Florida Scouting Report

[RuffRuff]

Florida manhandled an ultra physical Tennessee team twice. This game will be like going to the dentist. Something extraordinary has to happen.

Need to shorten the game as much as possible and control pace, run our actions to exhaustion, well. We have no chance playing man for man at pace as they are better at just about every position on the floor.

Liam/AK/Solo need to get HOT. Tarris needs to be beastlike and control the paint - this will be a Tarris game.

This would be a game where if Hurley had any creativity up his sleeve, he'd be prepared to use it here. I just don't know if he does, seems too much a creature of habit.

 

[ihatepants]

Last I checked we both only get to play 5 guys at a time. Not worried about our guys getting gassed at this point they’re in peak condition.

This is like what opposing teams were saying about UConn the previous two seasons and yet people were saying that it was such a huge advantage and the opponents got gassed which is why the second halves almost always went UConn’s way.

 

[Giddyup5]

Everyone saying we need to slow it down and muck it up.

I would feel that way if our offensive sets were efficiently working lately. For the last month we seem to be a step slow in running the sets. We are not getting many easy baskets or wide open looks.

I think we need to be a lot more opportunistic in transition then we have been.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I guess you didn't read the post. I didn't buy into all the talking heads. The SEC was overrated this year.

Florida is a good team, but if you look at our coaching staff, history in the tournament and talent on our team, regardless of the ups and downs of this season, UConn is the team with the X factor.

You can't underestimate tournament team experience.

If you want to be like everyone else and just look at stats and wins go ahead. On paper they have the "better" team.

Based on the way I see it, we have the edge because we've already done it and have absolutely nothing to lose.

Who do you think is going to be more worried tomorrow? A bunch of Florida Gators players that hope to win a championship or UConn Huskies that have been there before and are used to environment? That goes for coaching as well.

Trust me, all of the pressure and anxiety is on Florida and if they fail to deal with it, you're going to see them make mistakes especially late in the game if it's close.

UConn will have a good chance to win this game.

Im worried about the pressure and anxiety rushing our best player - Liam. He hasn’t been playing well of late and I fear this may be why

 

[Scrutineer]

Maybe, just maybe, we can do what some opponents always seem to do: get a great game from one or more of our less prominent players.
Stewart comes to mind (I'm counting both centers already in the mix), as does Mahaney. Stewart's done it before and the allocation of minutes against OkyDoke showed Dan Hurley is willing to spread the minutes more than usual.
Also, maybe Ross for a few minutes on one of their guards, even Clayton, to confuse their offense.
Based on the first game I'm not expecting to see Nowell, Abraham or Singare. But wait, what if we win by more than 20?

 

[tomtom80]

We might have a chance IF, we don’t ever have to take the ball out on the baseline

 

[KingAG]

I guess you didn't read the post. I didn't buy into all the talking heads. The SEC was overrated this year.

Florida is a good team, but if you look at our coaching staff, history in the tournament and talent on our team, regardless of the ups and downs of this season, UConn is the team with the X factor.

You can't underestimate tournament team experience.

If you want to be like everyone else and just look at stats and wins go ahead. On paper they have the "better" team.

Based on the way I see it, we have the edge because we've already done it and have absolutely nothing to lose.

Who do you think is going to be more worried tomorrow? A bunch of Florida Gators players that hope to win a championship or UConn Huskies that have been there before and are used to environment? That goes for coaching as well.

Trust me, all of the pressure and anxiety is on Florida and if they fail to deal with it, you're going to see them make mistakes especially late in the game if it's close.

UConn will have a good chance to win this game.

I believe we have a chance tomorrow. No one with eyes and a brain should say we “should” win. Nothing you said in this post has anything to do with saying we should be expected to win this game lol

 

[ucp990411]

I have watched Florida a little this year and when they play the 2 bigs, they become pretty slow up front. We need to get back to making hard cuts and quicker movement on offense. I think if Hassan can stay on the court we have a chance. That being said we need to shoot the ball better

 

[Mister P]

Offensive possessions and efficiency of those possessions will be crucial for UConn. The defense will also need to have an outstanding performance and keep Florida 15-20pts below their scoring average. Hopefully Florida can help with that by having an off night.

• Get off to a good start so we can control the pace of the game. Run the offense, take good shots, don’t get stuck behind the 3 pt line with a few seconds left on the shot clock and limit turnovers.
• Yes, throwing the out of bounds pass past half court isn’t fancy or going to get a quick basket but with the recent struggles of getting the ball in, I’d rather that happen and control the possession instead of getting a 5 sec call, throwing it away or getting trapped in the corner. Keep the possession and you can get points instead of giving FL the possession and a chance to score.
• Have everyone crash the boards for defensive rebounds.
• Throw in at times, some full or 3/4 court pressure to take some time off Floridas shot clock.

