Florida Gators
SEC (24-8, 14-4)
Coach Michael White has used the experience on his roster to put Florida back in the NCAA Tournament. After winning a couple games in the NIT last season, the Gators are ready to try and make a run in the NCAAs and this team has the potential to do just that.
Big Wins: 12/29 at Arkansas (81-72), 2/4 Kentucky (88-66), 2/21 South Carolina (81-66)
Bad Losses: 12/6 vs Duke (74-84), 1/18 at South Carolina (53-57), 1/21 Vanderbilt (66-68)
Coach: Michael White
Why They Can Surprise:
Florida has toughness, experience and plenty of depth. KeVaughn Allen, Canyon Berry and Devin Robinson do much of the scoring. Allen leads the way with 13.9 points per game and is the team’s most prolific three-point shooter. Berry, a 6-6 wing, is a very effective all-around scorer off the bench. He can spark this offense and that is very important for a team that can struggle to consistently score points. Robinson is a big 6-8, 200 pound small forward who can shoot over smaller defenders and dribble around bigger opponents. With Kasey Hill getting the scorers the ball, the Gators have plenty of weapons.
Why They Can Disappoint:
However, those weapons are not always consistent when it comes to scoring, especially since the injury to center John Egbunu. This is a team that can have some very long scoring droughts and they must remember to continue to attack the basket instead of settling for tough outside shots. Coach White can deal with the inconsistent offense as long as the defensive intensity stays high. The strong defense allows the Gators to stay in the game even when the offense goes a few minutes without scoring. More importantly, Florida almost always gets an opportunity to shoot the ball. Thanks to Hill, the Gators rarely turn the ball over and that too makes a few missed shots much easier to swallow.
Probable Starters:
Kasey Hill, Senior, Guard, 9.8 ppg, 4.6 apg, 1.7 spg
KeVaughn Allen, Sophomore, Guard, 13.9 ppg, 1.4 apg
Devin Robinson, Junior, Forward, 10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Justin Leon, Senior, Forward, 7.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Kevarrius Hayes, Sophomore, Center, 6.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Key Role Players:
Canyon Barry, Senior, Guard, 12.1 ppg
Chris Chiozza, Junior, Guard, 6.9 ppg, 3.7 apg
Keith Stone, Freshman, Forward, 3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 78.8 (57th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.4 (48, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (127, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.7 (35, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.8 (133, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.6 (108, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.7 (97, 6)
Rebound Margin: 2.0 (116, 6)
Assists Per Game: 12.8 (228, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.9 (67, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NIT First Round win over North Florida
2016 NIT Second Round win over Ohio State
2016 NIT Quarterfinal loss to George Washington
2014 NCAA Round of 64 win over Albany
2014 NCAA Round of 32 win over Pittsburgh
2014 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over UCLA
2014 NCAA Regional Final win over Dayton
2014 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Northwestern State
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Minnesota
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Florida Gulf Coast
2013 NCAA Regional Final loss to Michigan
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Virginia
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Norfolk State
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Marquette
2012 NCAA Regional Final loss to Louisville
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC-Santa Barbara
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over UCLA
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over BYU
2011 NCAA Regional Final loss to Butler
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to BYU
2009 NIT First Round win over Jacksonville
2009 NIT Second Round win over Miami
2009 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Penn State
2008 NIT First Round win over San Diego State
2008 NIT Second Round win over Creighton
2008 NIT Quarterfinal win over Arizona State
2008 NIT Semifinal loss to Massachusetts
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Jackson State
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Purdue
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Butler
2007 NCAA National Semifinal win over UCLA
2007 NCAA National Final win over Ohio State
2007 NCAA Regional Final win over Oregon
*all team stats through 3/5
