Gator Country

HALLGATOR · 02-25-2013, 08:56 PM

Next up for the Gators is a trip to Knoxville for a matchup with the Volunteers of Tennessee. You might say Florida is limping into this game since two of our key players will be sidelined with injuries. Just in case anyone missed it the team will be without both Will Yeguete and Michael Frazier II, although both are slated to return by the weekend for our next game which will be against Bama at home. Not having either of these players has turned a game which many thought would be difficult, when we were at full strength, into something much worse. The guys are going to have to really turn in a good performance if they want to leave Knoxville with a win. This will entail one or more of the young guys giving the team quality minutes when their number is called.

The Vols started off the season in a dismal fashion and in what had to be one of the ugliest games of the year lost to Georgetown in a scoring extravaganza 37-36 on Nov. 30th. From there they began league play by losing 5 out of the first 6 games played and appeared to be headed for a very bad season. Somewhere during that time, however, a team began to emerge out of the morass they found themselves in. Starting with a win at home over Bama they have now won 7 out of 9 and totally dismantled Kentucky by 30 points 9 days ago. Their current win streak stands at 5 after the latest victory which was a quadruple overtime win on the road against Texas A&M. So a team that looked highly beatable not too long ago now appears to be a very formidable opponent and even more so since they are home where they will have a very noisy crowd behind them.

I'm not wearing my O&B glasses right now so I have to say a win tomorrow night is going to be a tall order for our Gators. However I do believe it is far from a monumental task and if they can really get things going on both offense and defense a win is well within their grasps. Either way they still can win the SEC but a loss makes it a bit more iffy. If we do lose tomorrow and win both the Bama and Vandy game then going into Rupp Arena for the last game of the year there is the possibility we would have to win that one for an outright championship. Of course that hinges on us winning those games and the Wildcats not losing anymore which could very well happen since they still have to go on the road to play Arkie and Georgia with Arkansas being the most likely loss of the two. This week and the next winds up regular season play so the room for error is becoming smaller with each game which means they really need to finish league play in a strong fashion.

Go Gators!!!

Pregame notes are available here

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More on Tenn here

**ThePlayer** · 02-25-2013, 08:59 PM

Tennessee is on a streak BUT this is a key game for us.
If we have to go down...we better go down swingin'.

Go Gators!!!

gatorbogey · 02-25-2013, 09:39 PM

vols in knoxville have got some sort of svengali hold on us in the recent decade. takes extraordinary effort to win there. you factor in the "hold", vols have to be a favorite in this game. looking for the big gator orange & blue upset!

GatorLurker · 02-25-2013, 10:16 PM

I am going to make the Gotham Gator "Mug of Ale" prediction without GG:

UF 70 - UT 60.

BengermanV · 02-26-2013, 02:17 AM

I've gone to Ale House for the last two Gator losses and I'm going again tomorrow night. If we lose, you can all go ahead and blame it on me.

tegator80 · 02-26-2013, 07:53 AM

I am going gutless on this one. It is going to be up to the Tenn team to decide whether we win or not. If they hit the shots they usually don't, the crowd gets into it, and Stokes has big game then I think we are too short handed. But if they play their regular game and we play with poise - for 40 minutes and not 36 - then I see a good win.

But as I said, it is up to the Vols to determine whether they are in it or not.

g8rboy · 02-26-2013, 09:10 AM

gonna say UF 68 UT 62

**GothamGator** · 02-26-2013, 10:17 AM

Great Stuff.

The key tonight may be foul trouble. If either Stokes or Young get into foul trouble that could spell doom for their team. I think you will see both teams try to pound it inside early to see if they can pick up some early calls.

Jaggator · 02-26-2013, 10:57 AM

Florida favored by 9.

gogators73 · 02-26-2013, 11:23 AM

I am going into it expecting a loss but what I am holding out hope for is that (even with 6 guys) we are better than Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. We are already 0-2 in road games vs. these 3. Odds are we are going to get one of these.

Gator40 · 02-26-2013, 12:13 PM

Why are our long away-from-home games always late night ESPN games? Guaranteed loss with a 6 man rotation and our already putrid road record with a UT team coming together at the right time.

I hope we at least show up to play.

orlandogator · 02-26-2013, 03:25 PM

More than the score might be predicting how this game will be played.

With having to play some guys for more minutes and bringing in new players how do you approach this game? Do you play tough defense but slow down the game to keep guys fresh but the score close? Do you play easy on the inside to protect from foul trouble? Will the young guys play hard to contribute but get turnovers? Will the vols use their inside guys to force outside shots and keep up a fast pace? Will any backup guards take their 3 point shots and make them or will they play it safe? Will the vols try to draw fouls? charges?

If I am donovan, I give their center his points but keep active on defense , covering their outside shots. our best hope is to have a solid shooting night which will limit fast scoring opportunities on their part. unless there is an obvious path to the basket, I slow down the pace to keep legs and shooters fresh in the 4th. If we are close in the 4th quarter we might not have enough to withstand a final run.

TampaGatorFan · 02-26-2013, 04:43 PM

This will be a blowout win for the Gators. We win this by 15-20. Just watch.

born2beagator · 02-26-2013, 04:55 PM

Really annoyed with the 9 pm start

**Efeezy** · 02-26-2013, 05:53 PM

Blowout Win?? Just don't see anything that leads me to agree with you. We will see. I say Vols by 6-8 when its all said and done. Just not enough depth right now.

Bazza · 02-26-2013, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BengermanV

I've gone to Ale House for the last two Gator losses and I'm going again tomorrow night. If we lose, you can all go ahead and blame it on me.

AHA! So now we know why we have been losing those road games! Grrrrr.....

GataBaitx3 · 02-26-2013, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

Tennessee is on a streak BUT this is a key game for us.
If we have to go down...we better go down swingin'.

Go Gators!!!

I've had just an absolutely terrible day. Cheer me up, Gators!!

jagervol01 · 02-26-2013, 06:05 PM

Florida 65 Tenn 48 We have matched up well with you in the past but not this year. You really just need to keep the ball out of McRae's hands and keep Young out of foul trouble as has been stated in other threads. Good luck to you!

tommyuf21 · 02-26-2013, 06:12 PM

Maymon had a big impact on both games last year, especially the second one. The Vol's really miss him this year.

We just have to keep UT's guards from driving the lane and getting Patric and Erik in foul trouble. Stokes doesn't have enough help inside to do it himself.

gogators73 · 02-26-2013, 06:14 PM

Everyone thinking Wilbekin mainly on Golden?