Gator basketball heading into the SEC tournament
They face Arkansas on Thursday
The Florida Gators will take the court in the Second Round of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee this Thursday, March 10. The Gators are coming in as an 8-seed and will play against 9-seed Arkansas. Arkansas is 16-15 or 9-9 in the SEC during the regular season. The victorious team will go on to play number 1-seed Texas A&M.
Coming off an 82-72 win over Mizzou this Saturday, the Gators regained some confidence and crushed their four game losing streak. They came out with great offensive attack and led for nearly the entire game. After a 46-28 lead at halftime, they relaxed a little and Missouri almost came back into the game in the second half. Coach Mike White admitted that they are still working on transition defense. However, the Gators shot an improved 75.8% of their free throws, which have constantly plagued them throughout this season.
Road to the Championship
A large determining factor for Florida’s success in the SEC tournament will be shooting. The Gators have shot just 31.4% from the three point line this season and will need to improve on that if they want a chance at the tournament. Their dynamic style and attack has been a breath of fresh air all season, but they need to be able to capitalize on points at the end of their drives. An average of 26.8 defensive rebounds per game shows they are always working to be a step ahead of their opponent. If they continue to play strong defense and out-rebound their opponents, they could have a great run.
Reflecting on the Season
During the regular season, the Gators showed real potential. An impressive domination over West Virginia, a home win over LSU, and a pair of wins over both Georgia and Ole Miss as well as close losses to MSU, Purdue, and Texas A&M all indicate that they can play up to at least the level of their competition. However, losses to Kentucky and Tennessee were major setbacks along the way. The Gators beat Arkansas back in January, and have won nine out of their ten last games against the Razorbacks. Florida has higher offensive and defensive rebound percentages than Arkansas, but Arkansas has better shooting percentages all around.
Senior forward Dorian Finney Smith scored 22 points and had 9 rebounds vs the Razorbacks in January. Sophomore Center John Egbunu tore a ligament in his right thumb Tuesday in practice and, while cleared to play, will not be at 100%. Pictured below is the official bracket of the Men’s SEC Tournament.
Losing to Arkansas in the Second Round of the SEC Tournament would make it very difficult for Florida to make the NCAA Tournament in March. However, going on to the Third Round and beating Texas A&M would not be unreasonable. The Gators put up a solid fight against A&M in January and have learned quite a few lessons along the road since then. Tipoff in Nashville is at 1 pm and the game will be broadcasted on SEC Network to see whether or not the Razorbacks will be Gator bait yet again.