In one of the most stunning games of the college basketball season the Florida Gators came out dominant from the opening tip against #1 ranked Tennessee, suffocating them defensively and leading for 40 minutes on their way to a blowout 73-43 win. Tennessee entered Tuesday’s contest as the last remaining undefeated team in the sport and just 6 minutes into the game, where they were yet to put a single point on the board, you knew that streak was in danger. After a frustrating loss to Kentucky on the road Florida came home focused and energized and they were the better team in just about every fashion earning the marquee win that now sits at the top of their resume. The Gators now sit at 14-1 on the season and 1-1 in the SEC, and they’ll see a gigantic boost in their computer numbers that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee looks at when making the bracket.
Overwhelming Defense
Against Kentucky the Gators had one of the worst possible defensive performances they could have allowed 106 points and a remarkable 1.47 points per possession. How did they follow it up? With one of the most dominant defensive performances you’re ever going to see. Here are some key numbers from Tennessee:
21.4% Field Goal
4-29 Three-Point (it was 1-24 at one point before they made 3 of their last 5)
63% Free Throw
12 Turnovers
Until the final minutes of the game Tennessee was stuck at 7 made field goals–just a couple more made field goals than the Gators had blocks (5), another number that speaks to Florida’s dominance.
Multiple players did well in their individual assignments but really–the entire roster deserves credit for tightening up their rotations and showing much more energy than they did against Kentucky. Florida’s coaching staff always thought this was going to be a defense-first team but that wasn’t what they showed during non-conference play, though an effort like this could kickstart a different identity in SEC play.
Bullies Up Front
Alex Condon and Reuben Chinuyelu didn’t put up massive point totals (16 combined points) but they set the tone physically early in the game and were a massive reason why the Gators dominated. Combining for 27 rebounds (10 on the offensive end) they either ended defensive possessions with a board or kept things alive on the other end, while also setting massive screens that cleared lanes for the guards to work. In a game with a lot of highlights you probably won’t see either of these two players on the reel, but they were doing the dirty work that was the difference early and Tennessee was never able to adjust. A big reason why Tennessee’s field goal percentage was so low was the defense around the rim and even if Condon or Chinyelu didn’t get a piece of the ball they deterred a lot of layups forcing misses. Florida will be thrilled with what they got from the frontcourt and will have high expectations for those two moving forward in the season.
Leading The Way
It was a rare quiet night for Walter Clayton Jr. who finished with just 7 points but it allowed a different player to step up–reserve guard Denzel Aberdeen who led the Gators with 16 points off the bench. Aberdeen played like a seasoned vet against the pesky Tennessee guards and he was never bothered by their ball pressure or from the aggressive hedging from the Volunteer bigs. Also going 2-4 from three and 4-5 from the free throw line he was able to get his offense in a number of ways which also shows his offensive versatility.
Final Thoughts
Let’s not brush by the main point–the #1 team came into Gainesville and got beat by 30, and it’s hard to imagine a better outcome for the Gators. Not only was Florida able to get a huge win but they were able to get it done with their defense which is massive considering that the defense was the huge question mark after the Kentucky game. Florida will now have a chance to firmly position themselves near the top of the SEC standings as they will be favored to win in each of their next five games.