Gator's Achilles' heel?

[HALLGATOR]

While watching the game yesterday one thing kept nagging at me. Our inbounding of the ball and bringing it up the court still looks to be a vulnerable area and one which could prove, in a close game with athletic foes, to be costly. We know we had one TO yesterday because we couldn't inbound the ball and I saw a couple more that looked to be shaky at best. I do believe we have improved at passing the ball out of the trap, which was much needed, so our bringing it up against the press looks to be improved. Just wondering what some of your thoughts are on the subject. Do you think we are OK now or is this a genuine area of concern which needs further addressing?

[ApexNC]

I still cringe for Stacey Poole when I read Achille's heel.

[InstiGATOR1]

Originally Posted by HALLGATOR

While watching the game yesterday one thing kept nagging at me. Our inbounding of the ball and bringing it up the court still looks to be a vulnerable area and one which could prove, in a close game with athletic foes, to be costly. We know we had one TO yesterday because we couldn't inbound the ball and I saw a couple more that looked to be shaky at best. I do believe we have improved at passing the ball out of the trap, which was much needed, so our bringing it up against the press looks to be improved. Just wondering what some of your thoughts are on the subject. Do you think we are OK now or is this a genuine area of concern which needs further addressing?

Actually, UF is better on inbounds plays this year than past Donovan teams. Some in bounds plays lead to quick scores including one yesterday. I am more worried about whether under pressure Wilbekin is a 10 percentage points better or 10 percentage points worse FT shooter.

I think UF can handle the press of most teams now. But we will only know when a game really on the line.

[xenythx]

I suggest we just blow the doors off every team in the tournament so we won't have to worry about it.

[squigator]

Free-throw shooting is more likely to bite us in the ass in the tournament.

[indyg8r]

Originally Posted by squigator

Free-throw shooting is more likely to bite us in the ass in the tournament.

How do you figure? Only Pat isnt a strong FT shooter.

[xenythx]

Originally Posted by indyg8r

How do you figure? Only Pat isnt a strong FT shooter.

Exactly. The only reason we appear to be a not so good FT shooting team is because we don't get to the line as often as other teams in the nation, and most of the time it's Young shooting FTs. Boynton, Rosario, Murphy, Wilbekin, and Frazier are all good FT shooters.

[rserina]

Every team has weaknesses. You normally don't lose a game because of one, but a combination of factors. Against Zona, for instance, we couldn't handle the press, but we missed a crucial free throw, didn't get back in transition, took some bad shots on important possessions, miscommunicated on some switches, etc.

But I highly doubt any single weakness like this one will hurt us so badly, and if we haven't figured it out by the middle of February, we are probably out of luck anyway.

[UFish]

Yeguete isn't a good free throw shooter either for the record and we will have him back for the tournament. I agree though that free throw shooting isn't a major weakness of ours.

When I see us struggling to get the ball in bounds, it looks more like guys aren't trying hard enough more than anything.

[HALLGATOR]

Originally Posted by rserina

Every team has weaknesses. You normally don't lose a game because of one, but a combination of factors. Against Zona, for instance, we couldn't handle the press, but we missed a crucial free throw, didn't get back in transition, took some bad shots on important possessions, miscommunicated on some switches, etc.

But I highly doubt any single weakness like this one will hurt us so badly, and if we haven't figured it out by the middle of February, we are probably out of luck anyway.

My thoughts along this line is you seldom have a game where some free throws are not missed so in a way they all become crucial in a tight game. I also think you are going to have most of the other things you mentioned in your average game. More so in bad games and less in good games but on the average they will rear their head during the course of the game. If a team is known to be bad at handling the ball then another good team will try to exploit that and force TOs. The Gators are really good at doing that. This brings me back to my original point and that is whether other coaches are looking at the team and seeing an exploitable weakness.

[rserina]

Originally Posted by HALLGATOR

My thoughts along this line is you seldom have a game where some free throws are not missed so in a way they all become crucial in a tight game. I also think you are going to have most of the other things you mentioned in your average game. More so in bad games and less in good games but on the average they will rear their head during the course of the game. If a team is known to be bad at handling the ball then another good team will try to exploit that and force TOs. The Gators are really good at doing that. This brings me back to my original point and that is whether other coaches are looking at the team and seeing an exploitable weakness.