This will be the best team that we will have played this season and we know the staff will have a good game plan in place so it’ll be up to each player to do their part and hopefully our veterans will lead the way in making that happen.

 

[jibsey]

I’d like to see us match their depth. This is a game where I feel giving Singare and maybe even Nowell as a change of pace guard some minutes may help. Some more minutes for Ross would be nice too as I think this is a game where his athleticism can shine (see Gonzaga game in December).

If Nowell is playing we are screwed. Make it a rock fight, low scoring and hope we get hot from 3, better than the 24%we just shot.

One thing I forgot. Our coaching staff will have the best strategy, game plan and player readiness possible.

 

[B1GEast]

I believe we have a chance tomorrow. No one with eyes and a brain should say we “should” win. Nothing you said in this post has anything to do with saying we should be expected to win this game lol

Anyone can state what they want.

That's called an option. And in my opinion they should win cause I think we're better.

You have every right to disagree, but to suggest that no one should has the right to believe what you think is wrong is absurd.

Win or lose tomorrow, it doesn't change the opinion

 

[AllHusky]

Best game of the season
Nothing less

 

[KingAG]

Anyone can state what they want.

That's called an option. And in my opinion they should win cause I think we're better.

You have every right to disagree, but to suggest that no one should has the right to believe what you think is wrong is absurd.

Win or lose tomorrow, it doesn't change the opinion

You have the right to offer your opinion to everyone. And everyone else has the right to say your opinion is stupid.

 

[uconn_jack]

If we got the individual performances below while playing as a cohesive unit on both ends, this is not an impossible task.

Alex v Nova
Solo @Marquette
Liam @Creighton (or at least v Zags)
Reed @Providence
Hass v Xavier
Samson @Xavier
Mahaney @Xavier
Stewart v Zags or Memphis

It's within them to win vs Florida. Question is whether they can find it on Sunday afternoon.

If we get everyone's best from those games, we beat most teams most of the time. That's not going to happen. Offensively, if we can get everyone at their average, that's about 80 pts and gives us a good shot. The biggest key is if our defense can be better than our average. It will have to be quite a bit better than our average considering Florida's offensive prowess.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Solo should take 10 3s, Liam and Alex 6-7, beating Florida means we went nuclear from deep. We’re not gonna win forcing up tough 2s over their length.

 

[Marat]

Solo should take 10 3s, Liam and Alex 6-7, beating Florida means we went nuclear from deep. We’re not gonna win forcing up tough 2s over their length.

I agree we can't go down swinging without our best shooter taking the majority attempts. Solo is key, and needs to stay out of foul trouble.

 

[Rich]

All I got to say to you doomers:

 

[Burnt Corn]

I’d like to see us match their depth. This is a game where I feel giving Singare and maybe even Nowell as a change of pace guard some minutes may help. Some more minutes for Ross would be nice too as I think this is a game where his athleticism can shine (see Gonzaga game in December).

Yeah, that should work out real well. Guys that have played no meaningful minutes all year against arguably the best team in the country… what could go wrong

 

[Burnt Corn]

Anyone can state what they want.

That's called an option. And in my opinion they should win cause I think we're better.

You have every right to disagree, but to suggest that no one should has the right to believe what you think is wrong is absurd.

Win or lose tomorrow, it doesn't change the opinion

Tour right…that’s why some one invented the term ‘informed opinion’

 

[champs99and04]

Florida has some good players, but when you sit down and really deconstruct the machine, I think you'll find that scheme and team building are more instructive to their overall success than sheer talent. The coaches have done a very good job of devising a menu that both limits their best players to digestible portions but also requires their fourth and fifth options to consume beyond what they might be asked to elsewhere. Balance is the objective, and it can only be achieved by assembling a group of players that will readily assert themselves within the specified parameters of the offense and share the ball. Florida has done this remarkably well, as evidenced by the fact their top six scorers all average between 1.6 and 4.3 assists per game. You don't see balance to that extreme unless it's part of a larger vision.

(I don't know what exactly this offense is called, but it seems like a hybrid of what UConn runs and what Villanova ran under Wright. It's a lot of ball screens, but not always from the top. The angles change rapidly, with the objective being to reverse the ball from side to side fast enough to open a crack in the defense. It's a lot like watching a powerplay in hockey - it doesn't always look like much is happening, but the magic is in the subtlety.)

