UGA MBB
Next Opponent: Florida
Ken Pom
29 UF
86 UGA
Evan
30 UF
97 UGA
519 JAR
544 Hill
586 DeLoach
669 Demary, Jr
710 Melendez
716 Cain
1107 Thomasson
1221 Tchewa
133 Handgloten
177 Clayton
246 Pullin
278 Kugel
327 Richard
391 Samuel
582 Condon
772 Haugh
National Rankings UGA UF
PPG 120 11
FG% 266 133
FT% 117 282
3P% 133 206
REB 200 1
A 274 65
TO 179 224
A/TO 194 98
BS 160 9
Dasher UGA Sports: Bulldogs look to break skid
https://uga.rivals.com/news/bulldogs-look-to-break-skid
UF Website: In the Zone: Gators Know What D is Coming
“ATHENS, Ga. – They were cruising along, up 20 well into the second half, when the Florida Gators found themselves facing an LSU defense that had switched from man-to-man to zone. It became a problem, just like it had in earlier games this season. The Gators got stagnant, struggled to score and saw their double-digit lead vanish.
"It's been an issue for us the last couple of weeks," UF coach Todd Golden said Friday.
And it only makes sense that Florida's opponents will continue to make the Gators (17-7, 7-4) confront that issue again, starting Saturday afternoon when they face the Georgia Bulldogs (14-10, 4-7) at what should be a lively Stegeman Coliseum in yet another pivotal Southeastern Conference game.
The Gators have won six of their previous seven and have put themselves in the SEC race despite Tuesday night's stomach-churning 82-80 home win over the Tigers. In that one, LSU trailed 60-40 with about 15 minutes left when it shifted into a 1-3-1 zone that morphed into a 2-3 and knocked UF out of whack. Florida made one of its next 11 shots and within eight minutes the lead was down to single digits. Thirteen minutes later, the margin was two.
With 90 seconds to go, the game was tied.
Yes, UF made more plays than LSU down the stretch to sneak away with the victory, but the Gators' trend of second-half droughts and ineffective offense against zone has been an emphasis the last couple days. It needed to be, given how UGA deployed its zone – Coach Mike White's trademark 1-3-1 that shifts to man, a scheme he used with fine success during seven seasons on the Florida sideline – to wipe out a 21-point deficit when the two teams played Jan. 27 in Gainesville. That day (like Tuesday), the home team escaped (again) with an 102-98 victory in overtime despite surrendering 51 points in the second period and turning the ball over 19 times.
The Bulldogs have lost five straight, dating to that defeat at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, but they're more than capable of end that spirals and will be looking for something to prove on their home floor.
"Team's have to go zone against us because we can score at will," fifth-year forward Tyrese Samuelsaid of a Florida offense that has tallied at least 43 first-half points in four of the team's 11 league games and built double-digit leads in eight of them. "Zone is one of the ways they're slowing us down right now, but we're going to get back to the drawing board and work on it and make sure that we execute so we can get [defenses] out of it."
Offenses negate zone by making 3s against or by making the spaced-out defense pay with offensive rebounding or downhill drives. Getting good shots requires excellent ball movement, including passes into the post, where the receiving "big" has to make good decisions and keep the ball rotating to move the floor.
UF point guard Zyon Pullin has been a godsend this season with is ability to run the team. Pullin, though, is a high-usage player who dribbles a lot to get his teammates shots, which works great against man defense. He's not a quick-trigger 3-point shooter compared to Walter Clayton, Will Richard or Riley Kugel, however. Pullin usually shoots 3s off the bounce and late in the shot clock.
Clayton (37.3 percent), Pullin (38.2) and Kugel (42.1) have shot the ball well from distance in SEC play this season. Richard is trying to shoot himself out of a 27.5-percent slump in league play. It's worth noting that last season, Richard bombed a career-best five 3s and 24 points in his only other appearance at Stegeman, about 90 minutes from his hometown of Fairburn, Ga. Anything similar would be welcome; both for the team and against the Bulldogs' zone.
The Gators are too good on offense not to figure this thing out.
"We're just trying to prepare ourselves because Georgia runs a couple different types of zones. We want to make sure we have a couple things ready when we see them and make sure we're aggressive attacking it," Golden said. "Obviously, you have to make sure you have some actions and some sets you hope can open up some things, but it's also a mentality and staying aggressive and making sure you're not playing tentatively. I think that has been an issue for us when we've seen it lately."
As pronounced as the zone issue was against LSU, there was another pronounced factor in the comeback.
"A lot of it was on defense," Clayton said. "We just have to string together stops."
The Tigers shot a torrid 62.5 percent in the second half, including 6-for-9 from the 3-point line, and knocked down 11 of their final 15 shots (while the Gators were missing 17 of their last 25). LSU scored a numbing 40 points over the game's final 15 minutes.
The Tigers got comfortable on the offensive end in the Gators' gym. Florida let Georgia do the same thing three weeks ago. If the Bulldogs get comfy in their home confines, what already is a tall order – "Georgia is good and wants to kick our ass," Golden said – becomes even taller.
