MBB OGT: #3 FLORIDA at #22 Mississippi State -- February 11, 2025 -- 7 PM [ESPN2]

Only 7 games left in regular season. I'm sad already.

 

Honestly sober , even after golf .. no IPAs
Fat finger or dumm azz continues to be the bane of my existence

 

Join the club.

 

But we have SEC tournament and March Madness..but I understand your feelings..love this team..

 

already thinking about the double byes in the SEC tournament (top 4 teams), SO important for wear and tear heading into the NCAAs since the Championship game is on Sunday.

 

We had 27 points with 1 minute left in the 1st half, then had 74 points with 6 minutes remaining in the 2nd.

That's 47 points in 15 minutes, 3.13 points per minute.

 

Denzel doesn't get the love here but that guy has been fricken incredible covering the injuries at the guard positions. He has played about 90 minutes with less than 5 turnovers IIRC. He has taken care of the basketball incredibly well.

 

That run of stops and points coming out of halftime was glorious.

 

I think he's elevated his play quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. I'm not seeing anymore the stationary, time-wasting, dribble-dribble that he was prone to earlier.
When the Gators move and share the ball, they're lethal.

 

He has. I'm really glad he's getting this extended play now, I think he'll be more comfortable during the tourney. Same with Urban, we'll need those guys at some point.

 

this is what is great about having two "starters" coming off the bench. Aberdeen and Haugh would be starters on virtually any other team, so when we have a guard and big go down it's an almost seamless insert of those 2 into the starting lineup.

 

On an unrelated note, re-watching this game I was reminded just how many bad 3-pt shots are taken, or at least how many bad misses. Watching good 3pt shooters, they either miss long or short (see: Urban). There were so many shots in this game that had no business going up. It might be because I also watch a lot of NBA games, where the shooters are just so much better on average, but it's painful to see how many bad 3pt shot attempts are in the college game sometimes. Side of the rim, missing the rim entirely and hitting the backboard. Don't get me started on "layups" and shots around the rim that are nowhere near the basket. Anyway, end of rant. lol. We had an amazing 47-point stretch there where we looked like a pro team, and that's all we needed to secure the double-digit win on the road.

 

For me, one guy that was definitely unsung last night was Chinyelu. He sat for a good bit of the first half and we struggled. He played most of the 2nd half and really helped. On one play, I was watching him. He helped out on the three point shooter, definitely affecting the shot. I was amazed then to see him recover and get the rebound under the basket. The guy has a motor that won't stop. He doesn't get gaudy numbers, but he's one of the important cogs in the machine that is Gator basketball!

 

Aberdeen has been amazing in these last few games.

The O has just looked better since he's been playing. Is that due to him or other factors - it's hard to say.

Defensively he's obvs a great on ball defender, but statistically, the team hasn't lost anything since he's been starting. Actually a slight increase.

We know TFG is looking at the advanced statistics, but our ORtg has gone up since he's been in the line up and DRtg down (a good thing).

2/3 (before Vandy game): ORtg 123.4 (#6) / DRtg 93.3 (#10)
Today: 125.6 (#4) / D 93.2 (#8)

I'm not calling for a guard controversy here - just pointing out what I'm seeing and what the stats show. I very, very much want Martin back!

 

And his defense has been great, as well. Kept Hubbard in check all night.

 

Yeah - Sam was progressing a bit - but that was a front court I was hoping he'd really show some progress against. Hopefully the extra PT he's going to be getting helps him figure things out.

 

Martin has been in sort of a slump lately, at least it seems that way. Lots of turnovers and missed threes. Maybe the break will do him good. Maybe it is hard to keep up his level of defensive intensity for a full season and not hve it affect his offense. Hopefully he comes back playing better than ever.

 

Agreed. Clayton seemed to come back as a man possessed. Hoping the same for AM.

 

Observations:

Aberdeen has become a critical cog in the Gator rotation. What a luxury to have essentially a "starter" to spell Walter or Martin and hardly miss a lick.
Guy has a decent 3 ball, great height, can finish around the rim and plays excellent defense.

Tommy Haugh - WOW - like OMG WOW!! Who is this guy? Is there ANYBODY on this team that has improved more this year? Damn near a triple double last night and he is NEVER selfish. This guy is becoming a TERROR in SEC basketball! Shane Matthews stated this morning he may be more "skilled" than Condo.

Condon - Damn near had a heart attack when he went down. I hope he recovers quickly. UF needs him for the stretch run, SEC tourney and the Dance.
I keep flipping and flopping about "WHO" is really the best player on this team and Condo is always near the top. I love the way Condo and Haugh feed off each other in the paint.

Alternate lineups - Folks, we just beat #1 Auburn and #22 MSU on the road with improvised and depleted lineups. I never want to say injuries might help a team, but MAN, the bench, the coaching, the team has responded incredibly well and shows the depth of the squad. Other players getting extended minutes or new minutes. I am so impressed.

Todd Golden - Can the man coach or what? I thought we were toast the second half without Condo and the way the team was disjointed and out of sorts the first half. All the team did after Golden's halftime was go out and hit a 17-0 run that essentially decided the game. Was that not a perfect display of "Halftime Adjustments"? WOW.

8 - 3 SEC - Third place now. Barn 1 and Barn 2 play twice. Somebody gonna lose. UF's upcoming SEC opponents, outside of Alabama and tamu, should have UF favored: SC, OU, LSU, UGA, TAMU, Tide, Ole Miss. UF has a shot to tie or maybe even win the regular season should things go UF's way, including shaking the injury bug.

What a Delight - It has been a delight watching this team. They are better than I expected, in fact they may be a 1 or 2 seed if they keep it up. Fun, fun fun, to watch these kids compete. They are damn good and proving it in what some are calling, arguably, the best year any conference has ever experienced, in the history of NCAA basketball.

 

This team did not take a victory lap. That is a sign of a mature team. It is fun to watch.