Gators Look To Bounce Back Against Georgia

Following a disappointing loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks the Gators will be in desperate need of an improved performance Saturday against Georgia. This will be the second meeting of the two, with Florida coming up victorious in the first meeting of the season. 

 

In that game Tre Mann went off for 24 points and 4 assists, proving his potency as a scorer. Florida’s offense was largely disjointed for this game, something that might come as a surprise given 92-84 score, but often their sets broke down and it was up to Mann to create one on one. Luckily he was feeling it that day, and he may need to bring that type of scoring to beat the Bulldogs again.

 

On Tuesday Florida’s offense was again disjointed, but the clutch time shot making from Mann wasn’t there. He did hit a big three to help fuel the comeback and his work as a help defender was outstanding but will likely go unnoticed by many, but when the Gators needed desperation shots to fall he wasn’t able to deliver. Tyree Appleby also went cold against Arkansas, and just like Mann he also had a fantastic game against Georgia the first time around with 14 points and 3 assists.

 

These two players are going to be the key factors for Saturday’s game. Georgia’s backcourt of Sahvir Wheeler and KD Johnson are fantastic offensive players but they aren’t stellar defenders. Wheeler is undersized at only 5’10”, and will give Tyree Appleby a length advantage he isn’t used to having. Johnson is a stout 6’1” and 190 pounds, and has some heavy feet at times making him vulnerable as a perimeter defender.

 

If Mann and Appleby are able to bounce back from lackluster performances against Arkansas, the Gators will be in good shape to win. 

 

Something that was interesting about the first matchup with Georgia was the fact that the Gators didn’t play awfully well but won because of their sheer talent. Offensive sets would stagnate, and Tre Mann would simply improvise and go get a shot. When there was a 50/50 rebound, Anthony Duruji would leap higher than anyone on the court and go get it. When Florida’s defense splintered and Georgia got a good look at the rim, Colin Castleton or Omar Payne would go swat it away. In winning a game despite not playing particularly well they showed the raw talent level of the team. For the last couple of years the Gators had a thin margin of error and if they didn’t play to their abilities, they’d lose to anyone in the SEC. Fast forward to this year’s team and they showed that even on an off night their talent will sometimes win out.

 

This game was also one where Florida’s center rotation established themselves as one of the best in the SEC. Omar Payne started the game and had 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Colin Castleton had 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists coming off the bench. Both of those players are once again going to be keys in round two against Georgia as both of them are taller and longer than any option the Bulldogs have in the frontcourt. Toumani Camara is a good defensive player, but standing at 6’8” and 220 pounds the Brussels, Belgium product is giving up a significant amount of length especially to Castleton. Florida has been trying to feature the big man more recently and he should have favorable matchups every time he catches the ball near the rim. PJ Horne will also get some looks at center but he’s only 6’6”, so Florida will likely have 40 minutes of size advantage at the position.

 

Georgia might be undersized but it doesn’t stop them from relentlessly pursuing offensive rebounds. They’re one of the best offensive rebounding teams in not only the SEC but the country and the Gators will need to try to keep them from getting second chance opportunities. Florida had success doing this in the first matchup and it will have to be a focus for them again. Georgia isn’t a great offensive team in the half court so if Florida can keep them to only one shot every time down the floor the Bulldogs will likely struggle to score.

 

Since they struggle to score in the half court, Georgia’s attack is all about sprinting in transition and trying to get early looks. Sahvir Wheeler is an outstanding transition point guard, a speedster who is just as fast running while dribbling as without and he can cause all kinds of issues for opponents. He had 10 assists against the Gators, a tremendous number for the college game, and that speaks to how good his vision is and how he can punish a team for not matching up in transition. Whether it’s hitting cutters for dunks or shooters for trail threes, if there is a shot to be had in transition Wheeler is going to find it for his teammates. 

 

One of the beneficiaries of these shots in transition is KD Johnson who joined the Bulldogs just before they first played Florida. He was excellent scoring 16 points in 22 minutes off the bench, and that was still when he was just getting his feet under him as a freshman joining his team for the first time in the middle of the season in the middle of a pandemic. Johnson is a lights-out shooter who is hitting 41% of his threes on heavy volume. Most of his attempts come in transition, so he’s a player Florida needs to be particularly aware of when sprinting back in transition. 

 

The last player to be aware of is Andrew Garcia who had arguably his best game of the season so far against the Gators finishing with 17 points off the bench on hyper efficient 8-9 shooting. Garcia is a player with great feel for the game, knowing where to find his shots and not doing anything outside his skillset. Knowing your role is big in the game of basketball and Garcia does just that, cutting for backdoor layups or sneaking in behind the defense for offensive rebounds and putbacks. Despite only standing at 6’6” he’s one of the best offensive rebounders on the Bulldogs and is especially good at attacking the glass when a smaller player switches on to him.

 

This is a big game for the Gators because right now they need to avoid a bad loss. They’re in the NCAA Tournament picture as of now but a loss against Georgia would almost certainly put them on the bubble. A win over the Bulldogs wouldn’t exactly boost things as Georgia is way out of the NCAA Tournament picture so this game is more of Florida wanting to avoid a bad loss than trying to procure a big win.

 

However, they certainly shouldn’t just be playing not to lose, they need to play to win. Florida has been at their best when playing an attacking style of basketball early in the shot clock and that’s something they need to get back to. South Carolina and Arkansas both had success slowing the Gators down and making them play exclusively out of their pick and roll game and considering both were able to beat Florida, it is likely that Georgia will try to do the same. 

 

Adjustments haven’t exactly been a strength of the Gators so far, but it’s never too late for them to improve in that area. Georgia will be a challenge, and if Florida isn’t ready to face it the season could get a whole lot more interesting.

 

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_.