Morning Roundup: Online Pundits

--Andy Katz saw the Gators' loss coming, as Manhattan entered the game with confidence, having learnt a lesson or two from last year's loss to Syracuse. Having two-time MAAC player of the year Luis Flores around didn't hurt the Jaspers.

--Mike DeCourcy writes of Florida's performance, recalling this gem of a description from December:

Not only was it a horrific stretch to suggest the Gators were the best this sport has to offer, it also was a bit of a fudge to call them a team. What you have is a bunch of guys in the same color uniforms doing basketball things, but not really playing the game.

Ouch. He then hints at the unthinkable. Donovan out at Florida?

In particular, [Anthony] Roberson morphed from an astonishingly advanced high school freshman point guard into a me-first, shot-happy prep senior. His performance at the adidas ABCD Camp in July 2001 was perhaps the most selfish I've seen in a dozen years of going to the summer talent camps, which aren't exactly festivals of team play. Wing Matt Walsh was obviously talented but rarely under control when playing for his summer teams. But these two were rated highly, and signing them enhanced Donovan's reputation as a recruiter. They have not enhanced his reputation as a coach.

--Tony Mejia finds Herb Sendek's Wolfpack looking for a little respect. They'll have to earn it -- I have Louisiana-Lafayette upsetting the ACC club and moving to the Sweet Sixteen.

--Gregg Doyel joins the bash Florida bunch, ripping into Anthony Roberson with little remorse.

In the first half, when Florida needed their only All-SEC player to lead them, Roberson led them into disarray. He repeatedly frustrated Florida coach Billy Donovan by not running a play or not lining up correctly or not playing defense or going one-on-five and launching a 23-foot air ball.

Early in the second half, sophomore center Adrian Moss yelled for Roberson to "get your head straight and play!" This is what happens when you recruit an all-star roster of AAU legends with only one ball to share. Guys like James White, Orien Greene and Mario Boggan transfer, Drejer quits in midseason, and Roberson jacks up 23-foot air balls. Roberson finished with one assist and five turnovers, the last coming when he drove and passed out toward David Lee and Matt Walsh, neither of whom were expecting Roberson to do anything but shoot.

Roberson is the face of Florida basketball, which is fine if you're into skills but lousy if you're into results.

--Stewart Mandel takes a different line, arguing that the first day of the NCAA tournament exposed and eliminated the pretenders. He's right.

That was the difference between contenders like the Terps, Orangemen, Deacons and Tar Heels -- well-versed by now in pressure situations -- and pretenders like the Spartans, Gators and Wildcats. When the going got tough, no one stepped up in the clutch for the pretenders. Michigan State star Paul Davis committed a silly fifth foul with the game on the line. Florida's David Lee disappeared on offense. Arizona's Salim Stoudamire stopped making 3-pointers.