The Florida Gators Can’t Win in March Madness

If you’ve been paying attention to college basketball the past two years, then you’ve probably noticed a pattern. After hanging five Final Four banners, the Florida Gators are now a team that can’t win in March Madness.

It’s a scary trend. And one that could be a precursor to a coaching change in Gainesville.

Offense Florida Gators

Florida’s offensive team has a lot of potential to make a run this season, and their ability to score from deep is an especially good sign. Despite a number of injuries, the Gators are still one of the best teams in the country at making shots from distance.

Their offense is also one of the most efficient in the nation, and their ball movement is undoubtedly key to that. They don’t have a true post presence, but they do have a few different options that they can use to create open dunks or layups.

A big part of that is the 1-3-1 zone that they have been using lately. It really clogs up driving lanes, giving many opportunities for defenders to pick up deflections and steals.

This defensive style has been a game-changer for Florida this season. The Gators have been able to consistently generate turnovers in the half-court, and it has also helped them protect the rim. This type of defense has been a great way for Billy Donovan to improve his team’s efficiency.

The Gators are a top-10 team in terms of Defensive Efficiency Rating, which is a new stat that measures how well a team’s defense stops opposing players from scoring on a possession. This is a much better measure than points per possession because it allows teams to keep track of the quality of their defense as opposed to just looking at their overall points scored on a given possession.

UF has been very successful in this area, allowing opponents to shoot just 27.3 percent from 3-point range while only allowing them to convert 36% of their 2-point attempts. This is an impressive number that has helped the Gators win four games in a row.

Another key to their defensive success is that they are very disciplined at pressing the ball down the floor. They only foul when they have to, and their opponents average about one free throw attempt for every three points they shoot from the field, which is 32nd lowest in the country.

This is the biggest reason why UF is a top-10 team in defense, and it has been an important part of their turnaround under Billy Donovan. This is a type of defense that can be effective throughout March and early April when opponents can’t get into the flow of the game, but can still find ways to exploit Florida’s excellent defensive strategy.

Defensively

Florida’s defense has been a major factor in the Gators’ success this year. They have allowed a league-low 0.906 points per possession, which is good for the 19th-best efficiency in the country.

A big reason for this is that Florida has found a way to balance an appropriate amount of full-court pressure with a sound and conservative half-court approach. In this way, the Gators have been able to generate turnovers and also protect the rim.

This type of defensive approach can be a big help to the team in March. In this case, the Gators were able to handle pressure from LSU and then transition safely into their half-court “D.”

Another thing that has helped Florida’s defensive efficiency is its use of a press. This press, which is common among teams that are a little more aggressive on offense, is an excellent way to make opponents miss their shots and to create turnovers.

However, this type of defensive scheme can backfire on a team, especially if it is used too often. As we saw against K-State, it can lead to opponents getting open shots in the paint or slamming their shots into the glass.

Florida Gators

Thankfully, Florida has found a way to mitigate this risk by limiting 3-point looks on both ends. Against Kentucky, for instance, UK only shot 11 3-pointers and was held to 40 percent shooting from the field on the night.

The key to the Gators’ success on this front is that they have developed some key players who can effectively use their bodies in various ways. For example, Patric Young has been a very effective defender in his second season. He has been able to maintain his ability to swat layups while becoming an active defender who can make quick and forceful plays.

Additionally, the Gators have used a few different strategies on the offensive glass to improve their rebounding. The first strategy was to play tight and deny passes in order to create more space on the glass for their defenders. This method has been very effective as it allows the defenders to be in a more ideal position when they are on the glass and have a better chance of blocking shots.

Experience

Florida has always had a lot of experience on their team, they have some really great players that have been around for a while. But, there is also always some talent that has not quite developed yet.

During Mike White’s first two years, there was a lot of young talent on the roster, but it wasn’t enough to make this program a force in the SEC. So, White went and took on some experience.

One of the most important pieces for this was the addition of Tyree Appleby, a Cleveland State transfer who had been at the top of his game for two seasons. He was a great shooter, had a high efficiency, and could be relied on to play consistent minutes for the Gators.

He had just finished his junior year at the college level, but he was one of the best players in the conference and it looked like he might be the guy to take the next step for Florida. Eventually he did, and the rest is history.

Florida Gators

Golden also brought in some young talent with Kowacie Reeves who has been a very good player at the college level, he was one of the best freshmen in the SEC that season. He started out in a tough non-conference schedule, but he got better as the season progressed and he became a very reliable player for the Gators.

A lot of the big names in the SEC have left for the NBA, but some of the young players who stayed put are starting to show signs they can be more than just a scorer. Whether or not these kids can be the key to Florida’s success is going to depend on how the other veterans in the program react to these newcomers.

The Gators haven’t won as much as some of the other teams in the SEC, but they’ve still been able to make a difference. They’ve made the NCAA Tournament a few times, and have won some big games in the SEC. But it’s been a long time since they have made a deep run in the tournament, and they’re not putting up the type of numbers that would get them to a Final Four. Adding a new coach to this program is not something that should be taken lightly.

Mentality

Florida has a long tradition of battling through tough times to win basketball games. That rich history has made the 16-16 season this year particularly difficult for fans to deal with. Fortunately, the team has a chance to get back on track in time for next week’s NIT game against Rick Pitino at the O’Dome.

UF’s new coach Todd Golden, who led Louisiana Tech to a 27-7 record last season, has an analytical approach that might surprise some. He doesn’t believe in the traditional “one-man-can-make-the-team” mentality, but rather focuses on developing each player’s strengths and weaknesses so that he can create situations in which they are most successful.

He said he wants each player to be stronger at the rim, draw contact and make shots. He also wants them to be more consistent in their shot selection and end-of-game situations.

This approach has helped Louisiana Tech improve from a 18-16 program in White’s first season to a 27-7 one this season. It’s something Florida can expect to see this year as well.

As a result, Florida will enter the season with a roster that doesn’t include all the top high school players. It will instead rely on developed prospects who have spent their high school careers developing skills and gaining experience.

The Gators will also start the season with an 11-game road schedule, a far cry from the 13 true road games they played last year. But they have a great shot at improving their overall record this season thanks to the addition of two talented freshmen.

If they can do it, Golden’s team could have a very good season. It would be a big improvement over the mediocre effort they put up last season, but it wouldn’t be enough to take them to the Final Four.

In short, the Gators need to learn how to play with more confidence and consistency if they hope to be more successful next season. If they don’t learn that, they won’t be able to climb the ladder of success in the SEC.

A lot will depend on how much Florida’s young players are willing to work. They will need to prove that they can be better than their scouts thought they were going into the season. They will need to be more consistent and they will need to do a better job of keeping each other positive, especially when things aren’t going their way.