"Your offense – the misses and empty possessions – feel much worse in those moments because you're taking the ball out of the net [on defense] and they're [setting up on defense] on the other end," Golden said. "Offensively, I think we'll be ready. We just have to make sure that if we are fortunate enough to get a lead that we do a better job defending and finishing possessions."
https://floridagators.com/news/2024...-its-second-half-ills-on-fly-feb-17-2024.aspx
Florida at Georgia (Saturday, 1 pm)
“Setup / Series / Last Meeting
Florida is back on the road to square off against rival Georgia in another game (the second straight for UF) between two Southeastern Conference teams headed in opposite directions. The Gators have won six of seven, most recently Tuesday night's 82-80 squeaker at home over LSU. In that one, UF led by 20 in the second half, only to see the Tigers roar back to tie the game in the final 90 seconds, then survive behind a couple late possessions with the game in the balance. The Bulldogs have lost five in a row (and seven of nine), but had a mid-week bye after losing 78-75 last weekend at Arkansas. ... Florida leads the all-time series 123-103 with a 10-game winning streak that dates to the 2020 season and includes the Gators' 102-98 overtime victory Jan. 27 in Gainesville. In that one, UF had a 21-point lead with 15 minutes to play, only to let UGA storm back to tie the game behind 51 points and 62-percent shooting in the second half, plus a handful of ugly, uncharacteristic turnovers that led to 24 Bulldogs points. Georgia freshman guard Blue Cain scored his team's final seven points over the last 2:02 of regulation, including a game-tying driving layup with 49 seconds left to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Gators had a seven-point lead inside 25 seconds to go, but still had to survive another brutal turnover, a sixth 3-pointer from forward R.J. Melendez, who had a career-high 35 points, before guard Zyon Pullin (20 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) hit two free throws with 5.7 second left for a two-possession lead. Florida was led by a career-high 23 points and 17 rebounds from center Micah Handlogten. ... UF coach Todd Golden is 3-0 vs. Georgia, while UGA coach Mike White is 0-3 against his former team.
UF v UGA
The Gators
Their postseason resume isn't great, but it's been enhanced greatly the last two weeks with two Quadrant 1 victories (at Kentucky on Jan. 31 and last weekend at home against Auburn). UF is now 2-7 in Quad 1 games, but a perfect 15-0 in Quad 2, 3 and 4 games. No bad losses counts for something, and now comes a Quad 2 road date against an opponent that was a possession or two away from winning in Gainesville, has its back to the wall after five straight losses and coming off an open week to reset. ... Offensively, Florida is just outside the nation's top 10 in efficiency and has single-digit turnovers in five of the last seven games, including just eight against LSU. If only the Gators could figure out how to fix their 10-minute second-half problem (which may also be a zone offense problem), they possibly would not only surge into the top 10 in offense, but win more games and make closing out far less dramatic. The Gators have outscored SEC opponents in the first half by 47 points, but have been outscored in the second half by 28. ... UF shot 68 percent in the first half and 34 in the second against LSU. Through the game's first 28 minutes, the Gators were still at 63 percent, but then crashed to a 6-for-25 finish (24 percent), while allowing the Tigers to make 11 of their last 16 shots and tie the game. One of the misses, remarkably, was the unguarded 4- or 5-foot floater from forward Jordan Wright that would have tied the game at the horn. ... Guard Walter Clayton Jr. was nine of 15 from the floor, but just one of six from the 3-point line. He was a team-best plus-6 when on the floor. ... Point guard Zyon Pullin had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. He was six of 11 from the field and was on the floor for the entire 20 minutes of the period. ... Forward Tyrese Samuel had 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block over 29 minutes, while center Micah Handlogten had four points, six rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. ... Guard Will Richard had nine points and four rebounds, but was 2-for-8 overall and one of five from deep, making him 5-for-18 over the last three games and just seven of 32 over the previous five games (22 percent). Richard, who hails from Fairburn, Ga., needs just one point to reach 1,000 for his three-year career, which began at Belmont... Backup guard Riley Kugel, after pouring in 20 off the bench against Auburn, was held to just six points, missed all three tries from deep and all three of his free throws. He did have four rebounds, two assists and a steal over 26 minutes. ... Backup 6-11 freshman forward Alex Condon (7.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) hit four of his five shots and one of two free throws. The one was a big one. It came with 9.9 seconds to go to give the Gators a two-point cushion on LSU's final possession. Fellow freshman reserve Thomas Haugh (3.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and two points and three boards in 11 minutes off the bench, with sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen, who was a DNP vs. Auburn, at two points and an assist in four minutes. Aberdeen may see more time if the UF coaches look at fatigue as one of their second-half issues.
The Bulldogs
They're 30-26 in the second season under Mike White, who inherited a mess left behind by Tom Crean (6-26 and 1-17 in SEC play in '21-22). The Bulldogs, though, are just 10-19 against conference competition under White and now are mired in a five-game league skid that started with the overtime loss at Florida and followed with home losses to SEC high-enders Alabama and South Carolina, then road defeats at Mississippi State and Arkansas. ... Georgia ranks last in the SEC in effective field-goal percentage and two-point field-goal percentage (56.7), while also getting out-rebounded by nearly two per game game (compared to Florida's plus-9.0 average edge on the glass). The Bulldogs are pretty good at protecting the ball, which figures to show up even better against a Florida defense that does not force a lot of turnovers. And remember those 19 forced turnovers against the Gators last time. ... Forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim is one of the best 3-point shooters in the SEC at 37.7 percent. He's actually taken more than twice as many 3s as 2s, so the Gators will know where to find him on defense. ... Guard Noah Thomasson, a transfer from Niagara, is the Bulldogs' No. 2 scorer and third-best threat from distance at 36.5 percent. For a perimeter player, he does not shoot free throws well at all (56.8 percent). ... Backup wing R.J. Melendez (10.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is a fascinating case study, if for any other reason than the 35-point eruption (13-for-19 from the floor, with six 3-pointers) he dropped on the Gators last month. In the four games since, the Illinois transfer has combined for just 26 points. Melendez is shooting less than 28 percent from 3 on the season, so he figures to be pretty geared up for this game. ... Center Russel Tchewa, transfer from South Florida, roughed up Handlogten and Samuel pretty good in the last meeting, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and basically getting wherever he wanted on the block. He's at 54 percent on the season, but has only attempted one 3. So just like Abdur-Rahim will be floating around the arc, Tchewa will be planted in the post. ... Guard Silas Demary was quiet in the first meeting (just one of five shooting in 17 foul-plagued minutes), but he's very capable of impacting the game from all three levels as a scorer and playmaker, with his 59 assists second on the team. ... Point guard Justin Hill came off the bench for UGA's first 22 games, but has started the last two. He had 18 points in the Arkansas loss, thanks to 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. He'll be on the attack, but also looking to distribute (team-best 88 assists). ... Freshman backup guard Blue Cain (7.2 ppg) killed the Gators last time on his way to 14 points, including those last seven in regulation (with a clutch 3). He's at 36.6 percent from deep on the season.
