Florida played some inspired basketball down the stretch to erase a 15 point deficit and get it all the way to the point they were winning by 1 but ultimately the Gators were greatly outplayed in the final minutes of the game, losing 75-64 to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gators came out flat following a two week pause due to COVID, allowing the Razorbacks to carry a double digit lead for the first half and well into the second. Timely shot making from Colin Castleton and Tyree Appleby was able to get the Gators back in the game and even take the lead, but the Razorbacks were far too much to handle in the final possessions. Their length defenders clamped up Florida’s guards and their ball handlers got to the rim at will, dominating the Gators over the final minutes. Overall, this was a frustrating game for the Gators where they will not be particularly pleased with how they played on either side of the court, though the fight they showed to claw back into the game was admirable.
Rust
Coming off a two week shutdown the Gators were destined to be a bit rusty and that was definitely the case. Their primary ball handlers had some tough moments making reads and when the Gators got open shots, they weren’t falling. Florida ended up shooting 4-21 from the three-point line (19%) which isn’t going to win them many games considering their reliance on the shot. While the shutdown can’t be fully to blame for Florida’s loss, it certainly didn’t help and definitely contributed to their struggles.
Tough Homecoming
Tyree Appleby, an Arkansas native, had an eventful return to his home state getting booed every time he touched the basketball. The 16 points he ended up with might suggest that he had a good game and while he did have a couple big buckets to get the Gators back in the game, he largely struggled. He committed 7 turnovers, many of them that turned into breakaway dunks for Arkansas, and he struggled to defend against the Razorbacks’ bigger guards. His effort was there all night but the execution wasn’t always.
Lack Of Adjustments
Florida’s last game before the COVID shutdown was a loss to South Carolina. In that game the Gamecocks played “drop” coverage on pick and rolls, with their big man sagging into the paint to take away drives. South Carolina had great success with this style of defense, and Arkansas took note. They played the identical style of pick and roll defense and had great success, forcing turnovers over and over again will also coaxing the Gators into taking bad shots. Florida has been a good pick and roll offensive team up until the last two games and it looks like opponents have figured out how to guard them. They’ll need to make adjustments to how they look to score or they’re going to have more rough nights like they had Tuesday.
Final Thoughts
Arkansas is a stellar basketball team who was on their home floor, and the Gators weren’t expected to win this game. However, their play definitely left a lot to be desired and they won’t be pleased with how they executed. Florida has four winnable games left on their regular season schedule, and this is where they need to take care of business. They can withstand a loss to a good Arkansas team on the road but they can’t afford to drop games to the mediocre teams remaining on their schedule.