By Ryan Randall:
Coming off Monday’s offensive showcase against Yale, the Gators look to continue momentum with a Friday night match-up against Texas Southern.
Texas Southern Tigers
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Head Coach: Mike Davis, third season
2013-14 record: 19-15 (12-6, tied for second place)
So far this year, the Florida Gators have seen tough competition in Miami, Georgetown, North Carolina and Kansas.
Texas Southern does not fall into this category.
The Tigers, Florida’s opponent Friday, is the typical small school put on the schedule by an elite program to provide a tune-up for the team. After playing tough opponents early in the season with more to come, the contest against the Tigers will provide a change in opponent while giving Florida more opportunities to build cohesion amongst the players.
Texas Southern is led by head coach Mike Davis, who has shown his ability to win throughout his career. At Indiana, Davis had a 115-76 record over six seasons and led the Hoosiers to the national championship game in 2002. In his six seasons with UAB, Davis posted a 122-72 record and led the Blazers to a NCAA Tournament berth in 2011.
The Tiger’s first seven games of the 2014-15 season have yielded similar results to last year. After opening up the season with a five-game losing streak, the team defeated Lamar 71-59 November 28. However, Texas Southern lost their next game to Baylor 75-49. Last year, the Tigers won their first two games, before losing the next five.
Key Players
Chris Thomas
Junior
Forward
6-5, 190 pounds
A change of scenery has provided Chris Thomas another fresh start. A highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, the Denver, Co. native was arrested in 2013 for operating an unregistered vehicle and driving without a valid license while at Chipola College (Marianna, FL). After being placed in an intervention program, Thomas failed a school drug test and was suspended for the junior college state tournament later that year. The forward joined Marshall last season, where he had 12.7 points per game and four rebounds per game, but was dismissed from the team in June after violating team rules.
This year, the forward has played well, averaging 16.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. An athletic scorer who can get to the basket, Thomas had a career-high 28 points against Norfolk State. In the open court, the forward can finish with impressive dunks. If the team isn’t paying attention to him without the ball he can slide behind a defender and finish with a put back dunk.
Madarious Gibbs
Senior
Guard
6-1, 190 pounds
After missing the first three games due to injury, Gibbs has come on strong for the Tigers, averaging 11 points per game and 5.5 assists per game. Throughout the senior’s career, he has improved upon his ability to score and get his teammates involved. After averaging 6.6 points per game and 2.5 assists per game over his freshman and sophomore campaigns, Gibbs increased production last season, averaging 9.1 points per game and 5.5 assists per game.
Much like Thomas, Gibbs doesn’t attempt a lot of shots from three-point range, focusing on driving to the basket and either scoring or getting it to the open post player. He won’t be the fastest guard Florida will see this season, but is quick at times.
How they will fare against Florida
Much like many other teams this season, the Gators should beat Texas Southern handily. The Tigers are outmatched, especially in the frontcourt. Look for forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Chris Walker to take advantage of the mismatches and have big games. The Gators should also get up and down the court successfully, with this game looking like a track meet at times. The schedule has been tough for Florida, but Friday’s game against Texas Southern should provide some relief for the Orange and Blue.