Numbers of Note
* 3 — 3-pointers Melendez has made (in just eight attempts) in the four games since dropping six of 10 on the Gators last month
* 23.1 — Melendez's 3-point shooting percentage, based on 16 of 69, in all other games besides his 6-for-10 drilling of the Gators. Outside of his O'Dome barrage, only three times this season has he made as many as two 3s in a game.
* 42.1 — Kugel's 3-point field-goal percentage in SEC play, which is the best among UF's four guards, followed by Pullin (38.2), Clayton (37.3) and Richard (27.5), who is due for a breakout.
* 84.6 — Florida's average points per game during the '23-24 season, which is on pace to break the record of 84.2 set by the Vernon Maxwell-led team of 1986-87 that went to the first NCAA Tournament in program history. That also was the first season of the universal 3-point line in college basketball.
* 2009 — The last year Florida won a 10th consecutive game in its series against Georgia, a feat the team will attempt to achieve Saturday, which would equal the second-longest UF winning streak in the series' history 150-game and 101-year history. The Gators beat Georgia nine straight from 1964-68, then 11 in a row from 2004-09.
Bottom Line
One team is hot, the other is not, but make no mistake; this one is going to be an absolute Dogfight.
https://floridagators.com/news/2024...ame-stuff-florida-at-georgia-feb-17-2024.aspx
Todd Golden
“On Florida's ball control and ability to avoid turnovers in recent games
I think it’s a combination of our guards being great ball-handlers. Specifically, Zyon does a great job of taking care of the ball. Walker, Ry and Will have done a great job of taking care of the ball, also. That’s continuity, having the same lineup out there together.
Now, for however many games in the league our guys have had time to get comfortable playing together. We’ve had something of a setback at A&M. Turned it over too much that game. Other than that, we’ve been really good that way.
On preparing to face zone defenses
We just hadn’t spent a lot of time this season working on it.
Obviously, we play a lot of teams that play a lot of man, so it’s been an issue for us the last couple of weeks. So just trying to prepare ourselves, cause Georgia runs a couple different types of zones. We want to make sure we have a couple things ready when we see them and making sure we’re aggressive attacking that.
Obviously, you have to make sure you have some actions and some sets you hope can open us some things, but it’s also a mentality and staying aggressive and making sure you’re not playing tentatively, which I think has been an issue for us when we’ve seen it lately.
On the process required to establish more aggressiveness
A lot of film and kind of watching it and seeing where the opportunities are.
But obviously the conversations are there so guys have a good understanding of what we want them to be looking for. And the final part of that is the reps and making sure we get enough reps that when we’re comfortable in those read-and-react situations and that we’re making the right decisions, more often than not.
On needing quick-triggered players to beat zone defense
Yes. You have to make good decisions. You can’t be hesitant. You can’t be tentative. When you’re playing against these zones there is usually a second, maybe a little more after every pass that’s connected that allows you time to make a play.
But if you’re playing tentative on your catch and allow the defense to get back set you’re going to be dealing with the same issues. So we want guys like Walt and Will to be really aggressive on those catch-and-shoots. We want Riley to be really aggressive driving and cutting and trying to find spots to get catches.
And then our bigs, just being physical, reading and reacting to open spots when our guards do penetrate and get on the glass
On frontcourt play against zone
Zone is an opportunity for basketball players to make basketball plays. Just kind of find and slide into open spots, taking different opportunities to screen different parts of the zone or space down to the baseline to create space for these guys to penetrate. There is a certain framework we want our guys to play out of, but a lot of it is read and react and making good basketball plays.
On whether or not his team's struggles against zone have surprised him
Again, we’ve had some games where it’s been an issue for us.
I got back to Tuesday night. They bothered us a little bit, but our offense wasn’t the main issue. We did not defend well enough at all. We gave up 46 points in the second half – and 40 in the last 13 minutes of the game. Your offense… the misses and empty possessions feel much worse in those moments because you’re talking the ball out of the net [on defense] and they’re playing catchup on the other end.
After evaluating that game I thought it was different than when we played Georgia and had some bad turnovers that led to their offense and some hesitant attacks. Whereas I thought the other night we just missed some shots. We had some good looks from Walt and Will that we missed, and missed some easy rim twos that we usually make and we didn’t convert our offensive rebounds like we usually do.
