Florida Gators Vs. Georgia Bulldogs: Men’s Basketball Preview
The SEC schedule has begun and there are few breaks between now and the end of the regular season. On Tuesday night, the Florida Gators continue their run through the conference, hosting the Georgia Bulldogs in Gainesville. The Gators will look to rebound after a tough weekend loss to the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Facts
Opponent: Georgia Bulldogs
When: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 – 7:00 PM
Where: Gainesville, FL
Television/Radio: ESPN, GatorVision, Sirius 220, XM 199
Records: Florida: 12-4 (0-1 SEC), Georgia: 9-6 (0-1 SEC)
Rankings: Florida: 19/19, Georgia: NR
Point Spread: Florida -16
Over/Under: 138
Calculated Score: Florida 77-61
Points Scored: Florida: 83.6, Georgia: 75.0
Points Allowed: Florida: 62.9, Georgia: 62.3
The Preview
The Gators return home with hopes of doing what they can’t seem to do on the road – win. It has been a rough season away from the comforts of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and Florida will surely welcome a home game before heading to the road again. Again, home = good; road = OH NO! NO! NOOOOO!!!!!
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There’s what to expect and what we want to expect. As fans, we have our opinions about what’s needed to win basketball games. After all, we have just as much experience coaching a high-caliber program such as Florida as Billy Donovan does. (That’s not a slight at any of you out there. I’m poking fun at myself.) It starts with taking smart shots and working Patric Young heavily into the mix when a mismatch presents itself. The Gators are an extremely talented team that have a bright season ahead of them, but those two items can allude them at times.
Florida is a deadly three-point shooting team, but as they say “live by the three, die by the three.” The Gators can end any hope an opponent may have by draining multiple threes in a short period of time. They can also quickly remove themselves from games by putting up ill-timed shots in close contests. That’s nothing new though and has been something very common for Donovan-coached teams. Not that I’m complaining in anyway – the man is a great coach and has had great teams – but if there’s a definitive difference between the championship teams and the others, that may be it.
As for Young, he is the Gators’ game near the basket. Erik Murphy is developing into a reliable player who can surprise with his range and there are others who definitely have their moments, but Young is needed for Florida to win games when the outside shot isn’t falling. He’s a difficult matchup for many and can dominate down low when he wants to and if given the opportunity. The Gators are a team with range, but have to remember about no. 4 in the paint.
Like Tennessee, Georgia is a team Florida should beat. Anything can happen on any given night, but the Gators have a talent advantage over the Vols and Dawgs. That advantage didn’t show itself in the loss to Tennessee as the Vols controled the flow of the game and made Florida play their way. The result was a lopsided loss. For the Gators to be successful against the Bulldogs, they have to play the way they know how and manage every aspect of the game. Sometimes that can be easier said than done. Sometimes it really is that easy. Tuesday night will tell us where Florida’s mindset it.