Good morning, friends!
It’s another week down for Florida basketball and another week of big games coming up, so here are some thoughts I’m having about the team.
Tyree Appleby is an important player who potentially isn’t getting the credit he deserves.
Sometimes, Tyree Appleby turns the ball over a ton. I know.
However, on a team that lacks individual offensive creation and the ability to create a shot in one on one settings, Appleby’s skill to shake a defender with the dribble and step back into open space is something that is extremely valuable.
Right now Appleby is hitting 35% on his threes off the dribble. As a team, the Gators are shooting below 32%. Appleby’s step back three is one of the best offensive options the Gators have, particularly in the half court, and I’m not sure everyone realizes that when he starts creating.
Appleby also generates a ton of points with the pass. Did he have 5 turnovers in a game last week? Yes, but he also had 7 assists, and the net outcome of that assist to turnover ratio comes up very positive in terms of points for the Gators. I would much rather have a player like Appleby who has the ability to create 7 assists while sometimes turning it over 5 times than a guard who is low turnover but isn’t able to generate offense.
Why weren’t the Gators playing Niels Lane?
Niels Lane has had some poor luck with injuries and sickness throughout his career but when it came to his 0 minutes over the last couple of weeks leading into the Oklahoma State game that was all the coach’s decisions. Then, out of pure frustration from Mike White, Lane got the start in the second half.
In that role Lane did, well, just what he did last year. He defended like a mad man, chasing his check around screens and stopping dribble penetration with his quick lateral movement. Just like last year he didn’t contribute much on the offensive end, but he didn’t hurt the Gators either.
Ultimately Lane’s minutes were positive, and the Gators had a huge comeback to win.
So, why wasn’t he playing the last couple of weeks?
Florida has been struggling defensively (they’re 59th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric) and, well, they haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire offensively either. So, why not play Lane who you know can improve your defense? Earlier in the season the argument would be that he was too much of a negative offensively, but on a team that isn’t good offensively already, how much would you even be sacrificing.
Plus, Florida has been casually priding itself on being a defense-first program. How can that be the case if you don’t play your best defensive players?
Whatever the case may be, it’s all about what happens moving forward. The Gators saw good minutes from Lane against Oklahoma State and they should feel comfortable rolling him out moving forward.
Tuon Gatkek has impressed.
I’ll be honest, I was critical of taking JUCO transfer Tuon Gatkek and I wasn’t a fan of the minutes he was given early in the season. However, pressed into service by the injuries and illness of Colin Castleton, Jason Jitoboh, and CJ Felder, Gatkek has performed well enough to stay in games.
His length is downright comical and it made for some steals and blocks that had opponents shocked and downright confused. His incredibly sleight frame means the Gators get pounded on the glass when he’s on the court, and he doesn’t offer much on the offensive end. However, in the role he’s been forced into he has worked hard and played fearlessly and it has allowed the Gators to stay in games.
The next three games are hugely important.
The Gators now see Missouri, Ole Miss, and Georgia, and for those keeping track of bracketology at home that means two quadrant-3 opportunities and one quadrant-4.
For those of you that aren’t following bracketology, let me put it in layman’s terms.
These are three games that aren’t high quality, meaning the Gators wouldn’t gain a whole lot by winning them, but they would be absolutely devastated by losing any of them.
Calling three consecutive games in February must-win might seem dramatic, but a loss in any of these would be extremely detrimental to a Florida resume that is incredibly shaky. But, this is the bed the Gators made themselves by suffering a couple of tough losses. A loss wouldn’t disqualify them from the NCAA Tournament but man, it would make things tough.
Right now, Florida is on the wrong side of the bubble.
Sure, you can find some bracketologists that have Florida as one of their last teams in, but when you look at the most reputable and accurate bracketologists the Gators are on the outside looking in.
They have plenty of work to do if they want to make the Dance, and it all starts with a week of winninable games coming up here.
Go Gators!