Florida got very conservative in the second half and choked it away. Why they didn't double Bagley and Carter every time is a mystery. Also some sloppy turnovers. Florida played not to lose and it showed.
HawkChamp
3175 posts
Florida looks to be one of the toughest teams to guard in the country. They have fully adopted the Golden State model - run, gun and spread the floor. Really, really good team. Pretty good defensively too even though they are very short.
@KirkIsMyHinrichyou could say that about several teams, but they aren't a good shooting team other than Gracie. Cover him and pack in the paint.
Florida has practically zero size inside. Basically all guards. The team that will beat Duke must have inside outside balance, otherwise it is a mismatchup.
It is good for Mitch to get this game experience now because even with Desousa and/or Preston, we will still probably need him at some juncture. He is really good in pick and roll situations because of his ability to shoot the three, and he demonstrated that last night. He reminds me a bit of a shorter Thomas Welch from UCLA.
@DoubleDD Bill said last night he is pretty optimistic he will play this year.
Self also seems pretty optimistic about desousa. Said he is retaking the test today as "insurance".
You can win small without doubt. I think UConn and Nova have proved that teams with smart play can be effective even when facing taller teams. That is why these non con games are good for Dok to learn how to not foul and improve his conditioning. Everyone acts so scared of playing taller teams, but how are those teams going to guard our perimeter? Someone's four man is going to have to guard Lagerald or Svi, which is a really tough cover. We'll be fine, especially if Desousa can play. He and Cunliffe will be a big boost for this squad at the perfect time heading into conference play.
Texas doesn't suck, but they showed several easily exploitable weaknesses that we can capitalize on.
When Duke started attacking, Texas showed they have a tendency to foul. Duke picked up the defensive intensity and Texas had a hard time scoring, plus they have no shooters. If we pack the paint, rebound and attack them, we will win.
Me thinks Florida could take down Puke.
@approxinfinity Texas made several stupid plays. After this season, Self will be 6-0 against Shaka coached Texas.
Poor coach, poor shooting and no point guard = ku win
And this is why I'm not that worried about Texas - Shaks Smarts coaching.
Texas could still pull this off
Refs making sure Duke stays close. That was a blatant foul by Carter.
Yep Texas can't get stops and gave Duke momentum with missed layups.
Texas trying to give duke the win with missed layups
Man look at the shorthorns!
Duke is as thin as we are which the media conveniently overlooks. Foul trouble will be troublesome for them like it is now.
@Bwag wouldn't hold my breath
That being said, UNC looks like a final four team and one seed material.
It really is both frustrating and baffling to watch Roy. He couldn't won a championship to save his life at KU, and now he has three. He had some great opportunities too but fell short. Ugghhh
Honestly, Michigan State looks a lot like they did when we beat them last year. Given that we add another big, we can play with them, no question. Some in the media think they are above us - I'm not sold on that.
Watching the first half of Michigan state and DePaul. DePaul has missed so many layups and shots at the rim - should be up seven.
Arizona struggling, just lost their second game in a row. Looks like a two man team with Trier and Ayton.
@kjayhawks starting to wonder about Purdue being overrated.
Wichita pulled a huge choke job there. Had numerous opportunities - that miss on the front end free throw was the difference.
Wichita State plays really good defense. That is their main weapon in March. Definitely looks like an elite contender this season.
Seth and JWill both picked Notre Dame. This is a tough one for me. I'd say if Notre Dame shoots it well they will probably win but if not, Marsha wins.
@kjayhawks maybe but the matchup possibilities are great. Kind of a march feel with all these tournaments. I like it - wish we were in one...
@KirkIsMyHinrich assuming we get a w on friday
A really good slate of games. Nova had a close game with Western Kentucky. Arizona lost to nc state. Wichita State and Notre Dame should be fantastic.
@KUSTEVE amen. I thought this was about the game, not a grammar debate. Good grief
@kjayhawks I agree about desousa. I would be surprised if we don't get him. Yeah, he'll be behind but will be ready to go by march.
@jaybate-1.0 Luke hobbs?
@Crimsonorblue22 maddening for sure
18 or 19 iirc. We shot better today than they did when they beat us.
@kjayhawks true, but this team is full of good shooters, so another game with 15 threes is not out of the question.
I really like how far Dok has come with his moves inside. He is money down there.
Regarding Cunliffe, its been a year since he played, and can we really count the games in Italy as being definitive for in season stats? I'll wait to see how he looks once he is eligible to form an opinion. Just not enough substantial material to go off.
@kjayhawks if only clay were a few inches taller...
@jaybate-1.0 I can't say for sure about Garrett. We will absolutely need his contributions this year.
@jaybate-1.0 uh, with Sam we have a seven man rotation and getting either Billy or desousa ups that to a solid eight, but I agree with you. In the past, we have had depth but rarely used it fully as Self mostly plays seven guys late in the year, sometimes eight. Nova was mostly seven and UConn was thin as well. You can't play fast with a short bench - just aint going to happen. Both teams I just mentioned knew exactly how to execute in the half court and made timely shots. And, we have something neither did - a monster in the middle. I think we'll be fine by the end of the season.
Has there been any news on desousa? I haven't seen any quotes from self about him.
Oklahoma state can't buy a basket. I guarantee they will shoot well when we play them in Stillwater though.
The game against A&m is starting to look pretty tough. They may be the class of the SEC this year. Should help our non con strength.
Devonte is not a great scoring point guard like Frank, as we discussed the other day. He is at his best when he is looking to distribute and make the team better and not be so worried about making shots. We saw the difference between the two Friday games and the Kentucky game. Now he shot poorly against Kentucky and we know he is a much better shooter than that, so he will have some big scoring games, but the team will be better when he is doing the non scoring things.
@jayballer54 yep false alarm
@kjayhawks who are your sources?