So, offensively, I think we’ll be ready. We just have to make sure that if we are fortunate enough to get a lead that we do a better job defending and finishing possessions. I thought that was the biggest issue (against LSU).
On defending the three-point line
It’s very important. I think they made double-digit threes the first game against us. They’re built to play that way.
They play multiple perimeters and generally will play a perimeter at the four whether it’s Abdur-Rahim or Melendez. Both those guys are capable of playing multiple positions so it’s a huge part of this game tomorrow. We have to make sure our bigs do a good job guarding on the perimeter and also have great awareness of what they’re taking away when they’re out there.
If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a good chance. But, if we’re caught in rotations or getting caught sleeping on shooters, it could be a long day for us. It’s the mental approach to the game that we need to be locked into, especially going on the road.
On Florida's mindset
Same as always. Just trying to take it one game at a time. I think going on the road is a different challenge for us. We fell a little short against A&M, our last time out there, but we’ve been playing better on the road and I think we’ve got to continue doing that.
The SEC is one of, if not the toughest, conference to play in on the road. It makes you play at a higher level if you want to have success. Mentally, we have to do a great job of locking in on the game plan.
I didn’t think we did a great job of that last time we played Georgia. And then I think we have to do the things that don’t require talent such as taking care of the ball, being physical on the glass and being on your coverages defensively.
On whether or not he's weary of Georgia
The great and tough thing about this league is you’re kind of weary going into every game in terms of there’s always some storyline or some little narrative that the other team can build around the competition or that we can.
But absolutely. They’re on a little losing streak but they played Arkansas tough on the road and lost by a bucket and they’ve had big leads at home against Tennessee so they’ve proven that they can play really well at home, which is a concern, and they’re pretty good.
They’re a good team. They had some big non-conference wins and they’re tough in the league and we have to play really well to win tomorrow. I think that’s something that can’t be understated.
This isn’t a game where Florida is just going to go in there. Georgia is really good. They want to kick our ass and we’re going on the road. If we don’t play well, it’s going to be a challenge for us.
On late-game mentality
In the LSU game, that’s what I thought was our biggest issue. We didn’t have this issue against Auburn. We played a full 40.
Obviously, the score indicated that. Then we played 20 really good minutes against LSU and then I feel like once we got up 20, we let ourselves off the hook. We relaxed a little bit. I think a little bit of that is human nature but we started being a little lazy on our defensive coverages. We stopped crashing as hard on the offensive glass.
We were a little loose with the ball and we stopped attacking the rim and we thought, “OK, we’re up by 16, we’re up by 18,” and the next thing you know, it’s 10 and then six and now you’re trying to play catchup and get that game where it should have been. That’s something that we have to continue to improve on and I think that’s kind of the next step that we’re trying to make as a program.
First of all, it’s hard to get leads but we’ve been able to do that consistently. Now it’s about doing what we did against Auburn and finishing the game and not allowing them to have any hope. If we do that, then we’ll make that jump that we’re looking to make.
If the positives around Florida's program have gone somewhat underappreciated
I would think so.
We have won six out of seven and we’re playing really good ball. We’ve put ourselves about as close to a lock in the NCAA Tournament as you can at this point. To me, though, I don’t mind the conversation being about that, especially with our guys because I don’t want them to be complacent or thing, by any means, that we’ve made it.
It’s something that can continue to harp on and be aggressive with them at practice. Listen, it’s going to be a challenge to finish these games and if we can do it tomorrow, it will be growth for our program for sure.”
WRUF: Pat Dooley’s High Five: How These Gator Basketball Coaches Fared In Season 2
“Todd Golden may be causing you some heartburn, but even the most cynical of Gator fans (what, Gator fans cynical?) will begrudgingly give him credit for where the Gators are this season.
At 17-7 and 7-4 in the SEC, Golden’s second Florida team has fallen somewhere in the upper half of second seasons for the previous five Gator coaches
The High Five gives you the second seasons of the last five coaches at Florida (although I couldn’t include Don DeVoe because he didn’t have a second season):
1. Mike White 2016-17
White’s second team was a good one that went 27-9 and 14-4 in the league. It also gave us the Chris Chiozza buzzer-beater in Madison Square Garden and nearly a trip to the Final Four.
2. Lon Kruger 1991-92
Kruger actually had a winning SEC record in his second year at 9-7 and the Gators ended up with a respectable 19-14 record. They made it all the way to the Final Four of the NIT.
3. Billy Donovan 1997-98
This team had a shot at the NCAA tournament. But Jason Williams was booted after 20 games and Florida lost five consecutive at the end of the regular season. The Gators did make the NIT only to lose a home game to Georgetown to finish 14-15.
4. John Lotz 1974-75
Lotz lasted seven years at Florida, coming from the North Carolina school of coaching. His second team was hardly his best at 12-16 and 8-10. In the stands at Alligator Alley was a young hipster doofus who would go on to write the High Five.
