Donovan imparts urgent message

Florida coach Billy Donovan reflected back to the first weekend of practices in October, when effort from day to day was hot and cold.

Donovan didn't expect to be repeating himself in March. But that's where Florida stands heading into a critical final week of the regular season that will likely determine its fate in reaching the NCAA Tournament.

"I don't like the passion and the fire and the intensity that we play with on a regular basis," Donovan said. "For whatever reason, I haven't been able to get that out of them."

With an NCAA Tournament berth still hanging in the balance, Florida played with little sense of desperation in a 68-59 home loss to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs consistently beat Florida to loose balls. In hustle statistics, Mississippi State topped Florida in steals (9-1), second-chance points (13-9) and points off turnovers (10-5).

As a result, Florida enters this week needing a win either at home Wednesday against No. 4 Tennessee or on the road Sunday at Kentucky in order to extend its NCAA Tournament streak to 10 straight seasons.

"We know we've got to win some games to get in the tournament," Florida freshman Adam Allen said. "Nobody wants to go to the NIT. It's like the champion of the losers if you win that. Everybody wants to play in the NCAA Tournament."

Florida's current RPI stands at 61 and its strength of schedule is ranked at 105. In ESPN.com's bracketology, Joe Lunardi had the Gators as one of his last four teams making the field of 65 as an at-large team, but that could easily change with a few conference tournament upsets this week.

"We've got to get some wins," Florida freshman guard Nick Calathes said. "I think, definitely, we've got to play together as a team and go out and do the best we can."

Florida players shaved Fs on the side of their heads in a show of unity before Mississippi State, but it didn't translate once the Gators hit the court. Florida finished with 15 assists, more than two below its season average.

"We weren't patient," Allen said. "We took a lot of quick shots and that led to our bad field goal percentage."

Added Florida freshman Jai Lucas: "We're one of the best passing teams in the country when we do it correctly. I think we just got a little out of hand because we had so many open early shots."

It may have been a case of players trying to do too much, but Donovan didn't sense his team was pressing.

"I don't feel like our guys are playing tight, or the pressure is getting to them," Donovan said. "If I felt like we're playing that way, it would probably be something that I would address. I think there is a steadiness about them that they just kind of play."

If anything, Donovan is looking for more fire, more emotion down the stretch. Lucas echoed Donovan's sentiment, saying the Gators needed to play like "crazy men" in their home finale Wednesday night against Tennessee. Asked to elaborate, Lucas said: "All out, diving into press row, bloody nose. You just have to leave it all out there. You worry about everything else, the pain and the injuries, after the game."

Perhaps that sense of urgency will come this week, with a tournament bid on the line. But time is running out.

"If we lose both of these games, it's going to be really hard to get in the tournament," Allen said. "I don't see how we can do it. We have to win at least of one these."