After suffering a frustrating loss to the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlotte the Gators will have a chance to get back into the win column against a much less intimidating opponent when they welcome the Florida A&M Rattlers to Gainesville.
Florida A&M is coming off a 7-22 season that saw them finish 359th in KenPom, and much of the rotation entered the transfer portal immediately after the season. It’s a largely rebuilt roster, and one that is expected to be one of the worst in college basketball.
At this point we can’t be totally sure what to make of the Rattlers who have lost both their games this season to Creighton (105-54) and Nebraska (81-54). As is the case for many teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference the Rattlers are largely responsible for funding their athletic operations with buy games, meaning they will play one of the most challenging schedules in basketball. After Florida, the Rattlers will play Oregon, Iowa, Iowa State, UCF, and South Carolina. Oh, and their one game that isn’t against a high-major opponent? Presbyterian, who just beat Vanderbilt.
The story of Florida A&M’s first two games largely followed the same script with the Rattlers struggling to handle the athleticism of power conference teams. There is speed on the Rattlers roster and they do well to travel on the flight of the ball to get into position, but once larger, bouncier players start getting into the lane the structure of the defense will largely collapse.
This will be an opportunity for Florida to get some positive momentum as their half court offense hasn’t looked particularly sharp to start the season. The Gators have been able to put up points, but it has been largely due to transition and a relentless attack on the offensive glass. Playing a Florida A&M team that has struggled to guard in the half court could be just what the Gators need to get some rhythm going which they could use in the more challenging games they have upcoming. Of course, if the Gators aren’t efficient with their first shot offense–offensive rebounding should be there in plenty. Right now the Gators are 15th in the country in offensive rebounding rate and there shouldn’t be a lot of resistance to them having another big output.
One player that will need to battle the Gators on the glass is senior Shannon Grant who stands at 6’10” and 285 pounds. Grant started his career at Mercer where he didn’t see much time on the floor, but now plays a key role for the Rattlers where he provides a big body in the middle of the floor. Despite having a huge frame, Grant has left a lot to be desired on the boards. In 40 minutes of action through two games he has 3 defensive rebounds and 0 offensive rebounds–disappointing for a player of that size. If the Rattlers are going to be competitive on missed shots they will need Grant to use his size a bit more effectively.
Leading the way for Florida A&M offensively is freshman guard K’Jei Parker. Parker was immediately thrown into the flames to start his college career playing 37 minutes in both the Rattlers’ games so far, having the ball in his hands on most possessions. He has performed admirably averaging 12.5 points and 2.5 assists per game while only turning over the ball 1.5 times, solid numbers for a freshman who has had to be a leader in games against Creighton and Nebraska. So far he hasn’t shown much of a three-point stroke but can knife into the middle of the floor and hit off-balanced floaters, offense that the Rattlers have needed when their actions haven’t resulted in quality looks.
This game will be all about the Gators trying to sharpen their offense and score out of their actions. They could absolutely win this game comfortably with just their size and athleticism, but they will need to use it as an opportunity to get better and improve on the things that kept them from coming out of Charlotte victorious against Virginia. This will be the final game of guard Zyon Pullin’s suspension, and the Gators will be ecstatic to get him on the floor.
Florida and Florida A&M will take place Tuesday, November 14th at 7 PM ET and will be televised on SEC Network+.