Dru Smith Layup Sinks Gators 72-70

Looking like they were down and out stuck 8 points in the final minutes the Gators mounted a tremendous comeback to tie the game but in the final second a Dru Smith layup won the game 72-70 for the Missouri Tigers. In a game that has all the wildness of March NCAA basketball there were some crazy swings and intense runs but ultimately Missouri executed better than Florida in the final stretches and that was enough. Tre Mann, though partially at fault for the game winning layup for Missouri, played a tremendous game on both ends of the floor finishing with 21 points and 3 assists.

 

The Final Play

 

With only seconds remaining, Missouri went to a side ball screen for Dru Smith. Mitchell Smith set the screen, with Colin Castleton guarding Mitchell Smith and Tre Mann guarding Dru Smith (try to keep your Smiths straight). In Florida’s style of ball screen defense, Castleton is aggressive on the ball handler meaning he needs to get out to the level of the screen. He was anticipating doing so, and right as he made his stride Dru Smith went baseline on Tre Mann. Because of Castleton getting up to the level of the screen, he wasn’t able to help whatsoever. In this style of defense Tre Mann has to force Dru Smith into the screen as the defense isn’t all equipped for the denial. Smith got all the way to the cup and finished with a nice reverse layup. Here is a clip of that play:

Turnover Troubles

 

Florida has had some serious turnover problems this season and Wednesday’s game was arguably the worst it has been as the Gators committed 18. A shocking number is that Florida shot 58% from the field in this one, an astonishing number that would win you games on most nights. While they were shooting great when they were able to put shots up, it was the turnovers preventing them from taking shots that were an issue. All game the Gators were sloppy with the basketball, driving with no real intent which got them into trouble. Missouri isn’t even a team that forces turnovers, they are 252nd in the country in turnovers forced, so the Gators’ problems were really all on them. Turning it over squandered one of their best shooting nights of the season, something that’s got to really hurt.

 

Interior Battle

 

Colin Castleton and Omar Payne were dominated on the inside by Jeremiah Tilmon, a key factor in this game that allowed Missouri to lead for most of it. At 6’11”, 260 pounds Tilmon is a monster on the inside and he both devastated the paint offensively (12 points on 6-8 shooting) and kept Colin Castleton off the scoresheet for most of the game. His raw point total doesn’t even tell the total impact he had on the game as he forced double teams from the Gators nearly every time he touched the ball and he got all kinds of open shots for his teammates. Florida’s centers have done well against slightly smaller centers this season but they have had trouble with bigger, more physical big men which could be an issue as they finish up their season.

 

Final Thoughts

 

It was admirable to see Florida fight back in the final minutes to tie the game but ultimately they didn’t defend that well and they turned the ball over a ton, something that will get you beat on most nights. Their never quit attitude is something that has persisted throughout the season and something you love to see but the execution on both sides of the floor is lacking against good opponents and they’ll need to find a way to tighten things up in Sunday’s regular season finale against Tennessee.  

 

Eric Fawcett
Eric is a basketball coach and writer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His work has been found at NBA international properties, ESPN, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Lindy's and others. He loves zone defenses, the extra pass, and a 30 second shot clock. Growing up in Canada, an American channel showing SEC basketball games was his first exposure to Gator hoops, and he has been hooked ever since. You can follow him on Twitter at @ericfawcett_.