5. Norm Sloan 1981-82
After Sloan came back to Florida for the new O’Connell Center, he basically gutted the team and brought a lot of freshmen in. The result was a 5-22 season with a 2-16 SEC record. It took some time.@
https://www.wruf.com/headlines/2024...e-gator-basketball-coaches-fared-in-season-2/
Next Opponent: Florida
Ken Pom
29 UF
86 UGA
Evan
30 UF
97 UGA
519 JAR
544 Hill
586 DeLoach
669 Demary, Jr
710 Melendez
716 Cain
1107 Thomasson
1221 Tchewa
133 Handgloten
177 Clayton
246 Pullin
278 Kugel
327 Richard
391 Samuel
582 Condon
772 Haugh
National Rankings UGA UF
PPG 120 11
FG% 266 133
FT% 117 282
3P% 133 206
REB 200 1
A 274 65
TO 179 224
A/TO 194 98
BS 160 9
Dasher UGA Sports: Bulldogs look to break skid
https://uga.rivals.com/news/bulldogs-look-to-break-skid
UF Website: In the Zone: Gators Know What D is Coming
“ATHENS, Ga. – They were cruising along, up 20 well into the second half, when the Florida Gators found themselves facing an LSU defense that had switched from man-to-man to zone. It became a problem, just like it had in earlier games this season. The Gators got stagnant, struggled to score and saw their double-digit lead vanish.
"It's been an issue for us the last couple of weeks," UF coach Todd Golden said Friday.
And it only makes sense that Florida's opponents will continue to make the Gators (17-7, 7-4) confront that issue again, starting Saturday afternoon when they face the Georgia Bulldogs (14-10, 4-7) at what should be a lively Stegeman Coliseum in yet another pivotal Southeastern Conference game.
The Gators have won six of their previous seven and have put themselves in the SEC race despite Tuesday night's stomach-churning 82-80 home win over the Tigers. In that one, LSU trailed 60-40 with about 15 minutes left when it shifted into a 1-3-1 zone that morphed into a 2-3 and knocked UF out of whack. Florida made one of its next 11 shots and within eight minutes the lead was down to single digits. Thirteen minutes later, the margin was two.
With 90 seconds to go, the game was tied.
Yes, UF made more plays than LSU down the stretch to sneak away with the victory, but the Gators' trend of second-half droughts and ineffective offense against zone has been an emphasis the last couple days. It needed to be, given how UGA deployed its zone – Coach Mike White's trademark 1-3-1 that shifts to man, a scheme he used with fine success during seven seasons on the Florida sideline – to wipe out a 21-point deficit when the two teams played Jan. 27 in Gainesville. That day (like Tuesday), the home team escaped (again) with an 102-98 victory in overtime despite surrendering 51 points in the second period and turning the ball over 19 times.
The Bulldogs have lost five straight, dating to that defeat at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, but they're more than capable of end that spirals and will be looking for something to prove on their home floor.
"Team's have to go zone against us because we can score at will," fifth-year forward Tyrese Samuelsaid of a Florida offense that has tallied at least 43 first-half points in four of the team's 11 league games and built double-digit leads in eight of them. "Zone is one of the ways they're slowing us down right now, but we're going to get back to the drawing board and work on it and make sure that we execute so we can get [defenses] out of it."
Offenses negate zone by making 3s against or by making the spaced-out defense pay with offensive rebounding or downhill drives. Getting good shots requires excellent ball movement, including passes into the post, where the receiving "big" has to make good decisions and keep the ball rotating to move the floor.
UF point guard Zyon Pullin has been a godsend this season with is ability to run the team. Pullin, though, is a high-usage player who dribbles a lot to get his teammates shots, which works great against man defense. He's not a quick-trigger 3-point shooter compared to Walter Clayton, Will Richard or Riley Kugel, however. Pullin usually shoots 3s off the bounce and late in the shot clock.
Clayton (37.3 percent), Pullin (38.2) and Kugel (42.1) have shot the ball well from distance in SEC play this season. Richard is trying to shoot himself out of a 27.5-percent slump in league play. It's worth noting that last season, Richard bombed a career-best five 3s and 24 points in his only other appearance at Stegeman, about 90 minutes from his hometown of Fairburn, Ga. Anything similar would be welcome; both for the team and against the Bulldogs' zone.
The Gators are too good on offense not to figure this thing out.
"We're just trying to prepare ourselves because Georgia runs a couple different types of zones. We want to make sure we have a couple things ready when we see them and make sure we're aggressive attacking it," Golden said. "Obviously, you have to make sure you have some actions and some sets you hope can open up some things, but it's also a mentality and staying aggressive and making sure you're not playing tentatively. I think that has been an issue for us when we've seen it lately."
As pronounced as the zone issue was against LSU, there was another pronounced factor in the comeback.
"A lot of it was on defense," Clayton said. "We just have to string together stops."
The Tigers shot a torrid 62.5 percent in the second half, including 6-for-9 from the 3-point line, and knocked down 11 of their final 15 shots (while the Gators were missing 17 of their last 25). LSU scored a numbing 40 points over the game's final 15 minutes.
The Tigers got comfortable on the offensive end in the Gators' gym. Florida let Georgia do the same thing three weeks ago. If the Bulldogs get comfy in their home confines, what already is a tall order – "Georgia is good and wants to kick our ass," Golden said – becomes even taller.
