Kudos again. . . .

[akaGatorhoops]

Incredible overall defense. Watching Wilby and Boyton on Turner was a thing of beauty.
Wilbekin is an absolute witch on defense.

[tommyuf21]

Watching this team play defense is a treat. There's nothing complicated about it, just talent, hustle and smarts.

[HALLGATOR]

Not only did Scottie play great D he showed some moves to the basket tonight that really looked good.

[REM08]

I swear that guy wearing Turner's jersey looked EXACTLY like him!

Just kidding. I only caught the end of the game, but that must have been one hell of a defensive performance.

[HALLGATOR]

I only caught the end of the game, but that must have been one hell of a defensive performance.

It was and you could tell Yeguete was not 100% or I believe their score would have been a little less.

[rserina]

Young was active, Murphy attacked the glass, all three guards were outstanding on the perimeter, Yeguete got a hand on every loose ball, even Frazier was physical. This team can hang with anyone because of its defense alone.

[gatorjjh]

It was and you could tell Yeguete was not 100% or I believe their score would have been a little less.

if the starters finish the game the margin is 30+ I think the pt for the bench is worth the loss of margin, at least this early in the season :)

[InstiGATOR1]

Watching this team play defense is a treat. There's nothing complicated about it, just talent, hustle and smarts.

Exactly, they help each other and usually make the smart play.

[GatorLurker]

I am sure Hosie Grimsley is proud to have worn the same jersey as these guys. They really play excellent D. Even Coach Knight was very impressed.

[Go2gtr]

I swear that guy wearing Turner's jersey looked EXACTLY like him!

Just kidding. I only caught the end of the game, but that must have been one hell of a defensive performance.
Turner is a nice player but he is not a 40 pt guy. The Gators played excellent defense, but he is not impossible to defend. AM doesn't have a lot of offense around him either.

I wouldn't pimp Turner, it's the other way around. How the hell did KY let this guy do off like that in Rupp Arena?

[AlexGray]

Watching this team play defense is a treat. There's nothing complicated about it, just talent, hustle and smarts.

Bob Knight said it best: "They're alert ... they use their hands, they move their feet."

8 out of 15 opponents held to under 50 points is very impressive.

[gatordavisl]

Defensively, we made it look like A&M was playing with four. It was total domination. Then we put the subs in. I'm glad to see some of those guys play the last 2+ minutes, but it showed that our youngest players have a long way to go.

[jrcg8tor]

I am sure Hosie Grimsley is proud to have worn the same jersey as these guys. They really play excellent D. Even Coach Knight was very impressed.

Cant have enough Hosie Grimsley references.

[REM08]

Turner is a nice player but he is not a 40 pt guy. The Gators played excellent defense, but he is not impossible to defend. AM doesn't have a lot of offense around him either.

I wouldn't pimp Turner, it's the other way around. How the hell did KY let this guy do off like that in Rupp Arena?

We didn't guard him well, obviously, (we don't have a lockdown defender this year), but really I've seen worse defense. He scored 40 points and only took 19 shots.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErkOE4Deq70?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErkOE4Deq70?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I do'nt know how to embed, but these were his highlights. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErkOE4Deq70

[GatorPlanet]

This team just methodically dismantles opponents. We go up by 3, then it's 7, then it's 11...and the lead just keeps growing, game after game. Amazing.

The balance is eerily similar to our national champion teams. When a guy has an off night, no big deal...four more guys will be on.

[NorthCaptivaGator]

Defensively, we made it look like A&M was playing with four. It was total domination. Then we put the subs in. I'm glad to see some of those guys play the last 2+ minutes, but it showed that our youngest players have a long way to go.

Apparently Coach Pelphry lined the freshman up in the hallway outside the locker room after the game and chewed them out for their less than impressive performance in the last two minutes.

[gatordavisl]

Interesting story Captiva. I hope it does them good. Saying they look a little rough would be too kind.

[tommyuf21]

Bob Knight said it best: "They're alert ... they use their hands, they move their feet."

8 out of 15 opponents held to under 50 points is very impressive.

A team that plays defense as well as this one does has a special mindset, if you will. Great defenders take pride in their defense and its something that usually doesn't go away during the season. You can tell that this team has bought into Billy's philosophy of team ball.

[G8rNkoko]

Some measures of how good our defense has been this season.

We are number 345th in total points allowed. (means we have allowed the fewest points)
We are number two in scoring margin despite only being number 63rd in scoring.
We are number three in scoring defense.
We are number eight in field goal percentage defense.

[NorthCaptivaGator]

Interesting story Captiva. I hope it does them good. Saying they look a little rough would be too kind.

@gatorhoops: After UF's 68-47 win over TAMU, Florida asst John Pelphrey ripped into freshman in hallway. Thought they should have closed out game better.

[tommyuf21]

Some measures of how good our defense has been this season.

We are number 345th in total points allowed. (means we have allowed the fewest points)
We are number two in scoring margin despite only being number 63rd in scoring.
We are number three in scoring defense.
We are number eight in field goal percentage defense.

This was done against a pretty good non conference slate too. I'd be a bit skeptical if we played every game against the Poodles, but that hasn't been the case.

