Thursday, April 19, 2007

Billy Donovan in Maysville

Florida Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan is the latest coach to come to town to see Mason County junior Darius Miller. Donovan and assistant Lewis Preston watched Miller play in a pick up game in The Fieldhouse early this evening.
Donovan is no stranger to Maysville.
"I've been here several times," Donovan said. "It's obviously a great, great basketball community. You knew about [the Mason County basketball program] when coach [Allen]Feldhaus was here, and certainly getting the opportunity to coach Deron [Feldhaus] at Kentucky, you hear a lot about [the Royals' program]."
Kentucky played a blue-white scrimmage in The Fieldhouse in 1989 when Donovan was an assistant coach on Rick Pitino's staff.
Donovan said you have to appreciate the enthusiasm and passion for basketball in this community.
I asked Donovan about Chris Lofton.
"I love him as a player," Donovan said. "I mean, certainly he gets a lot of attention and publicity for his ability to shoot the ball, but to me, watching film and getting a chance to play against him twice, I have so much more appreciation and respect for his ability to make people on the floor better; his competitiveness, but in the same way his calmness out there."
Donovan said Lofton has really developed his game.
"I think when he first came in, he was strictly just a catch and shoot guy," Donovan. "I think he's been able to put the ball on the floor a lot better, he's driving the ball, he's improved the mid-range game. He's gotten better defensively."
Donovan said he was happy that Lofton was able to come back from his ankle injury and perform the way he did.
"I think that without question this year and even his sophomore year, I thought he was one of the better players in our league," Donovan said.

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