"Your offense – the misses and empty possessions – feel much worse in those moments because you're taking the ball out of the net [on defense] and they're [setting up on defense] on the other end," Golden said. "Offensively, I think we'll be ready. We just have to make sure that if we are fortunate enough to get a lead that we do a better job defending and finishing possessions."
https://floridagators.com/news/2024...-its-second-half-ills-on-fly-feb-17-2024.aspx
Florida at Georgia (Saturday, 1 pm)
“Setup / Series / Last Meeting
Florida is back on the road to square off against rival Georgia in another game (the second straight for UF) between two Southeastern Conference teams headed in opposite directions. The Gators have won six of seven, most recently Tuesday night's 82-80 squeaker at home over LSU. In that one, UF led by 20 in the second half, only to see the Tigers roar back to tie the game in the final 90 seconds, then survive behind a couple late possessions with the game in the balance. The Bulldogs have lost five in a row (and seven of nine), but had a mid-week bye after losing 78-75 last weekend at Arkansas. ... Florida leads the all-time series 123-103 with a 10-game winning streak that dates to the 2020 season and includes the Gators' 102-98 overtime victory Jan. 27 in Gainesville. In that one, UF had a 21-point lead with 15 minutes to play, only to let UGA storm back to tie the game behind 51 points and 62-percent shooting in the second half, plus a handful of ugly, uncharacteristic turnovers that led to 24 Bulldogs points. Georgia freshman guard Blue Cain scored his team's final seven points over the last 2:02 of regulation, including a game-tying driving layup with 49 seconds left to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Gators had a seven-point lead inside 25 seconds to go, but still had to survive another brutal turnover, a sixth 3-pointer from forward R.J. Melendez, who had a career-high 35 points, before guard Zyon Pullin (20 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) hit two free throws with 5.7 second left for a two-possession lead. Florida was led by a career-high 23 points and 17 rebounds from center Micah Handlogten. ... UF coach Todd Golden is 3-0 vs. Georgia, while UGA coach Mike White is 0-3 against his former team.
UF v UGA
| 84.6 | Scoring | 75.9 |
| .455 | Field-goal percentage | .431 |
| .334 | 3-point percentage | .348 |
| 76.3 | Scoring defense | 73.9 |
| .433 | Field-goal percentage defense | .433 |
| .334 | 3-point percentage defense | .320 |
| 30th | KenPom.com overall ranking | 86th |
| 13th | KenPom.com offensive efficiency | 100th |
| 83rd | KenPom.com defensive efficiency | 73rd |
| 38th | KenPom.com adjusted tempo | 109th |
| 32nd | NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking | 96th |
| 33rd | Overall strength of schedule ranking | 51st |
The Gators
Their postseason resume isn't great, but it's been enhanced greatly the last two weeks with two Quadrant 1 victories (at Kentucky on Jan. 31 and last weekend at home against Auburn). UF is now 2-7 in Quad 1 games, but a perfect 15-0 in Quad 2, 3 and 4 games. No bad losses counts for something, and now comes a Quad 2 road date against an opponent that was a possession or two away from winning in Gainesville, has its back to the wall after five straight losses and coming off an open week to reset. ... Offensively, Florida is just outside the nation's top 10 in efficiency and has single-digit turnovers in five of the last seven games, including just eight against LSU. If only the Gators could figure out how to fix their 10-minute second-half problem (which may also be a zone offense problem), they possibly would not only surge into the top 10 in offense, but win more games and make closing out far less dramatic. The Gators have outscored SEC opponents in the first half by 47 points, but have been outscored in the second half by 28. ... UF shot 68 percent in the first half and 34 in the second against LSU. Through the game's first 28 minutes, the Gators were still at 63 percent, but then crashed to a 6-for-25 finish (24 percent), while allowing the Tigers to make 11 of their last 16 shots and tie the game. One of the misses, remarkably, was the unguarded 4- or 5-foot floater from forward Jordan Wright that would have tied the game at the horn. ... Guard Walter Clayton Jr. was nine of 15 from the floor, but just one of six from the 3-point line. He was a team-best plus-6 when on the floor. ... Point guard Zyon Pullin had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. He was six of 11 from the field and was on the floor for the entire 20 minutes of the period. ... Forward Tyrese Samuel had 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block over 29 minutes, while center Micah Handlogten had four points, six rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. ... Guard Will Richard had nine points and four rebounds, but was 2-for-8 overall and one of five from deep, making him 5-for-18 over the last three games and just seven of 32 over the previous five games (22 percent). Richard, who hails from Fairburn, Ga., needs just one point to reach 1,000 for his three-year career, which began at Belmont... Backup guard Riley Kugel, after pouring in 20 off the bench against Auburn, was held to just six points, missed all three tries from deep and all three of his free throws. He did have four rebounds, two assists and a steal over 26 minutes. ... Backup 6-11 freshman forward Alex Condon (7.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) hit four of his five shots and one of two free throws. The one was a big one. It came with 9.9 seconds to go to give the Gators a two-point cushion on LSU's final possession. Fellow freshman reserve Thomas Haugh (3.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and two points and three boards in 11 minutes off the bench, with sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen, who was a DNP vs. Auburn, at two points and an assist in four minutes. Aberdeen may see more time if the UF coaches look at fatigue as one of their second-half issues.