[gtr2x]

@gatorhoops: After UF's 68-47 win over TAMU, Florida asst John Pelphrey ripped into freshman in hallway. Thought they should have closed out game better.

Well they had as many turnovers in their 2/3 minutes as the starters did in the rest of the game. Good to send the message that is not the way to earn playing time.

[gatordavisl]

Well they had as many turnovers in their 2/3 minutes as the starters did in the rest of the game. Good to send the message that is not the way to earn playing time. I almost thought Billy was going to put the starters back in with about 30 seconds left. Glad he did not, but would have understood his reasons if he did.

[HALLGATOR]

The first thing I wold have told them is they are not playing against high school players any more. Back to back TOs from what looked like the inability to realize the guys on the other team might be pretty good too.

[your_perfect_enemy]

In defense of the freshman, they were all out there playing together as freshman (plus kurtz) with no veteran leadership, which Billy has alluded to being worried about playing too many of them at the same time. Also when the 5 of them are out there, it's basically 5 guards or 2/3 combos so it's not really a 'regular' lineup, although I guess you could argue that should lead to better ball handling. All that said, they definitely need to play better/harder

[FranceGator]

Those two telegraphed passes just at the start of setting up the half-court offense were just gross. I think it's exactly right...this isn't high school, the opponents are full of tremendous players.

[gatordee]

Love some great D!

[regurgigator]

We didn't guard him well, obviously, (we don't have a lockdown defender this year), but really I've seen worse defense. He scored 40 points and only took 19 shots.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErkOE4Deq70?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErkOE4Deq70?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I do'nt know how to embed, but these were his highlights. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErkOE4Deq70

Wow! Turner was channeling Chris Jackson against you guys! A couple of those threes he hit near the 1:30 mark of the clip were head-shakers :whoa:

We - particularly Wilbekin - played outstanding defense, but A&M seemed to have a lid on the basket for a long stretch of the game even when they got some looks.

[GatorPlanet]

Even when A&M had successful possessions, they rarely got anything early in the shot clock. They usually had trouble even getting into any kind of an offensive set, we were so disruptive.

Boynton and Wilbekin might be the best defensive starting backcourt in the country. No one can get set up against them. And Rosario has improved tremendously on defense since last season.

[REM08]

Wow! Turner was channeling Chris Jackson against you guys! A couple of those threes he hit near the 1:30 mark of the clip were head-shakers :whoa:

We - particularly Wilbekin - played outstanding defense, but A&M seemed to have a lid on the basket for a long stretch of the game even when they got some looks.

Fans in Rupp actually gave the guy a standing O when he left.

[tilly]

Some measures of how good our defense has been this season.

We are number 345th in total points allowed. (means we have allowed the fewest points)
We are number two in scoring margin despite only being number 63rd in scoring.
We are number three in scoring defense.
We are number eight in field goal percentage defense.

This is why we will be a true final four type team. You can beat anyone on a given night with these type of numbers.

This also protects you somewhat from a poor shooting night.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tablet using Gator Country

[patsyruth2008]

There was a quote from Partic Young that said the scouting report on Turner stated he likes to go right after getting the pass and scored the majority of his points against Kentucky that way. Patric said that Scottie made sure to force him left everytime he touched the ball. I think the coach that devevloped the game plan was the one we just hired because I did not recognize his name.

[jeffphillips21]

holding UGA to 15 first half points, A&M to 18 first half points. We've had some games where we literally destroyed the teams over 10-15 minute stretches. I think our 51 points against average doesn't even tell the whole story. there have been a lot of teams we've taken our foot off the gas against, if we kept the intensity up we'd be burying them worse than we have been

if it wasn't for our 2 losses (1 meltdown, 1 no-show) we'd be the talk of the country right now. but as it stands maybe it's better this way...we can fly under the radar of all the "great" teams out there like Mich, Louisville, Duke, 'Cuse, etc

Until March that is...

[swampgas44]

There was a quote from Partic Young that said the scouting report on Turner stated he likes to go right after getting the pass and scored the majority of his points against Kentucky that way. Patric said that Scottie made sure to force him left everytime he touched the ball. I think the coach that devevloped the game plan was the one we just hired because I did not recognize his name.

Burno

[HALLGATOR]

^^^^
I believe it was Knight who made mention of this last night. It was either right after or right before one of the rare times he scored. He did that very thing by faking Scottie off and moving to his right for a basket.

[maxgator]

We didn't guard him well, obviously, (we don't have a lockdown defender this year), but really I've seen worse defense. He scored 40 points and only took 19 shots.


So, he scores 40 on 19 shots .... and you've seen worse defense. lol.

[themistocles]

The main reason for the strength of this defense is having 7 upper classmen on the team.

Very, very, very few freshmen are excellent defensive players, with a few notable exceptions.

Defense, and particularly "team defense" are primarily the product of experience and practice together.

[REM08]

So, he scores 40 on 19 shots .... and you've seen worse defense. lol.

Yeah I've seen much worse and meant what I said. He wouldn't score 40 on us next game if we stopped guarding him altogether. The defense was far from great, but sometimes guys are just on.

[akaGatorhoops]

bump.

wilby was awesome!

[gatorbogey]

kudos to all, but wilby was awesome times 2.
just non-stop hustle out of all the players.
delight to watch.
love the defense!