The game was close from the opening tip to the final buzzer but ultimately the Arkansas Razorbacks were able to out-execute the Florida Gators in crunch time leading to a 82-74 win for the road Razorbacks. Florida’s offense was on point for much of the contest flowing through their leaders Colin Castleton and Tyree Appleby but they weren’t able to get the necessary stops on the defensive end, a concerning issue considering that Arkansas is in the bottom half of the SEC in offensive efficiency. With the loss the Gators now drop to 7-8 in the SEC and miss out on an opportunity to help out their NCAA Tournament resume which is currently extremely shaky.
Leading The Way
It was clear Florida’s plan of attack offensively was to feed Colin Castleton as much as possible on the inside, which is normally the game plan for the Gators but was heightened even more since Arkansas has an undersized frontcourt. Castleton was eating up Arkansas’ defense all night long finishing with 29 points on 10-16 shooting while also chipping in 6 rebounds and an assist. Florida used a variety of set designs to enter Castleton the ball and seemingly each one was effective and the Razorbacks scrambled all game long to try to stop him, an exercise that ultimately came up empty. Arkansas is one of the best teams in the country and the Gators were able to put up some points, a small bright spot on a night they had a disappointing loss.
Underrated Offense
Arkansas is a bottom half offensive team in terms of offensive efficiency but you wouldn’t have known it seeing the way they gashed Florida for 82 points on 46% shooting from the field and 38% from three while only turning the ball over 6 times. JD Notae (22 points), Devonte Davis (19 points), Jaylin Williams (15 points), Au’Diese Toney (12 points), and Stanely Umude (11 points) all had their way with the Gators, taking turns getting in the paint and finishing or finding teammates for wide open jumpers. Arkansas particularly picked apart Florida’s pick and roll defense, particularly late in the second half where they got a series of layups that had different Gators looking at each other confused as to who needed to be where and were points that ultimately sealed the game.
Continuing Problems
Florida has struggled all season long to defensively rebound the basketball and that issue reared its ugly head once again as Arkansas was able to grab 12 offensive rebounds leading to second chance opportunities that were lethal considering how they were able to score the ball Tuesday night. Following the game the Gators dropped to 335th in the country in defensive rebounding rate, a shocking number for a high major basketball team that features athletes and length. Even when Florida was able to play a good defensive possession they often weren’t able to seal it with a rebound and it was a huge reason Arkansas was able to score so effectively. Mike White mentioned offensive rebounding was going to be a focus for the Gators in Tuesday’s game and they were able to get 8 offensive rebounds opposed to Arkansas’ 12.
Final Thoughts
Losing to #18 ranked Arkansas at home isn’t an awful loss by any stretch but it’s a game the Gators could have really used, and they clearly had their chances. Florida led by 6 at the under 8 timeout, meaning they were outscored by 14 in the final 7:48 of play. It wasn’t just one issue, it was their inability to rebound, struggles guarding straight line drives, and subpar offensive execution in the clutch. As it currently stands the Gators aren’t in position to make the NCAA Tournament and will need to find some magic in the final weeks if they want to make it there.