The Bulldogs
They're 30-26 in the second season under Mike White, who inherited a mess left behind by Tom Crean (6-26 and 1-17 in SEC play in '21-22). The Bulldogs, though, are just 10-19 against conference competition under White and now are mired in a five-game league skid that started with the overtime loss at Florida and followed with home losses to SEC high-enders Alabama and South Carolina, then road defeats at Mississippi State and Arkansas. ... Georgia ranks last in the SEC in effective field-goal percentage and two-point field-goal percentage (56.7), while also getting out-rebounded by nearly two per game game (compared to Florida's plus-9.0 average edge on the glass). The Bulldogs are pretty good at protecting the ball, which figures to show up even better against a Florida defense that does not force a lot of turnovers. And remember those 19 forced turnovers against the Gators last time. ... Forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim is one of the best 3-point shooters in the SEC at 37.7 percent. He's actually taken more than twice as many 3s as 2s, so the Gators will know where to find him on defense. ... Guard Noah Thomasson, a transfer from Niagara, is the Bulldogs' No. 2 scorer and third-best threat from distance at 36.5 percent. For a perimeter player, he does not shoot free throws well at all (56.8 percent). ... Backup wing R.J. Melendez (10.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is a fascinating case study, if for any other reason than the 35-point eruption (13-for-19 from the floor, with six 3-pointers) he dropped on the Gators last month. In the four games since, the Illinois transfer has combined for just 26 points. Melendez is shooting less than 28 percent from 3 on the season, so he figures to be pretty geared up for this game. ... Center Russel Tchewa, transfer from South Florida, roughed up Handlogten and Samuel pretty good in the last meeting, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and basically getting wherever he wanted on the block. He's at 54 percent on the season, but has only attempted one 3. So just like Abdur-Rahim will be floating around the arc, Tchewa will be planted in the post. ... Guard Silas Demary was quiet in the first meeting (just one of five shooting in 17 foul-plagued minutes), but he's very capable of impacting the game from all three levels as a scorer and playmaker, with his 59 assists second on the team. ... Point guard Justin Hill came off the bench for UGA's first 22 games, but has started the last two. He had 18 points in the Arkansas loss, thanks to 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. He'll be on the attack, but also looking to distribute (team-best 88 assists). ... Freshman backup guard Blue Cain (7.2 ppg) killed the Gators last time on his way to 14 points, including those last seven in regulation (with a clutch 3). He's at 36.6 percent from deep on the season.
Numbers of Note
* 3 — 3-pointers Melendez has made (in just eight attempts) in the four games since dropping six of 10 on the Gators last month
* 23.1 — Melendez's 3-point shooting percentage, based on 16 of 69, in all other games besides his 6-for-10 drilling of the Gators. Outside of his O'Dome barrage, only three times this season has he made as many as two 3s in a game.
* 42.1 — Kugel's 3-point field-goal percentage in SEC play, which is the best among UF's four guards, followed by Pullin (38.2), Clayton (37.3) and Richard (27.5), who is due for a breakout.
* 84.6 — Florida's average points per game during the '23-24 season, which is on pace to break the record of 84.2 set by the Vernon Maxwell-led team of 1986-87 that went to the first NCAA Tournament in program history. That also was the first season of the universal 3-point line in college basketball.
* 2009 — The last year Florida won a 10th consecutive game in its series against Georgia, a feat the team will attempt to achieve Saturday, which would equal the second-longest UF winning streak in the series' history 150-game and 101-year history. The Gators beat Georgia nine straight from 1964-68, then 11 in a row from 2004-09.
Bottom Line
One team is hot, the other is not, but make no mistake; this one is going to be an absolute Dogfight.
https://floridagators.com/news/2024...ame-stuff-florida-at-georgia-feb-17-2024.aspx
Todd Golden
“On Florida's ball control and ability to avoid turnovers in recent games
I think it’s a combination of our guards being great ball-handlers. Specifically, Zyon does a great job of taking care of the ball. Walker, Ry and Will have done a great job of taking care of the ball, also. That’s continuity, having the same lineup out there together.
Now, for however many games in the league our guys have had time to get comfortable playing together. We’ve had something of a setback at A&M. Turned it over too much that game. Other than that, we’ve been really good that way.
On preparing to face zone defenses
We just hadn’t spent a lot of time this season working on it.
Obviously, we play a lot of teams that play a lot of man, so it’s been an issue for us the last couple of weeks. So just trying to prepare ourselves, cause Georgia runs a couple different types of zones. We want to make sure we have a couple things ready when we see them and making sure we’re aggressive attacking that.
Obviously, you have to make sure you have some actions and some sets you hope can open us some things, but it’s also a mentality and staying aggressive and making sure you’re not playing tentatively, which I think has been an issue for us when we’ve seen it lately.
On the process required to establish more aggressiveness
A lot of film and kind of watching it and seeing where the opportunities are.
But obviously the conversations are there so guys have a good understanding of what we want them to be looking for. And the final part of that is the reps and making sure we get enough reps that when we’re comfortable in those read-and-react situations and that we’re making the right decisions, more often than not.
On needing quick-triggered players to beat zone defense
Yes. You have to make good decisions. You can’t be hesitant. You can’t be tentative. When you’re playing against these zones there is usually a second, maybe a little more after every pass that’s connected that allows you time to make a play.
But if you’re playing tentative on your catch and allow the defense to get back set you’re going to be dealing with the same issues. So we want guys like Walt and Will to be really aggressive on those catch-and-shoots. We want Riley to be really aggressive driving and cutting and trying to find spots to get catches.
And then our bigs, just being physical, reading and reacting to open spots when our guards do penetrate and get on the glass
On frontcourt play against zone
Zone is an opportunity for basketball players to make basketball plays. Just kind of find and slide into open spots, taking different opportunities to screen different parts of the zone or space down to the baseline to create space for these guys to penetrate. There is a certain framework we want our guys to play out of, but a lot of it is read and react and making good basketball plays.
On whether or not his team's struggles against zone have surprised him
Again, we’ve had some games where it’s been an issue for us.
I got back to Tuesday night. They bothered us a little bit, but our offense wasn’t the main issue. We did not defend well enough at all. We gave up 46 points in the second half – and 40 in the last 13 minutes of the game. Your offense… the misses and empty possessions feel much worse in those moments because you’re talking the ball out of the net [on defense] and they’re playing catchup on the other end.