So what does this mean? It mean that some schemes are harder to prepare for than others. UConn has had a lot of success, in the tournament, especially, in part because their offense is so different and innovative. (Florida, from what I've observed, is more comfortable defending traditional PNR offenses than navigating the motorcade of screens UConn throws at you.)

I'm not saying Florida is easy to defend, by any means, but I think for a team like UConn, it's a preferable alternative to defending a high usage star like Fears. Clayton is a phenomenal player who gets the ball into his shooting pocket about as quick as anyone I've seen, but he's not the type of guy who's going to blow by you. If UConn can keep the ball in front and resist overhelping, there's a chance Florida's shot-making chops are tested in a way they haven't been recently. That's just the reality of March basketball.

One other thing I noticed - Condon the big is a real good player with terrific length who they're comfortable switching 1-5, but he's hardly the bulkiest guy and doesn't have the strongest base and can get out leveraged fighting for position inside. I'd look for UConn to try to seal him off with Johnson or Reed to help pave some driving lanes.

I don't have a pick either way, but I do think the 9.5 seemed high to me. I was expecting UConn to be getting 4.5-6. This will be a big challenge and I think that will bring out the best version of them.

 

[tzznandrew]

Florida manhandled an ultra physical Tennessee team twice. This game will be like going to the dentist. Something extraordinary has to happen.

Tennessee also beat them by 20.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

 

[YearoftheHusky]

If we got the individual performances below while playing as a cohesive unit on both ends, this is not an impossible task.

Alex v Nova
Solo @Marquette
Liam @Creighton (or at least v Zags)
Reed @Providence
Hass v Xavier
Samson @Xavier
Mahaney @Xavier
Stewart v Zags or Memphis

It's within them to win vs Florida. Question is whether they can find it on Sunday afternoon.

Oh, just that?

 

[B1GEast]

I think I might have hit a nerve. The Mojo is rising

 

[caw]

I think I might have hit a nerve. The Mojo is rising

View attachment 108064

Had me until the last sentence. UF is not only one of the best teams in the country but has the best offense in the country over the last few weeks (at least). While UConns defense has been much improved over the last 5-10 games it’s still not nearly as good as we all would like. While it’s good enough to handle a mid OU team and most teams seeded 5 or lower, UF is not that.

This will be a struggle, maybe one UConn can win. If UConn does, I expect it to fall on the fairly capable hands of Diarra. He needs to control tempo, run the offense AND limit their best player. He’s been called on to do that all season, but Clayton is a different type than most of the star guards he has defended. Most have been attack the rim guards where Clayton is much more of a shooter with over half his shots from three. On the plus side he’s not as big and long as some of the guards who have terrorized UConn. Offensively he’s a taller Bazz, defensively he’s a sieve who they scheme to protect.

UConn can win by limiting possessions on both ends. Offensively that’s not a problem. Defensively they will try and speed it up. If UConn can get them to take quick shots to try and speed it up, that’s a good thing because as previous noted they run a very good offensive scheme. UConn cannot run with them. They do this really well by having two very good defensive guards starting next to him and two bigs clogging the paint. I expect them to have one parked in the paint at all times on defense unless UConn goes small.

Chinyelu is their best inside defender IMO. Hes a pretty classic raw offensive player who is big and a menace on defense with his size and length. I don’t care what the stats or metrics say they are their best defensively with him anchoring the paint. He does a ton of little things that contribute to winning.

UConn (on paper) rebounds the ball better but they crash the O-boards slightly better. So they might be a bit more susceptible to giving up a rebound on defense. But that will leave some opportunities for them to run.

Watching the last game they beat Tenn and Tenn missed a ton of open shots to start the game. Shots they got by getting UF in rotation with quick ball movement. The first five minutes I think Tenn went like 2-7 from three with all of them being open shots. It was great execution and horrible shot making but it did show that UF does have holes defensively.

 

[B1GEast]

Had me until the last sentence. UF is not only one of the best teams in the country but has the best offense in the country over the last few weeks (at least). While UConns defense has been much improved over the last 5-10 games it’s still not nearly as good as we all would like. While it’s good enough to handle a mid OU team and most teams seeded 5 or lower, UF is not that.

This will be a struggle, maybe one UConn can win. If UConn does, I expect it to fall on the fairly capable hands of Diarra. He needs to control tempo, run the offense AND limit their best player. He’s been called on to do that all season, but Clayton is a different type than most of the star guards he has defended. Most have been attack the rim guards where Clayton is much more of a shooter with over half his shots from three. On the plus side he’s not as big and long as some of the guards who have terrorized UConn. Offensively he’s a taller Bazz, defensively he’s a sieve who they scheme to protect.

