What is it the core issue that is causing us to struggle to close out second half when we have a big lead ? It’s got to be something more than the other team just changing to a zone defense.
If you read Goldens comments after the LSU game, he agrees with you : a combination of things. He gave the team off today to rest and says we will be practicing a lot against the zone before the game vs the smelly dogs
Guys, I’ve said it before. The other team isn’t just going to give up because you got the lead. It’s just basketball. Stop trying to make this and “tired legs” a thing. Every team is playing and practicing and the same clip. Nobody has a long term advantage or disadvantage in this regard. Stop it.
1) I am not a moderator and have no power over what other posters choose to write. 2) When I said, "stop it", it was just a manner of speaking and does not literally translate as an order or command to stop... which coincidentally would be unenforceable (by me, at least). 3) Most of us here have been communicating with each other for years and know each other's mannerisms and posting tendencies. We speak the way old friends do with each other without all the pomp and circumstance.
Honestly, I think its been so long since we've had a good basketball team that we forget how it works. Good teams get out to big leads and then have to hold on to them. We have a good team.......
Definitely different things each time. We’ve seen struggles against the press, free throw problems, breakdowns defending the arc, some opponents getting unreasonably hot or getting to the line unduly. But, IIRC, we haven’t lost a game where we had a double digit second half lead, right? Maybe Wake? In any event, while it could always come back to bite you, it hasn’t in terms of Ws and Ls yet. I also recall the 2013-2014 team having a real problem with it, too. Would just go for long offensive droughts in the second half that would blow double digit leads, then get bailed out by clutch Wilbekin shots or free throws. Yet they ended up undefeated league champs, top overall seed, and in the final 4. We obviously aren’t anywhere near as good, but the point is that you can overcome it, as we have repeatedly done. At least it makes the games more interesting, haha.
In the next four minutes UF was called for 6 fouls to Wake's 1. The lead evaporated to 51-50. The remainder of the game was evenly called. For the game Condon & Pullin fouled out, Samuel had 4.
Florida Basketball is 15th in the country in first half scoring margin. Florida Basketball is 173rd in the country in second half scoring margin.
Yogi Berra is quoted as having said that: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” I tried to do a Yogiism here, but I guess that the humor was too subtle for all of you. So be it.