It is one thing to have another weakness and it is another thing for others to be able to exploit it. Arky was great at ball pressure, especially jumping those screens in the halfcourt. So is Zona. If we face Louisville, I might be nervous. But for some team that doesn't press or pressure the ball regularly to try and do so probably works in our favor more than theirs.

[themistocles]

Regarding FT Shooting -
Murphy, Frazier, Boynton and Rosario are all over 80% this season.
From there, however, it drops quite a bit, with Wilbekin at roughly 2 of 3 - 68%, Prather at near 60%, Yeguete roughly 57% and Young at the bottom - literally hit or miss at 52%.

Anyone may hit a clutch free throw, and anyone may miss one. Percentages don't mean as much at clutch time.

This team is well-balanced, experienced and well-coached. You simply can't ask for much more than that when the tournaments roll around. Nonetheless, many such teams have bit the dust early for any number of reasons, which is precisely whey they play the games.

[sec1]

arky played us very well on D

[phatGator]

I share Hall's concern. I think that was the main contributor to the loss at Arizona. Will be crucial in a close game. Funny how they can be so good at almost every other phase of the game.

It's not an overwhelming concern for me, but it is something a complete team needs to be able to do. Wasn't one tournament early exit (Creighton?) due to losing the ball on an inbounds play? I know the outcome of a game is the sum of all factors throughout the game (make more shots, grab more rebounds, commit fewer turnovers), but when the game comes down to the end it is sometimes the last play or two that makes the difference.

[ofmgator]

If we go cold from the three point line...that's our only deficiency on a day to day,game to game basis.

[gatorfansrule]

Inbounding does seem to be a little bit of an issue for this team. For the tournament I'm also concerned that this team has a 1-2 record against teams in the top 25 of the RPI. We've shown we can destroy teams that are not at our level but we have not shown that we can beat a good team in a close game.

[rserina]

Originally Posted by themistocles

This team is well-balanced, experienced and well-coached. You simply can't ask for much more than that when the tournaments roll around. Nonetheless, many such teams have bit the dust early for any number of reasons, which is precisely whey they play the games.

I think this is exactly right. Those national title teams had huge weaknesses. They were turnover prone, struggled from the line, had essentially one player who could create off the bounce (Brewer), gave up too many threes due to perimeter length (first year, not second when we were the best in the nation), and crumbed at times in close games (lost our first six games in 2005-06 that came down to six points or less). Any of those could have easily doomed us, like Green's turnover problems in the second Final Four or our stagnated half-court offense against Georgetown the first year.

We were fortunate they didn't bite us in the rear, but history only remembers the wins, not the weaknesses. If we lose, especially early in the tournament, everyone will remember the loss, not the strengths. So it goes in a single elimination tournament.

[gulfgator]

I remember having this same worry(inbounding), in 2006, when UF was in the midst of a losing streak late in the season. Corey Brewer had a big turnover, right in front of me, on an inbounds play that cost us that game at home against UT.

Well, I guess, since UF won the NCAA that year, my concerns were overblown

[tegator80]

If I had a wish for the rest of the season, it would be a close game against a good opponent (no ref abuse) and they figure a way to overcome their shortcomings. This is fun but I would prefer a few hand grenades before the tournament.

And no more significant injuries. Depth is going to a big weakness, especially in the front court.

[rserina]

Originally Posted by tegator80

If I had a wish for the rest of the season, it would be a close game against a good opponent (no ref abuse) and they figure a way to overcome their shortcomings. This is fun but I would prefer a few hand grenades before the tournament.

And no more significant injuries. Depth is going to a big weakness, especially in the front court.

Completely agree on the first. I suspect with Bowers back that the trip to Columbia will provide us with a nice test. Hopefully the SECs will, too.

On the second, it all depends on Yeguete's return. If he is fully back into the rotation by the tourney's first weekend, then our depth is great in then posts.