UConn can win by limiting possessions on both ends. Offensively that’s not a problem. Defensively they will try and speed it up. If UConn can get them to take quick shots to try and speed it up, that’s a good thing because as previous noted they run a very good offensive scheme. UConn cannot run with them. They do this really well by having two very good defensive guards starting next to him and two bigs clogging the paint. I expect them to have one parked in the paint at all times on defense unless UConn goes small.

Chinyelu is their best inside defender IMO. Hes a pretty classic raw offensive player who is big and a menace on defense with his size and length. I don’t care what the stats or metrics say they are their best defensively with him anchoring the paint. He does a ton of little things that contribute to winning.

UConn (on paper) rebounds the ball better but they crash the O-boards slightly better. So they might be a bit more susceptible to giving up a rebound on defense. But that will leave some opportunities for them to run.

Watching the last game they beat Tenn and Tenn missed a ton of open shots to start the game. Shots they got by getting UF in rotation with quick ball movement. The first five minutes I think Tenn went like 2-7 from three with all of them being open shots. It was great execution and horrible shot making but it did show that UF does have holes defensively.

They are a hell of a team. I agree, but I really believe that some teams can play better in the tournament than in the regular season.

We have to slow the tempo of the game and make them work for each shot. If we allow them to get good looks, they'll hit their shots. They have excellent shooters and can hit deep shots from way down town.

They're active and move well in transition.

Rebounding will also be key, limit second chance shots.

This game can easily get away if we don't hit our shots from the outside.

The good thing is that we have shooters too. Should be a good game. If we keep the game close, we have a shot.

 

[DogMania]

If we got the individual performances below while playing as a cohesive unit on both ends, this is not an impossible task.

Alex v Nova
Solo @Marquette
Liam @Creighton (or at least v Zags)
Reed @Providence
Hass v Xavier
Samson @Xavier
Mahaney @Xavier
Stewart v Zags or Memphis

It's within them to win vs Florida. Question is whether they can find it on Sunday afternoon.

I'd like to think our A Game is a possible outcome, but here's what concerns me:

1. UF's depth, athleticism and length.

2. The look on some of the UConn players against Oklahoma did not exube confidence, especially McNeeley. Every time I looked at him, I couldn't help think, "this is not the look that I saw last year with Cam Spencer, of absolute tenacity."

If I was Hurley, I'd show Liam and the team tape of Cam, Clingan, Castle and other champion Huskies, and simply say, "To beat the Gators, that's the level of intensity and confidence you need own!"

 

[caw]

They are a hell of a team. I agree, but I really believe that some teams can play better in the tournament than in the regular season.

We have to slow the tempo of the game and make them work for each shot. If we allow them to get good looks, they'll hit their shots. They have excellent shooters and can hit deep shots from way down town.

They're active and move well in transition.

Rebounding will also be key, limit second chance shots.

This game can easily get away if we don't hit our shots from the outside.

The good thing is that we have shooters too. Should be a good game. If we keep the game close, we have a shot.

Just that word “should” which is my main disagreement. “Could” is definitely appropriate though.

I'd like to think our A Game is a possible outcome, but here's what concerns me:

1. UF's depth, athleticism and length.

2. The look on some of the UConn players against Oklahoma did not exube confidence, especially McNeeley. Every time I looked at him, I couldn't help think, "this is not the look that I saw last year with Cam Spencer, of absolute tenacity."

If I was Hurley, I'd show Liam and the team tape of Cam, Clingan, Castle and other champion Huskies, and simply say, "To beat the Gators, that's the level of intensity and confidence you need own!"

McNeeley seems to have hit the freshman wall, usually that comes a bit earlier but with his injury he’s hitting it now. He really isn’t doing anything “wrong” offensively. Most of his shots are “good shots” based on the shot clock. Can only hope he breaks out of it. He's due. Hes still taking pressure off Diarrra and gives the defenses another person higher up the scouting report to worry about which is giving Karaban some space.

 

[UCFan1513]

so it’s not the worst idea to head to the arcade for some Gator Panic?

Thanks for unlocking this memory

 

[housekeys]

If we defend without sending them to the line and limit turnovers (below 10 preferably), we have a good chance. Opponent FTA (discrepancy) and our turnovers are the two most significant factors in every one of our losses. Combine that with an offense where 2 of 3 (Karaban, Ball and Liam) play well , and we can win. Combine the aforementioned defense with any other offensive performance and we will struggle, and likely lose to a very, very good team.