Ohio State’s Ron Lewis described the Florida Gators as a “good� team in a pre-game press conference. When the Gators’ Joakim Noah was told this at another press conference, he was stunned. It was indicated that Lewis claimed that the Buckeyes were a “great� team.

Noah responded with, “Oh my God! He said that? No!â€? Then there was a long pause and after that the Florida forward said, “What a bad person.”

The press conference moderator asked, “Anything else?”

Noah noted, “I don’t even know what else to say. I really don’t know.”

Florida guard Corey Brewer tried to be positive by saying, “At least he said we were good. He could have said we were bad. Next question, please.”

And so there’s some pre-game controversy in Atlanta.

A few things to note—

1) Lewis did not say that his team was “great.� He was asked if he concurred with that description and he did.

2) Later, he also noted that “good� was the top of his assessment scale, unless you’re talking about something like the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

So—is this a classic psyche-out by Lewis or a monumental gaff, giving the Gators prime bulletin board material? We will see. The Buckeyes were hammered by Florida in December, losing by 26 points.

So, the question becomes—how does Lewis actually define “good� and “great?� In his own head, he may have to demean the gators in order to take the court against them. Especially after having had his head handed to him by them in December.

One thing he has helped to set up is an instant elevation of the Florida Gators to “great.� If they show up tonight and take care of business, then Florida acquires a whole new status among college basketball teams and Lewis may just be forced to admit that his opponents are indeed “great.� Otherwise, how could a “good� club like the Gators beat a “great� team like the Buckeyes?

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