Article: Florida Versus UConn Round Of 32 Preview

Imo tough one in a tough time slot. Not sure any 1 seed has a tougher second round game. Gotta come out intense and on the boards. Not the type of team to let hang around.

 

Not an ideal matchup befitting a #1 seed, but maybe these are the tune up games we needed to make it to the final four. The Huskies could certainly pester us a little bit but I have to think we have played much tougher opposition this year that we soundly defeated. Go Gators!

 

We could lose any game moving forward. I have to think our staff will have scouted UConn thoroughly. I like the draw and we hopefully advance if we play well.

 

On what network or channel is this game being broadcasted?

 

I have watched them once. Last night. They remind me of a scrappy mid tier SEC squad. Pretty fast and well coached but no one stands out. Mizzou, SC and uga level. Oops we lost to 2 of them. However those weren't typical games. Play well for 40 minutes and it's a 15 point win.

 

We got sloppy in the 1st round game after going up 42-14. Understandable and not a problem. I mean, we were so much better it didn’t matter.
But hope the guys understand that will get you beat the rest of the way in. Including this game.

 

CBS

 

I think I prefer UConn over Gonzaga, but we have to play well. If we do I feel we win, but no more gimme’s.

 

“Tremendous matchup” indeed. The last two back-to-back champions going head-to-head. Will be fun.

 

We can throw all of the stats and figures out of the window from here on out. Let’s stay grounded and realize that only God’s favor will get us to a championship starting with a victory over UConn. We were way more talented than they many times in our 5 previous lossses to them and talent did not matter.

if we have God’s favor we will play like we do. There is every reason to believe that we have been put in this position to

beat the defending champion (convincingly hopefully) to set the tone for whoever we face next and to

demonstrate what happens when you combine obvious talent and toughness with God’s favor.

Without the belief that it is our time and that God’s favor is with UF, all the talent, toughness, experience and skill means nothing. We must see the reality and believe the reality.

 

Who's god are we relying on for this next victory? Just checking so I know who to pray to.

 

I hope it isn’t one of the ones that requires human sacrifices. That might take a few days to logisticate.

 

This game makes me nervous. They are like a more talented SCAR with a HOF coach who’s a jerk by will pull out all the stops and antics to get a win. Just cause he’s a jerk doesn’t mean he isn’t any good.

Ironically , if we win this game I think getting to the FF will be easier than beating UConn.

“Wes Chandler was Percy Harvin before Percy Harvin was born.”

 

If it does, I've got a list.

 

Maryland and St. Johns (or Arky if they beat them) are both better than UConn and Maryland in particular would seem a bigger challenge due to the talent of their bigs.

 

Call Joakim and get his grandfather to sacrifice a chicken.

Back in the 06 and 07 runs I had a ritual that worked. I had a set of six Curious George jelly jar glasses. I drank Crystal Light lemonade from glass number 1 before the first game and it worked, glass number 2 before the second game and it worked. Saw the pattern and drank from glasses 3 and 4 before our Regional games, Drank Crystal Light out of glass 5 on the Interstate driving from Louisville to Indy and had glass 6 packed in my luggage.

Same thing the next year.

It failed in 2014. I think that the Curious George gods got confused with the First Four. Nobody knew what was Round 1.

 

Like Billy d used to say, “just play the game like you want it to last forever” and we’ll be fine. No milking the clock.

 

Pace, turnovers, shot volume, and rebounding—the story of our season, in a sense. We were able to speed up a very similarly paced UT team last weekend. That’s what we need again. If we play this at the tempo of the second UT or UGA games, or the first SC game, then things could get dicey.

Defensively, have to guard the arc above all else. Their effective fg%, three pt%, and 3 pt rate are all fairly similar to ours. We’ve seen how 3s have sunk us in close games (UK, Mizzou, UGA). If we defend the arc well, I just don’t see them hanging in there attacking the rim or feeding the post.

Offensively, we really can put points up on them, but need pace to create margin for error. That means turnovers and defensive rebounds to create more possessions and get us into early offense.

Ultimately, win the turnover battle and rebound well defensively, and we should get be able to dictate pace. That, and shooting better than they do from the arc, would put us in a really good place.

 

The Huskies have won 13 straight in the Big Dance. We need to bring our A game tomorrow to stop that streak and advance.