When you look at Florida’s performance against Florida State in their crushing 63-51 loss they actually did a few things well enough to win. Defensively, they slowed down the Seminoles’ ball handlers and kept them to only 36% shooting from the field, a number that usually will win you a basketball game. Coming into the game rebounding was a major topic of discussion with the Gators giving up some size but the rebounding total was tied and Florida did their jobs well.
Ultimately, it was Florida’s offense that failed them and their struggle to generate good shots and knock them down when they presented themselves was what led to their demise. Shooting only 28% from the field and 18% from three while turning the ball over 16 times isn’t a recipe for success and it was clear from the opening tip that the Gators were going to have difficulty scoring against the Seminoles, a trend that goes back multiple seasons in the rivalry.
Dribble Drive Offense
At this point of the season Mike White has been open about the fact that he hasn’t been able to put in many set offenses and for that reason the Gators have been playing dribble drive motion offense, an offense that flows continuously and doesn’t rely on particular players being set in particular positions. In this style of offense players are required to pass the ball and then move, whether it be a cut through the lane or screen away for another player or some action like that. When a player receives a pass, they look to make a move one-on-one and hopefully get a drive towards the hoop. When driving towards the hoop he can hopefully score or a defense will collapse and he can hit the open man. If unable to do so, he passes the ball, makes his movement, and the offense continues.
As you can see from this description, that offense requires multiple players on the floor to be able to beat their man one-on-one or off a closeout. It prioritizes athleticism and speed, and that is where issues for the Gators against the Seminoles have arisen. Historically, and this year being no different, Florida State has been a more athletic team with superior size and length to the Gators. For that reason, it has been particularly tough for the Gators to score the basketball using their dribble drive offense. If no one on the Gators can kick start defensive rotations by beating their man the offense sputters and that’s what was the case on Sunday as Florida was stuck moving the ball 30 feet from the hoop without getting any penetration.
How Florida State Defended
The Seminoles, banking on their length and athleticism, really pressured the Gators and pushed their offense far beyond the 3-point line by sitting in passing lanes, gambling that the Gators wouldn’t be able to back-cut them for easy layups at the rim. Since passing lanes were made difficult or taken away entirely, Florida’s ball handlers were stuck in one-on-one scenarios where their only option was to try and create individually. That isn’t a strength of Andrew Nembhard’s game, something Florida State was all too aware of, and he had a tough day trying to generate things by himself ending with 4 turnovers. Noah Locke was another player they really challenged to go one-on-one, something not in his skill set, and that also led to some tough Florida offensive possessions.
Defending Kerry Blackshear Jr.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. finished with 10 points but he did it the hard way by going to the charity stripe and going 10-14. He shockingly finished the game without a made field goal going 0-5 from the line (0-2 from three) though it was pretty clear the mandate from FSU coach Leonard Hamilton was to prevent any layup from Blackshear. Fouling him every time had the ball in a scoring position near the hoop took the Gators totally out of rhythm and even though Blackshear was able to put some points on the board the Seminoles mitigated the major damage Blackshear is capable of.
They also were effective in defending Blackshear by fronting him anytime he was on the post, working to get in between Blackshear and the ball and daring the Gators to try and throw a lob pass overtop of the defense that could be intercepted. Additionally, considering the fact that FSU’s perimeter players were pushing Florida’s perimeter players so far beyond the 3-point line it made that pass exceedingly difficult. Between forcing Florida’s less talented one-on-one players to be the offensive focus and taking Blackshear out of the game Florida State did a good job of stopping any Florida runs.
Missing Threes
Even though Florida’s offense was hurting for most of Sunday’s game they still managed to get some clean looks from three but they weren’t able to convert many of them going 4-22 for 18%, a number that brings their season total to 7-37 (19%). One player that was particularly snake bitten was Noah Locke (0-7) though Tre Mann (1-4) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (0-2) were both dying to have some more of their shots fall too. A few more makes, particularly in close points of the game where the Gators were starting to get momentum could have really changed things but it just seemed that every big shot spilled out. This is two straight games to start the season where the Gators haven’t shot the three well and if they shot it at an even decent 30-33% clip Sunday the game could have gone differently.
Moving Forward
If you look at last season the Gators started the season playing primarily dribble drive offense and it didn’t look pretty and when they went to a more structured, set-based offense they had more success. It’s looking like that could very well be the case this year again where they are suited more to a structured offense than a free-flowing motion offense. This is especially the case against teams that out-athlete the Gators and while they aren’t going to see many teams as long and physical as Florida State there are some similar opponents coming up on the schedule and you definitely don’t want to see another offensive performance like Sunday’s. Threes are likely going to fall at a better than 18% clip in the future but until the Gators can develop some better rhythm they’re going to have some rough offensive nights against good defensive teams.