Going on the road against a team that’s playing as well as anyone in the country is a tough task and the Gators weren’t up for the challenge, running into the buzz saw that is the Alabama Crimson Tide and losing 97-69. For a team that prides themselves on defense the Gators aren’t going to be happy with the effort on that side of the floor as they gave up what was easily the highest total of the season as the Crimson Tide got just about everything they wanted with the basketball. This loss closes out one of the most difficult four game stretches in college basketball against Kansas State, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama, with the Gators coming away 1-3 in that stretch.
Defensive Woes
Entering Wednesday’s game the Gators were 10th in the country in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric but you wouldn’t have known that with how they were picked apart by Alabama. The Crimson Tide were able to get by their primary defender nearly any time they wanted with the dribble forcing rotations which resulted in open threes. Taking away the three-point line has been a strength of the Gators’ defense so far this season but Alabama was able to feast from behind the arc finishing 15-34 from deep. Defense is the cornerstone of the Florida basketball team and when they aren’t able to take their opponent out of what they want to do, the offense probably isn’t going to be there to pick them up–at least that’s what we’ve been seeing.
Bench Production
One of the stark differences between Alabama, a team at the top of the SEC, and the Gators, a team fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth, is depth. Florida hasn’t been able to get much production off the bench in SEC play and we saw that again with the Gators getting only 12 points off the bench. Alabama, on the other hand, had 29 points–much of which came in the middle of the first half when the Crimson Tide were running away with the game. This was a measuring stick game for the Gators where they saw what it takes to be at the top of the SEC and one of the areas they appear to be lacking is in the depth department.
Bright Spots
While the Gators got blown out, there were a couple of bright spots. Firstly, Colin Castleton. Despite Florida getting blasted, Castleton was able to get his, finishing with 29 points and 10 rebounds, creating most of the quality looks the Gators got throughout the game. Castleton has strung together several excellent games in a row, doing his best to will the Gators to wins they are desperate to get. Another excellent performance came from Riley Kugel who had 15 points and 6 assists. Alabama is a team that is loaded with athletes and for some Florida players that meant mismatches but Kugel was able to keep up from a quickness and explosiveness standpoint and it allowed him to have an excellent game.
Final Thoughts
Losing to Alabama on the road isn’t a bad loss by any stretch, but the way the Gators lost is concerning. They’re going to take a major dip in the important metrics because of how badly they were beaten, and there appears to be some holes in a defense that was a strength of this ball club. Luckily for the Gators they have some easier games ahead, though it would have been great if they were able to get another quality win to put next to the Tennessee victory.