Florida basketball vs. George Washington TV info, odds, preview, prediction
Florida basketball prepares for its third consecutive road game as it travels to George Washington Wednesday night. The winner advances to the NIT semifinals.
The No. 2 seed Florida Gators (21-14), coming off of tournament road wins at North Florida and Ohio State, are now just one win away from securing their quadrant of the NIT bracket and advancing to New York for the tourney semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
Florida has reached the NIT’s version of the Final Four three times in school history: 1986, 1992 and 2009. However, this would be the first time its done so by winning three straight road games.
But before we add 2016 to that list, the Gators must first get through No. 4 seed George Washington (23-10). And they’ll need even more production from their key contributors if they’re to knock off the Colonials in their own building.
Florida Gators
Junior point guard Kasey Hill has been the catalyst behind the Gators’ recent success, averaging 16.3 points per game (nearly double his regular-season average) on 53-percent shooting. Senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith (14.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is coming off his seventh double-double of the season after totaling 16 points and 12 rebounds against Ohio State. Freshman center Kevarrius Hayes (2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) filled in nicely for the injured sophomore John Egbunu, collecting a career-high 14 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor against the Buckeyes.
Replicating those performances would certainly be a nice counter to George Washington’s own offensive prowess, led by senior forward Kevin Larsen (12.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg), redshirt junior Tyler Cavenaugh (16.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and senior guard Patricio Garino (14.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg).
Overall, the Gators and the Colonials have met three times in the past, with the first meeting between the two programs dating all the way back to 1939. Florida holds a 2-1 advantage over GWU in the all-time series.
Game information
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2016
Time: 7 PM ET
Location: Charles E. Smith Center, Washington, D.C.
TV: ESPN2
Livestream: WatchESPN
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network
Spread: 147.5
Over/Under: George Washington (-2)
Related Story: Spring analysis of the Florida football defense
After struggling all season on the offensive end, the Gators have shot a combined 46.7 percent — 40.7 percent from the three-point line — in their two postseason games and have scored 167 points total. In addition, nine different players have hit double-figures in at least one of the contests and seven guys have made a three.
Florida will need to continue shooting lights-out just to keep up with GWU Wednesday night, as the Colonials average 75.8 points per game on 44.6-percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.
George Washington is a team that, despite finishing fifth in the Atlantic 10 conference standings, has played sound basketball all season.
The Colonials have notched quality wins over NCAA tournament No. 1 seed Virginia, Seton Hall at home and Virginia Commonwealth on the road during the regular season. In the NIT alone, GWU emerged from its bracket by defeating Hofstra 82-80 in the first round at home, then upended top-seeded Monmouth on the road Monday night 87-71.
Credit the Colonials’ ability to consistently convert their free throws (75.5 percent as a team; best in the nation) and play defense without fouling (just 16 fouls per game; also ranking No. 1) for allowing this team to make it so far in the NIT.
Prediction
If Florida continues to shoot well and if it can play inspired on the defensive end, this will certainly be a fun contest to watch.
Ultimately, it will come down to how the Gators start the game. Slow starts for UF this season have typically resulted in even slower finishes. Just look at the Alabama and Vanderbilt games towards the end of the season.
But this Florida team has been more locked-in and motivated than ever during this postseason.
More gators: Spring analysis of the Florida football offense
It’s tough to get a team to buy in to the NIT, especially when said team was comfortably in the NCAA tournament field just a month before the end of the regular season. But head coach Mike White has his Gators excited to be playing a few extra games this season, while the younger guys are gaining valuable in-game experience.
It boils down to who wants it more. And right now, the Gators are playing like they have something to prove.
Florida will continue its postseason run and advance to the NIT semifinals with a hard-fought road win over George Washington Wednesday night.