Florida Gators 2011-12 women's basketball preview

Florida women

Coach: Amanda Butler (78-54, fifth season at Florida; 118-76 overall)

Last season: 20-15, 7-9 (eighth in SEC)

Notable: For only the third time since 1990-91, and the first since 2003-04, the Gators return all five starters. Of the five seniors, only Azania Stewart was recruited by and will have played four years under Butler. But Florida is hoping that veteran lineup can help heal the wounds of last season when it lost multiple games down the stretch, many by single digits. UF will retain Butler's aggressive style of play, predicated on relentless defense. A new strength and conditioning coach is helping make the Gators stronger and better conditioned. Most of all Butler is hoping the senior leadership translates into finishing games down the stretch better. "We definitely have got to get better in a lot of different regards, and the No. 1 part of that I think is the expectation of winning every night," Butler said. "When you're an inexperienced team, you don't know how to do that quite yet. Any changes that need to be made, they'll be made, but more than anything I think our seniors just really want this to be a special year, a historic year, and they know that that means no close losses. We need to fulfill that."

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Roster

No. Player Ht. Pos. Yr.

3 Lanita Bartley 5-6 G Sr.

4 Carlie Needles 5-6 G Fr.

10 Jaterra Bonds 5-7 G So.

12 Deana Allen 5-9 G Sr.

13 Azania Stewart 6-4 C Sr.

14 Ndidi Madu 6-1 F Sr.

15 Viktorija Dimaite 6-4 C Fr.

20 Andrea Aragones 5-10 G Fr.

22 Kayla Lewis 5-11 G So.

23 Brittany Shine 5-10 G So.

31 Lily Svete 6-2 F So.

32 Jennifer George 6-0 F Jr.

33 Jordan Jones 5-9 G Sr.

Schedule

Nov. 11 Michigan 4:30

Nov. 14 Stetson 7

Nov. 17 Florida State 5:30

Nov. 22 Hampton 7

Nov. 25 LaSalle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 4

Nov. 26 Charlotte (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 2

Nov. 29 Belmont 7

Dec. 2 Rutgers (Daytona Beach) 8

Dec. 7 at San Francisco 8:30

Dec. 9 Pacific (Stockton, Calif.) 10

Dec. 20 Charleston Southern 7

Dec. 21 vs. Maine or Duquesne 7

Dec. 28 Samford 7

Jan. 1 Kentucky 1

Jan. 5 at Mississippi State 8

Jan. 8 South Carolina 2

Jan. 12 at Georgia 7

Jan. 15 LSU 1

Jan. 19 Alabama 7

Jan. 22 at Kentucky 2

Jan. 29 at Arkansas 3

Feb. 2 at LSU 7

Feb. 5 Mississippi 2

Feb. 9 Auburn 7

Feb. 12 at South Carolina 5

Feb. 19 Georgia 3:30

Feb. 23 Mississippi State 7

Feb. 26 at Tennessee 3:30

March 1-4 SEC Tournament (Nashville)