After evaluating that game I thought it was different than when we played Georgia and had some bad turnovers that led to their offense and some hesitant attacks. Whereas I thought the other night we just missed some shots. We had some good looks from Walt and Will that we missed, and missed some easy rim twos that we usually make and we didn’t convert our offensive rebounds like we usually do.
So, offensively, I think we’ll be ready. We just have to make sure that if we are fortunate enough to get a lead that we do a better job defending and finishing possessions. I thought that was the biggest issue (against LSU).
On defending the three-point line
It’s very important. I think they made double-digit threes the first game against us. They’re built to play that way.
They play multiple perimeters and generally will play a perimeter at the four whether it’s Abdur-Rahim or Melendez. Both those guys are capable of playing multiple positions so it’s a huge part of this game tomorrow. We have to make sure our bigs do a good job guarding on the perimeter and also have great awareness of what they’re taking away when they’re out there.
If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a good chance. But, if we’re caught in rotations or getting caught sleeping on shooters, it could be a long day for us. It’s the mental approach to the game that we need to be locked into, especially going on the road.
On Florida's mindset
Same as always. Just trying to take it one game at a time. I think going on the road is a different challenge for us. We fell a little short against A&M, our last time out there, but we’ve been playing better on the road and I think we’ve got to continue doing that.
The SEC is one of, if not the toughest, conference to play in on the road. It makes you play at a higher level if you want to have success. Mentally, we have to do a great job of locking in on the game plan.
I didn’t think we did a great job of that last time we played Georgia. And then I think we have to do the things that don’t require talent such as taking care of the ball, being physical on the glass and being on your coverages defensively.
On whether or not he's weary of Georgia
The great and tough thing about this league is you’re kind of weary going into every game in terms of there’s always some storyline or some little narrative that the other team can build around the competition or that we can.
But absolutely. They’re on a little losing streak but they played Arkansas tough on the road and lost by a bucket and they’ve had big leads at home against Tennessee so they’ve proven that they can play really well at home, which is a concern, and they’re pretty good.
They’re a good team. They had some big non-conference wins and they’re tough in the league and we have to play really well to win tomorrow. I think that’s something that can’t be understated.
This isn’t a game where Florida is just going to go in there. Georgia is really good. They want to kick our ass and we’re going on the road. If we don’t play well, it’s going to be a challenge for us.
On late-game mentality
In the LSU game, that’s what I thought was our biggest issue. We didn’t have this issue against Auburn. We played a full 40.
Obviously, the score indicated that. Then we played 20 really good minutes against LSU and then I feel like once we got up 20, we let ourselves off the hook. We relaxed a little bit. I think a little bit of that is human nature but we started being a little lazy on our defensive coverages. We stopped crashing as hard on the offensive glass.
We were a little loose with the ball and we stopped attacking the rim and we thought, “OK, we’re up by 16, we’re up by 18,” and the next thing you know, it’s 10 and then six and now you’re trying to play catchup and get that game where it should have been. That’s something that we have to continue to improve on and I think that’s kind of the next step that we’re trying to make as a program.
First of all, it’s hard to get leads but we’ve been able to do that consistently. Now it’s about doing what we did against Auburn and finishing the game and not allowing them to have any hope. If we do that, then we’ll make that jump that we’re looking to make.
If the positives around Florida's program have gone somewhat underappreciated
I would think so.
We have won six out of seven and we’re playing really good ball. We’ve put ourselves about as close to a lock in the NCAA Tournament as you can at this point. To me, though, I don’t mind the conversation being about that, especially with our guys because I don’t want them to be complacent or thing, by any means, that we’ve made it.
It’s something that can continue to harp on and be aggressive with them at practice. Listen, it’s going to be a challenge to finish these games and if we can do it tomorrow, it will be growth for our program for sure.”
WRUF: Pat Dooley’s High Five: How These Gator Basketball Coaches Fared In Season 2
“Todd Golden may be causing you some heartburn, but even the most cynical of Gator fans (what, Gator fans cynical?) will begrudgingly give him credit for where the Gators are this season.
At 17-7 and 7-4 in the SEC, Golden’s second Florida team has fallen somewhere in the upper half of second seasons for the previous five Gator coaches
The High Five gives you the second seasons of the last five coaches at Florida (although I couldn’t include Don DeVoe because he didn’t have a second season):
1. Mike White 2016-17
White’s second team was a good one that went 27-9 and 14-4 in the league. It also gave us the Chris Chiozza buzzer-beater in Madison Square Garden and nearly a trip to the Final Four.
2. Lon Kruger 1991-92
Kruger actually had a winning SEC record in his second year at 9-7 and the Gators ended up with a respectable 19-14 record. They made it all the way to the Final Four of the NIT.
3. Billy Donovan 1997-98
This team had a shot at the NCAA tournament. But Jason Williams was booted after 20 games and Florida lost five consecutive at the end of the regular season. The Gators did make the NIT only to lose a home game to Georgetown to finish 14-15.
4. John Lotz 1974-75
Lotz lasted seven years at Florida, coming from the North Carolina school of coaching. His second team was hardly his best at 12-16 and 8-10. In the stands at Alligator Alley was a young hipster doofus who would go on to write the High Five.
5. Norm Sloan 1981-82
After Sloan came back to Florida for the new O’Connell Center, he basically gutted the team and brought a lot of freshmen in. The result was a 5-22 season with a 2-16 SEC record. It took some time.@
https://www.wruf.com/headlines/2024...e-gator-basketball-coaches-fared-in-season-2/
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