered 13 points by going 6-of-11 from the field. 

Player	Points	Rebounds	FGM-FGA
Eli Carter	21	1	8-9
Jon Horford	17	7	5-9
Michael Frazier	13	2	6-11
Kasey Hill	2	2	1-9

The loss to Miami would be much more deflating had the regular trio been shut down for the entire 40 minutes. There is a bit of concern about Kasey Hill's numbers, but in his defense, he did face a tough matchup against the Hurricanes. 

Hill should recover well in the buildup to the Kansas game with strong showings against Louisiana-Monroe and Georgetown. If he doesn't do well over the next two weeks, then we can start sounding the alarm bells a tad. 

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Even if Hill fails to get going on the offensive side of the ball, the Gators will have Finney-Smith and Chris Walker back in the lineup to make up for any drop in production from the point guard. 

You also have to factor in the coaching abilities of Donovan, as he will use the second half against Miami as a rallying point. He should be able to get his players to respond positively to the loss, which means it could get ugly Friday night at the O'Connell Center against Louisiana-Monroe. 

It's also worth pointing out that even if the Gators stumble to a few losses in nonconference play, they are in the SEC. As we witnessed opening night, it's going to be a long year full of embarrassing results for teams not named Kentucky or Florida. 

Before you start reading too much into the loss to Miami, remember things will get better in Gainesville. They might even improve in time for the Kansas game. If Florida fails to win in Lawrence, the rest of the schedule looks favorable for the continuously jelling group. 

Donovan will have this team ready for March, but we may not see it until they start racking up the wins in SEC play. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.